himespau 

One guy offered me his pump and then spent some time telling me that I should feel the inside of my tire to make sure there wasn't a nail or something there (I showed him the slice and cut threads and my boot to say I've got this), another offered me a ride home, another offered me his phone, and one more just gave me a generic, "hey, you need help man?" from his car as he stopped by. Honestly, I got more respect and room on the road last night that I've had in years. It was nice.

I didn't ride at all last year due to what I thought was a sprained knee (or dislocated fibula) that refused to heal (turned out to be a 6" tumor that ate the top half of my fibula, but was not malignant and we think is all gone), and this year I've only done zwift or rides with my son's bike attached and/or escorting my 9 year old daughter on her mountain bike. My first solo ride outside in a year and a half, and I was loving it up until the flat. Based on my time available and my speed on Zwift, I'd picked a route I hadn't ridden in a few years making sure to put in a buffer for wind. Totally forgot to take into account 2 things I don't have to worry about in Zwift: intersections and coasting. I was going to be home late before the flat, but at least I had an excuse so my wife wasn't upset (we're both going a little stir crazy with the kids). I do like how predictable Zwift rides can be, but I hadn't realized how much I missed the sun and wind even on what was just a brisk JRA ride.