Metieval

LOL, is that worse than carrying a tube that has a snake bite?

roadfix

I'm usually prepared for most common fixes but when my rear rim on my road bike split in half I was completely helpless. No cell service, I must have walked about a mile with my road cleats on until I was able to flag down a ride. I gave the guy $20 for the 45 minute ride back to my car. He was thrilled as he wasn't expecting anything and he was travelling in that direction anyway.

alcjphil

I had to give this one a bit of thought. Initially, I couldn't remember an incident when I couldn't get home due to a mechanical problem. I could only remember the times I figured out how to get myself back on the road or times when I was so close to home that I could walk. Then it struck me. I was riding to work one day when I heard a sound and I could no longer pedal. I stopped. I looked at my back wheel and discovered that that my quick release skewer had disappeared. I found it on the opposite side of the road. Of course, I had to call home and ask my (reluctant) wife to pick me up at 6:00 in the morning. When I got home I discovered that the non driveside locknut of the rear hub had not been tight enough. Riding had allowed the cone to tighten, eventually locking up the rear hub. Once this happened, the locknut unscrewed itself pushing against the skewer. The mounting tension on the skewer broke it, and shot it across the road where I found most of it. Made me much more careful the next time I repacked that hub, which was necessary when riding 9000 km per year on that bike

fietsbob

Nope.

did need help when I broke my leg, but I was in town..

Cougrrcj

I had to ride a Sag Wagon once when I was on a Century because a pedal bearing decided to fall apart around mile 70. Actually the outer nut must have loosened and fallen off and I didn't realize it until the pedal fell apart. I suppose I could have ridden just using the axle if I really needed to, but why?

u235

​​​​​​SPD sandals. I wear them year round on my road and MTB. Good enough I wear them on multiday tours on and off the bike and don't carry another pair of shoes. I have a decent pair of proper SPD MTB shoes, I stopped wearing them. If push came to shove, SPD cleats are easy to remove assumeing you have a hex if you had too.

cirno

When I first started commuting I didn't have a mini bike pump or a repair kit and my first flat I had to push my bike home for around 12 miles. Not fun.

wipekitty

Huh, I guess you're right! Wisconsin folks can be that way too (at least near the MN border.)

I've had numerous people stop and offer help when I'm doing minor bike stuff on the side of the road or even just putzing around for a minute. Sometimes if I have my phone out to look at a map or take pictures, I'll intentionally turn away from the road just so drivers know that they do not need to stop and help!

frogman

Been lucky so far and havent been stranded to where I couldn't fix the problem, flat etc myself. I use Speedplay lollipop pedals and cleats on my road bikes. The problem with road shoes and cleats is walking on them. I use Sidi road shoes and even with the rubber coffee shop cleat covers it is almost impossible to walk very far. The heel on the Sidi road shoes is a joke, dinky little narrow thing. I think I have a back up plan, I bought a pair of canvas Karate shoes, thin soles and very lightweight. I folded them up and put them in my seat pack. Haven't had an opportunity to see how they will work for walking back home yet but they have to be better than barefoot or in socks

downtube42

1. Taco'd a front wheel on my first century attempt, in about 1980. Sagged back. Lesson learned: Don't ride on the fog line t of boredom.
2. Flatted on our tandem, tube was beyond patching. Probably about 1995. Called a friend. Lesson learned: Carry tubes.
3. Fixed cup on my French-threaded Motobecane unscrewed itself at the apex of an out-and-back. Around '05. Called a friend again. Lesson learned: left-handed drive side threads ftw.
4. Knocked myself out on a fast descent. Don't know what year (or much else). Stranger took me to the ER. Lesson learned: Sometimes it's best to slow down a bit.

indyfabz

You can patch a snake bite. You can't refill an empty CO2 cartridge.

Retro Grouch 

Nope. I'm typing this from home so, obviously, I've always found a way to get back.

I have had some adventures over the years. I've overhauled rear hubs on the roadside. I've stored our tandem bicycle in homeowners garage and accepted a ride to our car. I've had more flat tires than I had spares to fix. A broken seat binder bolt can make riding very far back really difficult. The worst incidents were the 4 rides that ended with me in the back of an ambulance.

I like to think of myself as self reliant and most of the time that's true. I have, however, had to rely on other people's kindness on several occasions. I've never had difficulty finding such people when I've needed them and I've never had anybody take advantage of me when I was in need. I think that most people are really nice if we'll let them.

Colnago Mixte

Excellent quote.

You're right, of course, everyone sees themselves as the hero of the movie / narrative that is their life. It can take a ton of skill and patience to bring that out in some people, but it's always there. Doing a good deed gives people a chemical rush that has been measured by scientists, so good deeds are rewarded in that sense.

If you don't give people a good enough reason to play the role of "the wronged hero seeking revenge", most of them won't.

thumpism 

Taking a hint from the cosmos is occasionally what is required in order to prevent worse things from happening. Riding my old PX-10 when it still had tubulars on it, I got a flat a few miles from home. Put on my spare and foolishly decided to ride a little farther in a direction not homeward. Shortly (fortunately, if you can believe it) after that I flatted that tire. No spare, but I did have a tubular repair kit so I sat down in what little shade there was on that hot, hot day and proceeded to fix it so I could ride directly home.

