Lemonade on Wheels

The other day, I ducked into forest park on the single speed for a little cross ride.  If it's going to be raining in June, I might as well really enjoy it...right?

I rode for about an hour, getting a nice coating of mud and grime.  As I arrived at Saltzman, the final climb out of the woods, my front tire went flat.

Flat tires on a cross ride...I hate them!  But I was prepared...or so I thought:

Sealant:
I ride with sealant in my tubes.  So if I get a puncture, the sealant should fix that.  But there was my front tire, flopping around at zero PSI.  I removed a tire bead and found it full of Stan's goo.  The hole was too big to seal, I guess.  On to plan B:

Spare Tube:
Of course I ride with a spare tube.  Brand new, still in the box.  I popped it out and...uh oh, the valve was awfully short.  Too short, in fact for my deep-ish section rim.  I couldn't inflate it with my pump.  Ahh, but I'm prepared for that, too:

Valve Extender:
I pulled the valve extender out of my tool bag.  They are small and easily fit in your patch kit.  Everyone should have one.  Anyway, I screwed mine on, but it didn't work.  I couldn't get ANY air into the tube.  Dang.  Time for plan C:

Patch the Old Tube:
Okay, no problem, I've got a few patches on board.  I cleaned the old tube off best I could, found the hole and...the glue was dried up.  Totally gone.  Not a drop left.  Crap.  What's plan D?

Running:
Yeah, I guess plan D is normally to shoulder the bike and go for a jog.  I hate running. 

I stand there, pondering.  The sun has come out.  My mud coating has crusted over and is starting to itch.  Flies are buzzing around me.  It's time to move.  Is there a plan E?

Ride it Flat:
Yeah!  I'm riding off road anyway, so could I ride it flat?  I tried it, and yup, I could.  I rode up Saltzman, staying in the mushy stuff as much as I could.  Not being able to stand up made riding the SS up that hill more challenging.  Plus I had a flat tire, riding in the loose stuff.  I went from feeling bummed to screaming "this is awesome!"

And it really was.  Out of the forest I flew with a stupid grin on my face.  Rad.