I bet my coffee with the group and lost because I didn't check my tire pressure.
The other day I went out with the group for our usual Sunday ride. You know the drill: no rush, lots of chatting, a bit of a warm-up, and a final sprint up the hill in the village. Nothing out of the ordinary… until someone said, “Last one to the top buys the coffees.”
And that's when everything changed.
We looked at each other with that lopsided smile you only get when you know there's no turning back. The peaceful start turned into a mountain stage of the Giro. And I, confident as ever, took the lead, thinking: "I'm going to put time on them today."
What I didn't know was that my tires were underinflated, like my nephew's balloon the day after his birthday. On the first bend, I could already tell the bike wasn't handling right. On the second, I almost fell. On the third, everyone passed me like I was carrying panniers full of rocks. And so, swallowing dust and pride, I arrived last. Looking like a fool, and paying for the coffees.
When I got home, I checked my bike. You know what? It had lost pressure during the week, and the tubeless sealant was gone. Dry as my WhatsApp on a weekday. Not a trace. The result: flat tires with no protection. Because yes, mate, tubeless sealant evaporates and gets used up too. If you don't check it, one day you're out riding, and the next you're in the coffee shop paying for your drinks.
Since then, I do three things before going out:
- Check the pressure. It seems obvious, but look how I ended up.
- Shake the tubeless sealant and top it up every six weeks. No disassembly is necessary, but you should keep an eye on it.
- Use materials that won't let me down. And that's where Damoff saved my bacon. The tape doesn't peel off even with heat, the valves seal properly, and the sealant... well, it actually seals . And it's ammonia-free , which is also important if you don't want your tires to look like rice paper in two months.
Take my word for it: a bike without pressure is a bike without dignity. And a cyclist without pressure is one less coffee to drink.
—Luismi, the one who learned that air also comes at a high price.
