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Michael's long evening

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

I got home from work around 19:30 tonight and spent an insane amount of time getting a new tire on Mari's bicycle. The previous tire, which was only about eighteen months old, had cracked in a strange way that told me it was from sunlight exposure rather than riding. We only learned the extent of the problem this week after she'd had a flat that I repaired by replacing the tube with a new one. That then had a puncture tire (or something similar) only about thirty meters from home. I couldn't find any hole in the tire but she explained that when the tube was inflated the tire had cracked. Her bike is a "Khodaa Bloom", and I haven't been impressed with the parts, so I replaced the tire with a different brand.

And that's where the fun began. The new beaded tire was quite a tight fit, and including tire cream and tire levers, it took me the better part of an hour to get on. It was, of course, the side with the gear cassette, which is sometimes tighter. But by the time I got the tire together the tube wouldn't hold pressure. Once again, I'd fallen victim to the climate, which renders tire patches useless. I'll try again, but it will require buying more patches.

After all that, it was time for dishes and then an early bed.