Happy fourth of July.

I thought i would take the single speed out for a spin this morning. What a disaster. I flatted with a ripped sidewall on the rear only a couple of miles out. I tried to cover the tear with flat fluid and re-gas it up. No soap. Not to worry, i had a tube to replace the tubeless set up. Once i wrestled the liner out and dumped the remainder of the fluid from the tire, i blew a bit into the tube just to give it some shape. It wouldnt even take air. Upon inspection i find a four inch split on one of the seams. Now i need a tube and air. I reassemble the bike and start the hike back, the IF across my back. At some point in my shifting the bike from shoulder to shoulder, the rear tire catches a huge piece of cactus and then deposits it in my left kidney. The walk itself wasnt that bad, although i only passed a handful of bikers, no 29ers. The problem with hike-a-bike isnt the weight of the bike or the heat, its the stiff soles of the biking shoes that dont allow your foot to flex. Thats great for biking, terrible for hiking. I ended up with half-dollar sized blisters on the back of both feet. The only thing that kept me going with a smile was remembering i had the first stage of the tour recorded and waiting at home. the Council of Doom makes their debut today. The day is going to get better, it cant get worse.