My Tale of Woe - might be worth reading if you got new deep rim wheels recently read this.

Just thought I’d post this little tale of woe so that others don’t suffer as I did, especially on race day.

So there I was out on my long bike yesterday. Had planned a nice 100miler up to Clonmel across to Kilkenny, on as far as Paulstown, then home through Thomastown.

Just before Callan (c. 40 miles) I got a puncture, Funny thing is I was thinking to myself at the time, Jeez I’m going well, 19mph average speed and feeling strong, that rest week must have paid off, hope I don’t get a puncture. Then POP!

Grand so, went to fix the puncture, when I had the tube out, I realised it had an extra long valve on it with a valve extender to come through the deep rim of the wheel. First problem was, I couldn’t get the valve extender off it was too tight. Borrowed pliers from a nice Kilkenny lady and got the extender off. Then realised when it came off, it has to go in to the spare tubes valve. That means the spare tube valve should be hollow (i.e. no presta valve) so the extender will screw in, Doh! Wrong type spare tube, I had just grabbed one of my regular spare tubes on the way out the door.

So now that meant that I had to fix the puncture but I had not brought a repair kit, sure why would I with a spare tube?

Knock knock! on Kilkenny woman’s door again. Do you have a puncture repair kit? No, but I’ll spin in to Callan and get you one. That’s very kind, thanks.

One puncture repair later, inflate with CO2 canister (great things - first time used in actual puncture scenario), on the road at last, almost an hour later.
7 miles down the road, same tyre goes flat again, off with wheel, out with tube, can’t find puncture anywhere so assume the patch I put on earlier isn’t sufficient. Put on bigger patch, go to inflate tyre and realise that there’s not enough gas in CO2 canister and guess what, I don’t have my pump.
Cue sitting on side of road with head in hands until an English guy picks me up and spins me in to Halfords in Kilkenny. They don’t stock that type of tube of course.

Gave up at this stage, went across the car park to KFC, pigged out and phoned for a taxi to come pick me up. €50 – lovely!

Lessons learned.
1. Be well familiar with your wheels/tyres/tubes before race day. If that’d happened on race day, I’d be screwed.
2. Bring two tubes (check they have the right valves).
3. Bring additional extenders (or a small pliers) in case the one gets stuck on the punctured tube. Even better, already have the spare extenders on your spare tubes.
4. Bring at least two CO2 canisters.
5. Bring small pump as well as canisters, at least out training.
6. Bring a puncture repair kit, again at least out training.
7. There’s a very kind Kilkenny lady just outside Callan.
8. There’s a sound Englishman who used to commute around London on a bike but is now in to motorbike sports tourers living 10km from Kilkenny.
9. Halfords are shite!
10. KFC rocks as comfort food.
11. Apparently, according to the taxi driver, originally from Dublin who used to cycle, who brought me home, if you’re really stuck in the middle of nowhere, tightly pack your tyre with grass and that’ll get you home!?

Now I have my long spin to look forward to on Sunday, might do same course again if anyone’s interested?

Frrrrrrrrp!