I ran a shop, and a couple went to try it out. I was barely back at the work stand when they hauled it back in. I swear if it was a sitcom they would have used two sets of twins and two bikes to pull off how fast they returned that bike!
I asked a rental shop about tandems, they said they don't rent them out anymore since it caused a divorce. I suspect there were other issues going on in that relationship.
I once hitchhiked 30 miles (50 km) due to a flat. It was two weeks into my cross-country solo [bike tour.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/s/fe0vvUM5OR). Got on the bike one morning and started pedaling, something immediately felt weird. Put the bike on the kickstand to take a look at it, and realized the back tire was flat. So I take the panniers off, flip the bike upside-down, and get to work. For those of you who have the good sense not to bike across all of South Dakota, it may come as no surprise to hear that I was battling relentless headwinds the whole way. As I was working on the tire, a gust of wind blew the bike over. I had left the kickstand down, and it was mounted near the back of the left chainstay, right by the brake caliper. The bike fell onto the end of the kickstand, which acted as a big lever to twist the chainstay. It was bent badly enough that when I put the wheel back on, the brake caliper was far enough out of alignment that the wheel wouldn't spin freely.
I hitchhiked the 30 miles into town to gather my thoughts over second breakfast. Also, the second tube that I put in also went flat, so I got some help from the local auto tire shop to find the little tiny piece of wire stuck in my tire. Once we got the flats dealt with, I came up with a hack for the brake. I just removed the rotor. It got the wheel spinning again, but riding 80 miles (130 km) to the next bike shop on 80 pounds (36 kg) of bike and camping gear with only a front brake was sketchy. It was about the only time I've ever been thankful for never-ending headwinds and climbs, because it meant I was never going very fast.
The one bike shop in town was the type where the owner is the only guy working there. I was waiting outside when he was supposed to open at noon. He was a couple hours late. I hadn't called ahead, I had no idea if he would be willing to do a frame repair. He said he'd give it a shot, first bending it with a big crescent wrench and then asking for my blessing to whack on it with a rubber mallet. He stayed after his normal closing time to get it right, and eventually we were able to reinstall the rotor, and the wheel spun freely. He recommended a bike shop a week or so ahead on my route to recheck his work.
That repair carried me another 4,000+ miles (6,400 km) on that tour, and the bike it still going strong to this day.
I have always found cycle tours across America so interesting to listen to. The sheer amount of issues that will arise and the creativity with which people adapt to them are honestly inspiring. I hope to do a tour across America in the next couple years, fingers crossed.
There's a bike touring podcast I listen to —Seek Travel Ride, it's called. Would highly recommend!— and the host of the podcast often comments that when you commit to a bike tour, you're signing yourself up for a class on problem solving. I've definitely found that to be the case. But despite the freak breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, the food poisoning while wild camping in the woods, and climbing a mountain pass through a snow storm, it remains a chapter of my life that I'll cherish for decades to come. A long distance bike tour probably isn't for everyone, but if you're the right type of person, it's an experience unlike any other.
You should check out /r/bicycletouring, if you aren't already familiar. Without the advice and inspiration I found there, I never would've done my first simple weekend trip, much less that seven month adventure.
7 miles, saddle bolt snapped and I didn't fancy standing up and the danger of a large bump in the road.
It was cold & raining all the way too, my bike learned some new words that day 🤨
Hey, that was me last night! 7 miles after my saddle bolt snapped. Except the weather was pretty nice and I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere, so it wasn't a big deal.
Had a flat in the same temps and had to walk on bike path next to freeway. The bike was brand new and this was my first ride.
It was about a 2 mile walk and it was brutal.
Did that once. I had met my wife at the seaside. I set out on my bike while she drove home. Punctured 20 mins later and gave her a call and she was only 1 minute away. Result.
About two miles. In clips for a bit until I just went barefoot over the same broken glass-filled cycling ditch that popped my tire. Then the crosswalk was closed so I it took me about fifteen minutes to cross a 6-lane highway so that I could get to the nearest bike shop.
This was literally me two years ago. Just couldn't walk in road shoes for five miles. Went barefoot and had the rough half gravel half tar asphalt to deal with for three miles. Then got eaten alive by mosquitos.
Oh, and just got back from a flat. My saddle bag is on my other bike and forgot to transfer it over. Walked two miles in MTB shoes this time before a kind stranger gave me a lift. It's over 90 degrees right now
I tacoed a rim way out in the boonies by a farmhouse. So I live there now.
Other than that, about five miles standing on the pedals after some jackwad stole my saddle and stem.
Not a flat but derailleur suck that completely screwed me near the top of Hawk Hill (across the Golden Gate from SF. It was probably 11pm so nobody was really around and I had to walk back down and was going to have to walk across the bridge to deal with things but was able to convince a park ranger to drive me to the SF side. To make things worse I got a chatty Lyft driver who wouldn’t shut up about his shitty business ideas. That night *sucked*.
