“Don’t bother people
for help without first
trying to solve the
problem yourself.”
– Colin Powell
BAM!
It sounded like a small caliber rifle going off… before I
knew it my front tire was as flat as a pancake!
I’m not a serious bicycle rider, but try to get in one or
two 12-15 mile (19-24km) rides per week.
It’s part of my ‘trying to keep this 66 year old body moderately fit…at
the same time enjoying myself’ routine.
It was one of those lovely sunny days, where the southern Arizona
climate couldn’t seem to make up its mind whether it was supposed to be warm or
cool, and the air currents pushing their way through my vented riding shirt
gave mixed messages. It was the kind of
late winter’s day when the blooming desert flowers give off a sweet, subtle
smell that seemed satisfyingly refreshing.
The flat was really not a problem, because I had only gotten
three minutes or so from home. I carry a
spare in the little pack beneath my seat, but since I was so close, I just got
off the bike and walked the 15 minutes it took to get back to the house.
“Hey Molly,” I called as I came through the garage
door.
“Well,” she replied, “that was a pretty quick ride!”
“Yeah, you know what those exercise gurus say about brief,
but high intensity workouts,” I said.
“Go hard in short bursts and then allow time for recovery!”
“Actually, I blew a tire!” We both chuckled.
The intent was to slip in a new tube and head out again, but
thought I might as well find the leak.
After pulling the inner tube and pumping it up a little, it was off to
the kitchen sink and a large bowl of water to see if I could find the tell tale
‘bubble stream’ that would identify where the thing had failed.
No problem…the gurgling sound and a small stream of air identified
the source. I dried the tube, roughed up
the spot around the leak, applied a little glue (waiting for it to dry) and put
on the patch. The whole operation took
about 10 minutes.
Feeling pretty good for the ‘small task’ self-sufficient
problem/solution, I put in a new tube, pumped the tire was off once again,
regaining my Zen attitude as I pedaled the first 10 or 15 minutes up the small
hill leading to the trail loop.
BAM!
Once again the sound was like a small caliber rifle shot;
this time I felt a brief burst of air against my right leg as the wheel spun
and the tire flattened against the warm asphalt pavement.
This time I was a little too far away from home to walk the
bike back and still try to get in the daily dose of prescribed activity. A little sheepishly I made the call.
“Hey Molly,” I said.
“I’m at the post office with another flat tire. Something isn’t right. Would you bring the
car and pick me up?”
Over the years, we have learned when to tease one another
and when to let the ‘dog lie.’ I knew
when I left she was into something at home, but she didn’t give me the subtle sigh
that relays the message, “Hey, you know I’m busy.” She didn’t say, “Yeah, as
soon as I finish this project I’ll come.”
Nope! She said
pleasantly, “Sure hon, I’ll be right
there.”
It is always better when we don’t kick that dog! We have worked hard over the years to let
that old boy stay right where he is!
Effects generally
have cause…
A flat tire can happen for any number of reasons: a defect in the tape around the inside of the
rim, a bad inner tube or something penetrating the tire that causes the failure.
When we got home, once again I pulled the tube…found the
leak and patched it. Then I closely
examined the inside of the rim by ‘touch and feel’ and ran my fingers on the
inside of the tire. Nothing! It was a mystery!
Mystery or lack of
experience?
While I ride regularly, I am just a ‘noodler’ who pokes
around neighborhoods and does short rides in this remarkably bike friendly
community. I can change a tire, adjust the
brakes and derailleur, but that’s about it.
I have a ‘snow bird’ neighbor from Pennsylvania who has
ridden seriously for years. Before heading to the bike shop, I decided to see
him.
He answered the knock on his door, and after explaining the
situation he said, “It sounds like your tire has a defect.” I replied with the tiniest bit of attitude,
“I’ve checked the tire and couldn’t find anything.”
Absorbing the comment, he said, “Let’s take another look at
that tire.”
At first, he did the same thing I had done…checked for a
small nail or thorn that might have punctured the tread. Then, he did something unexpected…or at least
unexpected for me. He turned the tire
inside out, causing a stretch to its inner lining.
Voila!! There was a
small tear in the tire itself. Seeming
to understand this could be a gentle ‘teaching moment,’ he said, “120 pounds of
pressure in a tire is a lot. The tube
was not contained and a small piece of the tube forced its way into the crack
in the casing. The pressure there can be
much higher and the tire will blow!”
Unknown becomes
known…
The key to
learning is for the student to have a problem that needs solving. In the classroom, teachers try to create an
environment that stimulates questions. It
was a ‘different’ classroom, but this student definitely had a problem looking
for a solution!
Life’s expedition presents challenges that naturally
generate questions. Some we can sort out
ourselves, others we can solve but need logistics support, and then there are
those that simply require outside expertise…it’s just the way it works. Asking for the assistance is the key, ‘cause
if there ‘no ask’ there will surely be ‘no receive!’
In life’s outings, it is always a good thing to carry a
spare tire, a way to communicate when in trouble and seek outside help when you
need it, because you never know…
BAM!!
- ted
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