For the benefit of those who've never had the pleasure of patching a sewup the process is this: remove wheel in question, peel tubular from rim, once you've identified the location of the puncture peel the base tape from the tire in the area of the puncture, cut the stitching for about 6" in that area, pull that section of tube out from the casing and twist the damn thing around so you can reach the puncture, performing a three-handed job with two hands you apply the hopefully-not-yet-completely-dried-up glue to the tube and spread it around and apply the patch and hopehopehope the sum***** sticks, push tube section back into casing and begin sewing up the casing with glue on your fingers, re-glue base tape to carcass, remount tubular on rim with even more glue on your fingers while trying not to get glue on the braking flats of the rim (you will), inflate tire (hopehopehope again), reinstall wheel, ride home with that wheel's brake squealing at each application from the glue. Then you clean your hands well so you can clean the rim flats (don't forget to clean the brake pads!), then clean your hands again really well, then you price clincher rims, tires and tubes while hoping the existing spokes will work but they probably won't so you'll need new spokes, too. Then you don't buy the stuff you had planned to buy before you decided you were never, ever going to ride sewups ever again in your damn life.

Bikedud

In thirty-five years of cycling, I've had quite a few close calls, but only needed to be rescued twice. On both occasions, I was fortunate enough to call my lovely bride and have her come pick me and the bike up. I pride myself on being self-sufficient when riding, but some things are out of our control. In my case, those things were a trashed rear wheel and a spring thunderstorm that included dangerous lightning and hail.

Nachoman

Once after a crash that landed me in the ER.
And once when I hit some train tracks at just the wrong angle and my rim rim was taco'd.

bikecrate

I can only think of three times. Once I got a flat and all my spares were screwed up. I think they had sat too long in my saddle bag and dry rotted. Had to call the wife. Got hit by a car, bike destroyed, I was basically okay. Had to call the wife. Got hit by another cyclist. Bike damaged and not working, hurt my leg. Had to call the wife. There are a few other times I had flats close to home and decided it was easier to walk home and fix in the comfort of my living room. Mostly, I've been able to take care of myself on the road.

Hypno Toad

I've been very fortunate, I've had mechanicals without the right tools but always been able to walk home or get a ride. I have a lot of stories about long walks (like the freehub froze in sub-zero weather) or getting a ride (over-confident riding 140 miles after the flu). But I've never felt stranded.
Last winter's tubeless fail in a blizzard might be the worst, it'd been 3+ miles of walking in nearly 2 feet for fresh snow to get home, but my personal AAA made the drive to get my dumb butt.

I do a lot of miles in very remote areas on gravel grinders, I've been very fortunate that I've never had an issue in these rural areas [/knocking on wood]. My close to home fails and seeing others fails have taught me a lot about what I really need to have with me.

BTW - 'getting stranded' in the right place can workout well (flatted front with a tire that needed to be thrown away, bead was puncturing tubes - I was stubborn and tried to fix it before the ride)

Metieval

really? I was under the impression snake bites couldn't be patched.

then again.... my patch kit was in the camelback hanging on my MTB at home.
stranded is stranded... haha

Metieval

getting stranded on a bike is no different than a car.

Getting stranded in a car, after a MTB outing isn't too bad of a deal though. get a tow to the Shop at 2 am, drop the car off, Leave the keys in night deposit and then ride MTB home from the shop.

s*** happens.

Kedosto

A few times over the years...

Taco'd a front wheel on my '87 Stumpjumper 11 miles out. (Was my first big breakdown)
Broken frame (head tube/down tube) on a no-name aluminum MTB a long way from home (BSO, you get what you pay for)
Broken driveside chainstay a loooooong way out in the Sierra (had no business riding that bike in that terrain)
Ran into a 10" curb at FULL SPEED in the dark -- broke the fork at the steer tube, along with my right clavicle. (young and stupid)
Most recent -- right pedal went from fine to completely locked up (no rotation) in a distance of about a block (tried one-pedaling, walked it home about 5 miles)


-Kedosto

Mogens

GreggVA

I really need to get that repair kit I keep putting off...

Milton Keynes

I've only had to send out a rescue call once... I was riding gravel on my hybrid, riding fast to get back home before I totally lost daylight. I went down a hill and hit something like a big rock or pothole (the road wasn't the best at that spot) that I didn't see, and heard the hissing coming from my front tire. Instant pinch flat. Since it was at dusk and would take me a few precious minutes to change out the tube and I didn't want to try to navigate the last few miles of gravel in the dark since I didn't have a very good headlight, I called my wife to pick me up.

Tube ended up having not one, but two snakebites. Now when I ride gravel, I ride my mountain bike with bigger tires.

thumpism 

Back in my shop days I used to tell people, "Unless you have a pump, spare tube, tire levers and patch kit, don't ride any farther from home than you want to walk back."

And you would not believe how many people would ask, "If I have a tube, why do I need a patch kit?"