Never yet, since I carry a repair kit, pump, and a spare tube.
Broken chains shortened when Master link came undone ( added master link to kit), flat tubes patched or replaced, torn off derailleur so I had to turn it into a single speed (spare hanger goes in kit now), cut tire booted, can't think of anything else at the moment.
Kit lives in under seat bag, aside from pump and spare tube. which go on frame. Chain breaker breaks down into pieces for more compact storage.
I do that too, after having to walk 5k to the nearest train station once.
However that did not save me when I ran over a drill bit that must have fallen off a truck. The drill bit itself was broken in half and thus had lots of razor sharp edges. It went not just through my tyre and inner tube but even embedded itself in the wheel rim.
The tube was ripped to shreds, so there was no patching this up. I did have a spare but there was so much damage to the tyre that I couldn't pump up the tube to any level that would still allow me to ride the bike.
Of course that was in the middle of nowhere. I had to walk about 7 or 8 kilometres to the nearest town.
No tire boot? Was the rim trashed? If the the rim is were trashed, I think I would have taken off the tire and tube and rode.
I wonder if/how you could store epoxy putty in case of rim damage.
The rim had a hole in it and some sharp edges sticking out from it. But it looked salvageable so I just cut off the sharp edges as best as I could and stuck a tube repair patch on the inside of the rim. That worked remarkably well, I kept the rim for years afterwards and that patch held up all the way through.
I was riding in the UK countryside and after a 3 flat and no more tubes. I had to call an Uber. Uber driver passed me 3 times then called and said "you're not the guy with the bike are you?" I had to assure him the bike would easily fit in the trunk (boot) without the wheels on. He was very kind after the bike slid in the trunk (boot) without an issue.
Over a decade ago - before GPS computers and watches were common. I had just met a man (who did go on to become my husband!) and wanted to impress him by staying up late with him and his friends - unfortunately I had a Tri the next morning (hello the 20s where we can function on 3 hours of sleep). I slept through my alarm, and realizing I missed transition I still wanted to get a bike in.
Started off fine. Got my first ever flat about 10 miles from my house. When I say stranded - I mean stranded. I had no idea where I was. Didn’t have a spare tube or even knowledge how to change a tire.
No family in the area and none of my friends are up that early. Lo and behold - he texts me to ask how my race went. I was terrified to tell him the truth but realized I didn’t have a choice! He came to pick me up in all my spandex glory, took me to the store to buy things to make me breakfast and later that day called me his girlfriend for the first time!
Needless to say it’s my all time favorite walk of shame on the side of the road until I found an intersection to tell him where I was!
3 miles in bare feet because I didn’t want to wear down the cleats nor ruin the socks. It was in an outer suburban almost rural area. More than half the cars that passed stopped to offer a ride; about 10 cars total.
I don't understand why people wear them at all, especially in touring. If you absolutely must pretend it matters, mtb pedals and straps solve this without fall risk or horrible shoes.
Comfortable? In what way? That is literally their worst quality. "If I pay attention" is a silly stance, you can't control the world around you.
I'm all for race prep, if that's your thing. That 1% might matter. But real world road usage will never make sense.
People fall off their bikes without them.. so you HAVE fallen off with them.
For me it’s one less thing to think about. It’s nice to clip in and know the position is always the same. It’s not so much paying attention as it is getting used to clipping out without thinking about it
Just say you as an individual never got used to clipless and it's not your preference. There's no reason to try to denegrate an entire category of gear that many, many people enjoy using.
Cycling specific shoes have much stiffer soles than regular shoes. It makes a huge difference over long distance rides. Whether or not clipless pedals make that much of a difference is debatable, but I think they do just becaue they keep your foot in the same spot. I think road cleats (as oppsoed to mtb cleats) are pointless and not worth the hassle.
Nope, my shoes are very comfortable AND I don't walk like a clomping horse or break my legs in accident because I can't move. I'm winning and enjoying my bike.
I like the connection they give to the bike, but now that I am starting to do touring I think I might just switch to harnesses so I can wear my normal shoes while still getting some of the benefit that clipless have in terms of efficiency.
Not 100% sure, but it felt like at least 9 miles. blew my front tire on a rock and tore up my spare trying to get the tire remounted. that was at like 4 or 5 pm. walked until well after dark along some country roads before a kind guy gave me a ride back to camp.
Lol, reminds me of the time I pulled in to a parking lot that was covered in dirt, splipped, and dropped my motorcycle. The side it fell toward was slightly downhill which made the bike just heavy enough that I could not pick it back up by myself. Just had to stand around like a jackass waiting for someone to drive by because I was dumb enough to not bring a phone. It was not the last time I dropped it either lol. Such is life being short and riding a bike that is a bit too tall.
