A tandem from race on Saturday.
You never feel a puncture is a lucky one – especially when it’s a £50 Vittoria Eso CX tub. It’s done 2 races or about 30 miles. – So a fairly expensive 30 miles – even accounting for prize money of about £20 for the two races. (BTW: I am going to try a tubular repair service for £12 advertised in Cycling Weekly. I’ll let you know how it goes)
It was lucky because it was after a 10 mile TT on the A31 near Bentley. I had just finished racing when I thought I would go for a ‘warm down’ ride. Actually it was pretty cold already, and as I stopped to put some leg warmers on when I noticed the tyre go flat pretty quick. It was a wet sharp piece of gravel. I was outside some pub. Luckily I had a spare tub and small mini pump on the bike. My hands were so cold, I really struggled to get it on. (It had been pre-stretched on a wheel before). I could see a few customers enjoying a nice pint of beer from their warm pub. They were probably chuckling to themselves over the fate of a cyclist waving his funny looking discwheel in the air in frustration. But, I never felt any inspiration to go inside and ask for help. I was going to get that tub on if it killed me. Getting on the tub felt harder than the 10 mile race. Anyway, fortunately before the onset of hypothermia I got the tub on, and blew it up to about 30psi, with the tiny mini pump and slowly pedalled back to HQ. I was pleased to see I came second out of 71. My time was 21.00. 2nd to T.Gibb 20.25. Richard Prebble was 3rd in 21.06, I think.
Is It Worth Carrying a Spare Tubular?
I never used to carry a spare tub. I don’t know why. Somehow I felt doing a race, I wouldn’t get one. I remember turning up for the National 100 mile TT. Not only did I not have any spare tub for a 100 mile race. I arrived at the start and my handlebars fell off. I would have had to cancel the race, if the person starting before me had not been carrying a multi tool, allen key and an impressively big and unaerodynamic looking saddle bag. He really saved me.
Anyway, I never did get a puncture in a race. Until this year, I felt, I really ought to carry a spare and so, of course, this year I’ve had two punctures in races this year.
To sum up, I would always carry a spare tub and pump, unless it is warm enough to stand at the roadside for several hours waiting for a fellow competitor to take pity on you. Suffice to see this year, there has been no race when it felt warm enough to stand on a the side of the road in nothing more than a lycra skinsuit.
Related
May I take this opportunity to say how very enjoyable this web-site is. The Base Training article just posted is very encouraging for us less fit chaps who have no intention of ever racing but enjoy riding and all things bike related.
However, the reason for this post is the use of ‘tubs’ in your write up above. As botogol above has written, I use the word ‘tube’; is ‘tub’ pronounced the same way, or tub as in ‘planting tub’? does it mean the same thing (tube)? Why spell it that way, lots of people do? Or why pronounce it as in planting tub?
Yours, A Very confused Old Man
In all my life I have competed in four races. Three Tris and – a mountain bike race.
On the MTB I punctured on the first lap
I had a spare tube, but changing it trackside in the forest, in race conditions, as other competitors thundered passed was really hard – I fumbled and cursed and struggled, couldn’t get the tire off, twisted the tube, and it took me ages before I calmed down and did it methodically.
I was just grateful it was the front wheel or I might still be there.
I always carry spares.