Back On The Saddle Again With Mary

1991 Gary Fisher Gemini.  It was top of the line mountain bike tandem back in 1991.  I've had it on single track a few times.  Its sister won Chequamegon one year. Removed the flat bars and added drops, racks and bags making it into a touring bike instead of a mountain bike.  Somewhere I have a photo of this bike autographed by Gary Fisher himself.  His eyes lit up when I showed the photo.  Said he too added drop bars.

It has been almost a month since Mary slipped on gravel while attempting to get on her bicycle.  A month with two fractured ribs.  A month of pain, issues sleeping, lifting things and a month without riding. A month of stir crazy.  It was her idea to try to ride the tandem.  The tandem reduces her workload and thus theoretically easier on the torso i.e. rib cage.

So we dug the touring tandem out of storage, brushed the cobwebs off and aired the tires.  As a finishing touch we added a new set of panniers to it so it would not look so emaciated.  Simply route around Gray's Lake to look at the new pedestrian bridge spanning the Raccoon River to the new development.  Then downtown for lunch.

I tried my best to communicate.  Let her know when I was going to stop pedaling, stop and to call out bumps.  No complaints but I'm bad about this.  After nearly 30 years of captaining tandems there are two skills I still have yet to master.  Communication is one.  Bunny hopping is the other.

Mary survived.  Bumps were the worst as they jarred us.  Maybe a dual suspension tandem....  She rode with one hand because using her left would have added pressure to her damaged/repairing rib cage.  I suggested that we adjust the stoker bars but failed to bring that tool along.  Plus those bars are a bit narrow and my bum would be in the way she said.

Look Ma, no air!

We took the long way home electing to ride from the school at the end of our road to our house.  After the final turn Mary said i should have put more air in the tires.  I tried to look down at the rear tire but being a tandem the captain has no easy view of the back.  One nano second after she mentioned air a man said "Hey you got a flat tire.  I can fill that for you."  I knew it was long past airing.  Our home was in sight anyway.  We thanked him for the offer but said we are almost home..  Time to walk.

Yep, totally flat.  That tire had less than 60 miles on it. We bought them for a gravel road tour last October.  First ride since them.  Exactly 50 miles on them before we started today.  Once home I never found the trouble maker.  But given the urban environment we rode on today I am not surprised the tire lost all its air.  We are glad that we were almost home when it gave up the ghost.

Good ride.  Maybe something longer next week.