Wear that Rubber

(‘Wear’ as in) intransitive and transitive verb damage by using or rubbing: to damage or alter something by using or rubbing it, or be damaged or altered in this way
(NOT as in) transitive verb use to cover or adorn body: to have something on all or part of the body as clothing, protection(!), or for another purpose, for example, to aid sight or hearing, either temporarily or habitually

If you are biker, you are already thinking about that rear tire now. The lesser mortals may choose from the host of other libidinous interpretations.
What is common, of course, is that you realize you forgot the rubber only when you had that slip.

With the water levels rising faster than the vegetable prices in Bangalore, it was time for some reprioritization. In my case, it really took a slip (skid?) to wake me up to the seriousness of the issue, especially with the cultivated habit of leaning into the every turn testing that fine angle out.

At this point allow me to digress slightly to introduce my gory bruise. A perfunctory right turn, no tire thread to hold, the skid… the right knee opens out to brace the fall. It occupies the right knee, (the good knee!!) about three weeks old now and the pigments are growing to give it that “polka brown over flesh-pink background”. It’s fascinating to watch a part of you grow back in quite that spectacular fashion. (Save those expletives for the comments section please, thank you)

It turned out to be a strangely symbiotic when I cycled home with the MRF for the Bullet and later rode home with the cycle tire on the Bullet.
The buying decision was not difficult for both tires. MRF apparently is the only one that makes good grip 19x3.5 tires for the Bullet. There is a slightly wider gripping Meteor, which has lesser availability, costlier and not a perfect match. Ahuja Continental is the OEM for Hero Cycles and the non-local tire available for the Hero Hawk’s 27x1.25 tire.

For all the technicals that go into tires, click here.
The MRF NyloGrip (rs. 800), Continental tire (rs. 80), cycle tube (rs. 40), brake shoe rubbers (rs. 20) completed my very rubbery shopping list for the weekend.

And jokes apart, Go on Wear that Rubber ;)