Rei[nforc]ing the Wheel

How I learned to stop worrying and tried airless bicycle tires

I had reached my breaking point. And so had my rear tire.

It was a Saturday. A midsummer morning. The bike path was shady and cool. Sunbeams shot through the foliage. I coasted into forest and over bridges, a giddy grin on my face. All week, I had looked forward to this one free morning, my one chance to get out and ride.

Then I heard it — the burst of air. A long wheeze followed, as my inner tube flattened beneath me. In a few seconds, my rear wheel was shot, and I was stuck pushing the bike to a little gazebo.

By coincidence, the gazebo marked a trailhead, and another cyclist was resting on a bench. He was an older guy with a mustache. I asked him for a pump, and he eagerly retrieved it. I had my own pump, but it was small and the pressure was low. The tires were self-sealing, I explained, so if I could pump enough air into the tube, it should fix itself.

Why should this work? Because I had specially ordered a “slime” tube. The rubber was laced with green liquid. I had never used a “slime” tube before, but my last mechanic had fervently recommended them. In theory, the “slime” was supposed to congeal over the puncture. The mechanic was so confident, I hadn’t even brought a patch kit.