Fantastic weather this weekend. Couldn’t get out yday but had time today.
I had planned about 75k, decided to throw a few hills in too. Feeling fast and the power was good too (280NP for the first 50 mins, was still 250-260 after nearly 2 hrs). 50k in could tell my legs were gonna go flat soon as not been training and had been pushing it.
55k, going down a little dip with bad light, I hit a bad bit of tarmac or a rock or something and it makes a horrendous noise. Think I’ve broken the wheel, spoke or rear mech. Soft pedalling trying to look at it, going up the other side and then the rear tyre explodes.
10mm hole in the tyre.... three rides old! Nothing would have stopped that, not sure when the damage was caused, I don’t think I got a stone jammed in the frame. Think it was all the impact.
Positive side, Rally tubs are cheap (£15-20) a tube and new Conti would be £40+ if I was on clinchers.
I had a spare so was bossing it, wheel out (pita horizontal dropout), tyre off, new tyre unfolded, put a bit of air in the spare with the mini pump. The new tyre valve is stuck pushed down ain’t it so the airs leaking out... ram an Allen key down the extension but it’s too short. I’m ******* about looking at the fencing/gate for a bit of wire or a stick to jam in there. Some young bloke stops to give me a hand and unwound his key ring which worked a treat, couple of knocks and valve free.
Tyre went back on easy peasy, the Rally tubulars seem easier than CX Evos and don’t need prestretching.
I bought a co2 pump but have never used it, fortunately I had my saddle pack on my aero bars with it in so I used that. I start off with a minipump until I know it’s on properly. The co2 is a lezyne one you can control the air with so you don’t over pressure the tyre or lose all the air before getting it on the valve & it worked great.
By the time I had changed the tyre (20 mins thanks to the messing about) I felt really flat and did a Jonny, ride the 10km home at 180w feeling terrible!