You always get home ....

[Sharky]

Prompted by the msg on another thread, where use of tape round a tyre enabled a safe journey home.

My contribution ....
My freewheel went and lost all traction. Used a leather toe strap, threaded through one of the holes in the largest sprocket and through the spokes. Turned the bike into a fixed gear and rode gingerly on my way back home from work.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

There was a time when I got a puncture about half way round a ride

so maximum distance from home - naturally

I have all the equipment - spare tube, tyre levers, multitool if needed, patches if needed, pump

so I though I was OK

did everything - new tube in tyre back on

and

pump was broken

so it was a walk home
until I noticed a car repair place - one of those scruffy ones that look like have been there for years but can probably fix anything

so I asked them if I could use an air line or something
They said yes
then the boss said
"well actually - insurance and all that - so definitely no - no way"

however if we are lazy and don;t bother to put it away and we are all busy on that car then............



so I roade home and sent them a thank you when I got there

pity it is just a bit too far to swap for my car stuff!

 

[fossyant]

I've only had one occasion where I didn't make it (if you excuse two big accidents). Rear wheel rim exploded on the way home from work. All good except I'd gone the long way home and was at the furthest point.

Had to phone home. MrsF came out in my car as the rack was on the roof. Two young kids in tow. Except, the keys to open the bike rack fittings were on my keyring, not MrsF's. Had to remove both wheels, mudguards and rack to get it in the boot of a saloon, as we had 4 passengers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

There was a time when I got a puncture about half way round a ride

so maximum distance from home - naturally

I have all the equipment - spare tube, tyre levers, multitool if needed, patches if needed, pump

so I though I was OK

did everything - new tube in tyre back on

and

pump was broken

so it was a walk home
until I noticed a car repair place - one of those scruffy ones that look like have been there for years but can probably fix anything

so I asked them if I could use an air line or something
They said yes
then the boss said
"well actually - insurance and all that - so definitely no - no way"

however if we are lazy and don;t bother to put it away and we are all busy on that car then............



so I roade home and sent them a thank you when I got there

pity it is just a bit too far to swap for my car stuff!

Lucky your wheels have shraeder valves 😁

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Lucky your wheels have shraeder valves 😁

That is one reason I like them - any car pump will fit them

when I was a kid I always used to use the air hose in petrol stations - they were free in those days

 

[Sharky]

Memories are flooding back. A few winters ago, black ice was the winner. I laid on the ground, unable to stand. First car stopped and asked if I was ok. Said I'm ok, but hadn't realised how bad I was.
Second car also stopped. Turned out they were two carers. They helped me into their car and put my bike in as well and drove me home, about five miles.

 

[ColinJ]

Some of mine:

I've had a few 'ride-stoppers' but always managed to get home ...

• I broke a crank 8 km (5 miles) from home. I rode back one-legged.
• I snapped the top of my seatpost. Fortunately, I was at the top of a big hill above the town I lived in. I put the saddle in my back pocket, lowered what was left of the post to avoid accidental rectal surgery, and freewheeled home standing up.
• I broke a stem a 30 minute walk from home.
• I snapped a spoke in a wheel with a low spoke count so it went stupidly out of true. I had to take a mudguard off and the brake blocks out in order to be able to ride the bike to a town 16 kms (10 miles) away and catch a train home.

And one of a friend's:

A friend on a local ride with me got his rear derailleur caught in his back wheel, causing catastrophic damage. He borrowed my bike and rode home to get his car. I waited with his wrecked bike at the roadside for 40 minutes for him to return - fortunately, it was a nice sunny day.

 

[Punkawallah]

Lucky your wheels have shraeder valves 😁

You mean you don’t carry an adaptor? Living on the edge!

 

[EckyH]

You mean you don’t carry an adaptor? Living on the edge!

Thanks for the reminder - usually I carry two inner tubes and two patches for each, two multitools but only one pump.
On the other hand: in that situation both the tube and the pump have to fail to get me in trouble. Nonetheless, an adaptor is cheaper and lighter than a micro pump as a backup for the mini pump.

In my days as an undergraduate someone stole the cheapo saddle and seat post of my bicycle. The longest ride home I've ever done - just over 4km. Since then I know why the BMX racers are powerhouses.

E.

 

[Mike Ayling]

That is one reason I like them - any car pump will fit them

when I was a kid I always used to use the air hose in petrol stations - they were free in those days

Stil get free air at servos Downunda.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Thanks for the reminder - usually I carry two inner tubes and two patches for each, two multitools but only one pump.
On the other hand: in that situation both the tube and the pump have to fail to get me in trouble. Nonetheless, an adaptor is cheaper and lighter than a micro pump as a backup for the mini pump.

In my days as an undergraduate someone stole the cheapo saddle and seat post of my bicycle. The longest ride home I've ever done - just over 4km. Since then I know why the BMX racers are powerhouses.

E.

Yup
one day a while ago one of the bolts on my saddle broke - turned ou tthe other was not a bolt but justa pin that would not hold it

so I had to get back with no saddle
No problem I thought - I'll just ride standing up

hmmm - OK - Iknow I'm not that fit, but that was too much - ended up scooting back some of the way and pushing a bit

 

[Drago]

One night riding home my bottom bracket bearings went. I always carry a spare, so a few strategic taps with a hammer and chisel and I was on my way again.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

On my first ebike - a pre-2016 type ebike - I had a problem where the chain just came off

basically the chainring was a dirt cheap version that came with the bike and had bent a bit
so the chain came off and jammed down the side between the chainring and the frame

Now that happens - happened a few day ago actually when a twig got caught in the chain
but normally I can stop and get it out

this time it was just stuck - properly jammed
and nothing I did would unjam it

I managed to take the back wheel off and take the chain off the gears and jury rig it so that the wheel could rotate without it but it was still round the chainring area and through the derailleur
but not round the gears

then I managed to use the ebike throttle (legal on ebikes of that age!) to get home - which was a problem as the acceleration was VERY slow!!!


once I got home I straighten the chainring with a hammer and pliers - which worked because it was so cheap

and use a BIG screwdriver to lever the chain out

Glad my Dad kept that screwdriver so I could inherit it - naff all use as a screwdriver most of the time - but a great unsubtle lever at times!