Biking in Winter is adventurous!

It's been a good week so far.  It has been quite warm.  The snow is melting and the road is bare again, so it's easy riding!  I walked on Monday and regretted it, so I took out the bike on Tuesday.

This is the main street that I have to ride on to go to work and back.  As the bike lane is covered in snow, I have to take a lane.  Most people seem ok with that, but there are some impatient people!  I suppose the city should be clearing the shoulders so there's a place to bike.  At least people can see me from over a mile away as my back blinker is extremely bright!

I don't always use the bike lane in the Summer as there are cars parked along it and when I get to the light I don't like to be in that lane, I take a lane so that cars wanting to turn right can do so.  And I have less worry of getting hit!

Oh gosh, yet ANOTHER flat.

Changing the tube.

On Wednesday, I had to walk.  I noticed a flat tire on the back wheel when I was getting ready to go to work in the early morning.  It's the second flat that I've had this week.  The first I noticed while at work and it was on the front tire!  I took it to the bike shop nearby work and had it fixed.  I wonder why I am getting flats all of a sudden?  I have had the bike for almost 2 years and not a single flat!  Wonder what is on the roads?

Update:  I had a third one today, on the front wheel again.  I biked to work and back with no problems, but then biked to the dentist.  After my appointment, I rode for a bit, then noticed front tire wasn't right.  Darn!  What is the cause of this?  Should I just patch the hole this time as it's mostly likely pinhole sized?  Or get yet ANOTHER tube?  I am thinking of putting biking on hold for a time until I get a beater bike for winter use.

I was going to get one today after work, as a customer had one for sale that he has hardly used.  I waited 45 lovely minutes in the freezing cold for him to come.  I had even withdrawn money from atm to pay for the bike.  I just wanted to see what I was going to be buying as I don't like to buy something without seeing it first.  That choked me up!  I guess back to the drawing board.  :(  I just can't keep on biking and getting flats all the time, 3 flat this week is a lot, especially since I have never had a flat until this point.

Anyone else with a hybrid bike/tires have this problem?  I'm perplexed.

I will use it to go grocery shopping though for now as it's still easier.  But I will have no spare tubes if I put in my spare instead of patching.

Bike in pieces after I took offer of a ride home tonight.

Oh, speaking of flat, I had a bit of a miracle tonight.  I was running with bike home as I was afraid to try and use the bike racks on bus.  Well, I was almost going to try to catch bus just ahead, but I wouldn't have made it.  Some lady came up and offered help.  I explained that I had a flat and wanted to get home quickly.  She was concerned that I'd burn my lungs in the cold while running.  She was a very outdoors type of person too, which was kind of cool.  She was very impressed about me biking in the Winter.  She told me about this bike shop in town which has a  person who can custom build a bike, even a 'beater' one.  I knew about this, but it was nice of her to mention about it.   I have GREAT faith in people!  Isn't that amazing?  I am glad she helped me out and I only wish I could remember her name.  I can't thank her enough!  I had to take both tires off of bike to fit in the back of the car, but we did it and I got home safely.  Yeh!