My Cannondale Caffeine is four years old, and well-used; it's never had a puncture - until today, that is. And upon this particular day, it had three punctures. Left: puncture number one, fixed (or so it seemed). In my rucksack a spare inner tube and neat double-action pump. All done in six minutes, and I'm off on my way to a lesson at the law firm.
I cycle a hundred metres further, and the brand new inner tube punctures. I call in to say that I'll be a bit late, throw the bike on a 319 bus bunged up in barely-moving traffic and head off slowly up Puławska to Metro Ursynów.
I tie the bike up at the Park + Ride (below, ten stands for every bike) and hurry to my lesson. I arrive 18 minutes late.
The Park+Ride is equipped with bicycle repair tools. Including (so suggests the icon) a track pump with pressure gauge. The very acme of sophistication! "Has your bicycle broken down? Borrow tools, free, from a parking supervisor", says the sign, sponsored by the city transit authority and a bike shop/workshop on Saska Kępa and Solec.After my lessons, extended by 20 minutes to make up for tardy arrival, I pop into my local bike shop on ul. Czerniakowska for a new inner tube, puncture repair kit and a repair of the rear wheel. All done, I proceed to work. And on my way home, I replace the rear wheel at Ursynów P+R, and ride off towards Jeziorki... but on ul. Poleczki a sudden massive explosion - a catastrophic failure of the new inner tube (below). I am as sick as the proverbial parrot, pile the bike onto a 306 and then a 319 and get home, eventually, crestfallen. Big time.
Three punctures in one day. Ah! What's the Polish for 'puncture', as in "I had two punctures on my way into work, and one on the way home"? Stanislawski gives 'puncture' as przebicie opony (seven syllables for two) or the more informal złapać gumę (lit. 'to catch rubber'). A flat tyre? Flak (as in 'tripe'. Without the onions.). Nothing less informal. (Płaska opona is not an option.) Getionary? Check here and here.This time two years ago:
Welcome the Ice Saints
This time three years ago:
The devoted Shriners
Like a Kodachrome
This time four years ago:
The future of cities (and suburbs)
Here in Silesia they call it "pana".
ReplyDeleteThe guys at Getionary have replied to my query:
ReplyDelete"Flat tyre....? kapeć (o oponie)"
The esperanto word is 'aw-shit' - it works in all languages.
ReplyDeleteYou are very patient - I would be boiling. I had 2 tube destruct last year but found that it was my fault in having the tubes under-inflated and the tube slipped and caused the rim to slice into the valve stem.
Yours sounded like some type of sharp object in the tire puncturing the tube - what did your forensics say?
Bob
to puncture a tyre - przebić oponę
ReplyDeleteto have a puncture - złapać gumę
translate very well, not literally, but no doubt correctly
I like 'kapeć', or 'złapać gumę'. Three punctures in one day?! What a bad luck!
ReplyDeleteNow I think about my daughter. She cycles to her work almost every day.
I wonder what is the etymology of 'pana'? That is the word used for a puncture in Transylvania too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I commuted by bicycle the trick was to double up the thickness of the tyre by adding an old tyre with beading cut off inside the one that contacts the road. It worked well.
3 punctures - most suspicious - sounds like something wrong with the installation or within the tyre itself.
ReplyDelete@White Horse Pilgrim: pana must be from German [die] Panne, meaning a breakdown, fault.
ReplyDeleteHi, Michael, just been searching Google images for a pic of a bicycle puncture and came across your blog. If you don't mind, I'd like to use your third puncture pic on my blog, which is http://novisiblelycra.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI note you were born in 1957. Me too, on 10 December.
Hi, Michael. Thanks for putting me right. I've made the necessary correction. Hope all is well out there in Poland. I've been to Gdansk and Warsaw on business. Great country. Matt.
ReplyDelete