Today's ride 27 minutes
Riding in the Heat
I waited until after dark for my daily ride yesterday. I did it to avoid the heat, which has been spectacular the past few days here in El Paso - but although I was able to avoid the sun beating down on me and turning me into roast duck, the heat was nevertheless relentless. Here's a screenshot from my phone, taken while I was sitting at the park bench:
(Editor's Note: The BlogSpot software ate my picture, but it showed a screenshot of "The Weather Channel" app on my smartphone displaying a 96 degree temperature at 9pm!)
Another few minutes later, it increased to 98!
No one has said anything to me, but I can see it in their eyes. 61 years old, and riding in this heat??!? But for some reason, heat has never bothered me that much and hasn't started to yet. I always ride a bit slower and drink lots of cold water, which is the key. Also, as I'm aging, my rides are relatively short - maybe 30 to 45 minutes per outing, so there's not enough time for the heat to "get to me".
New Tires
I bought a pair of new tires for the Black Knight (which is the name of my bicycle lol) at Amazon Dot Com. Amazon has an extensive inventory of bicycles and bicycling gear, with very reasonable prices.
Two tire companies, Schwalbe and Continental, are setting the standard for puncture-resistance in the world of bike tires. Schwalbe only makes tires for bicycles, while Continental makes tires for cars, motorcycles, and other applications in addition to bikes. Maybe that's the reason that Continental is substantially less expensive than Schwalbe. Anyway, I bought a pair of Continental Touring Plus tires which arrived via UPS just in time for last night's ride. The switchover from old to new tires went smoothly, which is nothing short of a miracle in my little world. These new tires feel a little more comfortable than the old, but also a little brisker and faster. The bike feels good. These Touring Plus tires have the "Plus System" of puncture resistance, which has proven itself in the real world.
The tires I replaced were Continental SportCONTACT, which I have had on the Black Knight for its first two years of existence. I've used SportCONTACT tires since 2008 on my bikes, and have never had a flat tire - which is why I trust Conti so much. This is why I chose the Continental Touring Plus over the Schwalbe tires, although both have bulletproof reputations.
The new tires rode great, and actually look pretty sharp on the bike. Will they "never go flat" just like their predecessors the SportCONTACTs, or am I heading for disappointment?
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