Smokey Goes "Lame" :-)

I arrived at Happy Trails today with Smokey & greeted Mari Jo with the statement; "Smokey is lame!"   After my last ride, I'd come back to town & taken the Explorer & bike to the car wash.  The self-service was the only empty bay & I about froze.  The temperature dropped & the spray from the nozzle filled the air.  The car was filthy after our last rain.  The consensus in town - was that the rain had cleaned all the dust from the air & deposited it All on our vehicles!  (Car washes must make a small fortune in IA).  It's handy though - to have Smokey on the rack.  An easy way to blast the grime off the bike at the same time.

 Once home I found Smokey's  rear tire flat.  Not good...  I've never changed a tire on a bike & decided it would be a good time to learn.  I called Mari Jo & asked if she was available in her off-season to do the repair.  Thankfully, she was!  (It helps to be her riding partner!)

A thorn?

It was a real bear to break the tires seal on the rim!  It took both of us to get the tire off.  We pumped air into the tube to find the leak.  A decent size hole - we could easily hear & feel the air escaping. Mari Jo started going over the inside of the tire. She found the problem.  At first, we both thought it was a thorn, but upon closer inspection Mari Jo discovered it was a very hard sliver of wood.

Wood sliver right through the tire~

I couldn't help but be surprised at how hard & sharp it was!  The sliver had found the perfect spot in the tire to work its way in to the tube.

Almost 1/2 inch~

Getting the rear wheel back on the bike took some finesse & experience with bikes.  Mari Jo has both.  Once it was back on, the trick is to get it perfectly in position for the disc brakes to work properly & the wheel to turn without rubbing.

Mari Jo fine tuning~

It was during this process Mari Jo told me to listen!  She explained it was easier to hear if anything was off balance rather than see it.  I had to laugh - as her words were almost exactly the same as my good friend & mentor Dean used to explain regarding horses & lameness.  That it was easier to hear a lameness rather than see it - in the early stages.  

The bike rear wheel - turned smoothly!  Very smoothly - which is one of the things I like so much about these bikes!  They shift smooth, ride smooth & are very quiet. 

We've not added tire liners to these bikes - yet.  Now I've seen the work involved in fixing a flat, I think I may be investing in the newer type liners we'd had installed on the Trek bikes.  Tannus liners advertise even if you do get a flat, you're able to ride the bike back.  Something I think I'll invest in again...  I'm just thankful Smokey didn't leave me on foot far from the Explorer!

August - Lake Manawa~

 When I looked back, we'd ridden around Lake Manawa this same weekend last year.  The weather had been similar too! A break in the heavy heat & matching humidity was welcome by everyone.  Even though the smoke from the Canadian fires has been thick, a cooler day had everyone out!

Ready to ride~

 It was late afternoon by the time we reached the park.  

Butch's new seat~

Butch is trying out his new seat, so we made plenty of stops to adjust it & the handlebar height.  Taking the trail going to Tastee Treat, there was a stiff headwind that about stopped us in our tracks.  We turned back toward the park just in time to see a coal train coming in.

Trail winds under the Coal Train~

We've admired the homes close to the park.  What we didn't realize until today, is they do hear the noise from the trains.  Even going slow, there were the squeaks & bangs of a loaded train.

Butch adjusting his handlebars~

The trail along Indian Creek is so straight & flat, it's easy to make good time.

Breezy on the bridge~

The bridge decking is really in need of more repairs though.  Boards had rotten & fallen through.  They do the repairs with steel plates.  I felt like I was riding a horse with easy boots on the back & steel shoes on the front.  Bike Rack was short one of the Tannus tire liners they were supposed to install.  I ended up with one in the rear tire, until the other arrives.  It did soften the ride just a little.

Trail going back into the park~

This is my favorite part of the trail system, is on the far side of the bridge & goes back into the huge Cottonwoods.  The shade is most welcome, as is the breeze that comes off the river here.

Water Lotus blooms~

The yellow water Lotus were in full bloom!  They also seem to be trying to take over the lakes open water!  In area's they were dying, park personnel may be mitigating their too rapid spread.

It was a wonderful day to be out enjoying such a beautiful park!