Planning to roll out of Big Spring by 2, seven and half hours of daylight to cover 45 miles. It’s hot, roads are bad lots of traffic, grocery store is packed. I replace my water, buy a half gallon of chocolate milk to drink en route, half gallon of milk for the evening. Roll out at three, glad to get clear of that place.
Twelve miles later I get a flat, in the front which is unusual. No biggie, a 20 minute job tops. The usual suspect; a bit of wire from a retread. I got five spare tubes, in fact it’s a nice change of place despite the heat. Two Harley guys pull up, we get to talking. A twenty minute job becomes a hour of conversation. They roll so do I, four spare tubes left.
WTF, 200 yards later a blowout, up front, OK, maybe I got distracted and pinched a tube, replace it and on my way, three spare tubes left.
A mile along and.... it happens again. Nothing wrong with the tire just cheap thin tubes from Academy, maybe I got a bad run.
OK, I’m down to two spare tubes, clearly the rim/tire/tube combination ain’t working. I’m carrying a folded up spare tire of a diffent make. Bingo! This one works. But just as I get it up to pressure WTF? The pump head breaks. This is a premium pump, they don’t break, but this one just did.
Questionable tube, no way to fix a flat. In these parts Walmart is the bike shop. I can get tubes and a pump there. Closest one was back to Big Spring, 12 miles. Next closest was the direction I want to go. Seminole TX, 75 miles.
Hey, if it’ll roll 12 it’ll roll 75. I cover 37 miles to Lamesa TX in three hours, pulling off a 70 mile day (345 miles total) 😎
Checked into a motel. Gonna use the WiFi and my compact laptop to plan the next week.
Wish me luck on the 40 to Seminole tomorrow, I could be across the State line before dark.
