Finding a bike shop when you need one...

[Lozatron]

Dear all

How do experienced cycle tourers find a bike shop when they need one? Do they make a list of all the shops on their route or do they look in the yellow pages when they break down? Have smartphones helped with this?

I'm about to embark on my first tour...a piddly three day affair...but I'm getting increasingly nervous about these things...

 

[john59]

I wouldn’t worry too much, as long as your bike is in good condition. Most problems can be easily sorted.


If you are concerned about breakdown then maybe joining the 'Cycle Rescue' may put your mind at rest.


John

 

[palinurus]

I got a sore arse a couple days into a short tour last summer, I just rode into the nearest town and asked people where the bike shop was, eventually someone knew. Bought a cheap saddle with a hole in it, was OK after.

It's not a good idea to go touring a few days after replacing your saddle without trying it over a distance first.

Other than that I've never needed a bike shop.

I'm not much of a planner when it comes to touring. There's upsides and downsides to this approach. If you are following a fixed route you could find out in advance where the bike shops are.

 

[palinurus]

Most breakdowns are punctures and stuff coming loose. Take some cableties.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

And some PVC tape

 

[vernon]

And some duck tape

 

[snorri]

How do experienced cycle tourers find a bike shop when they need one? Do they make a list of all the shops on their route or do they look in the yellow pages when they break down? Have smartphones helped with this?.

Ask anyone, failing that, ask at any local business, they tend to know the locations of all the other local businesses.
A list would be fairly worthless, you would need to record the lbs addresses, opening hours, dates of their holidays, etc. Too much paperwork with info that soon goes out of date.
What's a smartphone? You don't want to have anything to do with 'phones when you're touring, you're on holiday fgs.
Just tour and don't worry, be happy.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Enjoy your ride. Worry about breakdowns when they happen. If you are touring in the outback, then worry. Otherwise, all is cool.

 

[vernon]

Dear all

How do experienced cycle tourers find a bike shop when they need one? Do they make a list of all the shops on their route or do they look in the yellow pages when they break down? Have smartphones helped with this?

I'm about to embark on my first tour...a piddly three day affair...but I'm getting increasingly nervous about these things...

I've never recorded the location of every bike shop on any of the routes that I've cycled because I've never known exactly where the break downs would happen. It's just as likely that I'd break down on the doorstep of a bike shop as I would at the maximum distance from any bikeshop.

In the past six years of cycling the problems that I could not repair at the road side or anywhere else for that matter amounted to:

Fractured drop out number one - was ferried to a cycle shop by a local where it was brazed up.

Rear wheel constantly losing tension in spokes - looked for a bike shop in Shrewsbury and had the problem attended to - for free.

Same wheel had spokes pull through, possibly as a legacy of the above free attention leading to over-tensioned spokes - fixed by camp site owner ferrying me to local bike shop in Dumfries where replacement wheel purchased. Camp site owner refused to accept petrol money.

Rear wheel rim failure in Dijon, France- established that the nearest bike shop was Decathlon and pesuaded a camper to ferry me to the Decathlon stor to purchase a replacement wheel.

Rear cassette wear leading to chain skipping. Called at a local bikeshop in Whitehaven and had the cassette replaced by the LBS owner. A spare cassette, chain whip and cassette removal tool are not something that I carry routinely.

Rear drop out fracture number two, Orleans France, after considering the total cost of ownership over the next six months I decided to purchase a new bike rather than chase down somewhere that coukd make an effective repair. Tourist information directed me to Decathlon where I purchased a suitable replacement bike.

If your a planning junkie by all means attempt to compile a list of bike shops but you will have no means of knowing what they can cope with in terms of repairs or replacement parts. Possession of a list is no guarantee that your needs will be met locally.

My suggestion is that you take a decent pump, multi tool and puncture outfit on tour with you and entrust the locating of bike shops to the locals that you ask should you ever need assistance with repairs. I'd also not get hung up on the notion that something unfixable by you will happen. Just go mout and enjoy the ride.

 

[ufkacbln]

A spare cassette, chain whip and cassette removal tool are not something that I carry routinely..

Why ever not?

More seriously though... You will develop skills as you ride more. In most cases all you will have happen is a p*nct*re or a loose nut or bolt.

All I would advise is that make sure you can do the basics such as a puncture repair and if you want to reassure yourself have a service at a good LBS to ensure that all the cables and bits are in good condition.

 

[vernon]

Why ever not?

Because I carry these

 

[ufkacbln]

I can't as I have too many different wheel sizes!

I stick a few spare spokes somewhere (in the frame) and replace as required

 

[dav1d]

What about using those text directory things? Probably cost about a pound, though there may be some that are first answer free. DON'T use 118 118 though, they're useless and will give you the wrong number. They had ten free questions from their website, 100% of them they got wrong. Such as giving Lower Broughton Fit City instead of Higher Broughton, and in Orkney they gave us the wrong ferry number! It was for a different island!

Dear all

How do experienced cycle tourers find a bike shop when they need one? Do they make a list of all the shops on their route or do they look in the yellow pages when they break down? Have smartphones helped with this?

I'm about to embark on my first tour...a piddly three day affair...but I'm getting increasingly nervous about these things...

 

[Kirstie]

Take preventative measures such as:

Ensuring your bike is properly maintained and in good working order before you set out
Taking your bike apart and put it back together again (so it works), so you know how all the parts work and how to tweak it.
Remembering when you last replaced the cassette, chain and cables so you know when it's due for a change.

And carry: NBT2 cassette tool, spare spokes, spoke key, decent multitool, zip ties, electrical tape, puncture repair stuff, tyre boots, spare cables.

You'll be fine.

 

[zacklaws]

What I used to do was on my long rides away from home, was to programme into my Garmin Edge 305, the actual position in every town of cycling shops, halfords etc which I would find on the internet,I may be nearby on my route in case of a breakdown that I could not fix.

Alternatively just write them down on paper if you plan on a fixed route as opposed to wandering as you fancy