Trans Canada Trail (Feb. 15, 2009)

It was a sunny day and just enough time to head out for a quick ride before I needed to be back to head out to a Canucks game. My plan was to grab the bike which was already in its cross country form and head out onto the Pitt Meadows/ Maple Ridge portion of the Trans Canada Trail from the Pitt river bridge along the dykes all the way back to my home near Kanaka creek.

I started from my parents house in Pitt Meadows and headed east along the paved path parallel to the highway. I crossed the busy highway at the intersection at the bridge and made my way up to the gate at the dykes. I decided this would be a good picture opportunity of the Pitt river bridge construction at the 0km mark of the TCT section. Standing there on the side of the highway, my bike leaning against a sign post, putting away my camera as the cars are whizzing by I am startled by a loud and sudden BANG! A couple walking past me with their dog are staring at me, I ask them "what was that bang? did you see what that was?", but they just keep staring at me as they walk away. I am thinking did someone just throw a firecracker out their car window at me? Another couple is walking over the bridge toward me, and I ask them the same thing. They don't answer. They just look at me puzzled. I ask them again, frustrated by people outright ignoring me. Finally the man answeres as they get closer. "I think your tire blew up. I look down and sure enough my tire sidewall had exploded for no apparent reason. Lucky for me I was not riding it at the time.

Fortunately I had come prepared for any mechanical failure. I really did not feel like walking for five and a half kilometers back to my parents so out came the tools. I removed the old tube and used my Leatherman to cut out a section of the old tube to use a reinforcing material where the sidewall had blown out. I wrapped the new tube with the piece of old tube and then used zap straps (zip ties) around the tire and rim to prevent the tear from bulging out. Voila, some trailside McGyvering and I was on my way back home , at a careful speed, in time to get changed and head out to the 'Nucks game.