On a semi-sunny Sunday, 80F we headed out to Manitou Springs for a brown bag picnic lunch. RATS, we got as far as 21st. St. on the Midland Trail and I got a rear tire flat on my trike!! :( Of course, there was no shade close, it's a bit of a chore changing a rear flat on a "recumbent trike" but alas, my trike a Terra Trike Rover X8 is a RPITA to change! You see the TT Rover was never designed to use a "rear derailleur". It has to have a special "rear derailleur hanger/adapter that "slides into the rear chain stay slot on the right side of the trike. It's comes completely out with the rear derailleur when you have to pull off the rear wheel!!! :O Also, unlike a upright bicycle, where you just turn it upside down, on a trike you have to "hold up the rear end" and take out the wheel at the same time!!!
Well I was lucky that I was riding with my wife, Jo at the time so she held up the rear end. The other problem is I have a Sturmery/Archer 3 speed rear hub that my 8 speed cassette attaches to so I can have 24 speeds. This set up has extra cable and adjustment nuts, etc. that have to be removed to get wheel off the trike!!! Then I went to use my air pump and BUMMER it wouldn't work, thank goodness Jo's old air pumped worked!! Well it took 1.5 hours just to change the tube then we headed over to the Colorado Springs Bike Shop and I bought a NEW air pump and we ate our lunch on a bench outside the shop! I used there floor pump and filled up the tire and we headed home via the Palmer/Mesa Greenway Path. LOL, we had to do a bit of "Cyclecross" riding on the very bumpy grass to turn to Fontanero St. due to the construction at Fontanero and Chestnut.
Down the hill to the Pikes Peak Greenway and finally back home. Short ride today only 10.5 miles but we were tired, needed a shower and get out of the sun!! :)
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