Another One?

It was hazy, overcast and warm this morning, so naturally I was running late to meet the long Tuesday levee ride. Riding as fast as I dared I headed down Carrollton and Willow, past the streetcar barn and over the tracks, past the two 4-way stops and through the gap in the old parish levee at the end of Willow, across the railroad tracks and finally up the levee path on-ramp. As I hit the base I could see John flying along the path above me. We had both missed the start by maybe a minute or two. When I came around the Ochnser bend I could see a flashing headlight ahead telling me that the group hadn't entirely coalesced yet. We caught before the playground and found a particularly sluggish group. I rolled along for a while at under 20 mph with a couple of the guys and when we finally looked back the group was still well behind us. We slowed down even more and finally it all came together. Even so, we were missing a few of the regulars this morning and that kept the pace meter in the "civilized" range despite a nice little tailwind. The civilization began to decay about half-way back, though, as the persistent head/crosswind began to take its toll. A mile or two from the Huey P. we were down to just a handful when Donald must have heard a voice saying "attack!" So he takes off like he's Robbie McEwen and the rest of kind of look at each other as if to say "WTF?" So we gradually reel him back and then he attacks again. I'm about to go when someone behind me (aka "the voice of reason") says "let him go." So we all ease up for a little while and he rolls off into the distance. Eventually big Richard comes around and gently lifts the pace again so that we're no longer losing ground. About 400 meters before the bridge, for reasons I cannot exlpain, my legs said "let's give this a shot." I can see Donald glancing behind him every so often, so I wait for him to do it again and as soon as he looks forward again I take off. I'm going about 30 and closing fast when he looks behind again and sees me coming. He leaps out of the saddle again and attacks. I might have held on for a little while longer, but it made me laugh so much I had to ease up! Anyway, that was fun.

So last night I stole the 27" tire off of my Pennine and put it on the front wheel of my commuter to replace the blown-out tire from yesterday's aborted attempt to get to work, so I was good to go today and had a nice tailwind to ease the climb up the Broad Street overpass. Then, around 12:30, I decided I'd better go find something to eat because my breakfast of watermelon and coffee wasn't cutting it. I unlocked the bike from in front of the building and rode down to a little lunch place on Poydras where they have a good deal on the vegetable plate, and on the way back, half a block before I get back to the office, the rear tire goes flat. Now, this is not the tire that blew out yesterday. This is another one. How is it that flat tires always seem to come in clusters? As luck would have it, The Wife had also ridden her bike in to work today, and I don't have a spare tube or pump with me. There's not much that's open down here in the CBD, but the Walgreen's drug store a couple of block away is. Drug stores usually have at least patch kits and cheap bicycle pumps, right? Well, not this one.

Looks like the commuter may be spending the night downtown. At least the RTA busses are still free until June 30!