A Couple of Flats

ONE
Funny Story: Two weeks ago I went up to Loveland with Bill (husband) and Steve (his coach) to ride the bike course for the race we did this past weekend. As we are getting out of the car and getting our bikes ready to go, I say to the two of them, "I hope I get a flat tire today." Bill says, "What?!" with a confused look on his face and Steve just looks at me funny. I then continue, "I've never had a flat tire on my bike, I am, fore sure, due for one, I usually ride alone, and it would be perfect if I got my first one today when I am with you two. I don't want you to change it for me, I want to do it, but it'd be great to have you to guide me through it, especially if it's the back tire." Steve then says, "Be careful what you wish for." and I reply, "I am actually very serious!"

Yes, I know HOW to change a flat, I've even done it in my garage as Bill walked me through it. But that was a year ago and I haven't had a flat tire since.

The bike ride was a 30 mile loop. We were about 1.5 miles from being finished and I hear a "poof" followed by a little slow down and wobbliness (if that's a word). Yup! Flat tire! I had actually forgotten about my earlier comments at that point and was just excited to be done with the ride soon. I laughed as I pulled over to the side of the road. Bill and Steve rode up and stopped next to me. They were chuckling as well. Steve can change a flat in about a minute flat, so he walked me through all the steps.  I did it in about 10 minutes. A woman who was out walking came by and commented on the two nice young men who were watching me do all the work. I saved face for them and told her I didn't want them to help, I needed to do it on my own. We finished the ride a few minutes later. It could not have been a more perfect set up!

I can't help laugh when I think of that statement, "Be careful what you wish for."

TWO
Yesterday, my girlfriend, Anna, and I headed out from my house to do a pretty long ride. We planned to head up High Grade, the same ride I did last week for the first time, loop around and return home, for about a 50-55 mile ride.

The first half went well, it's the harder portion, heading up into the mountains. We reached the top, took a pit stop and refueled. Then came the fun part, the downhill. After all that climbing, the descent is a well deserved spree! Unfortunately, according to what I had in mind, we missed a turn somewhere and ended up too far down the other side of the mountain. Anna had done this portion of the ride before, but not when starting from all the way over by our houses, she had done it when they drove to the base and rode the loop. We knew we were in for a longer ride than planned. Rather than turn around and head back UPHILL, STEEP UPHILL, we continued on the way she knew to go.

Eventually we came to an intersection where we stopped to verify which way we should be headed. I called Bill, while Anna spoke with a passing cyclist. We determined the quickest way home and headed that way, down Turkey Creek Road toward Highway 285. We passed through Conifer, then actually got ON the 285, which I would NOT recommend - although there ARE bicycle lanes and even signs saying cyclists are ok, it is a fast moving highway, 3 lanes going each direction. The portion of the highway we had to travel on was about 4 miles of steep downhill - really fun to have those semis whizzing by us.  We were about a mile from where we would get off, and yet again, the wobbliness in my tire starts! Another flat! This time it was my front tire (So glad it was the front, so much easier to get on and off the bike for me). I was very glad at this point that I did have that other flat tire two weeks ago. It was no big deal changing this one (besides the cars FLYING down the mountain just feet from us) and we were on our way again in about 5 minutes. After about a minute I realized I had not engaged the front brake after changing the tire (good thing it was the front and not the back or I'd maybe have done and endo!!) I stopped again to do that and we were to the frontage road where we could exit that crazy highway.

Our 50ish mile ride became a 75 mile ride as we came out of the canyon in Morrison and had to take the 470 trail all the way around to home. In hindsight, I am actually really glad it worked out the way it did. I would not have planned to do a 70+ mile bike ride yesterday, and I don't think I would ever have planned to do a 70+ mile ride through the mountains! It was a confidence booster to know that I did it, and that I felt good at the end of it. My legs for sure were screaming at me a little bit on those last few uphills getting home, but besides that, I felt good.