Feeling deflated

With the King of  The North Down looming large next Sunday I realised that with a new rear changer and cable fitted and the Brooks Swallow saddle back on the Pearson Palace carbon I should really take it out for a spin.

My old Ironman training instilled in the me the foolishness of riding an event on new kit so a test ride was in order. It wasn't until about eight o'clock in the morning this Sunday on a quiet country lane that I realised how lucky I had been with my carbon bike.
It was at that point, thankfully close to home, when I got a puncture. Not a problem I thought but it was then that it dawned on me that the puncture kit I had with me included the Pro Flate 16 kindly given to me by those nice chaps at Transitions during one of the Swedish Bike Ride events. A carbon dioxide inflator I had never used before.
I'm not scared of technology so I got out the tube and the carbon dioxide inflator and put the little capsule up the right way and screwed it home --nothing. I checked the gizmo over and it looked fine but no hole in the top of the CO2 bomb. Did the capsule have a fault, was it not being pierced? Who knows. All I knew was I had a flat and nothing to pump it up with.This is when you wished you had:
a, Stuck with btried and tested kit
b, taken a busier route so you could flag down a  passing cyclist

I was left with no alternative but to phone Mrs Optician Editor and ask for a lift home.

Once there I decided to take the fixed bike out and bombed around  a few local lanes and even made it up (just) onto Ranmore. Passing hordes of Sunday cyclists on their carbon multi-geared machines as I went.

I was well and truly knackered when I finally got to the top so called the foolish hill climbing ( Box Hill was next on my list) to an end and stuck to the flat roads. I had forgotten how great it feels to ride fixed especially when you are feeling good and most of those around to are just out for a Sunday pootle. My moderate fixed speed was accentuated by my fellow riders' leisurely pace so I soaked up the feeling and returned home.

But how ready will I be for the King of the North Downs? Who knows. As long as it's not raining I will enjoy it all the same.