Well more like the weekend actually. Here's how it went down:

BMX races are starting on the 15th of this month, after a long winter break. So to get prepped for it I took R over to the track, on Saturday, to get the feel of it again. When we got there I noticed the track had been revamped. It looks GREAT and it looks so much more challenging. I talked R into using his cheap Walmart bike to practice since he's had such a long break I figured the heaviness of the bike would do him some good. I'm thinking hey it'll help build all that muscle back up so when he races on his diamond back he'll just fly. So I get his bike of the rack and he goes for a ride.

It was so cute watching him. I told him to start out slow since the new hills might be a bit intimidating. He was riding around and screaming everytime he was go down a hill. It was hilarious!!! So then he gets to a really steep hill and he doesn't make it up. He was riding too slow. He crashes half way up and rolls back down. Suddenly he's crying. He's mad cause he didn't make it up, not because he got hurt. The only thing that got hurt was his ego. So I tell him "you really need to try to get some speed in order to make it up that hill". So sobbing he drags his heavy bike back to the gate and starts again. This time he doesn't scream going down hill. Then right before the infamous hill, he starts peddling as fast as he can. This is when I learned that cheap little Walmart bikes are NOT made for BMX motocross. Just as R is approaching the hill, we can tell he's gonna make it and get some really good air at the same time, the chain falls off and he loses all speed. Thus face planting AGAIN into the side of the hill.

Poor thing was so upset about this. We fixed his chain and he was determined to have another go at it. This time he left the gate with such determination I just knew he'd do good. But less than 10 seconds out of the gate it happened again. His chain fell off and he did another face plant. I gotta tell ya that dirt is HARD and it feels like you've just planted into concrete. He was so furious that he threw his bike. So I told him, let's call it a day and tomorrow (Sunday) we'd bring his diamond back and practice with that. He was cool with it and we headed home.

Sunday as I was loading the family truckster to head to the track I grabbed Rs diamond back. I noticed the front tire was flat. Figuring it was from sitting there in the cold for so long, I didn't think anything of it. I pulled out the handy dandy pump and filled it. The tire was flat again before I could even put the cap back on the tube. I figured I screwed up, seeing as I don't know how to work a pump too well. So I pump up his tire again, and again it's flat before I can get the pump off. This is when I decide the tire must have a hole. So I call my brother to see if we can take the bike over to his house and have him fix it. He says sure. I grab the bike and the slime and we head on over.

We get to bro's house and I find that we can't use the slime because of the type of brass piece that's on the neck. Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way and actually patch it. I stayed watching so I could learn how to do this for next time. My brother took the tire off and when he pulled out the tube we found three small holes. But no stickers in the tire itself. We don't have enough patches for all three holes so I have to run to the store and get some. An hour later I'm back and I have patches. I'm so proud of myself I only had to call the house once to ask what the patches look like.

Bro patches the tube and R takes the bike for a quick ride down the street. Everything is working fine so we start to load up to head to the track. I get the bike in when suddenly I hear air rushing out of the tire. I figured bro forgot to close the valve on the tube. Nope, the valve was closed and the tire was flat. So bro pulls out the tube again only to find a NEW hole. OMG I can't believe it. Where is this coming from? Bro patches the new hole and I do some detective work. I found that one of the spokes on the rim is reaching the tube and busting it. R needs a new liner and he needs one fast. We have exactly one week before races start.

Bro says with the patch on the area is thicker so the spoke won't be able to pierce it so easily. That should buy us some practice time. Again we load up the car. No flat tire this time. We head over to grab some food as now it's lunch time and then to the track. Five minutes after leaving bro's house we hear POP and GUSH!!! The tire blew AGAIN!!!!! We make a bee line to Bike World and get some liners and a new tube. Head back to bro's house and he's gone. Call his cell and it's turned off. Well we can't practice like this so we head home. Half way to my house bro calls. He's back home but now we're close to my house and I really don't want to turn back around. Bro says he'll come out and fix the bike at my house. Bro gets there and he's forgotten his tools and all I have a hammer. Don't think that would work too well.

So now it's monday and our plans to practice all weekend went down the drain. But at least this all happened now instead of Sunday when races start.

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