Bicycle breakdown

While waiting for Spring to arrive I still am riding lots on my bicycle.  Today I was starting mile 36 for the day when my rear tire started to rub.  I stopped and checked and found the tire was worn and the inner tube was trying to bulge out.   A few days ago, as I was running short on time, I had put a short piece of an old bicycle tire inside where the current bicycle tire was getting thin.  Even with the bulge I thought the inner tire patch would protect the tube during the last two miles home.

I hopped back on my bicycle and started to pedal and the bicycle chain broke!  I gathered up the chain and, with one foot in one pedal, hopped and pushed my bicycle down the road.  This way I could move 8 mph, faster than the 3.5 mph I moved when walking and pushing my bicycle.

A quarter mile later my rear tire blew with a bang.     .....really?!!

After I got home I replaced the tube as the odds of repairing it were not good.  I replaced the tire.  Even though the chain is getting old (I had replaced it last year), I didn't have a new chain so I found a couple of links and replaced the broken links.  I noticed the cog I use on my freewheel 99% of the time was now 'shark toothed' from wear.  That would explain why my chain had some occasional slippage the past few days.  I had replaced the freewheel also last year but the steel used now-a-days isn't good.  So I replaced the freewheel with one I had salvaged from my bicycle boneyard last year after cleaning out my hayshed.

I went for a quick three mile test ride and I'm back in business.  I hate not have a working bicycle.