It was a little bit cooler, so I was able to ride my bike. I wasn’t sure where I was going to go, but I ended up riding over to Calabasas. I rode down Burbank Blvd. to Valley Circle took a left and then over the freeway and then right on Calabasas Road. I turned at Mureau Drive and breezed down to Las Virgenes. Instead of going left on Las Virgenes, I took a right and went all the way to the end. At the end of Los Virgenes there was a hiking trail, one that I will want to hike sometime soon. I turned around and headed back down Los Virgenes. I went over the freeway and rode as far as Lost Hills Road and then I rode all the way down Lost Hills Road to Agoura. I had never been down that road before and it was so beautiful. It is amazing all the hidden gems right in my own backyard. Thoreau was right. I rode past Juan Bautista de Anza Park. It is a beautiful park with a children’s playground, covered picnic tables, and walking trails. I can’t wait to go back and walk the trails. I made it all the way to Agoura Road and then some. It was a beautiful day and then I started back home. And then it happened. I was on Mureau Drive on the downhill about 4 miles from home. I told myself, “pick up speed, pick up speed” and I did. I needed speed because the uphill climb was a bear. And then something really weird happened to my tire. I thought at first it was a bump in the road, but the more I rode, the more I realized there was something going on with my tire. I got off my bike and then squeezed my back tire. It was pretty flat. What was I going to do? I began walking with my bike. At first, I thought I could walk home, but then I didn’t want to damage the wheel frame. About a ½ mile up the road, there was a little gazebo with some benches. I stopped there and decided to call Dolores. Luckily, she was home, but with COVID-19, where else would she be? I told her I had a flat and she came and picked me up. Luckily, her car was big enough to fit my bike. Even though I was shooting for 20 miles, for this ride I went a little over 17. I was really bummed about my flat tire.

The next day, I called my bicycle shop and I asked them how long to get a flat fixed. They told me they were backlogged and the turnaround time was 7-12 days. I was so depressed. I couldn’t ride my bike for almost 2 weeks! And he told me not to bring my bike in until Thursday.

What was I going to do?