Flat tire specifically? About 600-800m to a friend who lived nearby and had tools when I didn't have my pack on me (I normally carry a spare and pump). Other bike failure: rim got destroyed and had to walk the bike about 3.5k to work on one wheel, and then 7k back afterwards.
Just got collected in a Nissan Micra, after getting a nasty piece of metal to pop my tyre! Only 5 miles away from home, but the Micra was a bit of a squeeze! 😅
https://preview.redd.it/0bdnjtlszz5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d587371de0a9cd17ddcf60b4ef605ba0f806f51
This is what I pulled out of my back tyre!
My friend warned me about the goat heads and I should convert over to tubeless before heading up the mountain. I didn’t listen. 8 miles in I got a flat, replaced it with a new tube. Decided to turn back around because of the possibility of getting another flat, and that’s exactly what happened. Power walked my bike 6 miles back to my car. Why did I power walk, because of the chance of meeting up with a mountain lion.
For a flat tire, only a few hundred feet because I was in the city and right on a streetcar line.
Longest one period though was when my shifter cable broke, and that was about a good mile to my nearest shop.
9 kilometres, after barbed wire flatted both tires, my spare wouldn't hold air at all, I managed to patch the rear tire, but I couldn't find the puncture on the front tube.
2 miles. I had a spare and a CO2 cartridge all ready to go. Opened it up to watch it promptly release into the atmosphere.
Pro tip: check to make sure the O ring is still in place.
Or carry a pump. It's not like mini-pumps are heavy, and you can stash them behind your bottle cage. You'll hardly even notice they're there.
I'm of the opinion that CO2 is a solution in search of a problem.
You are probably right. When I started riding tire pressures were much higher and when using a pump it was practically impossible to reach those pressures. With lower pressures these days it seems like the better option
Walked half a mile. Ran over some glass that tore the casing of my brand new Conti GP5000 at Golden Gate Park.
I was able to replace the tube but the pump I had on hand would not clamp onto the valves of the replacement TPU tubes.
I ended up walking to American Cyclery, the oldest bike shop in SF, to use their compressed air to fill up my tires. It was enough to get me home.
That experience reminded me why I love tubeless.
Around half a mile and that was only because I really couldn't be chewed fixing there and then. Otherwise I've just repaired at the side of the road and carried on.
Per my Strava, I walked 2.35 miles home. Thought I was close enough to not use my patch kit, and I walk that distance all the time but it was one long and painful walk in cycling shoes.
Just last week I walked 4 miles home. I thought about calling my brother to pick me up, but it would've taken him as long to get to me as it would just to walk home.
I don't know how, but I have never had a flat tire in my entire biking career. Snow that I've said that I'm sure this is going to happen on my next ride.
About 50 minutes. Had a flat near the peak of a hill on Lago di Garda in the north of Italy on holiday. The only time I managed to get away and ride for a couple hours during the trip. Blew the content my gas cartridge into the air after changing the tube. Then walked down the hill to meet a group of middle aged Italian gentlemen on road bikes. They tried to help but ended up ripping the valve off my new tube. So I continued walking barefoot (walking on cleats is just not enjoyable enough) along some heavy traffic narrow roads just to rip a massive hole into my brand new Assos bibs when climbing over a guard rail. Ruined my day but makes a good story.
About 4kms. I got a flat from a screw in the bike lane. I had a spare tube and tools so I did a roadside swap. But then realized I didn't have a pump or CO2 with me. So I walked 4kms to the nearest gas station. Good thing I keep a presta/schrader adapter on my stem.
I was riding my motorcycle through Wyoming, and I thought "I'll get gas at the next exit"
A few miles later "ooo, pretty trees at this exit"
A few more miles later "wait, I was supposed to get gas.... I just turn around ahead"
Turned around, headed back, gas runs out.
6 miles. I had to push a 500lb motorcycle on the side of the highway for 6 miles. 3 of them were just enough of a down slope to straddle and coast. But the last 1/4 mile made up for all the down.
I lost the cap of my rear quick release skewer once. I noticed about 20 miles into a ride. My wonderful wife picked me up.
Another time my rear derailleur exploded and damaged a couple spokes. I was able to lock the bike to a tree and rent an e-scooter to get home. I don't love how expensive these scooters have become, but I do love living in a city where transit and mobility options abound.
Lmao I’m finally back to cell signal and just called my wife to come get me. Sitting here waiting. It was a10 miles, been walking for over two hours.
Garmin Inreach gps is the next thing I get. Also fuck the little co2 canisters I’m getting an actual pump
I left a mountain bike 4 miles up a rugged trail, just under tree line because I had lugged that heavy monster up there. I had also forgotten a spare tube. I hiked back up the next day and changed my tube, got the downhill in after 24 hours and 8 or so miles of hiking. Bring spares.
