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The Story of the Last Short Track Race of the Season


Parr8hed

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Storms came ripping through Louisville Tuesday.  This made me uneasy.  But local crews and the Short Track staff worked hard to clear trees and get the course ready to race Wens night.  This made me happy and proud.

Griffin was ready to go.  He was hydrated since he is my kid and it was going to be hot.  The kid that he placed second to last week was not going to be there this week.  This made me feel optimistic.  

Griffin warmed up.  He came up to me panicked with about 10 min before the race with a flat front tire.  This made me feel pressure.  I didn't have a 26" spare tube.  This made me feel like a failure.  The LBS sponsoring the event didn't have one either, but they did have a 650b tube.  This made me feel relieved.  I knew it wasn't perfect, but it might work for someone as light as Griffin for only a 20 min race.  The LBS wrench was a true pro.  We teamed up and had the tube replaced in a matter of minutes.  We both went through the tire to ensure that there was nothing in it to cause another flat.  This made me feel relief.  Griffin lined up.

About 1 minute before the start G panicked.  He had another front flat.  This made me feel very sad.  I knew that his race was over.  LBS guy was nowhere to be found.  No more tubes.  One minute until start.  I remembered LBS guy saying there was slow leak in the old tube.  This made me feel slightly optimistic.  I grabbed the bike and had the wheel and tire apart in seconds.  I whipped out the tube and put the old one back in.  I checked the wheel and rim tape as carefully as I could to ensure that IT was not causing the leaks.  Good to go.  I put as much pressure as I could in it hoping to get 20 min out of it.  Would it hold?  This made me feel nervous and optimistic.

G started well.  I was worried the whole time.  

I had good reason to be.  It barely lasted the first lap.  G's first DNF.  He was distraught.  Trying to to cry as he crossed the line.  This made me feel horrible.  What does a dad do in this circumstance?  I just hugged him and told him that we would get it fixed for the next race.  Then I took him out for pizza.  After a few hours he was fine.  

So that was my parenting fail.  I will have a spare tube for that bike next time.  

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Just now, maddmaxx said:

Tubeless in Louisville.

Image result for flatfix

I think that you are right.  I will probably just go tubeless on that bike.  He has had a few flats on it.  I have no doubt that the tires need to be replaced.  I will probably just do a whole tubeless front and rear with new tires.  

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46 minutes ago, donkpow said:

No but it was a total screw up for the race support crew. 

Well you are correct.  I felt like I did a good job handling it as a PARENT.  I feel like I did a great job as a support crew in getting the bike back up and running.  But I def did a piss poor job as a support crew as far as preparedness.  That's easy enough to fix for the next race.  (which is coming up in 2 days.)   Thank god it will be road and not use this bike.

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I'd think could just take a couple of spare wheels. I saw one of the LBS who supported a wheel tent for a criterium race. The guy was running around like crazy between races. The CX races have a spare bicycle corral in the middle of the track. It's not like this situation is unknown in bicycle racing.

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13 minutes ago, donkpow said:

I'd think could just take a couple of spare wheels. I saw one of the LBS who supported a wheel tent for a criterium race. The guy was running around like crazy between races. The CX races have a spare bicycle corral in the middle of the track. It's not like this situation is unknown in bicycle racing.

Yea, I am trying to be able to afford a race wheelset for Cx.  Then we can leave his training wheels in the pit.  I do have 26" disc wheels on MY MTB.  I should have grabbed it to be able to scavenge wheels from it. 

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18 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

Yea, I am trying to be able to afford a race wheelset for Cx.  Then we can leave his training wheels in the pit.  I do have 26" disc wheels on MY MTB.  I should have grabbed it to be able to scavenge wheels from it. 

Yeah, I don't see why you can't take a crappy set of wheels along for emergency situations. What I'm thinking is you have to beat it out one way or another. If you have time to replace a tube in the good wheels, that's okay. There is the issue of 'infant mortality' in all repairs. IOW, after a repair, the greatest likelihood of failure is soon after the repair is made. Confidence will be accomplished with positive action. Really, light wheels and bikes only influence races that are neck and neck at the finish.

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6 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Yeah, I don't see why you can't take a crappy set of wheels along for emergency situations. What I'm thinking is you have to beat it out one way or another. If you have time to replace a tube in the good wheels, that's okay. There is the issue of 'infant mortality' in all repairs. IOW, after a repair, the greatest likelihood of failure is soon after the repair is made. Confidence will be accomplished with positive action. Really, light wheels and bikes only influence races that are neck and neck at the finish.

Good points.  

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54 minutes ago, petitepedal said:

What kind of Pizza?  I mean...  hey I saw some pro cyclist toss his bike when he had a mechanical....Poop happens...and learning how to deal with it and go on...is a very good lesson...

So I'm asking...what kind of pizza?

Leave it to PP to ask the tough questions!  :D

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2 hours ago, Parr8hed said:

.  Then I took him out for pizza.  After a few hours he was fine.  

 

:) Still sucks, sorry to hear that. Consider going tubeless (if the wheels are capable). But also bring tubes to the races. The sealant will take care of most small punctures.

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Damn sucks to hear but sometimes shit happens.  Good life lesson for you and G man.  

Remember the important thing isn't that the adversity hapened but how you dealt with it.  I'd give you an A in that regard.  And an F for preparation, dude seriously no spare tubes WTF!?!?

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7 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

So what caused the flat?  That seems awfully ill timed (most are!), but it is also not something that normally happens without some external cause.

Was he running a few trial laps, and got a flat somehow on the course?

Tom

I'll timed is right.  Most likely happened during warm up.

Back in the day I was doing a TT and was literally in the starting block: 10, 9, 8, pow sssssssss!!!!! "Next rider up!"  I got a spare wheel and started further down the order.

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Just now, ChrisL said:

I'll timed is right.  Most likely happened during warm up.

Back in the day I was doing a TT and was literally in the starting block: 10, 9, 8, pow sssssssss!!!!! "Next rider up!"  I got a spare wheel and started further down the order.

My last flat (two weeks ago) was RIGHT before my evening ride!

Of course, it was likely flat for hours before I realized it, since I'm not in the habit of checking my tires except before a ride :D

And it is a hole that lines up exactly with a PRIOR flat, so now I'm worried there is still crap in the old hole (it was a sharp piece of glass) or that the small hole is picking up road debris :(  I put some glue over the small hole on the tire, but that eventually wears off as I ride.

Tom 

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Very sorry for G, but glad you were there to help him feel better with some pizza.  Every racer has ups and downs and has to learn to live with some bad luck, but it doesn't make it any easier at the time.  

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