So "Leenda" and I decided to tempt fate on Sunday, and do the "Oxford" perm-pop.
Leenda was already at the start when I arrived, fashionable in her yellow PacTour Rain Jacket.
We performed the usual paperwork exchange and started our ride in a light sprinkle.
20 or 21 minutes after we started, I arrived at the stop-light at NC-98
And found Leenda removing the PacTour Rain Jacket
Because it was no longer sprinkling (and Leenda was over-heating).
We continued northbound across the highway and down-and-up and across Falls Lake,
Which at the Six Forks Rd crossing is barely more than the Neuse River channel.
Leenda dropped me on the long climb up to Old Weaver Trail,
But I found her only 15 or 16 minutes after crossing NC-98.
She was off the main road, stopped on a minor side-road,
Putting the PacTour Rain Jacket back on, in the substantial rainfall.
I passed by, knowing that she would catch me.
To review the ride so far: that's jacket on -- jacket off -- jacket on.
And we're only 36 minutes into the ride.
About 2 minutes after I passed Leenda on the side of the road,
The substantial rainfall had again become a light sprinkle.
And 2 or 3 minutes after that: no falling water at all.
Leenda unzipped the jacket most of the way, but left it on.
Puddles in the slight depressions on the roadway,
Combined with "vertical potholes" made for less than straight-line riding.
100 yards or so before the stop-light in Wilton,
Trying to avoid the puddles and the verticle potholes on the wet road,
I was a bit slow in my chicane move,
My rear tyre bottomed out on a verticle pothole.
I knew it was a hard hit, but I didn't think too much of it.
That is, I didn't think much of it, until we started to roll again after the light changed.
The rear was completely flat.
I rolled to a stop opposite the picnic tables,
So that's where I walked the bike to change the tube.
I proceeded calmly and with no haste.
The tyre came easily off the wheel,
The tube came out and Leenda rolled it up for me,
The new tube went in easily and securely.
13 calm minutes total.
[I admit that I could have changed it more quickly,
But I was also playing for time to rest a bit.
It isn't easy for me to keep up with Leenda, esp. when I'm not in good cycling shape.]
The second half of the outbound trip was without notable incident.
I think there were some sprinkles, but mostly there was no new falling water.
The roads, however, were wet and there was plenty of yuk on the road.
We were neither fast nor slow at the turn-around control,
And began our homeward bound trek hoping for a tailwind.
[I know that "Fixie Pixie" says there is no such thing as a tailwind, but ... .]
The only notable thing on the homebound leg was Leenda removing the PacTour Rain Jacket.
At the corner of Antioch and Fairport roads.
To complete the ride review:
- Start with PacTour Rain Jacket on.
- Jacket off.
- Jacket on.
- Pinch flat.
- Turn-around control.
- Jacket off.
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