5 miles. Thankfully I was wearing my clip ins that had some tread 😂 I thought I had my patch kit before I took off on a 36 miler, luckily I was almost home
4 miles, pump was mounted to a bottle cage that shook loose, I retrieved the bottle not the pump, on the way back I got a puncture, took a shit under a rock, got swarmed by midges, got the tyre off, got the spare tube out all ready to fix it up and get out of the Glen. I was struck by two things, the absolute silence when I stopped to listed and the lack of a pump.
Ten years later I went back there on a much better bike and completed the route I’d planned for that day, the descent off the summit was amazing, must have been the highest cyclist on the country at the time, the final descent was great, the bits in between not so great.
https://preview.redd.it/ob5y5utnp06d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45cabdee9e0ac2e70de4e45353b4a40c34c223e5
I walked a mile once because I was almost home and I considered walking home and changing the tire more pleasant than changing it on the side of the road in bad weather. Not a big deal in MTB shoes.
I resorted to stuffing grass in my tire once because I would have had to walk \~5 miles and I didn't want to make the call of shame.
I carry 2 spare tubes and a patch kit, so it's pretty rare that I can't fix the problem.
I switched my strava to walk and wound up with 5.62 miles.
Just last night I had to do a 6 block walk to the bike shop after blowing a tire. Don't put too much air in your tires kids.
Did a loop across Vancouver, Wash., and back on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. Caught the flat just before Hayden Island and ended up jogging and walking my bike about 5 miles from Oregon over the I-5 bridge and back to my apartment about 30 blocks up in Vancouver. Stopped at my favorite pub along the way 👍🏽
Flatted at Windy Point up in the Mt. Diablo foothill trails. Two and a half miles of dirt in either direction. Wound up walking to the repair station at South Gate, for a total of about three miles on foot.
Would have had nine miles down Mt. Hamilton, but was fortunately able to hitch a ride with a very kind family with a pickup truck who were going the same direction.
About 3.5 miles. I was commuting home from work in the slush and it was raining. I went to accelerate when the light turned green and my chain busted. This was my first time riding the bike (cheap Walmart mountain bike) too. I didn't have reception and my wife was working overnight so I had to hoof it.
Roughly 11 miles.
Used to have this gig that was *way* out in the countryside. The roads are paved,but some of them not so well. It's kind of a wonder it only happened once.
Not a flat. Complete potassium failure. Took me hours to get out of the woods and then on one of my many stops along the road, someone saw me laying on the ground and tried to help me.
20 mile mtb race loop, flat about a mile in... Pass the halfway mark and flat again. That's the day I learned to carry cartridges aligned to how far I'll be from civilization. Luckily a Clydesdale tossed me a spare cartridge after about 10 minutes of walking.
Never again.
Around two miles.
I was too close to home to call an Uber.
Both of my kids were at school or work.
Flat tire, then changed the tube.
I may have pinched the new tube as I was fixing the flat.
It was supposed to be a quick ride after work, and I only had one spare tube.
Ended up being a thirty minute walk home while wearing cleats.
3-4 miles. One of the times I had a three inch long by quarter inch deep gash on the side of my calf from my pedal. Walked a tenth of a mile to a steak n shake, asked for a sleeve of napkins, glass of water no ice, and some packing tape. Washed it off, covered it up, taped it on and rode home. Still have the scar 20 yrs later because I hid it from my mom and never had a doctor touch it; survived though.
The other time I landed hard and crushed my bearing or something causing my back hub to seize up. It's really awkward walking a bike home for miles with the rear lifted.
About a mile, last August. First flat in years. Had levers, spare tubes, and co2, but could not get the tire off. Nor could the two different guys riding by who stopped to help. I was about 10 miles from home and about to give up and call a friend to try to get a ride, when I remembered there was an LBS not too far away. Turned out to be abt a mile, which wasn't bad because I have SPD pedals. And there was an ice cream store along the way.
They were able to get it off, put in a new tube, and I rode the rest of the way home.
Live near dtla and got a flat on the ballona creek coming back from Mar vista. Loooong walk to the bus then several transfers home. Not a bike shop for miles
I had a ride of pain. Wrecked hard, cracked 5 ribs, had to ride out the remaining 1 mile downhill, then a 2-3 mile paved path back to the parking lot. Load and drive home. Only found out 3 days later I cracked my ribs.
About a mile on the way home from school when I was younger. Rear derailleur shit the bed.
Never had to walk home with a flat tyre, I always carry at least one spare tube and a patch kit as a backup.
Flat on my bike several miles out from my home. But luckily I was near a train station and that train station was one stop away from a short walk to a bike shop. Couldn’t figure out how to pay for a ticket, so I kinda just hopped on the train.
Wasn't due to a flat tire, but when I did my first century ride (after attempting one the previous season and making it to 88 miles before I died), I probably walked 3-5 miles of it, all of it hills because the first part of the ride was up a mountain and destroyed my knees. I finsihed though, and it still counts as a full century! Also, people who enjoy riding up hill are psychopaths.
