Only two blocks away from Walden’s Shell gas station—the official turnaround point of the ride—I rode by three guys having a chit chat in front of someone’s garage when there was a loud bang. It sounded like a gunshot but I instantly realized exactly what it was when it happened. My butt knew from the way the rear of the bicycle was squirming around. After that, I decided it was a good idea to let some air out of the front tire to obviate the risk of that one popping too. “Hey,” I asked the cashier at the Shell station, “is there a bike shop in town? ” The hope was I might be able to pick up another tube before heading back to Fort Collins.
You’ll be back to enjoying your bike in no time at all.
Whatever the case, my wish for a relaxed, sit-down lunch stop at the Shell Station was now shot to pieces. I would have to bust out the wrenches and Phillips screwdriver to disconnect the rear coaster brake and undo the rear axle due to the lack of quick releases. More unnerving was the realization that the ruptured tube was not salvageable and that I’d have to use the huffy nighthawk only spare tube in my emergency kit to replace it. I had patches for punctures, but it didn’t occur to me earlier that split tubes were a real possibility with this bike. I should have brought at least two spares to have a higher margin of safety. Chains come in one length and are shortened to the appropriate length for the bike by removing links and joining the ends.
If the tire pressure is too high, the tires unseat from the wheels, allowing the tube to escape and pop like a balloon. So the night before I inflated the tires right up to what I thought was the “safe threshold,” which experience told me was 40 PSI on this bike (still 15 PSI under the maximum pressure labeled on the sidewalls). I wanted to have the lowest possible rolling resistance for this ride, after all. There were much more cars on the road in the afternoon than during the wee hours of the day. A funny thing was that motorcyclists kept waving as I was crawling back up the pass.
A special tool is needed to push out a pin to shorten the chain. The chain is joined by either using the same tool to push in a special pin, or by using a special split link – which is generally easier to do. When our shop re-opens to the public following the coronavirus outbreak, we’ll be happy to discuss options for fit customization, upgrades, and accessories.
The metallic blue Huffy Cape Cod cruiser is design for comfort, convenience and fun. The convenient front rack is designed for easy use with a large area to carry items. A stylish pouch is tucked behind the saddle with enough room for your keys, phone and other essentials. The special details begin with the custom sculpted aluminum head tube badge featuring the Cape Cod design. Proprietary chrome Cape Cod insignias adorn the bike, with an anchor featured on the chrome crown fork.
It seems, however, that the sun-baked asphalt and 95-degree temperatures in Walden were enough to increase the tire pressure just enough to cause the tire explosion. Kind of like the reverse of Bill Belichick’s scientific explanation for Deflategate, if you will. You can bet I was most relieved to see the sign below—definitely the climax of the entire ride. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.
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This has never happened to me before when I was not riding a motorcycle. Maybe they thought a cruiser bicycle with a round honking headlight was “close enough” to being a Harley-Davidson’s brethren? After making a stop at Gould to resupply with water and buy a huffy nighthawk can of Coke and mini-donuts—the ultimate anti-bonking combo—it was smooth sailing down to Walden. This was because all the aerodynamic drag from the upright cruiser position and rolling resistance from the bike’s beach tires acted as a second and third brake.