Have You Ever Had to Call For a Ride

[mjr]

First one, decades ago, a destroyed tyre and I think dinged rim. Bad pothole on a fast descent. Technically didn't call, but wife rode home and returned in car.

Second, one shredded and one failed tube in near-freezing weather. Technically didn't call but was close to friend's house who offered.

On the flip side, last week's cycle hire sends about 20 bikes out with just a sealant can and micro pump each. Only two of them in the shop so I guess not many people call for recovery.

 

[Slick]

Only had 2 breakdowns and both were embarrassing as they were really simple enough to fix.

Can't remember exactly why I couldn't fix the first one as it was only a puncture on a commute ride just as I crested the Erskine bridge. I pushed the bike the rest of the way and swore blind I'd never get caught out again and fitted puncture protected tyres and carried spare tubes, patches, mini pump and co2. Actually, writing this reminded me that I was actually caught out again a couple of years later and had to call our site manager to come get me.

My last mechanical was another simple fix but between lack of tools and lack of understanding, I felt the need to call for help.
I had planned a 50 mile ride and wanted to stay off the road as much as possible so decided to go through Glasgow airport rather than my usual Renfrew route. They were fixing up the path between the airport and Paisley Moss but one of the workers waved me on and I just blindly obeyed. I only got a few feet when I heard the noise of muck clogging up my rear mech and it only took a half revolution of the pedal to rip everything from the rear wheel. If it happened again, I would be able to split the chain but then it was a phone call I'm afraid.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I broke a chain about five miles from home and with no mobile signal prepared myself for a long walk. Fortunately a cyclist driving by stopped and gave me a lift, saving me wearing a pair of cleats out.

 

[KneesUp]

I've been lucky, so far. I was once 11 miles from home with a mate one summer holidays - we'd decided to ride to a National Trust place with some sandwiches because we were all dead middle class and that, and 6 weeks is a long time to fill. He didn't use his bike much, so not surprisingly he had a problem. A flat tyre problem. Being kids, we had no puncture repair kit, and being kids we also had literally no money, and this was pre mobile phones. So remembering something my dad had told me, we stuffed his tyre with grass and he rode it home (rear wheel, fortunately). He stood up a lot of the way.

 

[Johnno260]

20miles from home and both tyres got shredded on broken glass.

 

[Arjimlad]

About four miles from home, I had ascended a road with bumpy tarmac when the rear wheel skidded to a stop. My Giant-specific rear mudguard had snapped off where it had a metal bridge under the brake caliper. It had sucked itself up into the rear wheel and jammed under the caliper, and as I was out of the saddle cresting the hill, my derailleur mech hanger had snapped too with the mech getting mangled up in the spokes.

Arjimlass was able to come & rescue me by car.

 

[rugby bloke]

I had a chain break in a rather spectacular fashion so as to wreck the rear mech and lock the rear wheel. I would struggle to fix a broken chain in the best of situations but without any tools or spare parts it was time to call for a lift. The only driver around was middle son and his trusty Up. Not the biggest of cars but surprisingly roomy when the seats are down !

 

[Reynard]

Yeah... When I had an "unscheduled dismount" last autumn. Didn't see a crack in the road on a descent under a layer of mud, front wheel got caught in it (think tramlines) and over the bars I went. Bike was fine other than an unshipped chain and a few bits knocked a touch skewiff, but I'd banged my knee and shoulder quite badly, and hit my head - had a spectacular (literally) shiner where my helmet had mashed my glasses into my face.

I was at the furthest point away from home on one of my favourite loops and in too much pain to ride home, but fortunately I have friends who live nearby, and they came and bailed me out.

 

[Vantage]

Twice.
Once on my way home from work. I was about 21 ish, it was dark, chucking down, windy, cold and I got a p***ture on a busy main road. Too stupid to carry a spare tube and I couldn't even find the hole let alone patch it. Cue dad to the rescue who finished earlier than me. The whole bike fitted in the boot of his volvo 850. Bloody big car.
Couple years ago I attempted my first bike tour. The UK was caught in the tail end of hurricane Irene. By the time I reached Great Budworth on my way to Wales I'd been battered with hail, soaked and frozen from rain, the panniers had repeatedly tried to leave the front rack and when I got to the outskirts of the village my etrex 20 had decided to die and erase all my planned routes. I gave up and phoned my fiancee. I could have cried. I struggle to cope when things go wrong.

 

[HLaB]

I had a gear cable snap and then a front spoke snap half way into a planned 200km. After a bit I rang to say I'd be late only to get picked up after 90 miles.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Lightweight wheels with few spokes do make me laugh. Spokes weigh what, 2 grams, so even 10 more spokes per wheel would only add 40g to the bike's weight.

As George Longstaff said "If I'd known you were going to be carrying spare spokes, I'd have built them into the wheel".

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Lightweight wheels with few spokes do make me laugh. Spokes weigh what, 2 grams, so even 10 more spokes per wheel would only add 40g to the bike's weight.

As George Longstaff said "If I'd known you were going to be carrying spare spokes, I'd have built them into the wheel".

My Surly Disc Trucker has spare spokes clipped to the seat stay.

I was riding in a group on an Audax a couple of years ago and one came undone. All that everyone heard and saw was a spoke tangling itself up in my rear wheel. Lots of teeth sucking and groaning from them, thinking the worst had happened. I told them to ride on and I would make a plan. 5 minutes later I caught them up again, complete with a wheel with all spokes, present and correct. Rumour has it I am a magic mechanic.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My Surly Disc Trucker has spare spokes clipped to the seat stay.

I was riding in a group on an Audax a couple of years ago and one came undone. All that everyone heard and saw was a spoke tangling itself up in my rear wheel. Lots of teeth sucking and groaning from them, thinking the worst had happened. I told them to ride on and I would make a plan. 5 minutes later I caught them up again, complete with a wheel with all spokes, present and correct. Rumour has it I am a magic mechanic.

Don't tell me, you then were elected leader and became the spokes person for the group.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Don't tell me, you then were elected leader and became the spokes person for the group.

I never get tyred of your humour despite your jokes going round in circles.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I never get tyred of your humour despite your jokes going round in circles.

Sometimes the jokes go downhill and reach new speeds and destinations. They can be struggle uphill though.