Fixin Flats !!

I had to fix a flat the other day - My 16 year old Cannondale R900 comes an Italian Groupset - The drivetrain includes Campagnolo Veloce shift levers, and Campy front and rear derailleurs. It has Gipiemme Grecal Parade rims and hubs. The spokes are stainless steel and while the wheels are heavy you really don't notice it when the bike is rolling.  It is worth learning how to change a flat and to be prepared to do so, to get over the fear of punctures - If you ride enough, you are going to get a flat, and you should have the right gear and practice at home, for when you need to do it. Be able to change a flat quickly means having the right gear (multitool, levers, pump), and to make sure you carry at least 2 spare tubes as well. I still carry a puncture repair kit - there's been a few times when I have run through my spares and wound up needing to patch a tube. Here is a useful link on how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLO_HO0kEjs



Grecal Rims : Old tube out, new tube back in ....

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Tour De Houston

Sunday dawned a little cool for the Tour De  Houston kick off with phased starts from 7.30 am - this was the 2nd time I had done the ride, and I put in a half century getting back before 12 pm to City Hall downtown where there was a band playing at the finish line. The ride went out on a long loop along the Heights at Yale, along Tidwell into Humble and for 70 plus milers even further North. It was windy on the way  out which took 5 miles off but I managed to hit 20 mph coming back in some stretches. Interesting neighborhoods - The heights has really come along in terms of a mix of housing and eating spots, but we also passed through some poorer areas of town and even small farms as we got to the outskirts - Next weekend the plan is to try a 60 - 70 miler  not many weeks left to get ready!

 

Above is City Hall at the end of the ride with the band playing across from the reflection pool.

Across from the old Alley Theater the Houston Palestinian Festival was in swing for its 6th year!