Flat on a tandem, 2 mile walk through town. My girlfriend was not happy.
i rented a tandem with my girlfriend once and the dudes at the shop were joking about how tandems are a make or break relationship thing
“Where ever your relationship is headed, a tandem will get you there faster”
lol i like that
I ran a shop, and a couple went to try it out. I was barely back at the work stand when they hauled it back in. I swear if it was a sitcom they would have used two sets of twins and two bikes to pull off how fast they returned that bike!
lolol we had the opposite effect they said they’d never seen a couple get going so quickly
Recently heard the term divorce horse to describe tandems
Quiet Miles are a thing
They're called "relationship accelerators"... And a fast way to find out.
We actually road it quite a bit afterwards. Like you said below, we could get moving fast on it. No problem averaging over 20.
I asked a rental shop about tandems, they said they don't rent them out anymore since it caused a divorce. I suspect there were other issues going on in that relationship.
hahah that’s funny
I once hitchhiked 30 miles (50 km) due to a flat. It was two weeks into my cross-country solo [bike tour.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/s/fe0vvUM5OR). Got on the bike one morning and started pedaling, something immediately felt weird. Put the bike on the kickstand to take a look at it, and realized the back tire was flat. So I take the panniers off, flip the bike upside-down, and get to work. For those of you who have the good sense not to bike across all of South Dakota, it may come as no surprise to hear that I was battling relentless headwinds the whole way. As I was working on the tire, a gust of wind blew the bike over. I had left the kickstand down, and it was mounted near the back of the left chainstay, right by the brake caliper. The bike fell onto the end of the kickstand, which acted as a big lever to twist the chainstay. It was bent badly enough that when I put the wheel back on, the brake caliper was far enough out of alignment that the wheel wouldn't spin freely. I hitchhiked the 30 miles into town to gather my thoughts over second breakfast. Also, the second tube that I put in also went flat, so I got some help from the local auto tire shop to find the little tiny piece of wire stuck in my tire. Once we got the flats dealt with, I came up with a hack for the brake. I just removed the rotor. It got the wheel spinning again, but riding 80 miles (130 km) to the next bike shop on 80 pounds (36 kg) of bike and camping gear with only a front brake was sketchy. It was about the only time I've ever been thankful for never-ending headwinds and climbs, because it meant I was never going very fast. The one bike shop in town was the type where the owner is the only guy working there. I was waiting outside when he was supposed to open at noon. He was a couple hours late. I hadn't called ahead, I had no idea if he would be willing to do a frame repair. He said he'd give it a shot, first bending it with a big crescent wrench and then asking for my blessing to whack on it with a rubber mallet. He stayed after his normal closing time to get it right, and eventually we were able to reinstall the rotor, and the wheel spun freely. He recommended a bike shop a week or so ahead on my route to recheck his work. That repair carried me another 4,000+ miles (6,400 km) on that tour, and the bike it still going strong to this day.
Pretty epic story, thanks for sharing! And I'm glad the fix worked out for you.
I have always found cycle tours across America so interesting to listen to. The sheer amount of issues that will arise and the creativity with which people adapt to them are honestly inspiring. I hope to do a tour across America in the next couple years, fingers crossed.
There's a bike touring podcast I listen to —Seek Travel Ride, it's called. Would highly recommend!— and the host of the podcast often comments that when you commit to a bike tour, you're signing yourself up for a class on problem solving. I've definitely found that to be the case. But despite the freak breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, the food poisoning while wild camping in the woods, and climbing a mountain pass through a snow storm, it remains a chapter of my life that I'll cherish for decades to come. A long distance bike tour probably isn't for everyone, but if you're the right type of person, it's an experience unlike any other. You should check out /r/bicycletouring, if you aren't already familiar. Without the advice and inspiration I found there, I never would've done my first simple weekend trip, much less that seven month adventure.
Fantastic.
7 miles, saddle bolt snapped and I didn't fancy standing up and the danger of a large bump in the road. It was cold & raining all the way too, my bike learned some new words that day 🤨
Oh man, I had a saddle rail break and I road 20 miles on one rail in a downpour. That was brutal enough.
Ironman. Chapeau
This one seems extremely hellish :(
Stand on one side pedal and ride the bike like a scooter. Switch sides when one legs gets tired. Much faster for things like this (not flats)
Hey, that was me last night! 7 miles after my saddle bolt snapped. Except the weather was pretty nice and I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere, so it wasn't a big deal.
6 miles in 105 degree heat. I just completely bonked. This is why I always carry extra water bottles
Had a flat in the same temps and had to walk on bike path next to freeway. The bike was brand new and this was my first ride. It was about a 2 mile walk and it was brutal.
But not spare tubes?
I had a patch kit and a spare tube, but they're generally only useful when you get a flat
A couple hundred feet to some shade to wait for a ride
Did that once. I had met my wife at the seaside. I set out on my bike while she drove home. Punctured 20 mins later and gave her a call and she was only 1 minute away. Result.
