Two punctures on Halvvättern!

Margie and I have just come back from Motala after the second of three cycling weekends in a a row.

Margie did a good job of her 100km Tjejvättern, which went on a new course this year including a tough hill called Ombergsbacken. This is about 2 km long, and very steep in parts. She managed it without stopping and/or walking (many did both stop and walk up it!). The new course is a shortened version of the new Halvvättern (150km) course. The part that goes through Omberg is particularly nice, thick forest with occasional views out of the lake.

They had heavy rain for a while early on and then it cleared up, and they even had following winds on the open later part of the course.

The next picture of the three of us that were about to set off on the Halvättern. I was in the first start group starting at 08.00, Edward and Julia were in another group starting at 08.48.

Edward had promised to stay with Julia, which he did. It seems that he was in front all the way round!

Well we all made it round, despite a strong head wind for a long stretch towards the end, and two punctures on my bike!

After last week's puncture I was more observant when I changed the tube thankfully at the top of the long Omberg hill! I noticed that the puncture was on the wheel side, rather than the outside, indicating that there was something wrong on the wheel itself rather than some external sharp thing (which shouldn't really get through a brand new modern tyre with it's Kevlar layer etc. etc.). So when I got to the next depot I bought a new tube and was recommended to buy a new rim-tape (I think that's what they're called in English, fälgband på svenska) and told, if I get another puncture, to put it on over the existing one so that I'd have two in place.

Sure enough after ages of fighting that strong head wind, I felt the hard road against metal again, and knew it was time for another unscheduled stop.

Next Friday is the last and biggest of the three weekends, when I attempt the 300km Vätternrundan. According to the weather sites I've looked at we're in for rain and strong winds all the time! In my very first VR it rained for 15 of the 18 hours I took, and if this site it right it's going to be even worse this time. I've got better clothes and hopefully better condition this time, but I just hope the weather site is wrong, in particular about the wind! Rain is much easier to live with than strong head winds.