Menononee River Parkway between State Street and Capitol Drive is in awful condition. It has more ridges than a bag full of Ruffles. It has more potholes than a 5 star kitchen has pots, and the sides of the road have so much gravel and pieces of asphalt laying around, that you have to be at least 3 feet out to stay clear of it. Yet somehow, I managed to get past all that on my bike ride today. Then, as I'm in Curry Park, and seemingly clear of the worst of it... "Bam!" Not a small puncture that produces a slow leak that eventually goes soft on you, but an immediate pop that has me barely keeping control on the metal rim as I was going about 23 MPH.
Luckily it was my back tire that went out, and not my front. Had my front gone out, I'd probably still be on the side of the road picking pieces of asphalt out of my skin. Thankfully, I keep a small saddle bag with me that has everything I need for just such an occasion. So here is your annual reminder to check your emergency biking supplies:
If you have a larger bag, you might also consider:
Always remember to check the inside of your tire before putting in the spare, in case something is embedded. You don't want to pop your spare right away. Also, be slow with the compressed air. It's easy to over fill with them. And finally, make sure that the fiber glass liner on the inside of the rim is in place. Otherwise the spoke may poke through and pop your spare too.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway.