– ODO- 22023-22162km
– Location- Bukit Baru, Malaysia
– Weather- 31-37 clear and humid
I’m tired today. Last night I rode into Kuala Lumpur for an afternoon off. I stopped to meet my friend Adrian, who I’d last seen on a paragliding launch back in Bir, India – 10,000km hence. To get in early to town so that I could wash and put on my least sweaty clothes I gave myself only 100km to ride that morning. The night before however, as the daily thunderstorms soaked through every piece of clothing my rear tyre new out just three kilometres from my hotel for the night. Not only had the innertube burst but the thick touring tyres I’d so recently replaced had split as well. I managed to ride carefully to the hotel with my rear wheel half inflated and bulging ominously.
I looked for options to replace the true nearby, but as the capital was only 100km away, the best options where there in Kuala Lumpur. As the rain continued I swapped the bulging tyre to the front wheel, which carries only about 1/3 of the weight, and the next morning I set off slowly and carefully. I was conscious of my limping bike the entire way. Over the mornings ride the tare grew but it held. The bike shop I chose had a similar tyre to replace mine and even did the replacement for me and threw in a fresh inner tube for less than the price of the tyre back home. I made it to my hotel on time and headed for food.
That’s not the reason I’m tired though. I settled into sleep at my usual early hour but outside the streets were lively, it was a Saturday night after all. At around midnight I was awoken by a persistent knocking at the door. I put on a towel and opened my door groggily. Outside was a bearded man, clearly drunk and very confused to find me standing there half-naked. I shut the door on his puzzled face.