Drove over to Wales last Saturday, about a 300 mile round trip.

 

Got 120 miles away from home on the M4 when the car started pulling left, getting worse over about a mile. Uh-oh, thought I. Then the vibration starts, pull over and sure enough the front nearside is totally flat, with the pressure marks from the rim down the motorway (see first pic).

 

I unload my bike to get at the spare, jack and wheel brace... um, what wheel brace?! Oh fook I never put it back! :headvswal Quick call to the RAC, he'll be there in 30 mins. 15 mins later, they ring me back- he'll be there in 45 mins!

 

He actually turned up on the hour, but no thanks to the RAC controllers- they sent him down an A road way off somewhere, anyway he found me. Then he couldn't find a socket slim enough to fit my wheels to get the nuts off! After much crashing around in his van he got one, swapped the wheels over. The inner wall had completely given way (see 2nd pic).

 

Then I checked the spare pressure- only 25PSI. Could he pump it up a bit please? Nope, finding and plugging in the compressor was too much effort, cheerio he said. Could have argued the toss, but the next services were only a couple of miles away. Irresponsible of him though.

 

Now I had no spare if anything else went, and I remembered I only had roadside assist- quick call upgraded me to recovery, but only from tomorrow. I'd have to risk the 150 mile return journey with the space saver at reduced cruising speed. Boring as hell, plus the drone was unbearable. But at least I made it, and got 25mpg overall :)

 

On reflection I think it went wrong for 2 reasons:

1) I've been putting off fixing my suspension when I know I have a bad camber problem. Don't be stupid like me and leave it as the inner tread is obviously not visible and needs specific checking; in a couple of places it was worn down to the wire.

 

2) I don't check tyre pressures regularly! I'm used to thicker tyre walls where under-inflation is more obvious. I thought the tyres looked fine, but when I checked the other 3, 2 of them were seriously down as well. That probably accelerated the wearing.

 

It wasn't a good weekend overall- my mates who I was off mountain biking with had their own problems. One nearly took the end of his finger off when he got it caught between the disk brake and frame with the wheel still moving (cut half-way through and broke the bone), another had the rear mech cable give out, and a third had a chain snap, the last 2 within 5 mins of setting off.

 

Hope next weekend's better...

 

Mark

:shock: Oh Mark very yukkie death mate glad when the tyre went you didn't have an accident though.

 

Hope you get them sorted in time for Tuesday Reading Meet

Yeah it was all very well behaved- I was lucky.

 

Unfortunately I'll miss the Reading meet yet again- using up some of my remaining holiday of the year! Off tomorrow in fact, to Cuba for 10 days. Rum-a-rama :D

 

STYS,

 

Mark

Ouch! Suppose it could have been worse though.. Enjoy Cuba bud :cool:

 

Steve :)