Yesterday I repeated the Verde Valley School road out and back. Today’s results took the same time but my heart rate was 117 bpm. Able to breathe but again painful to lift front end. Seems riding doesn’t cause pain, it is afterwards that pain returns. Sneezing is still knee buckling pain.
Somewhere on the pavement yesterday I picked up a nail in the rear tire. I happened to notice the head sticking out of the tire when I put the bike on the van. No sealant had leaked out, the nail created the puncture and sealed the hole. I was faced with choices of leaving the nail in or pulling it and letting the sealant stop the leak or next step was inserting a Dart into the hole for a plug. If the hole would not seal then next action was to buy a new tire. I drove up to Absolute seeking a DR for repair. I needed the pliers of my Leatherman to pull out the nail. Shit, I pulled and pulled some more until this 2 1/4″ nail came free.
Sealant squirted out the hole not sealing it I attempted to insert the dart into the hole to no success, Jacob tried with sim result. Puncture went in on a knob. The tire became history. Replacement Maxxis Minnion DHR ll 2.4 WT not at Absolute. I crossed the street to bike and bean, which was closed, but talked my way in and bought above tire. My hands are not strong enough to break the beads and reseat the beads on the rim. Shop help. New tire on. Only 325 miles on tire. Sedona wear wore the knobs down and side lugs were starting to break free.
At the festival I visited Stans booth, maker of the sealant I use and the dart. The guy let me insert a dart into a tire in which he created a puncture / slit with like an exacto knife, the dart went in and the tool left the dart inserted in the hole. Easy peezy: hole plugged. My previous experience of plugging holes with the dart have not been successful which I attribute to holes too small to accept the point of the tool. I will still carry the tool.
Yesterday was the Zags first game in the tourney, a 1:15pm tip off. I made my day’s plan around watching the game at PJs in VOC. I got after it early with a drive to west Sedona to do laundry (Thursday) then return to VOC for my above bike ride. I walked to PJs arriving before the ST Pat’s foofara started. Zags ranked overall #1 played a 16 seed team which kept the Zags on their heels until midway thru 2nd half when Zags got after it to win.
Last night I tossed and turned as I could not find a no pain sleep position. When will the injured ribs quit barking?