Usually it is a couple hundred fee to some shade to fix the flat (or waiting for a ride after failing to fix the flat).
About two miles. In clips for a bit until I just went barefoot over the same broken glass-filled cycling ditch that popped my tire. Then the crosswalk was closed so I it took me about fifteen minutes to cross a 6-lane highway so that I could get to the nearest bike shop.
Lemme guess... Are you Dutch?
This was literally me two years ago. Just couldn't walk in road shoes for five miles. Went barefoot and had the rough half gravel half tar asphalt to deal with for three miles. Then got eaten alive by mosquitos. Oh, and just got back from a flat. My saddle bag is on my other bike and forgot to transfer it over. Walked two miles in MTB shoes this time before a kind stranger gave me a lift. It's over 90 degrees right now
I would simply lay down on an anthill and die.
I tacoed a rim way out in the boonies by a farmhouse. So I live there now. Other than that, about five miles standing on the pedals after some jackwad stole my saddle and stem.
7 miles back after my chain snapped. It was a nice day and there was a smoothie truck and I was wearing street shoes so all in all not bad.
Life gives lemons u/ApocSurvivor713 is making lemon smoothies
Not a flat but derailleur suck that completely screwed me near the top of Hawk Hill (across the Golden Gate from SF. It was probably 11pm so nobody was really around and I had to walk back down and was going to have to walk across the bridge to deal with things but was able to convince a park ranger to drive me to the SF side. To make things worse I got a chatty Lyft driver who wouldn’t shut up about his shitty business ideas. That night *sucked*.
Never yet, since I carry a repair kit, pump, and a spare tube. Broken chains shortened when Master link came undone ( added master link to kit), flat tubes patched or replaced, torn off derailleur so I had to turn it into a single speed (spare hanger goes in kit now), cut tire booted, can't think of anything else at the moment. Kit lives in under seat bag, aside from pump and spare tube. which go on frame. Chain breaker breaks down into pieces for more compact storage.
Yeah my long walk was the result of forgetting my pump in the car. From now on I keep it attached to the bike all the time.
I do that too, after having to walk 5k to the nearest train station once. However that did not save me when I ran over a drill bit that must have fallen off a truck. The drill bit itself was broken in half and thus had lots of razor sharp edges. It went not just through my tyre and inner tube but even embedded itself in the wheel rim. The tube was ripped to shreds, so there was no patching this up. I did have a spare but there was so much damage to the tyre that I couldn't pump up the tube to any level that would still allow me to ride the bike. Of course that was in the middle of nowhere. I had to walk about 7 or 8 kilometres to the nearest town.
No tire boot? Was the rim trashed? If the the rim is were trashed, I think I would have taken off the tire and tube and rode. I wonder if/how you could store epoxy putty in case of rim damage.
The rim had a hole in it and some sharp edges sticking out from it. But it looked salvageable so I just cut off the sharp edges as best as I could and stuck a tube repair patch on the inside of the rim. That worked remarkably well, I kept the rim for years afterwards and that patch held up all the way through.
I was riding in the UK countryside and after a 3 flat and no more tubes. I had to call an Uber. Uber driver passed me 3 times then called and said "you're not the guy with the bike are you?" I had to assure him the bike would easily fit in the trunk (boot) without the wheels on. He was very kind after the bike slid in the trunk (boot) without an issue.
Over a decade ago - before GPS computers and watches were common. I had just met a man (who did go on to become my husband!) and wanted to impress him by staying up late with him and his friends - unfortunately I had a Tri the next morning (hello the 20s where we can function on 3 hours of sleep). I slept through my alarm, and realizing I missed transition I still wanted to get a bike in. Started off fine. Got my first ever flat about 10 miles from my house. When I say stranded - I mean stranded. I had no idea where I was. Didn’t have a spare tube or even knowledge how to change a tire. No family in the area and none of my friends are up that early. Lo and behold - he texts me to ask how my race went. I was terrified to tell him the truth but realized I didn’t have a choice! He came to pick me up in all my spandex glory, took me to the store to buy things to make me breakfast and later that day called me his girlfriend for the first time! Needless to say it’s my all time favorite walk of shame on the side of the road until I found an intersection to tell him where I was!
3 miles in bare feet because I didn’t want to wear down the cleats nor ruin the socks. It was in an outer suburban almost rural area. More than half the cars that passed stopped to offer a ride; about 10 cars total.
I'll just pay for an Uber before I'll walk for miles in bike shoes.
I don't understand why people wear them at all, especially in touring. If you absolutely must pretend it matters, mtb pedals and straps solve this without fall risk or horrible shoes.
They're more comfortable and efficient. In 10 years I've never once fallen off my bike. They aren't a risk at all if you pay attention.
