More problems, more money

I believe the last time I left you, I was on tube #3 for the front wheel of my new bike? Let’s make that #4. Or rather, #4 is dead and gone.

The culprit is these super cheap rim strips I ordered from Ace. Sure, they cost $0.99 so they were a steal, but they also cost me$14 in tubes thus far. So I ordered some Kink strips which are supposed to be 28mm wide and should cover a lot more area and prevent the problem from repeating.

I also took the time to order another Premium 2" tire so both of my bikes will have matching tires again. And I also have the Mechanik 1/2 link chain on the way as well to hopefully dial in the rear end of the Bama a bit better.

I’d love to talk about all the riding I’m doing, except I’m not riding. I did take the Bama on the first “long” ride down to my favorite empty industrial area to practice my bunny hops and manuals and as I hopped down the curb onto the street, the rear tire shifted forward and my chain became a dangling useless thing. It’s not fun to scooter your way home 2+ miles only to find out that you forgot to crank the rear wheel down tight after adjusting the chain. Then, as I push it into the garage to tighten the chain and head back out, I hear the dreaded hiss of that #4 tube leaking. That ended the night and I spent the rest of my time tearing the bike down in preparation for the new parts which will be showing up on Wednesday.

I took the T1 out last night to ride a little bit but my wrists were in pain and I generally suck at even the most basic moves. So I came home defeated and sulked in the basement. I’m really bad at practicing things, I always want instant gratification.