Originally Posted by jonwvara

I have always been pretty conscientious about bringing a spare tube, pump, and a few tools when I go for a ride. But I have started to get lazy, and sometimes don't bother when I'm going on a short ride--if, for example, the bike I'm going to ride is already on the porch, and my flat-kit seat bag is on another bike in the shed.

Today I finally got caught out. My friend Mark and I met on the road for a socially-distanced 10 mile out-and-back, the outbound leg of which is almost all uphill and the return almost all downhill. Partway through the downhill leg I felt that familiar flup-flup-flup of the back tire.

Mark had a pump and an extra tube, but because he was riding this absurd bikepacking-type bike--not sure what you'd even call such a thing--his gigantic tube was of no use to me. I would have like to scold him for not having a patch kit, but felt that I was in no position to do so.

We'd left our separate cars back in Marshfield village, and he offered to come and pick me up, but in the light of maintaining our distance I said I'd just walk and sent him on his way. I actually had a very pleasant two-mile walk, wheeling my bike along with the early evening sun in my face, when--with a mile and a half still to go--my wife appeared in our other car, Mark having called her to explain that I'd be late.

I apologized for having her come out, and said that she hadn't needed to bother. But she was in good spirits, since it was the first time she had been off our hill in about two weeks. Also, I found a fairly good-quality 9/16" combination wrench a few hundred yards before she met me. So it all ended well. Lesson learned.

If anyone wants a 9/16" combination wrench (Chinese-made, not Snap-on or anything like that), it's yours for the cost of postage.