Wheel Valve and Pump Failure at 13000' Far From My Car
Today, high in the White Mountains of California, equipment failed me.
The Easton EC90 XC 29er rear wheel valve began leaking badly. Why should a valve just start leaking? I could see the Stan’s sealant bubbling out around the valve. Even after tightening the screw nut (hard), it still leaked. How does one plan for a bad tubeless valve? A tire is one thing, but a tubeless valve?
Then my brand-new Lezyne pump fell apart and then after reassembly stripped itself onto the wheel valve, so I had no pump to inflate a tire or tube.
After 3 miles of walking from about 13,000' feet down to 11,600', I was able to bum a ride back to my car, where I installed a tube and inflated it with my floor pump (after destructively removing the Easton tubeless wheel valve with the stripped-on Lezyne attachment). I had food and water and warm clothes, but I was sure glad to skip the extra 6-7 miles of walking back to my car.