A more exciting day than expected

[tiger_spot]

I hopped on my bike this afternoon to head to City Hall to drop off my mail-in ballot, and promptly ran over a pin and exploded my rear tire.

So I went to the bike shop instead, and got two new inner tubes (one for backup!). Then I dropped off my ballot and changed the tube. This is the first time I've changed a tube on a bike. It wasn't difficult, but it required more strength than I was expecting. Also I had a little trouble getting the wheel properly seated when I put it back on (I've not removed the rear wheel before, either), but it is all better now.

I don't think my hands have ever been that dirty before.

Comments

[chinders.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, that. Well, I usually have to pull the tire sort of...out away from the frame, and then...um...maybe sort of twist/pull it away from the chain?

My physical memory refuses to translate into words. I could probably show you how I do it if you're nearby, assuming, of course, that I'm not entirely making this trick up in my delusional brain.

[argh128.livejournal.com]

Sure, thats what I did this morning... its putting it on that i usually get dirty... or in this case, when I forgot that my bike was behind me with the chain "up in the air" and backed into it so I got a nice steak of grease on my shorts.

[chinders.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, the putting back on bit is the easy part, if I'm remembering correctly. My physical memory says "Just thread the gears into the chain and maneuver it in." But y'know, my physical memory is an incommunicative idiot, so don't pay it too much attention.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't get grease on me, it's just that the tire proper was filthy filthy filthy.

Not quite sure how I managed that, really.

[brooksmoses]

That is pretty impressive, really. I think I've gotten grease on my hands from just looking closely at the chain, it feels like.

Tires do tend to get pretty filthy, though. And there's the fact that they're largely made of soot, so it's kind of intrinsic.