I used my Zipp wheels Saturday and it all went to hell. At mile 42 I had passed almost everybody I could see ahead of me and I was closing in on a a small pack. Blinding rain, glasses useless and I missed seeing a pothole. Hit the pothole and got a front wheel pinch flat. Got back into the race 20 minutes later only to find that my front wheel had gone soft.
By mile 14 of the second 50 mile lap the front wheel was flat and I had to stop. My valve extenders were either defective or I just had the wrong set up because I used 6 cartridges of CO2 before I realized ... it just wasnt gonna hold air.
Called Larry Graham, he came and got me. He drove me back and I switched out my Zipps for my the training wheels I brought.
Added some `land of the unknown' bonus miles on the second lap and finished up with about 170 miles for less than 10 hours of riding. Attaching my Sat ride on the CC 50 mile route below. (Also did the CC 50 mile route the day before, Friday, and am attaching that below.)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31918657
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31918652
I don't think the weather was that bad. Windier on the 50 I did on Friday, the day before. The rain brought out the fool in me. When you can't see the road in front of you because of the rain, and your vision is blocked by a pack of riders in front of you ... you're looking for trouble.
Larry G was really great in that he gave me some very useful information about valves and Zipp wheels. I'll be making big changes in tubes and valves for RAW.
Had planned to go down on Sunday to Cinci for a club century but there were flash flood warnings and 19 people were killed just over the border in Tennesee in flash floods the day before. Drove home after CC, got home by 3:30am and .... did the laundry.
Good training rides Friday and Saturday. Wish I could have had the whole 12 hours to ride without the 2 hours off the bike for flats and wheel problems. I think I could have done 215, at least.
I'm going to schedule back to back 12 hour rides this coming Friday and Saturday in Burlington, IL. Of course, they'll be solo rides, but ...
