Bike ride, slightly more exciting than planned

[magid]

I headed north again this morning, still entranced by the smooth surface of the underpass outside Union Square, even though it's unpleasant to Sullivan after that. And I remembered to put on sunblock, though it would've been smart to bring more with me. I made it up to North Reading on Rte. 28, which felt like an accomplishment (I don't know that I've ever been there before, other than on a highway). It was time to start turning back, and I looped around Rtes. 62 and 129 (there's a nice lake in Wakefield! who knew?), then back to 28 heading south.

This was all good until I was just past the on-ramp to 93, when I blew a tire, with a sharp *bang*. I had a spare inner tube with me, but not a tire. And, yes, I'm still not one of the cell phone nation. Oops.

However, I am a very very lucky person: a guy came by on his walk, and said that once he got back to his Jeep, he could give me a ride to the nearest bike store. Which was incredibly nice. He kept walking south, and I headed after him, going more slowly in my stockinged feet (bike cleats like mine are very much not designed for walking). A couple of bikers checked in when they saw me, but none happened to have a tire on them (not that I expected anyone to, but it made the conversation more interesting). Ray (the guy) met me at the rotary; I figured out later I'd walked about a mile and a half. Note to proponents of walking barefoot: there's a ton of crud on the roads, and pavement gets *hot* in the summer!

Ray drove me to the bike store in Malden... except it's closed on Sundays. (Which seems pretty stupid to me, but what do I know.) So he drove me back home to Cambridge, chatting about his wife's health, his grandkids, visiting the Cape. I am incredibly grateful to him, making what could have been a major inconvenience into something much more manageable. He would take nothing other than my thanks.

I walked over to Broadway Bike, which was open. They changed my tire, and I was able to make it to the bridal shower relatively on time.

Thanks again, Ray.

Comments

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

The lake in Wakefield that you saw is most likely Lake Quannapowitt.

[fetteredwolf.livejournal.com]

Yes, we've walked our Teddy around it on a Greyhound Adventure.

[electrictruffle.livejournal.com]

As a result of my one tire blowout, I purchased but have never tried a 'Tire Boot' http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=17&item=TB-2

On that trip I was rescued by my 'Better World' auto club membership. They work like a 'AAA' style autoclub, but have a membership which includes bike towing. (I read AAA as 'Triple A', thus A rather than AN.) http://www.betterworldclub.com/

-Jon

[magid.livejournal.com]

That's what Bitty said, too.

There were tons of people walking around it (both with and without dogs), plus at least one sailboat and a kayak. And at the southern end, a gorgeous gazebo.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Greyhound Adventure makes me think of something like a scavenger hunt designed for dogs. Or perhaps one of those exercise trails with different things to do at each station.
(I'm assuming it's just the name of the meet-up, though.)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links. The Tire Boot looks interesting, though it wouldn't have helped yesterday, given its description is to help with sidewall blowouts: this was a big hole in the middle of the tire. None of that "where is the hole" searching necessary, unfortunately.

Bubblebabble had mentioned the Better World club to me also; this might get me to switch (I've had AAA since I was in college, on my parents' account, then my own). Which would help more if I acquire a cell phone, of course.

(I thought of you when the tire went, actually, remembering the other time I'd had a tire blow. We were out for a ride, had made it to the intersecftion of 28 and 16, were standing at a light, and the sidewall just went. You did a lot of extra riding for me that day, and I thank you again for it.)

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

FYI if you want an el cheapo I-don't-really-want-a-cell-phone phone, check out the prepaid AT&T Go Phone. $100 keeps it turned on for a year. I don't give out the number, and I use it about once a week (usually to call S.). It works for us.


m.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I should look into that.

[breedingimperf.livejournal.com]

yipes!

glad that ended well. Hooray for (um) Ray!

[magid.livejournal.com]

I did have a back-up plan: I have friends who live near enough there that I could've walked to their house.Or I would've asked the second biker who stopped to see that I was ok, who lived just down the hill, if he could help me out.

But, yeah, I'm extremely glad Ray was there!