Triathlon Bloopers: Learning from the Fails – Tech Trouble
We were brainstorming ideas for a new blog series and decided to share some of the training and racing bloopers from the SoCal Triathlon Team membership. The idea is that while the stress of these incidents fades from memory, they become educational and sometimes quite entertaining. It also reinforces the notion that perfection is overrated and even experienced athletes can have lapses. Hopefully, these short stories will comfort newer athletes who might feel intimidated by the idea of getting involved in the sport. Mistakes are going to happen, and the key is to not sweat it or take yourself too seriously.
On that note, I’ll start with a personal anecdote that is still quite fresh. Given that I have been in the sport for a decade, I should be uber confident with all things wheel and tire related. The thing is, I still feel like there’s some sort of magic involved with flat tire repair. Unfortunately, I am no Houdini. Mechanical aptitude is not my strength. However, I have received significant instruction on how to fix a tire from coaches, mechanics, teammates, and of course, YouTube. Despite that and dozens of real-life opportunities to change flat tires over the years, every time I get one, it is an adventure.
So there I was with my SoCal Triathlon Team buddies on a glorious ride last Saturday in Irvine. We were about 30 minutes into the ride, having just completed the climb up Alton and flying along Portola, when my tubeless rear tire gave way. There was no stream of sealant spraying from the tire, likely indicating that I had been remiss in keeping the sealant topped up.
With a crowd of about 10 teammates around me, the mood was rather festive for most. Not for me. The pressure was on. Having been on the other side of this scenario many times, stops like these can be welcome breaks. A chance to recover and socialize a bit as the poor soul with the flat tire furiously attempts to address the issue so as not to slow down the group. It reminds me a bit of being on the first tee at the golf course, knowing that your swing still has quite a few holes in it and needing to prove your worth with a big drive. Making it all that more difficult is the gallery of onlookers building around you and feeling all those eyes seemingly fixed on you. The pressure can build so much that you end up praying for the gods to allow your Titleist enough distance to clear the beginners’ tee.
My first attempt to quickly repair the tire was with my canister of CO2 with foaming sealant. While I had successfully used this on a friend’s flat tire about a year ago, no such luck this time. I guess the pressure from the gallery got to me, and I didn’t completely get a solid connection between the canister and the tire valve. The result? A ridiculous mess of whipped cream-like foam seemingly everywhere except where it was supposed to be: inside the tire!
At that point, Tom, our resident mechanical expert, showed mercy and stepped in to help me install a tube in the tire so that the comedy show could be concluded and we could get on with the ride. While it took a few miles for my bruised ego to recover from the tire repair misadventure, the rest of the ride was pure bliss. So for those similarly mechanically challenged riders out there, putting off the idea of cycling for fear of an issue with their gear, feel the fear and do it anyway! Of course, putting some effort into learning the basics and making sure you have a reasonable repair kit is important, but you don’t have to be an expert mechanic to get out there and have some fun, especially if you are riding with a club or team. You are certain to have a member of your crew step in with moral and practical support.
~ Mitch
