My CO2 pump broke on my ride

[MikeWaters]

Flat tire, and the pin on my co2 injector broke, almost leaving me high and dry. Luckily had broken down right next to a lawnmower shop.

I called Genuine Innovations, the maker, and they are sending me a replacement top. That's good support.

Those things work great, until they don't.

[creekster]

We did a metric century in San Luis Obispo this Saturday on the triple. We leave the start area and have ridden literally about 1/3 of a mile and I hear the pphhhhtttt that bike riders hate to hear. Stop, pull out the offending tube, put in the new tube and I realize we have no frame pump. Because the triple always draws a crowd, on of the spectators volunteered to take me back to the starting line where a local bike shop owner had set up a truck to help with mechanical pre-ride issues. He pumps up the tire and offers me his personal frame pump for the ride just on the promise I will drop it by his shop when we are done.

64 miles later, after a beautiful ride along the coast, we are about 1 mile from the end of the ride (literally, again) and we get the same sound from the rear tire. This time it wasn't a puncture but a failure of the tube at the base of the stem. Impossible to patch. No spare tube because I used it already. SO I waited for the sag wagon and he gave me a tube. Nice guy again.

The moral of the story, BTW, is never ever forget your frame pump (even if you carry CO2 cartridges, which I only do on some of my bikes) and never buy those cheap ass tubes from performance, as I bought a bunch of them this year at a big sale and I have now had three fail by tearing at the base of the stem.

As a PS: at the end of the day I drove over ot the bike shop and returned the frame pump. The person at the counter was shocekd that I had brought it in. I then asked to speak wioth Wally, the owner who had loaned iot to me, and I thanked him personanlly andf donated a few bucks to his favorite charity for his efforts. He was also surprised to see me and his pump again. I was surprised they were surprised. Wouldn't most people bring it back after saying they woudl do so?

[MikeWaters]

actually creek, it depends on how important the ride is and what means you have to get back home. If I can call my wife and get back home, failure is not as important.

However, if it's the ride you've been building up to all season, then yes, that's important. That's why on those rides I carry an extra TIRE.

Also, if you ride with a partner, it's not as likely that the both of you will have failures, and you can pool your resources.

It's probably a good idea to keep enough cash for a tube in your saddle bag, that way you can hand it over to a good samaritan immediately.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

actually creek, it depends on how important the ride is and what means you have to get back home. If I can call my wife and get back home, failure is not as important.

However, if it's the ride you've been building up to all season, then yes, that's important. That's why on those rides I carry an extra TIRE.

Also, if you ride with a partner, it's not as likely that the both of you will have failures, and you can pool your resources.

It's probably a good idea to keep enough cash for a tube in your saddle bag, that way you can hand it over to a good samaritan immediately.

I don't like folding tires on the triple or tandem. I will admit the lack of a pump and the lack of cash on the bike were my fault. I simply forogt them. I usually have cash stashed on each bike and a pump on each one, but because we don't use the triple as often as th eother bikes, it sometimes get s forgotten when I am stocking up.

On the ride this satruday, I knew it was well supported with 6 sag wagons patrolling the course and so I wasn't as worried about prep as I normally would be.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by creekster

I don't like folding tires on the triple or tandem. I will admit the lack of a pump and the lack of cash on the bike were my fault. I simply forogt them. I usually have cash stashed on each bike and a pump on each one, but because we don't use the triple as often as th eother bikes, it sometimes get s forgotten when I am stocking up.

On the ride this satruday, I knew it was well supported with 6 sag wagons patrolling the course and so I wasn't as worried about prep as I normally would be.

Well as much as you don't like folding tires, you aren't going to like the Sag wagon much either. Assuming it can even pick up a triple.

Hell, you can wear a non-folder like a bandolier, like in the old days.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Well as much as you don't like folding tires, you aren't going to like the Sag wagon much either. Assuming it can even pick up a triple.

Hell, you can wear a non-folder like a bandolier, like in the old days.

Most of the sags can't pick up the triple. If they can, it is too wide to be legal, but you could probabyl get away with carrying it for a while. The plan in the event of a tire failure was wife and son wait while I get a ride back to truck in the sag wagon. I then drive back, pick up bike and family and we head to the beach for whatever was left in the day. Either way we were going to have a few hours that were fun.

As it turned out, the flats were annoying, but we still had a good time. My 11 year old did pretty well on the ride.

Btw, I have never had a tire failure on my triple or my tandem. I do tend to replace them earlier rather than later, and have had good luck.

[bluegoose]

Creekster, you don't honestly think that you are going to get away with that as a ride report, do you?

Come on, spill the bills. Blog away.

Don't make me call Aunt JoAnne to get the full scoop.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

Creekster, you don't honestly think that you are going to get away with that as a ride report, do you?

Come on, spill the bills. Blog away.

Don't make me call Aunt JoAnne to get the full scoop.

I'll try to do a report later. Too much work here now. Aunt Joanne did the full century, so she is the hero of the day. She and Uncle Ralph (and kids) are good folks, but you proabbyl knew that already.