The other retirement

The valve nut for my front inner tube bent and then broke off this afternoon as I was preparing for another go at my own private time trial. This situation necessitated replacing, after two-and-a-half years and how many thousands of miles I don't know, the original tube. After putting on the new tube and several attempts at refitting the original front tire, it became clear that the bead of the tire would not seat properly. The tire, like the tube, served me extraordinarily well. Both will be missed.