This section of my website used to be dedicated to triathlon training, personal race results and certification reviews, like Turbo Kick. I am expanding it to include more generic health & fitness topics. Also, I talk a lot about "D" -- he's my husband (Dave Liu)!

Saturday, October 04, 2003

Changing Tires

I bought a set of slick tires for my borrowed mtb to make it a little easier for road riding. I changed them all by myself, with supervision from D. The hardest part was inflating them. I wasn't strong enough to get enough air into them even with a floor pump. D had to do it for me. I hope I don't get a flat when I'm in a race or on the road! I did have CO2 cartridges -- but they were stolen along with my road bike.

I found it tricky to replace the rear wheel. I beamed with pride at my accomplishment and D reminded me to check everything:

  • Brake pads shouldn't rub against the wheels
  • The brakes stop the wheels
  • Make sure I can change gears

I put the bike upside down and started turning the pedals to make sure the gears would shift. Nothing happened. D came over and pointed out that I had forgotten to hook the gears onto the chain. Oops. Good thing he was there. He also suggested that I should ride slowly when I first get on the bike and retest everything before going at full speed.

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