Today I was in great spirits and, as I stood on the bike pedals for a little stretch and, perhaps victory perch, I felt something I had never felt before, my front wheel popping. After being stranded for a little bit on the road a kind woman stopped who had already seen me and brought me some lunch. Her husband then drove me to their place where he pumped up my new tube for me and this is where I learned how to operate Presta Wheels for the first time.
Luckily, after all these problems, a group of cyclists, who I was fortunate enough to bike with for a few hours, and these kind people made the day a success after all.
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2007.
