SOAP is all you need


I have been fixing and tweaking bicycles since I had my first bike. So it comes as no surprise that I know how to change a bike tire. I have changed tires and patched tubes even on the trails with the bare minimum of tools, while raining. Regardless, I recently got new tires for my mountain bike and replaced the old ones in less than 5 minutes. However, after a test ride, I noticed that both tires were lopsided and improperly sited on the rims. I thought to my self, I probably inflated them too quickly, so I tried again with no success. Then I removed them and put them back on, tried again, and again and again. Same outcome, I tried multiple approaches. Nothing helped.

I was doing something so typical for programmers, that this behavior even felt natural to me. I started a typical debugging rampage: I checked whether the rims were straight, I started suspecting the tubes were damaged or their walls thinned out. I even considered returning the brand new tires back to the store. The standard witch hunt!

What I didn't do was suspect my tire placing technique. I mean why should I? I have been changing tires for 25 years. Does this sound familiar?

How many times you have encountered this mentality in your team? How many times has vanity won over common sense? How many times you haven't spoke up, just to avoid bruising someone's ego? Or you gave your suggestion and got a response: I've been working here for 25 years, I think I know better.

Three hours in, a muscle soreness in my upper body (from all the pumping) and a bruised ego, I declared defeat and opened YouTube to search for my tire problem. SOAP, soapy water was the solution (pun intended). I sprayed soapy water on the rim and the tire centered itself perfectly on the next inflation.

And you thought this post will be about some outdated protocol?

NOTE to self: Purchase an air compressor!

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