I Had To Take A Cab!

I thought I was thoroughly kitted out for biking to and from work in any conditions.  Lights for front and back of the bike; waterproof jacket and pants, gloves, helmet, reflective vest.

And then yesterday I was on Fulton Street on my way to the World Trade Center PATH station, and my front tire felt squishy.  And a moment later, it was flat. And a moment after that, it was most definitely completely flat, entirely out of air.  Fortunately I was close enough to the station to hop off and walk, and still have time to make my train.

On the train, I dug out my glasses and checked the tire, and found several pieces of brown glass still wedged into it.  Thanks, whoever tossed a beer bottle onto the pavement....  One good sized gash in the tire told me there was no way the tube was going to hold air.

And I have no spare tire, not even a patch kit, and no tire levers on me.  And no time to walk the two miles at the other end of the train ride.  I had to take a cab to campus.

Back at home, I bought a new patch kit from the bike shop around the corner and dug out the tools.  First time I've ever needed glasses to see what I was doing while patching a tire. Also the first time I've needed six patches to fix one blow-out.  (Next time I'm down to the rims, maybe I'll hop off the bike faster.)