Is a Flat Tire a Setback?

In yesterday's stage of the Tour de France, a number of cyclists ran into serious trouble with cobblestones. For those riders who are accustomed to racing on smooth roads, cobblestones present a major issue: uncertainty and danger. In anticipation of the grueling ride, many riders change their rims to ones that are more forgiving, and they change their tires to wider tires, which provide better traction over cobblestones that have gaps and sharp corners. Then, when they arrive at the cobblestones, they buckle down and race ahead, absorbing all the bumps and shakes that are produced from such an uneven surface. Their preparations do not eliminate all possibility of crashing or failure of some sort, but such tactics do prepare them to do the best that they can with such uncertain road conditions.

Some of the best riders were seriously affected by the cobblestones yesterday. Lance Armstrong, for example, lost significant time to his rival, Alberto Contador, mostly due to having a flat tire and having to do a quick change that allowed him to get back on the road. Others fell and had to leave this year's Tour entirely. Armstrong's two strengths, the individual time trial and the mountains, serve him well in terms of long-term race strategy, but the short-term cobblestones caused him some problems. Yet, he persevered and wound up "OK" in terms of his overall standing, although he does have some time to make up, should he wish to be podium-worthy in Paris later this month.

It remains to be seen: is a flat tire a setback...or does it inspire an inner flame that burns more brightly than before?

How does your school deal with short-term setbacks? Do they cause you to lose hope and abandon projects, or do you regroup, refocus, and redouble your efforts?

For many schools, it remains to be seen.