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@BallPacker
Hi all,
New to the forum, thought I'd say hi and share my frustrations from my weekend ride.
Sunday saw the annual club century to Benson-on-Thame (I ride for the Gregarios based in Stanmore). This was my first club ride in about a year, my time having been eaten up by studies for the last few months. In that time, I have still been getting some miles in in the evenings, and I have not punctured once, not once, zip.
About 3 hours into Sunday's ride and I had a chain-off. Told the others to ride on while I quickly dropped it back on the ring. 5 pedal strokes later and bang, chain snapped. Luckily I had my chain tool with me and a quick fix meant I was back up and running 5 minutes later.
Sadly, that wasn't to be the end of my troubles. About two hours after the lunch stop, we had a puncture, followed by a broken spoke, then, I had a rear wheel puncture! By about 5 or 6 we'd only just reached Henley on the way back!! Never has a club run been so far from home so late.
Then, only 3 miles from home, I hit the most ALMIGHTY pot hole, slammed into it, and bang, double blowout, front and rear. That was the end of my day, I had to be picked up and driven home ignominiously past the end of ride cafe stop.
I thought that might be the end of it all. I checked my tyres and put a couple of new tubes in last night, about an hour before I was to ride over to my gf's. As I rolled my bike out of the front door I discovered I had a slow in the front wheel. Stuck another tube in (which I thought was new), pumped it up to about 115psi and the tube exploded, blowing a hole about a cm wide in the tyre wall!! Turned out it was an old repaired tube, but even so.
Was just about ready to throw my bike in the gutter at this point. I've now put the gatorskins back on and I'm hoping for another 365 days without a puncture.
Hope the rest of you had more enjoyable rides!!
Tom