Sunday, March 23, 2003
So about a month and a half ago, on February 7th to be exact, I went to work and noticed that there seemed to be a little piece of trash on my front tire. Somewhat neon green was its hue. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was not trash, but tire sealant, and there was also what looked like a nail head next to it. I decided not to mess with it. It wasn’t causing me any problem yet and I had no “Plan B” for getting home from work if something did go wrong. I would simply buy a new tube over the weekend and be all dandy again by Monday. Needless to say, I didn’t buy a tube.
Monday, the 10th, I go to school. The MTA bus to get there on time leaves at 8, meaning I have to be out of the house by 7:30, meaning I don’t take the bus. I buy myself an extra hour of morning laze and decide to bike down to the VC. Nothing extraordinary happens on the way down. I notice that I am in better shape than I thought I would be after not doing that ride for nearly two months, traffic is also much lighter than at 7 in the a.m., and my bike feels slightly sluggish. A quick little pump before I head home should do the trick.
Class ends. I proceed to pump up the tires to about 50 PSI while talking to Tim. Everything seems to be fine. I start to bike home. Then up by Kaiser, Roscoe and Woodman, KABAM!!! Neon green shoots out of my tire, while still spinning, to a height of about 5 feet. I must have shot the nail out I think to myself. I also notice that some of this tire sputum is on my jacket, my leather one, the only decent piece of clothing I own. So I start to wipe it off and notice the stuff has already gotten kind of hard and is actually pealing off. I then look down at the bike and realize that the hiss of escaping air has ceased and there seems to be a clot upon the tire. Sweet, but I shouldn’t push my luck. I pump up the tire and continue home with a decent balance of haste and caution.
By the time I arrive home, I have sprung three more leaks, all of which have sealed themselves, and the tire pressure is down to only 35 PSI, quite a respectable reading for a tube with a nail in it. Here comes the amazing thing. I continued to ride with that tube, and nail, for another month. The tube finally died on March 14th. The valve stem had been asphyxiated by sealant. I finally replaced the tube yesterday, with a brand new Self Sealing Slime tube. May I never go slimeless again.
Monday, the 10th, I go to school. The MTA bus to get there on time leaves at 8, meaning I have to be out of the house by 7:30, meaning I don’t take the bus. I buy myself an extra hour of morning laze and decide to bike down to the VC. Nothing extraordinary happens on the way down. I notice that I am in better shape than I thought I would be after not doing that ride for nearly two months, traffic is also much lighter than at 7 in the a.m., and my bike feels slightly sluggish. A quick little pump before I head home should do the trick.
Class ends. I proceed to pump up the tires to about 50 PSI while talking to Tim. Everything seems to be fine. I start to bike home. Then up by Kaiser, Roscoe and Woodman, KABAM!!! Neon green shoots out of my tire, while still spinning, to a height of about 5 feet. I must have shot the nail out I think to myself. I also notice that some of this tire sputum is on my jacket, my leather one, the only decent piece of clothing I own. So I start to wipe it off and notice the stuff has already gotten kind of hard and is actually pealing off. I then look down at the bike and realize that the hiss of escaping air has ceased and there seems to be a clot upon the tire. Sweet, but I shouldn’t push my luck. I pump up the tire and continue home with a decent balance of haste and caution.
By the time I arrive home, I have sprung three more leaks, all of which have sealed themselves, and the tire pressure is down to only 35 PSI, quite a respectable reading for a tube with a nail in it. Here comes the amazing thing. I continued to ride with that tube, and nail, for another month. The tube finally died on March 14th. The valve stem had been asphyxiated by sealant. I finally replaced the tube yesterday, with a brand new Self Sealing Slime tube. May I never go slimeless again.
