Quite near Trier

Dagnamit!

Sometimes you have a run of good days and they just go on and on. Sometimes you have a run of good days and they're followed by a stinker. And sometimes there is a rather awkward little blip that although easily fixed somewhat annoys you at the time. 

I'm choosing to see today as the latter. Basically, I'm an idiot. When preparing for this tour I had my bike booked in for a service. It didn't happen so I had to do the necessary bits myself. Whilst doing that I gave my touring tool box an overhaul, throwing out duplicates and checking I had everything I needed. Including the new pump I'd bought because this bike is presta valves and the one I'd found was not a presta pump. They did however look very similar. Can you see where this is going...? 

Cut to me, under a bridge, bike upside down, all bags off, sweating a bit, finding the tool bag and with one look I know - wrong pump. Now. I can fix the puncture. I can use the spare tube too but none of it is any use if I can't pump up the tyre.  

Luckily for me I'd spent a good chunk of my time fighting with Brexit to send stuff home so I hadn't got too far. I walked along to what might be a bike shop where the man assured me I did indeed have the right pump. He then demonstrated, and tried some other pumps. All very kind but considering how finicky presta valves are I suspect I'll also need a new tube. 

In the end they couldn't help so I pushed on to another shop he assured me was open - another hot sweaty treck back the way I had come - and found it closed. 

Nothing for it, I walked to a camp site, booked myself in for a couple of nights and enquired about buses to Trier. So I'm having another visit to the city, this time to check out its bike shop scene. 

Although this all sounds simple, but presta valves and 700c tubes are far from the default here so we wait with bated breath.