How often do you need rescuing?

How often do you need to be rescued from a mechanical on average?

  • once in every 100 miles

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • once in every 1,000 miles

    Votes: 2 1.8%
  • once in every 10,000 miles

    Votes: 19 17.1%
  • once in every 100,000 miles

    Votes: 20 18.0%
  • less often or never been rescued

    Votes: 69 62.2%

  • Total voters
    111
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Over the years, I've called for help for a few truly busted wheels and following a couple of crashes/incidents. The latter mainly because I didnt want to be alone feeling crap more than anything.

The most memorable one was shifting the chain into the spokes, properly totalled the wheel. Chap drove past into the next village and then 5 mins later came back saying he'd mentioned seeing me to his wife and saying he had to come back and offer some help.

Note all were pre-covid!
 

pjd57

Veteran
Location
Glasgow
I didn't really need rescued but after the football , I came out to find a flat tyre and a pump that wouldn't work.
Decided to walk to the train station but after a mile I just stopped a black taxi and got in the back with my bike.
Home in 15 minutes for less than £15.
 

freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
The closest I've got to it was a couple of years ago when I had planned a trip of about 130 miles to my parents, camping overnight about half way . I knew I wasn't fit enough and so my plan was on spending two nights camping, either breaking the second leg into two days or sticking to two days cycling with a "rest day" in-between. My father had a medical emergency and was taken to hospital and my mother wanted me to get to her place on the second day. At an extreme push, I could have made it but really didn't want to so I detoured to a relative's place and got a lift for the remaining 20 miles.
I've never needed a rescue. I've had a few catastrophic incidents (the worst being the bike totally mangled after being hit by a car) but close enough to home (all of them on utility rides) and otherwise, any mechanical issue has been minor and sorted out on the spot. Saying that, they are few and far between and I can't remember the last time I ever needed to do a roadside repair - can't even remember my last puncture.
 

TimWinters

Regular
Location
Northumberland
Once, I fell off for no apparent reason and felt very unwell. I hit my head that hard the side of my helmet was crushed. I phoned for a taxi cab.

However, I have had some lucky escapes. I have dealt with most of the problems listed above. 3 things come to mind. I got a hole in my tyre sidewall and the only thing I could do is wrap one of my socks around the replacement tube, inflate to a low pressure and ride home carefully. Another time the right crank snapped, it was loads of fun cycling 30 miles on one leg. My freewheel broke on one ride. That time I was around 45 miles from home. I used zip ties and tied the sprockets and spokes of my back wheel together making an improvised fixed gear.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Once, I fell off for no apparent reason and felt very unwell. I hit my head that hard the side of my helmet was crushed. I phoned for a taxi cab.

However, I have had some lucky escapes. I have dealt with most of the problems listed above. 3 things come to mind. I got a hole in my tyre sidewall and the only thing I could do is wrap one of my socks around the replacement tube, inflate to a low pressure and ride home carefully. Another time the right crank snapped, it was loads of fun cycling 30 miles on one leg. My freewheel broke on one ride. That time I was around 45 miles from home. I used zip ties and tied the sprockets and spokes of my back wheel together making an improvised fixed gear.
*makes note not to ride with Tim* :okay:
 

freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
...I got a hole in my tyre sidewall and the only thing I could do is wrap one of my socks around the replacement tube, inflate to a low pressure and ride home carefully....
I keep a piece of plastic cut from a milk carton with my spare tube as an emergency tyre boot in case of tyre failures
 

TimWinters

Regular
Location
Northumberland
I keep a piece of plastic cut from a milk carton with my spare tube as an emergency tyre boot in case of tyre failures
Yes that was a learning curve. I keep a piece of toothpaste tube.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Friend had to call for rescue on Sunday. Came off on ice which hurt in itself. Remounted and, at first serious hill, rear derailleur snapped so must have been damaged in the fall

I presume you could shorten the chain and run it as single speed if absolutely necessary? They were only about 5 miles from home, it was freezing so got picked up. I would have done the same
 

T4tomo

Guru
You'd think you'd need a 1 in 10 miles from some of the hysteria on he other thread.
I'm a never.....

I once snapped a chain on a MTB without having my chain tool with me, short scoot / freewheel and 1/4 mile push up the hill home.

I've managed to snap twice (and repair once) in 5 mins a chain on my own driveway - I got another bike out and ordered a new chain on the 2nd snap. it was first outing on that (summer) bike not sure what had happened over winter?

I also got a puncture on a hotel hire bike before I'd got past the swimming pool much to the amusement of my mates, I also punctured about half way round) and got called a fat knacker for the rest of the ride. At least the hire shop replaced the first tube and I did the 2nd whilst being encouraged to "hurry up fatty".
Update, I chose to get rescued yesterday, I was 2 miles from home and got a flint puncture, so lazily phoned the other half, and then sorted it in the warmth of the kitchen, rather than in the cold. I did have everything with me to sort at the roadside should I have needed to though.
 
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