[Tide19]

@Subby 57558 wrote:

Stop reading comments sections on the web. Stop reading comments sections on the web. Stop reading comments sections on the web. Stop reading comments sections on the web. Stop reading comments sections on the web.

What did these people do before there were internets to troll? Send a lot of letters to the editor? Randomly interrupt conversations at the local tavern?

[Tide19]

Had my first flat two nights ago and learned an important lesson, always spend the time to be sure you’ve identified and removed the source of the flat.

The valve on my rear tire tube has been a little touchy for the last week or so. If I turned it all the way down, I would slowly loose air. If I kept the screw on the valve a half turn from full-tight, the valve wouldn’t depress and release air. When I slowly lost tire pressure on Monday and couldn’t see any visible signs of a rupture or cut in the tube, I assumed that the valve had been the cause.

I switched out the tube and did a check of the tire to make sure I didn’t have anything coming through the tire, but when I inflated the tube, it immediately let the air back out. Luckily, a cyclist finishing up his ride stopped and offered me a lift in his truck. When I got home and got the tire all the way off the wheel in better light, I could see the tiny piece of glass that killed two separate tubes. If I’d been a little more thorough inspecting the tire, I would’ve had a success story with my first flat (with a big assist from Dickie via cellphone). Instead I had to finish my ride in the passenger seat of a truck.

[Tide19]

Let me see if I can respond to everyone without a wall of text. For the record, the cleat fail was at a busy stop light, so there was little chance of maintaining dignity to begin with. I’m not sure that Dickie’s definition of crush jibes with mine, though. I distinctly remember questioning our choice to push out an extra 5 miles on that ride when we were in the hills on the return. The socks are magnificent.

I’m commuting from just inside the beltway on Georgia Ave (near Woodside Deli) over to the big FDA campus on New Hampshire Ave. I can cut through Sligo Park for most of it, so it’s a pretty nice ride with the exception of one hill that makes me wish I didn’t have 20 pounds of work gear in my messenger bag.

I briefly considered entering the Crystal City Classic, but just did the Tour de Cure last weekend and object on general principles to getting out of bed before 5:30 two Sundays in a row. If I’m being honest, I’m still a little too greenhorn for the potential pack riding that race might involve. It sounds like a really interesting event though. Anything else like it in the area later in the summer?

@4st7lbs – Do you know where you’re going to be in the cities yet? I grew up/went to college/misspent my 20s there.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone, thanks for the warm welcome!

[Author]

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