A Fool's Progress: Knackered in Knoxville part 2

I suffered through toTuesday mostly by sleeping in between meals at the Waffle House.

At 10 AM I was on the phone to every bike shop in the book. I was fortunate in that I had landed in a spot where there were a half dozen bike shops within 10 miles. I found a shop with tubes I needed at the bottom of the list. Cycle One is an independant, do it all shop. Nice folks. The head dude even mounted the new tube for the princely sum of 15 bucks provided I pull the wheel myself. I preferred that not because of the cost...but because most folks havent seen a guzzi before much less a quota. The time saved while they figure out how it comes apart is worth more. And I have the wheel dis/assembly down to a science.

By the time I got back to the motel, I had chewed up my grace period for checking out. So I'm here for another night. probably for the best. by the time i got my gear rigged and on the road it would be after 2pm. The weather shows a set of thunder storms neatly lined right along I-75 to Chattanooga. And I have figured out that I am terribly dehydrated. The humidity makes me forget to drink.

So I will spend the evening getting my stuff packed up. Checking over the bike. Adjusting the valves. Topping up oil. Sleep long and rise with the sun for a long ride to clarksdale Mississippi where I will whisper names to the crossroads.

This even was caused by several mistakes on my part. And no, leaving home in the first place is not one of them.

First, I assumed that everywhere was like home. When I had new tires and tubes in hand in PA I assumed that no shop would willingly mount them if I had not purchased the tires there. Back home that is the case in most shops. I learned differently in Tennessee. I could well have just strapped the tires on board and gone hunting for a shop enroute and saved myself a lot of hassle.

Two, I didnt have the best tools. The big recurved Motion Pro tire irons tend to pinch the tubes. That is my belief anyways. Since Donny turned me on to the MP spoons I havent pinched one since. Also a hefty dose of talcum (I used Gold Bond) in the tire and having the tube slightly inflated lets the tube move and get out of the way of the spoon. Hazards of being self-taught.

Three, and this is the biggest one. I broke my first and most important rule in roadside repair: I let myself get rushed and tried to hurry the job. That led to a pinch hole in my spare tube and a long delay waiting for bike shops to open. As Yoda said "Fear the mind killer is" indeed. Know it. Live it.

Another hint: keep a plastic bag from a grocery store or convenience store stashed with the tools. You can wrap the wheel gear in it. The grease on the splines will stick it to the sensitive area and keep road crap from getting in the splines when you have to work on the wheel.