It’s week 3 of a three week block. Today is your big day with a few hard sets and then you’re all done. After slogging around in the rain for three hours, your intervals are done and the cold has finally worked its way through your many layers of clothing. Now you just need to get home and out of the rain……PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTT. FLAT!
A friend of mine showed me about the “Double Tire” solution a few years ago as a result I have enjoyed a lot fewer flats on those long wet and cold days, when the last thing you want to do is stop moving, never mind stop to fix a flat.
Take an old used tire, cut the bead off both sides and place it underneath your current tire. This way, you’ll have an extra layer between the road grime and your precious tube of air. Every couple of weeks, deflate the tire and pick the glass and rocks out of the cuts with a screwdriver or tweezers.
Be aware that this will make your bike heavier and increase the fiction on the road so you might be traveling a little slower. But hell, it’s winter so let’s try to cut the windchill as much as possible eh!
You can also make some boots with old tires in case of tires slashes. Cut those to about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide.
Ready for another gravel adventure back in dubydubya (autumn ’08)
Stay afloat out there!