MacGyvering
I commute to my classes John Carroll University on a bike most of the time, two miles each way. My bike had a slow leak in its rear tire for the past couple of days, but given the Calculus III test earlier today (Vectors: good, Taylor and Other Series: not so good, Take-Home Segment: To Be Determined), I wasn't able to find time to dismount the tire and repair the tube. This mistake became rather obvious this morning when I noticed that the bike was making a funny sound as I approached the intersection of Belvior Blvd. and Fairmount Blvd. When I stopped to look, I realized that the slow leak had become a fast leak, and I had to limp the next half mile on a flat. Thankfully, I made it to my General Chemistry lecture (did fine on the quiz) before it started at 8AM and everything was okay.
Fast-forward three and a half hours. I'm done with the Calc test, I just ate lunch, and I plugged my Science Fiction and Fantasy club a bit. The rear tire of my bike is still flat. Then I remember something from a cycling book I read about stuffing a flat with newspaper to protect the wheel (I have reinforced mountain-bike rims with the road tires, which looks rather silly, but it's worked so far). Having a complete copy of USA Today with me from the campus library, I dismounted the tire and rammed an entire edition of carefully wadded-up newsprint into the tire. The tire seated okay and stayed on after a compression test, so I decided to pedal home, bike running somewhat roughly. About a half mile later, things got very rough, and much to my dismay, the bike had all but thrown the tire, severely damaging both the tire carcass and the inner tube. This, of course, meant the bike was un-rideable, unless I wanted to destroy my probably-expensive reinforced aluminum wheels, and given the thrown tire, the bike wasn't rolling too well. (Mum was out at the time and I couldn't arrange for emergency pickup.)
There was another solution, since I left some bungie cords in my LC-1 Field Pack, Large (Dad says its too big and clunky, and I say I've got too much of a courseload to use a daypack) a week back. I ended up hooking the bike to the pack frame with the bungies then using the pack's outer straps to keep the bike from rattling, shifting, and falling loose. Thus, with a slightly unbalanced load on my back, I lumbered the rest of the way home.
I'm only out about $20 for a new tube and tire, so it's not the end of the world.
Well, I've learned a few lessons thanks to this:
1. I should stuff flat bike tires with the New York Times instead of USA Today.
2. MacGyvered solutions are very temporary solutions.
3. Better yet, I should just get used to carrying a pump and a patch kit to I can make a proper fix (the bike multitool has tire irons on it.)
4. The LC-1 frame pack is a wonderful piece of military-surplus equipment.
5. Deferring maintenance generates more trouble in the end.
On a happier note...
Tonight, I am holding the first meeting of the JCU Science Ficition & Fantasy Club in the atrium of the D.J. Lombardo Student Center (outside the campus bookstore) at 7PM. Refreshments probably won't be served, as this is going to be a short planning and officer election session, maybe with a round or two of Munchkin: Impossible (a spoof of spy movie tropes) thrown in.





