(Puncture)
The car passed it’s MOT. Hooray! for another year. There was a fair bit needed doing, but not unexpected, including four new tyres – advisory – but when you do my commuting miles, it’s better safe than sorry.
There was a time (about a milion years ago) when I would cycle into work – not from my present abode in Klmarnock – and not “regularly”, but with enough frequency that I arrived soaked through more times than I’d care. One legacy of that time is that I kept a cheap change of clothes in work, so I didn’t have to spend the entire day, “damp”.
I was “not best pleased” when I discovered I had a flat tyre (totally deflated), only scant days after getting new ones. Naturally, I discovered it at 5:55am – leaving for work, -in the dark, – it was -3, and sleeting.
I have, in my time, changed plenty of tyres, some even for other people, however mostly then I was younger, somewhat bendier, and not urgently on my way to a relieve a night shift colleague.
Also, sub zero temperatures significantly reduce my enthusiasm for wielding spanners and car jacks. (Gloves? have you ever actually tried to change a wheel with gloves on? Have you ever actually tried to change a wheel? looking at you – younger readers?).
I do travel with a small compressor (I have quite a lot of stuff in the boot “just in case”), and while that was fiddly enough, it did inflate the tyre. The question then becomes, for how long? Little as I want to fit the spare on a busy roadside in Kilmarnock, how much less do I want to do it partway, on a hard shoulder, somewhere on Fenwick Moor (likely -7).
But my luck holds, and I make my work, though by my first break, the tyre is flat again.
However it is now daylight and the car park is a much more congenial spot to do the change. It is still very damp.
They tried to sell me the car with a “run flat” kit – my how I laughed, however I could only talk them up to a temporary spare (you know, it looks like a pram wheel beside the other 3), and of course you need to stay below 50. Apart from the kneeling, and the standing up, and the kneeling again, it was all pretty straightforward, although the final standing up was a bit more tricky, and I was glad afterwards of my stashed change of clothes from cycling days.
Getting back to the tyre shop in Kilmarnock doing “only” 50 on the motorway was the real challenge.
A vehicle approaches from about 200 yards doing ~80, till within touching distance of my boot, flashes, toots, and violently swerves into the next lane as if he’s only just noticed I’m puttering along at 50. About half the time this nets wild braking from someone else in the next lane, and more tooting. And repeat…
I am returning to the place of purchase since I can see no obvious wound in the tyres, and anticipating a stern discussion about “only ten days” and “free replacement”. I did expect to pay when they were able to show me the actual puncture, as a new tyre is no defence against running over a rusty nail (again!) , but I shall call them out for their excellent customer service, as not only, was I not charged for the repair, but they changed the wheel back as well, sparing my knees. Well done Turnbull Tyres!
Unexpected Bonus; my trousers from years ago still fit!
Sometimes you win…
Next Week on IaDL : Didn’t I used to play music?
PS Happy Valentines Day.
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 