Our road trip has been not unlike a Formula One racing season. There is the driver, We will call him Ronaldo. Ronaldo drives. He appears at the car a minute or so before the scheduled start time for that day's race. He dons his "Bidens" (yes, Ronaldo has named his sunglasses) and off we go. He does not navigate. He does not plan. He does not pack. Ronaldo drives. There are some races that require Ronaldo's attention outside of the car, because a dirty car is not a happy car, and a dirty windshield is unforgiveable. The Formula One team also needs a 30+ person crew to handle everything else. That would be me.
Today the Formula One analogy took on new meaning, thanks to a 4" bolt that penetrated the tire at the worst angle, in the tread, near the sidewall. We had been having an exceptional race day, hugging the Oregon coast along the Pacific Coast Highway. The sun was brilliant, the traffic light, the passing lanes frequent. Ronaldo was in his element. He was definitely going to be on the podium tonight. Then we heard the pop. Felt it as well. It happened just as we entered the tiny town of Reedsport. Fortunately we stopped at the town's single stoplight, and while waiting for green, the dash board dinged a warning, and we watched the tire pressure indicator for the left rear tire drop from 36 pounds to 11. We pulled over, and it dropped to zero.
No one was injured. We weren't stranded. We were a quarter mile from Les Schwab Tires, and they were open on this sunny Saturday afternoon. While we waited for two new tires (I will let Ronaldo explain in Car Talk, if he deems it worthy) we walked back into town and got comfortable at Don's Diner & Ice Cream Parlor, a family restaurant serving the World's Greatest Pies. I had the World's Best Sugar Free Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble Pie. It was the best I have ever had. And the decaf coffee - I would rank that too as the World's best. This could have been a bad day. Instead, the little town of Reedsport on the Oregon coast, 205 miles south of Washington and 205 miles north of California, will long be remembered for its hospitality and its pie. And its tires....
Car Talk
Left rear picked up 3-4 inch bolt. Not repairable.
New Tires: 2 Continental Extreme Contact 245 x 40 x 18.
Speed rating W 168 mph.
Car has staggered tires (rear tires are wider than front tires).
Comments