On Sunday 3 January, a “peloton” of 14 riders left Six Ways in Lara at 7am and rode to Little River via the You Yangs and Kirk’s Bridge Road. A pleasant ride was added to by a rather entertaining tube change (changes) by one of the riders.
After puncturing along Edgar’s Rd our intrepid rider (we’ll call him “bad Dave” just to protect his identity!) stopped, and rather gently, carefully and slowly, proceeded to swap the punctured tube for the spare he was carrying. That spare tube sported a rather large patch, with the covering cellophane still attached. After eventually replacing the tyre and putting the wheel back in the bike, he set to pumping the tyre up, only to find that the patch blew off.
At this point, there were a few comments, to the effect of “I should have brought a deck chair!” Meanwhile, another of the team who needed to be back for an appointment had headed off on his own, and, determined the peloton should not catch him, rode like a “cut cat”, arriving back in Lara totally exhausted. In reality, he probably arrived in Lara, just about the time “bad Dave” was removing his wheel from the bike for the second time.
With a borrowed tube installed (a new one this time), thanks to the help of some patient “good samaritans” in the peloton, he proceeded to pump up the tyre. But alas, no luck – the pump was not cooperating, so it had to go! With an energy and enthusiasm he rarely displayed on the bike, together with a few (well, ok, a lot) of choice 4 letter words, the pump was catapulted across the neighbouring property into the field, never to be seen again. Overheard in the peloton – “I wonder if he’ll throw the bike next – I need to upgrade a few parts!”
Again, the good samaritans stepped in and pumped up the tyre, and eventually, the peloton resumed the ride. To his credit, “bad Dave” did subsequently do a long turn at the front into the wind.
And thus the popular term “Dummy spit” will be replaced by “Pump throw”!
