bit of an accident

spasypaddy
spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
edited December 2007 in Commuting chat
was approaching a roundabout where i know you have to take any opportunity to get out otherwise you can be sitting there for ages. Some woman in front of me obviously doesnt understand this so decides to wait at the roundabout, i hadnt been watching her id been watching the fact that the roundabout was clear so id downshifted to power round it...

SLAM ON BRAKES! SKID!

Clipped her rear bumper with my back tire, she didnt even notice, i apologised to her and got off the road to check my bike over. Everything seemed ok or so i thought...

2 miles down the road i went round another corner and the whole bike went from underneath me (wasnt going quickly and it was a side road thankfully!) so no damage done except to my front tire. ANOTHER FUCKING PUNCTURE! No damage to myself or clothing though!

Changed that quickly enough but my pump was rubbish and i couldnt get much air into the tire, enough to get me home.

Bike doesnt feel right but that could have been due to the lack of pressure in the tire. I'll live!

Note to self, always pay attention to what the old lady in front of you is doing rather than the roundabout in future!

Comments

  • spasypaddy wrote:
    Changed that quickly enough but my pump was rubbish and i couldnt get much air into the tire, enough to get me home.
    Get one of the mini pumps that takes a CO2 cartridge - use the pump to partially inflate the tube before you fit it then finish off with CO2. You won't switch back!
    spasypaddy wrote:
    Note to self, always pay attention to what the old lady in front of you is doing rather than the roundabout in future!
    Maybe pay attention to both? Apparently this kind of accident is very common, it's easily done.

    Glad you're ok!
    Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    Shadowduck wrote:
    use the pump to partially inflate the tube before you fit it then finish off with CO2

    I'm waiting to have to pump up my (ever more) narrower and slicker tyres to 130psi with a hand pump.

    Possible? Or do you think a small pump first and then a CO2 will get them there?

    Anybody out there foresaken tyres and started riding on their rims yet? It seems to be the natural evolution.
  • prj45 wrote:
    I'm waiting to have to pump up my (ever more) narrower and slicker tyres to 130psi with a hand pump.

    Possible? Or do you think a small pump first and then a CO2 will get them there?
    The CO2 cartridge in my mini-pump gets my 28mm tyres to 90psi / 120psi (depending which bike) without any difficulty, so I should think narrower tyres with their smaller chambers wouldn't challenge it too much.

    I use a track pump at home, obviously, but the CO2 is a godsend at the roadside.
    Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.
  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    Shadowduck, what minipump/CO2 combo are you using? I've been looking into getting one of these.....
  • I have one of these, but there are better ones on the market. The main problem with the Barbieri is that the gauge is a little flakey and sometimes takes a couple of whacks to get a reading.

    One other tip if you get this style - leave the CO2 cartridge in upside down until you need to use it, otherwise you need to leave the valve screwed all the way out (to avoid puncturing the cartridge) which seems a little fragile to me. You'll see what I mean if you buy one!
    Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.
  • shmo
    shmo Posts: 321
    I just did exactly the same thing coming home today except I was coming off the roundabout and ran into the car in front of me as it braked suddenly. Landed on my feet and was going to walk over to the drivers side to apologise and face the music but he drove off so I guess he wasn't too bothered. Feel pretty bad though, I was following way too close and watching the cars on my left that were waiting to turn on to the roundabout.