Paceline shot

The cable guy came today and gave me a new digital box. It is small and that's good but it doesn't have any controls on it so you do have to use the remote. I found out that I wasn't the only one to get hit in the neighborhood. The Cable guy was a trip.

Here is another old photo from this computer. I was on a bike tour along the Columbia river. The two women infront of me were racers from Seattle as well as the guy with the white shorts. I got in with this group and stayed with them all day. I found out that the guy with the white shorts was an animal on the bike. We passed some port-a-pottys and he decided to take a "natural" break and told us to ride on. I was going to stop with him and help him ride back up to the group. But I went on with the others. There were about 8 of us. The word went out in the paceline to make short pulls on the front. (You would go to the front and then just roll off to the back of the line) We were going around 21 mph doing this. I didn't think this guy was going to catch back up. While I was in the middle of the line my front tire punctured. The riders came around me from both sides and asked if I needed any help. I just said "no go on without me, and thanks for the pulls." I watched them as they looked back and then rode off into the distance.

The side of my tire had blown out. So it was a bad flat. I used a dollar bill to re-inforce it from the inside of the tire. While I was making my repair, the guy with the white shorts came by. He was really flying. He asked if I needed help and I said "no but thanks." There was nothing he could do. I got the tire to work but just barely. It was a nice tire too, a Vittoria Open Corsa. That's the problem with clinchers. If I'd been using tubulars, I would have had a whole new tire and tube. Not just a new tube. Plus when the tire went flat I was very lucky it didn't roll off of the rim causing me to crash. Tubulars are glued to the rims and usually stay on even when flat. My next wheelset is going to be tubular.

I got in another group but didn't want to be on the front with this tire. I could bring them all down so I sat on. They did't understand so it was uncomfortable, but I wanted to get done with this ride as soon as possible.

In the photo I noticed the girls were tucking in their jerseys. I've never seen that before. Makes it kind of like a skin suit. Anyway they were fun to ride with and very friendly.