The Friday Cyclotouriste

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Here we have aid station #3, about 30 miles into the ride, which unbeknownst to me was about 1000′ away from the spot where I had my first mishap — a flat tire.

I expected a couple flats during the ride. I seem to pick up lots of cactus thorns in AZ. So I stuffed an extra tube, tire irons, even a patch kit into my TA handlebar bag. What I hadn’t expected was for my trusty silca frame pump (which I wrote about here and here) to fail me.

So I waited, and waited…and watched dozens of cyclists stream past before a kind gentleman (whose name I never caught) riding a recumbent bicycle offered me use of his pump. I lost about 25 minutes and was quite surprised to crest the next gentle slope and see this aid station.

Nathan