The Saga Stops in Griffith or 10kms north, on the Road to Goolgowi

Unfortunately, the wheels, tyres and tubes with the presta valves have defeated me.  A third flat tyre and this time it was one of those slow leaks in the rear tyre, a 20 inch wheel that carries most of the weight of the trike.

I tried some desperate measures last night and today (Monday), part of a very long weekend when there was no cycling expertise or equipment readily available.
My last minute efforts included successfully filling one of the 16 inch tubes with green sealant, using a technique described to me by Ian Sims from Greenspeed that took care of the troublesome presta valve. I managed that good work on one of my used tubes with holes that I had not repaired yet and as soon as I pumped it up the green sealant came out at four or five different places from the tube. It sealed it worked.
My next attempt was using the same strategy on the presta valve of the 20 inch rear tube that was on the tyre that was on the wheel on the trike. I had more difficulty getting the sealant in that tube, but in it went and I was starting to feel much more cheerful about my circumstance. But then, I couldn’t make the valve stem from this presta valve re-appear. It wouldn’t come out and – to this day – I don’t know where it went. Hence, I am not able to pump up that tube anymore.

This morning, to my surprise, Big W was open here in Griffith and, on the off chance that they had some bicycle parts, I had a look and discovered 16 and 20 inch Kevlar tyres with thicker ‘hides’ that might better withstand the dreaded bindi weed (catheads) seeds. I purchased one 20 inch tyre for $19 and when I finally managed to fit it on the rim with the remaining good 20 inch tube inside I pumped it up to just over 70psi and not more than the 75psi maximum it said on the accompanying tyre information.
While quietly satisfied taking a picture of the new fully pumped up tyre, it blew with a loud hiss and in less than one second had lost all the air I had just pumped in to it. I may have damaged the tube while trying to get the new tyre on or it may have been the wrong tube for this new tyre.  Someone will be able to provide an answer.

I intend to be on the morning (2.45am) VLine coach out of Griffith, heading to Melbourne.  The decision about allowing the trike on as luggage is left to the coach driver.  I hope he is having a good day and that there are hardly any other passengers on this very early service to share the luggage space. 

I’ll be swapping trikes at Greenspeed later this week and contemplating alternate travel arrangements to Buderim in the meantime.  I will still get to Buderim by early May.

I am sorry that I won’t be able to visit my friends at the Black Queen in Lightning Ridge on this revised itinerary – although you never never know who is going to pull what out of a hat next…..