First Flat for 2009

With temperatures hovering around 50 yesterday afternoon, Peter and I decided to head out on a ride to see where we could get the Indian Creek Trail to link up with the Gary Haller Trail. Two miles in I rode under a bridge and the mud from a storm a week or so ago was hardened into a mess of 3 inch deep ruts. Thus was born my first pinch flat of 2009.



I had grabbed my trunk bag at the last minute before the ride so I had a spare tube and the new tire levers that CAT had put in my Christmas stocking. A few minutes later we were back on the trail. I had a map from MARC that indicates a bike lane on 119th from Pflumm west to the Gary L. Haller Trail. Um, not so much. There is no bike lane and 119th is a mess of retail traffic in that area; no way I'll lead a bunch of scouts on a ride here. We doubled back and took the ICT out to 135th before we had to turn back in order to make it home before dark.

We'll hopefully get another ride in before Peter heads back to K-State and we think we'll be able to hook the two trails up with just a short jog on 143rd. All in all, a very nice ride (even with the flat).