A Sunday bike ride was on the docket after I got home from church. Before rolling out the door I finished watching stage 1 of Paris – Nice bike race and ate a snack for fuel. Dressed and ready I started the ride at 1:27 PM on my Lynskey Helix bike. This was the first ride on the new rear tire I replaced Thursday evening after the flat tire. I felt confident flat tires were in the rear view mirror. Before church I watched the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré bike race in Belgium.

My legs were ready to tackle my Forest Cove – Oakhurst – Valley Ranch route to add some extra miles towards my 650 mile goal for March. Checking previous rides in SportTracks the average distance for this route was around 28 miles. I added a few streets in Kingwood to stretch the distance above that. I rode through Bear Branch Village, South woodland Hills Village, Trailwood Village in Kngwood before hitting the San Jacinto Bayou Greenway through Forest Cove. Hamblen Road took me to Loop 494 for a short ride to Sorters Road. Next I went through Kingwood Place, Oakhurst, Briar Tree to FM 1314. Riding over FM 1314 I rode Valley Ranch Parkway to the new traffic light at Valley Ranch Bend Drive.

Making the right turn the rear tire on the Lynskey felt funny and within a few feet I realized it was flat. This is getting old. I got of the bike and rotated the rear tire to see if I could find the cause but nothing seemed to be sticking in or out of the tire. I found a rock near the dog poop bag station, removed the rear tire and sat on the rock. I removed the the tube, pumped it up and felt for escaping air. Near a previous patch I found a small hole. When I tried to remove the tube from the wheel a part of the tube was stuck under the bead. I think that caused the hole. I apparently didn’t inspect the tube when I put the new tire on Thursday evening and I paid the price today. I patched the hole, I needed to add some extra glue after I put the patch on. Pumping up the tube before putting it in the tire it held air and my tire patching confidence increased a little bit. I waited a couple of minutes to be sure and then put the tube in the tire, mounted the bead back on the wheel and this time checked the tube was properly in place. I aired the tire and the tire popped a couple of times as the bead locked onto the rim. I put the wheel back on the Lynskey with some problems getting the thru axle in place. I bounced the rear wheel as I walked back to Valley Ranch Bend Drive. All seemed well and strted riding to US59 through Valley Ranch.

South along US59 on the frontage road to the u-turn under at Northpark Drive. It looked like I would ride back home which I did finishing the ride at 4:27 PM, about half an hour later than I expected.

While I was riding and fixing the flat Strava alerted me that I had lost two local legends and gained one. Also I set 3rd fastest time on Don’t Get Run Over on Hamblen West (43s) and 3rd fastest time on Barrington to River Grove (2:15). This was the Local Legend on VR Drag Northbound gained.

With all of my flat tire adventures and driving back from Harlingen I rode 157.58 miles this week. I am a few miles ahead of the pace to reach my goal for March. No Zwift rides this week.