Another week another dollar

Another week's commuting over. On Monday night, after a torrid day at work and leaving late, I discovered my rear tire was flat as I was about to set off home. Got the rear wheel off, took out the tube and pumped some air into it - I like to know where a puncture has occurred so I can give the tube a good going over at that spot. But I couldn't track it, and the paranoid thought came to me that someone had just let the tire down. Turned out they hadn't, just an old patch given way creating a very slow leak, but the thought didn't improve my mood. I put my spare tube in, put the wheel back on, pumped it up ... and caught the hissing sound of air escaping. I've been carrying the spare tube round for quite a while, and when I checked later, I found that the valve and the rubber of the tube had parted company. I confess, at that point, I gave up and caught the train home. $2.76 for Mr Connex.

Horrible trip it was too - one train was extraordinarily filthy, and some unfortunate teenager who had just broken up with her boyfriend spent the whole trip sobbing loudly on a friend's shoulder - no fun for her, but not much fun for anyone else in the carriage either. Reminded me of one of the great benefits of riding a bike to work - I can hear myself think - I'm not trapped listening to other people's conversations, other people's leaking earphones, other people's mobile calls. When I got home, I put yet another tube on, put the wheel back, pumped it up, and could not believe my eyes when that was flat as a tack ten minutes later. Checked the tire but couldn't find any cause for the last tube to be holed. Patched that tube and the original, fitted one, pumped it up, and at last had a tire with air in it.

Next day I bought two new tubes - $18.00. So for the week I saved about $7. Feeling fitter - or was it a tail wind on Tuesday? Certainly was a headwind Friday - quite gusty at times both going to work and coming back. Very glad to get home Friday night. All in all, though, I'm finding this a sustainable exercise, and very good for both my mental and physical sense of well being. And I get to think bicycle type thoughts as I potter along. Another good thing is that I get most of the cycling bug out of my system during the week, and I'm putting in more time at home in the garden and round the house, rather than disappearing for long bike rides, which certainly helps build up the brownie points on the home front.



Tally for the week:

256 kms
Rained on: a bit once on Friday
Near miss with car: a van on Whitehall street, turning right into Parker Street, yelled "watch where you're going" at a group of us crossing the street, ignoring the fact that we had right of way. Didn't come near collision really, but the sense of injustice rankled for a while. I guess he didn't see us, and its a bad intersection.
Near miss with another bicycle: none - must be getting better at anticipating.
Punctures: 2+1 dead tube!