I had two flats today. Really it was the same one twice, but I was stopped at the side of the road twice. Each time, about 90% of the riders would ask if I had what I needed, or if I needed assistance. It was all very friendly. Trying to get the bead back over the rim on the second flat was a little challenging since my fingers had already be through it once an hour earlier. I was a little "over it", and working the bead over wondering what damage I was doing to the skin on my fingers. A woman rode by just as I was making faces at the lover I embraced tightly, the wheel. She asked "are you ok?" I responded as clearly as I could with the valve cap in my teeth and with an insistent, if somewhat irritated tone, she asked again. Lady, its the bead I'm focussed on, not you. I'm good: I'm wrestling a tire. Things are happening. I am not sitting doing nothing with a "I"m screwed" look on my face, hoping just one of these passers by would be decent enough to offer help (they all are). If anything, it's obvious I've got it going on. ...so I answer louder, more
clearly "yes, thank you" with a tone that's not too far from "go away".
Without the really cool tire iron tool (not the three, but one that extends and clips onto the axle), wrestling the bead of a Gator Skin tire back over the rim is a b***h! You slam your knuckles on the spokes repeatedly while you try to push the skin right off your fingers. If you've done this, (and are hence actually capable of helping) you know this. If you have a little bit of empathy, you asses the situation and leave the poor SOB to his misery. He'll get it on there....or sit looking at you with a miserable "please help" look.
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