Ride report: Friday 12 June – tyre cut

Well I guess this isn’t really a ride report as such; it’s more a report of how a stitch in time saves nine…

Last Friday was a dry day after a damp week. Not that the trails noticed. From the off I was mincing around any damp patch which is normally a reliable indicator that the trails are pretty good and I’m trying not to get dirty!

Richard, Gordon and myself headed out for our regular ride (can we say regular without Lloyd riding?). The object of the exercise was really to turn the pedals with a very gnarr-lite route.

I’ve had a terrible record this year in terms of riding. Definitely NOT regular for me; I’ve yet to crack 1,000 miles. It’s resulted in the bike (more likely, me) feeling much heavier than it should. Not only am I lacking stamina, there’s no punch either!

So 18-20 miles was just what I needed. With a route focusing on smooth trails (which suits my neck) things should have been straightforward.

First, up to Ranmore via the Yew Trees climb – I really do need the exercise – then straight down the fast but easy Scouting for Boys, followed by another climb up High Med.

Ambushed by a flint

Next on the menu, a drop down to the Westcott side via the second half of MacPherson’s, another easy option.

Except, near the left hand turn at the bottom my front tyre was feeling deflated. Very deflated.

I managed to slice my Maxxis Minion sidewall wide open on a hidden flint and that was that. It’s the first time that’s happened to me despite seeing plenty of sidewall scuff marks over the years. Thankfully it happened in a straight line on a dry trail.

We could immediately see the split wasn’t going to respond to however many worms we threw at it. A long walk and a call for the team car beckoned.

I didn’t reckon with Gordon though. He had a brand new inner tube in his back pack while I had a large puncture patch to use as a tyre boot. I need to replace my toothpaste tube tyre boot after using it last year (possibly to help DavidS out of a situation – I can’t remember).

We emptied out the half gallon of pond water my tyre was carrying (it may once have been Stans but it definitely wasn’t then!), popped in the tube and patch and rode the rest of the route rather gingerly.

Limping home

I was concerned the split would grow as it was a significant cut but it got us back to the pub and then home which is all you can ask.

The damage meant even more mincing – no Sauvage or Sawmill which were both on the menu, no popping little jumps either. Just damage limitation and another looong climb up White Down. You can tell Gordon was on route planning duties.

The moral of the story, if it needs spelling out is pack a tube and make yourself a tyre boot. Both will get you out of jail and save a Friday night when you least expect it.

I have a new tube to hand to Gordon when I next see him and have popped my Hutchinson Wyrm/Kraken combo back on the Bird for the summer. At least they will be easier to pedal than the Maxxis DHF/DHR 2 combo and at this point in the year, I need all the help I can get!