It’s autumn, all right. Blustery outside and beggary inside, with the local NPR affiliate entering the seventh day of its fall pledge drive with about fifty large yet to raise.
KRCC-FM used to be able wrap up these biannual annoyances in a day and a half, but no longer — money is as tight here as it is everywhere else, despite our vigorous embrace of ham-and-egger tourism, the military-industrial complex and corporate Christianity. Just ask anyone living in a cardboard condo alongside Fountain Creek.
My last few bike rides have required knee and arm warmers, and once an actual long-sleeved jersey, which was something of a shock to the system. They have also featured one flat each, as the goatheads are out and about. And big mothers they are, too. Once you hear that tick-tick-ticking and spot the thorn affixed to the tire, you’re just a few seconds from becoming a pedestrian.
On Sunday I hear the ticking, spot the thorn and start looking for a comfy place to sit while replacing the tube. But the first tube I pull out of the saddlebag won’t hold air, and neither will the second. Ay, Chihuahua, I think. Brain damage. You’ve been stuffing the flats back in the bag instead of a jersey pocket, you idiot.
Happily, the third tube was the charm — I pumped it up and headed for home, because I could feel the rear softening up, too. I foresee a morning rich in adhesives and patches if I wish to ride that bike again. Happily, it has many cousins in the garage. Never do today what you can put off ’til tomorrow.
Mad Blog Media 
oh goatheads my bane
help me return home again
REMA be thy name
Mebbe your should collect up them ol’ goatheads and market them. Pretty funny- read on….
“T. terrestris is now being promoted as a booster for the purpose of increasing sex drive. Its use for this purpose originated in Eastern Europe in the 1970s. It was popularized in America by 1970s strongman Jeffrey Petermann. Independent studies [5] have suggested that Tribulus terrestris extract slightly increases hormone levels, though leaving them in the normal range.
“The extract is claimed to increase the body’s natural testosterone levels and thereby improve male sexual performance and help build muscle. T. terrestris has consistently failed to increase testosterone levels in controlled studies.[6][7][8] It has also failed to demonstrate strength-enhancing properties.[9] However, many supplement brands have sold products that combine various herbs with T. terrestris, with debatable effects.
“Tribulus has been shown to enhance sexual behaviour in an animal model.[10] It appears to do so by stimulating androgen receptors in the brain.
“Some body builders use T. terrestris as post cycle therapy or “PCT”. After they have completed an anabolic-steroid cycle, they use it under the assumption that it will restore the body’s natural testosterone levels.”
An appropriate storage box for your used – and soon to be patched – tubes there Patrick. A nice, cheap, Spanish red, perfect for daily quaffing. Larry T. will almost certainly chime in here with his recommendation that you transition over to an Italian replacement – and I won’t argue with him – but the Borsao is fine for what it is.
BTW, and on the subject of Italian reds, if you can find it in yer neck ‘o the woods (BEV Mo has it on sale here in SoCal for about $8 per), Querceto’s 2007 IGT is a real bargain.
Patrick,
You can use Stans NoTubes for goatheads around here. When you remove the goathead you hear a 2 second hiss and then nothing… You just need a brand of tubes that have removable valve tubes such as q-tubes.
Rush
CS West Bikes
Carpe manana!!
You carry THREE tubes!?
Yep. Love them goatheads. Should be the symbol on the Bicycle Coalition of New Mexico logo. Guess I’m not the only one who sometimes stuffs the tubes back in the boxes without patching them. A lively round of “oh…shit” to us!
Yep, if I’m gonna be out for a while I take three tubes, especially during goathead season, as I hate long walks in Sidi mountain bike shoes. I flatted once on the mountain bike up in Weirdcliffe, discovered nothing but punctured tubes in the saddlebag, and had to jog several miles home after stashing the bike in the underbrush. Wasn’t one of my favorite experiences.
Think about going tubeless. The Maxxis Locust is a super dependable tire when run tubeless with Stan’s. I’ve built some wheels with the notubes.com 29er rims and have been very happy with them.