Smooth and rough riding

So, after I blew a tyre out the other day, I went to get some new ones today.  I went to the AGR Tyre Centre in Sefton, just down the road from me, at practically opening time.  It was pretty deserted and their sign vehicle (New Cheap Tyres from $69!) wasn't even driven out of their internal yard yet.

I spoke to a older guy who has a hunched back, and explained I needed two new tyres, one to replace the blown, and one to match.  Ok, no problemo.  Drove up the ramp onto the pneumatic jack, they inserted protective plastic chocks under my car frame and lifted the car off the ground.  Pneumatic torque head later, my wheels are off, getting de-tyred inside.

Then I wait.  While the rubber treads are being taken off mine, these people appear out of no-where.  People who just so happen need to replace single tyres, including some guy who drove in on a flat, in a white van, and needed to be in Maroubra for a job ASAP, but blew a tyre and this was the first place he came across.  So what ended up happening was, they got their tyres done, and mine were forgot about for a brief moment, until the old hunched guy saw me still hanging around, and yelled at some guys to do my tyres.

Then, while that was happening, I asked to keep my tyres, the guy who was working on my car said no problems, but I couldn't use the tyre because it was busted.  I explained that my father wanted them for the garden and he then asked, did I want more?  Well, yes, thanks for asking, I do! 

We grow some tuber plants, and currently they are grown in sacks that are hung up.  The problem is, the sacks break open and split and that kind of stuff as the plant grows... so my father wanted tyres to stack up, and fill the inside with soil to plant, and then when it's harvest time, just pull the tyres apart and go through the soil for the tubers.

Well, they were quite happy to assist, and I went home $200 lighter for the new tyres (Nixxon tyres, strange tread, made in China) and 8 older worn tyres (including my own 2).  Not too bad.

Driving around on them home, and to uni and back for archery, was nice.  The new tyres drove very smoothly on flat road surfaces, but it was actually quite rough on the not-so-smooth roads.  From the profile, they are quite "thin" and thus have less air cushioning on them.  They respond really well and do have a lot of traction, as you would expect since they are new, but it feels really nice to drive on them.

So, that was my day.  I went and shot at uni also, which, you can see the results of here: http://theroadto1220.blogspot.com/2009/09/tuesday-29th-september-2009.html