Before I explain what art form I have re discovered today I will first give a quick overview of my day (relevant things only- not the most interesting post otherwise).
To start with ive had a cold recently , as many people i know have, and was to that extent struggling by the time i got to the top of my main climb this morning on the way to colledge. At this point I decided to raise the saddle a bit as i dont rid the apollo except when im going to colledge and this morning it felt a bit low. I must admit that it was user error, and the begining of my bad day, when i overtightened the seat post clamp - thus snapping the bolt in half. Ive never liked the seat post clamp on the apollo as every thursday morning i have to raise the saddle , then every Friday morning lower it back down. This is because when im not riding it to colledge on thursdays smatt rides it too school, this would be fine except it takes a while for me to get the high right on thursdays , and its not quick release which means i have to rummage throught my bag for the allen key adjust it, put the bags back on, then cycle on only to stop around the corner and adjust it again.
I decided while cycling back home down the hill ( it was much closer to home than colledge) that i would go to that Bicycle heaven , Halfords, after colledge as its just around the corner and would preferably get a quick release clamp.
I set off for colledge again this time on theGiant yukon, which i try not to ride to colledge. The ride to colledge on the yukon was uneventful, but actually quite fun.
After colledge some of my colleges didnt believe me that my airzound was LOUD (125DB - more than a car) so i let them have a go 
. Then set off for Halfords, however the route i chose made a rod for my back in two senses. The first senses was obvious at the time, the path was (and always has been) overgrown , and at the best challenging to ride on. The second was that after having been to halfords and descovering that they didnt have any sort of seat post clamp that was big enought i found half way home that i had a VERY flat tyre.
THUS THE LOST ART WAS DESCOVERED. This art form has not been lost. An self respectingly good Mountain Biker, or even cyclist, should have the right tools and knowledge to fix a puncture. The reason why i called it a lost art is because i dont believe that many people know how to, or atleast arnt confident or prepared enought, to do a Puncture repair on the side of a major road in a town.
This is what i had to do today. It wasnt much of a fuss for me, makes no diffrence if its a garage, roadside or hillside, however the looks I got from the passing general public were that of shock. They odviously were schocked to see a teenage boy with a mountain bike upside down on the pavement with the back tyre in his hands . I fixed the two punctures that i found, both about 10mm long - probably from the thorns down the path to halfords. However the innertube has had a lot of punctures, and a lot of patches, so didnt like even more and decided to bulge in one spot, this i couldnt solve so gave in and managed to get a lift.
The final part of my slight rant, the most ranty part, is my slight shock at how many people walked, drove and even cycled past without even asked if i was alright, yet alone offering help. But hey, theyd probably never seen a roadside puncture repair beore , lol.
Benni
I have to say I agree
Before MyCycles closed down i visited a couple of times. Once was for some more patches, we were in the Link and i thought i’d have a look at least. Talking to the guy, he revealed that he coudl mend punctures in mere seconds now, so many people brought bike in with a flat tyre. Without the kit, skill, ‘time’ or all three, they preferred to let a shop do it.
Frankly, as Benni and I both know well, punctures can happen anywhere with anything. I’ve mended many a Red Riders puncture on the hills, the side of a road, in the forest, in the rain. To me it’s a basic skill if riding a bike. Like changing the trye on you car if that goes flat, it’s something eveyone should know. I leared from Dad, who learnt from Grandad, and so on. As i’ve said already, it seems such a basic skill. Half the problem is the lack of kit. The Red Riders always have tools with them when riding. We know it’s only a few miles back to cilivisation, rescue is a breif walk, phone call and ride in a car. Even so, we still carry enoguh basic kit to keep our bikes going out in the wild. Personally, a puncture is a less-than-five-minute job. Wheel out, tyre half off, bit of pressure in the tube, find the leak (takes the longest time), patch, let glue dry, tube in, tyre on, pump up (can also take a while depending on the size of the pump) wheel in and go. Simple.
It’s also typical no-one will stop to help a fellow human being (yes, cyclists are humans too). The worst is people staring, yes my bike is on its bars, yes the wheel is in my hand rather than the frome, so what? I’m obviously fixing it, sod off or offer a hand. Still, bike mechanincs need a job i suppose, besides the buliding, adjusting, replacing, overhauling, servicing and selling. Ah well, it’s been good to join a fellow Rider in a rant.
untill the next rant,
Uncle Austin Wozzer
There was a Carrera Vulcan “V Spec” – a Vulcan with V brakes rather than the Disc Spec, with disc brakes. One or two of the Carrera Subways looked interesting. I’m a bit suspiciopus about Carrera, being a Halfords-own make. Carrera is to Appollo like Lexus is to Toyota – a posher version if you will. Still, maybe being better than appollo they might serve well, and i’m only really using it for acommuting.
