Armadillos in Our Trousers

OK, I had a flat the other day. No big deal. Today I had another- this time the rear. There was no discernable cause of the flat. I thought I noticed a tiny pinhole on the inside of the tube, but I could find no implement of destruction in the tire that could have caused it.

I had a hell of a time remounting the tire after throwing in a new tube. The Armadillos have the toughest (or harshest) sidewall of any tire I have ever used. In my haste to rejoin my trip home, I apparently didn't check to see if the tube was pinched. As I was popping the wheel back in the drop-outs, I almost jumped out of my skin as it exploded, leaving me with ringing ears. Again, I wrestled with the tire. My hands were numb and my fingers raw. I resumed my ride. The Mississippi Queen was still docked in the same spot as this morning. Police had closed a lane of traffic on Shepard Road near the big boat. Traffic eastbound was backed up for miles.

Shortly after the Queen, I stopped at a fountain to wash the grime off my hands. I resumed riding. As I neared West Seventh, the rear felt soft again. This time I was irate. I noticed part of the tire was delaminating- likely from what appeared to be sharp debris of some type in the tread. Not taking anymore chances, I gave up on this tire and tossed on an old spare that I learned to carry after blowing out a bead last year. Having a real tire onboard really improved the ride. Armadillos and Italian or French rims just don't mix. Besides, such rims deserve better. Three flats in one ride are just too many. It makes for a long commute.

On a related note, my wife sold her car today- for a decent price. I have two interested buyers in mine. If I've learned anything about "book value"- it doesn't mean a thing if nobody is interested in paying that much. Again, sometimes reality bites. I will miss my car. I've never owned a fully loaded vehicle before. I fear I may be spoiled. Perhaps it will be best not to own any cars in the immediate future.