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September 17, 2004
Flat, part II
Today's a day "off" (i.e. babysitting), so Diane helped me fix my flat tire.
First we took the old tube off and fixed one hole. Then we put it back on. We pumped it up. Then we took it off and fixed another hole. Then we put it back on again. Then the nylon sheathing burst at one point along the wall of the tire.
So I took Diane to the sports equipment store in town, which is not cheap but probably works out cheaper than driving to Chambery. The tire I got for less than 6 euros. It says "Made in Vietnam" on the side. I also decided to invest in a new inner tube, since the one I have now has 3 patches including one put on last year. The inner tube cost me less than 3 euros and was also from Southeast Asia. Nothing seems to leak so far.
While at the sports store, I also noticed name brands, but not for the style of tire I was buying. For example, I saw some Michelin sew ups. They were priced at 39.90. The pair of those probably weighed less than the single clincher and tube I bought.
After putting the tires and one fender back on my bicycle, I noticed the front derailleur was rubbing and the bottom bracket is loose. That bike's becoming higher maintenance than my old car.
Posted by Mark at September 17, 2004 01:56 PM