Thinner Tires

Last Friday I finally received my items that I ordered online. Two Primo-Racer 26x1 tires, two tubes and a Terracycle light mount.

I switched out my touring tires on my Strada with the new ones to see if I could gain some speed. It was Friday evening, near dusk, when I rode on the trail. I did noticed that the new tires made the bike a click and a half faster.

Half a mile from my start point, rounding a downhill curve, my front tire started to loose pressure really fast. I almost lost control, but I managed to steer it on the grass. My road pump was giving me trouble so I had to walk the bike back to my truck to replace the tube.

There was a half an inch gash on the tube to explain the rapid pressure loss. I felt inside to see if the object that tore the tube was still embedded. I felt nothing.

My friend Jack said that it might have been the "tube caught between the rim and the tire".

The time to walk back to my truck and replace the tube took 45 minutes out of my riding time. Sunset was about forty minutes away.

The new tires were decent, but not overly puncture resistant. That's what I get for $20 tires.

On the trail I saw a cyclist riding towards me with a flashing headlight. I decided to turn around once I pass him, since I was nearing my halfway point on the trail. To my surprise it was a guy on a trike, Greenspeed to be exact. We talked on the way back to our vehicles. The Greenspeed guy was finishing up a 40 mile ride, Newtown to Loveland and back.

His trike was a foldable model. With the seat off, he was able to fold it and fit it in his compact Suzuki hatchback. I was quite impressed on the portability of his trike.