The final stretch

Last Saturday I sat a final exam and apart from some sneeaky questions coming up, it seemed to go pretty well. It aggravates me when that happens - we had been given lists of learning outcomes for each body system, on which the exam would be based. For some strange reason, questions came up that, as far as I can tell, were not on the agreed learning outcomes! Very frustrating, but I wrote my heart out for 2 hours straight, so I think I did ok!

To celebrate finishing the exam, on Monday evening I went for a ride on my bike, on dream track, the downhill track behind my house - any excuse! Having pushed up to the top, trying desperately to beat the fading light, I bombed down, so happy with myself for managing to let go of the brakes marginally more than the last time!!! Halfway down I realised I had a flat. Damn it! I ended up pushing my bike back to the car, leaving my boyfriend on th hill with his bike and driving home. What a disappointment... It was my first puncture and this is what I learned:

1. Make sure tyres are sufficiently inflated. I think the reason I got the puncture was because my rear tyre was too soft and the fairly gnarly terrain basically ate the tube.
2. ALWAYS bring a pump and puncture repair kit on a ride. I had both, but the pump didn't work on my tyres, despite being the right kind. Make sure to test it at home first!

So, now I had to fix the puncture. I have vague memories of my Dad doing this for me when I was a kid, putting the tube into a basin of water to find the holes, but I had never done it myself and had no real clue what to do. Enter google! I found a few guides on how to repair a puncture, but this was the most useful from Bike Radar

A few things that this video doesn't tell you:
1. When you sand the patch of tyre to be repaired, sand it really well! If there are seams in the rubber, they need to be completely smooth, or the patch won't stick. Sand the area much more than you think you need to. The rubber patch you use is really strong, so you don't need to worry about putting a hole in the tube!
2. When sanding the patch of rubber on the tube, it helps to stretch it over your knee while sitting down.
3. Possibly the most important thing to remember to do is test the tube in water before you put it back on the wheel. I found 2 more holes when I did this! Also, if you have time, pump the tube up and leave it for a few hours. There may be some tiny holes that you don't notice, even when submerged in water! Finally, when the tube & tyre are off the wheel, check both the rim and tyre for any jagged edges or sharp thorns. Try to find out what caused the puncture.