So, when I realized in a panic that the March Madness Biathlon was quickly coming up, I figured I needed to get a good training session in at Central Park. My intent was to do the 2 full loops of the park with enough days to recover before the race on Sunday.
There was no better day than this past Wednesday when the temps got up to 60 degrees and I was able to get out of work right at 5pm. I headed out around 6pm from my apartment, heading up first avenue towards Central Park. I picked up a good amount of speed heading up past 46, 47th St, and headed down the hill at 48th St that joins the UN part of 1st Ave to the tunnel part of 1st Ave. Unfortunately I hit a patch of very large potholes. Did I say I had picked up a good amount of speed? Well, I managed to get past the potholes without falling off the bike, but immediately could tell that I had a flat.
Uggg. I had a flat. My first thought was that I didn’t have my patch kit with me. Now that I’m a Savvy Cyclist, I can change or patch flats by myself! When I got off the bike, I found the back wheel going flat. A closer inspection showed that I managed to put a large dent in the rim of the wheel. Well, even if I had my patch kit, no way I could fix that.
I spent the next 45 minutes walking/pushing/carrying the bike back home to Stuyvesant Town, enjoying the perfect weather lamenting the perfect workout just ruined. I was impressed at how easily I was able to get the back tire off, pull out the tube, and find the puncture hole. Great practice from the Savvy Cyclist class.
Dropped the bike off at Metro Bikes on Thursday. With that kind of damage to the rim, they the wheel was not repairable – I needed a new one. Well, $140 later, I have a new rear wheel, and I get to go into the biathlon quite unprepared!
By the way, the forecast for 7:30 AM tomorrow, when the race starts – 30 degrees… Aaarrrrggghhhh