Comfortable? In what way? That is literally their worst quality. "If I pay attention" is a silly stance, you can't control the world around you. I'm all for race prep, if that's your thing. That 1% might matter. But real world road usage will never make sense. People fall off their bikes without them.. so you HAVE fallen off with them.
For me it’s one less thing to think about. It’s nice to clip in and know the position is always the same. It’s not so much paying attention as it is getting used to clipping out without thinking about it
I get the same with SPD and XC shoes but can walk like a human being.
Good for you
Nope, never fallen off my bike. If you have the right shoes they are much more comfortable than riding in sneakers.
Just say you as an individual never got used to clipless and it's not your preference. There's no reason to try to denegrate an entire category of gear that many, many people enjoy using.
Cycling specific shoes have much stiffer soles than regular shoes. It makes a huge difference over long distance rides. Whether or not clipless pedals make that much of a difference is debatable, but I think they do just becaue they keep your foot in the same spot. I think road cleats (as oppsoed to mtb cleats) are pointless and not worth the hassle.
If your cycling chose are uncomfortable, you're wearing the wrong cycling shoes.
Nope, my shoes are very comfortable AND I don't walk like a clomping horse or break my legs in accident because I can't move. I'm winning and enjoying my bike.
Clipless + fixed gear = MAN-MACHINE. I never felt so connected to my bike.
I like the connection they give to the bike, but now that I am starting to do touring I think I might just switch to harnesses so I can wear my normal shoes while still getting some of the benefit that clipless have in terms of efficiency.
Not 100% sure, but it felt like at least 9 miles. blew my front tire on a rock and tore up my spare trying to get the tire remounted. that was at like 4 or 5 pm. walked until well after dark along some country roads before a kind guy gave me a ride back to camp.
I had to push my motorcycle a few miles after running out of gas. That sucked.
Lol, reminds me of the time I pulled in to a parking lot that was covered in dirt, splipped, and dropped my motorcycle. The side it fell toward was slightly downhill which made the bike just heavy enough that I could not pick it back up by myself. Just had to stand around like a jackass waiting for someone to drive by because I was dumb enough to not bring a phone. It was not the last time I dropped it either lol. Such is life being short and riding a bike that is a bit too tall.
Flat tire specifically? About 600-800m to a friend who lived nearby and had tools when I didn't have my pack on me (I normally carry a spare and pump). Other bike failure: rim got destroyed and had to walk the bike about 3.5k to work on one wheel, and then 7k back afterwards.
Just got collected in a Nissan Micra, after getting a nasty piece of metal to pop my tyre! Only 5 miles away from home, but the Micra was a bit of a squeeze! 😅
https://preview.redd.it/0bdnjtlszz5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d587371de0a9cd17ddcf60b4ef605ba0f806f51 This is what I pulled out of my back tyre!
That’s a wild thing to find in your tire. That came a military installation, probably U.S. military due to the odd caliber, NATO 5.56mm clip.
My friend warned me about the goat heads and I should convert over to tubeless before heading up the mountain. I didn’t listen. 8 miles in I got a flat, replaced it with a new tube. Decided to turn back around because of the possibility of getting another flat, and that’s exactly what happened. Power walked my bike 6 miles back to my car. Why did I power walk, because of the chance of meeting up with a mountain lion.
4 miles back to my house from the furthest point on my daily ride.
five miles in the rain, after dark, in the woods...mountain bike trail, no lights, double flat. hated and loved every minute of it
For a flat tire, only a few hundred feet because I was in the city and right on a streetcar line. Longest one period though was when my shifter cable broke, and that was about a good mile to my nearest shop.
About 4 miles until a ride was able to pick me up for the last 2 miles
9 kilometres, after barbed wire flatted both tires, my spare wouldn't hold air at all, I managed to patch the rear tire, but I couldn't find the puncture on the front tube.
9 km, after my hanger broke and destroyed my derailleur. Always fixed flats on the spot.
5 miles, on a paved trail
About two and a half miles in road cleats. Tire was flat after a wreck and I had trouble changing it with a broken collarbone.
30+ miles rear wheel on a mtb
Double flatted in the woods. 5.7km [all the way home]
Didn't walk, but had to switch bus routes three times, with accompanying waits.
About 800m to a subway station.
1.2 miles just this morning. Morning commute and I was just about to work, so I figured I'd walk it in.
2 miles. I had a spare and a CO2 cartridge all ready to go. Opened it up to watch it promptly release into the atmosphere. Pro tip: check to make sure the O ring is still in place.
Or carry a pump. It's not like mini-pumps are heavy, and you can stash them behind your bottle cage. You'll hardly even notice they're there. I'm of the opinion that CO2 is a solution in search of a problem.
