When I left home on today’s bike ride at 11:30 AM on my Cervelo Caledonia I was buoyed by the warm sunny weather. I chose my New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch route heading north to loop through Tavola before heading back to Kingwood. The ride was going great with a 13 mph (25 mph gusts) tailwind helping me. That came to a halt on the US59 frontage road passing the Clayton Homes sales lot. My rear tire went flat quickly. I walked into the Clayton Homes lot and found a set of steps to check out the problem. It was obvious rotating the rear wheel, a sharp piece of shiny rock sticking out of the tire. I pulled the tube out, roughed up the rubber, and applied the adhesive patch. airing up the tire my patch job looked successful and I headed off to Tavola.

I rode through Tavola, west on Roman Forest Blvd, under US59, and south on the frontage road. Just before reaching the entrance to Tavola West the rear tire went flat again. I walked to a place with less noise sitting on a sanitary drain lid (it didn’t smell too bad because I don’t think anyone has moved into a home yet). Removing the adhesive patch I decided to replace it with a glued patch. But when I squeezed the glue tube nothing came out. The only option was another adhesive patch. This was at 19.9 miles into what turned out to be a 37.68 mile bike ride. After the failure of my previous patch attempt I was concerned about finishing the ride. I prayed to the Lord, put the tube back in the tire, and pumped it up. This time the patch held and I made it home later than I planned but happy at 3:27 PM.

The strong wind made the ride back from Tavola hard on my legs. Each time I rode over bumpy sections of road I wondered if my patch work would hold. the biggest test came riding over the cobbles exiting Oakhurst on Rock Creek Drive. They are rough but the tire made it.

Weather: Start 75 degrees, humidity 65%, dew point 62.2, partly cloudy, wind S 13 mph gusts 25 mph; Finish 78 degrees, humidity 58%, dew point 61.7, mostly clear, wind S 13 mph gusts 23 mph.