Wot - nothing - ?

[Dave Davenport]

Not sure how I managed it either, it was on my Trek MTB, and I am prone to jump off pretty much everything I can when riding it. Also it was quite old, the QR sheared off at the point where it screws into the nut on the non-qr side. It wasn't even a cheap QR, being shimano, I carry spares with me now when going more than a short distance.

Unfortunately I doubt the boot would have helped too much, although I should probably carry one. The sidewall burst after the wire bead burst through it, didn't really want to ride it.[/

I agree and rather wonder how @si_c managed to break his, on the road.

@Dave Davenport - this is a serious chat thread - please go and populate another one (the retirement one, say), or MOTD, - or move onto coffee, or both.

Sorry, didn't cotton on to the serious thing old bean, I shall remove myself forthwith................

 

[EltonFrog]

Sorry, didn't cotton on to the serious thing old bean, I shall remove myself forthwith................

Don't you worry about it Dave, you're making me laugh. Ignore the pompous twats.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Dear @User
I posted that in the spirit of Dave's drunken contributions (at midnight). When you read it in the cold light of a Sunday morning I'm not surprised you didn't have that insight.

Did I mention that I'm just a tiny, weeny bit drub=nk?

And yes @CarlP , he made me laugh too.

 

[Dave7]

If he is reasonably new to "proper" cycling maybe he just hasn't got to the point of realising that it could actually happen to him.......I was like that for a while e.g. "it's only 5/10 miles..........I'll be OK"

 

[Venod]

Being old and a practical sort of bloke, I am bemussed at people cycling without the skill to change a tube/mend a puncture, I admire their courage for getting out and riding without these skills, I have always regarded it as essential, there was no phoning for mummy to rescue you from upper Swaledale (there was no mobile phones) and today you can't always get a signal, so I would urge all cyclists to learn the basics, but if its too much for you dont let it put you off, getting out is the most important thing.

 

[Glow worm]

I only carry one spare inner tube and so far that's worked for me. (Crosses fingers!)
I often wonder whether I should carry spare spokes, but I have 36 spoke wheels so assume if only one or two go, I'll be ok to limp home.

 

[Banjo]

I only carry one spare inner tube and so far that's worked for me. (Crosses fingers!)
I often wonder whether I should carry spare spokes, but I have 36 spoke wheels so assume if only one or two go, I'll be ok to limp home.

Problem with spokes is its often the drive side rear ones that ping which can require you to remove the cassette to fit the new ones.
Still worth carrying a couple as you may find someone with the tools available . With 36 spoke wheels you should be able to ride though you may have to open up the brake caliper to give a bit more wobble room.

 

[Smokin Joe]

There are many things that can break and leave you unable to ride on. Frame, bars, stem, a crank etc. But these failures are very rare and you could get through several lifetimes without suffering any of them. But you WILL puncture, and it will happen to you many times, so to be unable to change a tube or fit a patch by the roadside is rather silly. Even a big split in a tyre can be fixed by pulling off a length of handlebar tape and using that.

 

[Ajax Bay]

is that the sound of furious back-pedalling I detect?

Well no, actually, I looked for an appropriate emoticon but failed to find one. My Campagnolo (Nuovo Record) is a freewheel so back-peddalling not loud enough to hear.

 

[Dayvo]

Not having a Mrs NN to pick me up I carry everything it's call survival

Yeah, I remember your post.

If your off the beaten tracks with no bike shop,bus or trains near by and you have no one at home that will come and rescue you, become self-sufficient :-
1 P*ncture repair kit
1 allan keys
1 set of tyre levers + 2 spare
3 inner tubes
Folding tyre
Tyre patches
1 small head torch in winter
marigold gloves
Small length of chain (3 inches)
1 small chain tool
Spare spokes
Kevlar spoke
hypercracker
Spare nuts, bolts, powerlinks
Wire cutters
Pliers
Adjustable 100mm & 150mm spanners
2 small screw drivers
Small sockets to fit screw driver handle
First aid kit with triangular bandage paracetamol, co-codamol, gaviscon tablets
Batteries for rear light and computer
Small tyre pump (not mini)
1 Co2 pump
Zip ties
spare keys for house, bike locks
Phone
Pen and paper
10 sheets of kitchen roll
Very small bottle of hand cleaner
Insulation tape
£5 in small change
Small roll of gaffer tape
Brake and gear cables
Spare bite valve for camalbac
Small roll string
Spare gloves

 

[Deleted member 1258]

So what's the 'work around' (avoid the 'please can you come and get me' call) for these two?
First (assuming boot or similar not carried) is find a plastic bottle smooth sided ie not coke type, cut off top and bottom and cut lengthways, enclose inner tube and insert and try to get the tyre (in the area of the burst sidewall) to seat, and once successful inflate and ride.
If the rear skewer fails . . . ??



(on my LEJOG I carried a spare, as it happened - using it to connect the saddlebag to my Brooks saddle loops - but that's an aberration).

I always have a tyre boot in my saddle bag, a short length cut of a worn out tyre. I've only needed it twice myself, but I've bailed out other cyclists several times. As for a quick release failure, I've never had one in over 40 years of cycling and I'd struggle to fix that one.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

the only, thus far, mechanical i've had which caused me to bail-out was a snapped seatpost bolt. it was on my commute so rode half a mile to the nearest train station. popup bikes in manchester bodged a ride home option while a decent deda seat stem was ordered to replace the cheapo one from halfords.

i always carry, as a minimum, spare tube, levers, puncture repair kit and multi-tool with chain splitter. commuting i also carry a frame pump and spare folding tyre; on the weekend bike i carry a mini pump and co2 system instead…

 

[Pale Rider]

When I volunteered on LEL, there was a bespoke lugged steel frame bike on which the crossbar had come away from the seat post.

A dry weld was my best guess, but the rider had fixed it with a daisy chain of cable ties around the seat post and head tube.

 

[Venod]

I always have a tyre boot in my saddle bag, a short length cut of a worn out tyre. I've only needed it twice myself, but I've bailed out other cyclists several times

I was given a length of cut tyre last Thursday to cover a split, I had some short pieces of handlebar tape (them bits that are supposed to go by the brake levers which I never use) but I didn't want to refuse the offer of help, the tube went with a bang, it looks as if there had been a nick in the tyre, water had got in & rotted the stranding, the repair got me home about 17 miles, I didn't inflate it to a high pressue so didn't notice a high spot while riding.

 

[Alberto Balsam]

Returning home recently, came across a cyclist stopped by the roadside. Judging by the bike and the kit he had on, he was out for a ride, as oppose to commuting. Being a 'proper' cyclist, I naturally stopped to enquire if anything was amiss. It was, he had a puncture. However, he had no spare tube and no tools or pump. I offered him the use of my kit, which I always carry, but he politely declined, saying he had 'phoned home' so someone was on the way to collect him + bike. Is this somewhat shortsighted, going out for a ride with NO tools / tube/ whatever at all - ?

That's EXACTLY what happened for me a few weeks back! I was frankly, agog! And to make things "worse" (to me) he told me didn't know how to fix it anyway and he didn't even seem remotely interested in sorting having me help sort it either!