EPIC TRAINING SYSTEMS
Endure, Excel, Achieve
2009 San Diego 300km Brevet
We help athletes
achieve their goals
to win, race, or be
fit, and to discover
for themselves our
passion for cycling.
achieve their goals
to win, race, or be
fit, and to discover
for themselves our
passion for cycling.
We reach the first control and take some electrolytes. As I'm getting our brevet cards signed I see Brandy taking another dose of Ibuprofen and some cold medicine. It took us 5 hours to do 55 miles and 4700 feet. It was a short stop probably less than 10 minutes. About 1.5 miles into the climb up Hwy 67--- POP!! We get FLAT #1. It was a buttonhead screw sitting on it's buttonhead. I didn't see it until I was right on top of it. I missed it with the front wheel but the rear tire wasn't so lucky. Of course the flat happens on a narrow shoulder so we pick up Pia and get on the other side of the guard rail. I removed the tire and noticed it had a small cut. I install a boot and we get back on the road. We are on mile 66 and 4900 feet of gain. We climb into Ramona and while cruising down Dye Rd I ask Brandy if the rear tire looks flat or feels flat to her. Sure enough the rear tire was flat again. FLAT #2. I change the flat and as I'm putting the wheel back in I inadvertently knock one of the disc brake pads out of the rear brake caliper. I didn't know what it was at the time. But as I finished with the installation of the rear wheel-- it just didn't feel right. That's when I noticed that one of the pads was missing. I found it laying on the ground. I tried to reinstall it but I later found out that I bent the spring as I was putting it back. I had only brought along two tubes and two CO2's. I don't usually flat but I have to change that mindset and remember that we are a 280lb tandem team now. As such we won't roll over the stuff I normally do when riding solo at 155lbs. We get back on the road but the rear brakes are rubbing. I am also worried that we are out of tubes and CO2. So we go off course to find Kirk's Bike Shop in Ramona. To most people, Randos look like people from another planet. We have, what seems to them, far too much gear on us and on the bike -- all over the place. Our bikes aren't sleek racing machines nor are they loaded down touring bikes. We are "tweeners" not racers not tourers but are are we really? We walk into Kirk's with our tandem, a Pinarello tandem, and no one has ever seen one before. I think that's kind of cool. I ask for the mechanic and a gentlemen tells me "He'll be with you soon he's selling a couple of bikes." My frustration is evident but I try to play it cool. Kirk, the proprietor, is selling two beach cruisers. We have to kill some time until our number is called so we go accross the street to a liquor store to get something cold to drink. While there we take pictures with a girl selling some alcohol something or other and head back to the bike shop. When we return to the shop Kirk is putting our beast of a bike in his repair stand --- with the help of three other people. Along with the "brake job", I also lament to him that the rear der shifting has been off all day. It's at least 3:45pm (Total Brevet time 8 hr 45 mins) and we have only done. We were at Kirk's at least 45 mins. I bought his last three (3) threaded CO2's and three tubes. While there we get a call from Mike Berry, the RBA, and he actually paid us a personal visit. Isn't that something? We leave the bike shop and about a mile later POP!. Can this really be happening? Change the flat and get back on the road. |
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