October 16, 2021
4 flats and you're out!!
Kanab loop, take 2
It was another nippy morning here in Utah. And the wind had already started even though the sun had not yet risen. I think it must blow all night long around here.
Don slept in due to our late night last night so we didn't get out for our ride until after lunch. He said he wanted to try the ride up Johnson Canyon again and had found that if we took the access road that ran in front of the campground, we could shave off a couple of miles on Highway 89.
It was pretty windy by now and was gusting 14-19 mph from the east, right in our faces. Ughhhh! This part of the route was flat and it felt like we were climbing a hill. Oh well, we should have a tailwind on our return.
Although the sun was out and supposed to get to the low 60's, with the wind I still felt cold so had put on some extra layers.
Once we turned onto 89, we found less traffic than the other day which made this portion of the ride better. But the rumble strip was still a problem as it had been lightly covered with the cheap seal and was in the middle of shoulder making it hard to see.
After about 3 miles, we reached the turnoff to Johnson Canyon. This took us north with the wind now at our sides.
What a nice country back road! It was paved and gradually climbed up into the canyon through a narrow valley. We were in cattle ranching country, and other than some local and tourist traffic, very quiet. The scenery was beautiful with colorful red rock cliffs lining both sides of the valley.
We were enjoying ourselves when suddenly Don said he was feeling some wobbling. So we pulled over and he checked the tires. Yup, a flat on the front tire!
Just like the other day, he could locate the hole in the tube, but even after carefully checking the tire, could find no cause. He had the tube patched and tire back on fairly quickly while I supported the bike and watched the cattle in the field next to us meander over to see what was going on. Cattle are so curious!
Back on the road, Don said he wanted to go a little further so we continued north. I was keeping an eye out for the movie set buildings and pictographs, but wasn't sure how far we needed to go.
We continued on a few more miles before turning around and had made it back to about the spot where we had our first flat when Don pulled to a stop once again. Yup - another flat! This time on the rear tire.
He had it repaired quickly - much faster with these narrower 700 cc tires than the wider 26" tires that were on our Screamer.
A few more miles took us back to Highway 89 where we turned west and finally found our tailwind along with a lot more traffic. At least on this side of the road, the rumble strip was in the correct spot on the white line so we had a wider shoulder on which to ride.
That was good since most vehicles didn't give us much room. I think Utah requires drivers to give 3 ft. of space to cyclists? Anyway, it makes for a stressful ride when you're constantly watching behind you to see what people are going to do.
But we'd gone less than a mile when Don called out that we had another flat. Oh no, not again!! Another one on the front tire! 3 flats so far today!
I held the bike while he got things repaired - this time using a new tube. The wind was so strong that it was pushing the bike against my legs, making it hard to keep Garfield upright. I was also cold as I had shed some layers while we rode up the canyon.
Back once again on the highway, we were both relieved to reach the turn to the access road and get away from the busy traffic.
Things were going great until Don called out that the front tire was flat. Again! Oh, for goodness sake - is this day never going to end?! 4 flats now!
This time he tried just pumping it as we didn't have far to go to reach the campground, but when that didn't work, had to repair the tube. Just like with the other flats, he could find the hole in the tube but not the cause.
I told him that maybe we needed some new tires since they hadn't been replaced since last year? We had ridden quite a few miles both last year when we spent the winter in AZ and this year on this trip. He agreed and also said he would be carrying more tubes with us on rides. Fortunately we'll be heading to cities with good bike shops next week.
We were both so happy to finally reach the campground without further incident. I was amazed when Don told me we had managed to ride 30 miles today! If we had been able to leave earlier and not had any flats, we might have managed to ride much further. The canyon road is paved for 15 miles once you turn off of 89.
It was after 5 pm by now and I was literally shivering. I hopped into the warm trailer as soon as I could and put on my fleece.
Don had planned to grill tonight, but said it was too windy and he was cold as well. So he cooked up a pasta meal on the stove while I took a long hot shower in the bathhouse. That helped to finally warm up my core.
We spent the rest of evening watching a movie. Pretty boring around here!
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 523 miles (842 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 6 |
If it is due to a tire wire stuck in the tread, sometimes you can find it by wiping a wad of cotton around the inside of the tire. Fibers catch on the wire and once found, it can be pulled out and no longer can work its way through the tube.
Then again, I've had some mystery flats myself.
3 years ago
3 years ago
Learned something else useful recently from a local cycling group in Dayon... When mounting a tire, line up the trade mark with the valve. That way, you can pull the tire off and know where on the tube it lines up with the puncture. A similar help.
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago