How often do you need rescuing?

[MartinQ]

Never. I did ride +/-5 miles to a railway station following a heart attack. Caught the train home. I reckon that's a self-supported rescue. Only time I've had to abandon a ride in my life.

I simply don't understand all this rescue stuff.

In a similar vein, I cycled to the hospital to find out I had massive PEs. Never owned up to the nurses and the bike was locked up outside for 10 days.

But to keep on track, never really had to be rescued.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Never had to be rescued - so far

have had a few punctures I couldn't fix - due to accidental lack of spares mostly - longest walk was probably about 6 miles but then I seldom ride more than 20 in one go
Nowadays I always have 'puncture resistant' tyres - and fill them with goo as well - and carry a spare tube and a repair kit

worst experience was when the saddle fell off when I was 8-9 miles from home
turns out cycling on the level while standing on pedals is harder than I thought!!!

actually - dunno who could rescue me - most people are working when I go out!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Once, when my rear derailleur snapped off and jammed into my back wheel shearing two spokes.
The rest of the time I've repaired things, bodging or otherwise. Always carry tools and on long trips an extra tyre.

 

[Dave Davenport]

My rear rim disintegrated (check for rim wear now & again; lesson learned) half way round the IoW randonnee, a very nice man from the Wayfarers club (who organise it) gave me a lift back to the ferry. That's the only time I've not been able to affect a get home bodge, oh apart from when I got hit by a car at the notorious Ipley cross roads in the New Forest, which resulted in a totalled bike and a lift home from the police.

 

[figbat]

Twice. First time was because I was on my fourth puncture and had used all my spare tubes and those of the people I was riding with.

The last was a failure of a seat post clamp. I could possibly have kept riding with the seat fully down but I was within easy-ish rescue distance plus the whole ride had been a nightmare and I’d just had enough.

 

[gavgav]

Touching wood, never been rescued in over 11,000 miles of cycling. Nearest I got was when a gear cable snapped, but I managed to limp home in one gear, for the 3 miles I had left.

More recently, broke a chain link, but didn’t realise that’s what it was at the time, when chain kept dropping off, changing into bottom gear. Put it back on 6 times in the 7 miles I had left on the ride.

 

[fossyant]

I have excluded two ambulance collections though !

I have ridden home with a bike bent on the top tube, severed brake cable, and a broken wrist. Then went to A&E once changed. (Hit by van).

Also got home with broken ribs and mashed brake levers (hit by car), rode about 7 miles home but had to call out the Team car as couldn't ride the bike the last mile up a long hill. Said team car just took me straight to A&E with the bike on the roof.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

The clamp on my seatpost once snapped and I decided I'd nip to a bike shop only five or six miles away to try and get a new one, no problem I thought I can stand all the way. However I was on my fixie and going downhill was especially hard. My thighs were on fire when I arrived at the shop, I had to sit down for fifteen minutes! They had a replacement post though, so all was good.

 

[raleighnut]

Nope, never been rescued, always made my own way home somehow.

 

[andrew_s]

Once, sort of (I put 100,000).
I might have made it all the way back, but having had a ride, I'll count it.

A worn out wheel rim starting to split, discovered in Llandrindod Wells on the Brevet Cymru 400k.

I spotted it when the split was maybe an inch long, and bulging enough to give pulsing braking, but not enough for the tube to have got through the split and burst. I let half the air out, and set off to ride back to Chepstow without using the brake on the affected wheel.
I got as far as the control at Erwood (ex) Station, half way between Builth Wells and Glasbury. The controllers were clubmates, and had just packed up, so I got a lift back to the car at Chepstow (bike locked to a bridge and retrieved later).

The others that I would have needed rescuing from were on the commute, and hence walkable (pulled half the handlebar off, bent forks after being car doored).

 

[Saluki]

Never been rescued but have rescued the ex 4 times as he refuses to carry a repair kit.
I have rescue insurance for peace of mind as I think that it’s sensible.

 

[Aravis]

I voted for 10,000 miles*, by the way. I seem to remember a discussion a while back about how far we reckoned we'd cycled in our lifetimes. I concluded that I probably haven't reached 100,000 yet, and I've been going a while. I'll stick my neck out and suggest that the true average is less than might appear from the poll.

One of my instances involved being taken away by ambulance, something I generally manage to airbrush from my memory. Given the same incident in the situation we're now in a rescue by car would be quite sufficient, though I guess the broken scaphoid might not receive such prompt attention.

* I hope those who only use kms have been able to cope with the unfamiliar units.

 

[Dogtrousers]

* I hope those who only use kms have been able to cope with the unfamiliar units.

I had a bit of an attack of the vapours but I'm recovering.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I'll stick my neck out and suggest that the true average is less than might appear from the poll

Never! Say it ain't so!!

 

[nickyboy]

Twice

One time I punctured about 20 miles from home and found my spare tube's valve was faulty. Rang international rescue and repaired to the nearby bub where I had burger and chips and a pint while I waited for Mrs N

Other was recent. Broken spoke on my hopelessly underspoked fancy wheels a couple of miles from home. Could easily have walked it but that's why you get married for these sort of problems. International rescue again