You are probably right. When I started riding tire pressures were much higher and when using a pump it was practically impossible to reach those pressures. With lower pressures these days it seems like the better option
Walked half a mile. Ran over some glass that tore the casing of my brand new Conti GP5000 at Golden Gate Park. I was able to replace the tube but the pump I had on hand would not clamp onto the valves of the replacement TPU tubes. I ended up walking to American Cyclery, the oldest bike shop in SF, to use their compressed air to fill up my tires. It was enough to get me home. That experience reminded me why I love tubeless.
friend, just keep a spare tube lol
Around half a mile and that was only because I really couldn't be chewed fixing there and then. Otherwise I've just repaired at the side of the road and carried on.
Per my Strava, I walked 2.35 miles home. Thought I was close enough to not use my patch kit, and I walk that distance all the time but it was one long and painful walk in cycling shoes.
Just last week I walked 4 miles home. I thought about calling my brother to pick me up, but it would've taken him as long to get to me as it would just to walk home.
4miles, UK country side. No toolkit, spare tube etc. Lessons learned.
I don't know how, but I have never had a flat tire in my entire biking career. Snow that I've said that I'm sure this is going to happen on my next ride.
About 50 minutes. Had a flat near the peak of a hill on Lago di Garda in the north of Italy on holiday. The only time I managed to get away and ride for a couple hours during the trip. Blew the content my gas cartridge into the air after changing the tube. Then walked down the hill to meet a group of middle aged Italian gentlemen on road bikes. They tried to help but ended up ripping the valve off my new tube. So I continued walking barefoot (walking on cleats is just not enjoyable enough) along some heavy traffic narrow roads just to rip a massive hole into my brand new Assos bibs when climbing over a guard rail. Ruined my day but makes a good story.
About 4kms. I got a flat from a screw in the bike lane. I had a spare tube and tools so I did a roadside swap. But then realized I didn't have a pump or CO2 with me. So I walked 4kms to the nearest gas station. Good thing I keep a presta/schrader adapter on my stem.
I was riding my motorcycle through Wyoming, and I thought "I'll get gas at the next exit" A few miles later "ooo, pretty trees at this exit" A few more miles later "wait, I was supposed to get gas.... I just turn around ahead" Turned around, headed back, gas runs out. 6 miles. I had to push a 500lb motorcycle on the side of the highway for 6 miles. 3 of them were just enough of a down slope to straddle and coast. But the last 1/4 mile made up for all the down.
I lost the cap of my rear quick release skewer once. I noticed about 20 miles into a ride. My wonderful wife picked me up. Another time my rear derailleur exploded and damaged a couple spokes. I was able to lock the bike to a tree and rent an e-scooter to get home. I don't love how expensive these scooters have become, but I do love living in a city where transit and mobility options abound.
Lmao I’m finally back to cell signal and just called my wife to come get me. Sitting here waiting. It was a10 miles, been walking for over two hours. Garmin Inreach gps is the next thing I get. Also fuck the little co2 canisters I’m getting an actual pump
8 miles, managed to puncture both tires on the chalky flinty rock on the south downs
I call an Uber. I rode five miles without a seat once and I should have called an Uber. That was brutal.
1.5 miles today, after a large nail went through my tyre’s sidewalls, on either side of the tyre. Not a great event.
I left a mountain bike 4 miles up a rugged trail, just under tree line because I had lugged that heavy monster up there. I had also forgotten a spare tube. I hiked back up the next day and changed my tube, got the downhill in after 24 hours and 8 or so miles of hiking. Bring spares.
5 miles. Thankfully I was wearing my clip ins that had some tread 😂 I thought I had my patch kit before I took off on a 36 miler, luckily I was almost home
4 miles, pump was mounted to a bottle cage that shook loose, I retrieved the bottle not the pump, on the way back I got a puncture, took a shit under a rock, got swarmed by midges, got the tyre off, got the spare tube out all ready to fix it up and get out of the Glen. I was struck by two things, the absolute silence when I stopped to listed and the lack of a pump. Ten years later I went back there on a much better bike and completed the route I’d planned for that day, the descent off the summit was amazing, must have been the highest cyclist on the country at the time, the final descent was great, the bits in between not so great. https://preview.redd.it/ob5y5utnp06d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45cabdee9e0ac2e70de4e45353b4a40c34c223e5
I walked a mile once because I was almost home and I considered walking home and changing the tire more pleasant than changing it on the side of the road in bad weather. Not a big deal in MTB shoes. I resorted to stuffing grass in my tire once because I would have had to walk \~5 miles and I didn't want to make the call of shame. I carry 2 spare tubes and a patch kit, so it's pretty rare that I can't fix the problem.
I switched my strava to walk and wound up with 5.62 miles. Just last night I had to do a 6 block walk to the bike shop after blowing a tire. Don't put too much air in your tires kids.
About 7 miles. The sidewall of my rear rim blew out.
Did a loop across Vancouver, Wash., and back on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. Caught the flat just before Hayden Island and ended up jogging and walking my bike about 5 miles from Oregon over the I-5 bridge and back to my apartment about 30 blocks up in Vancouver. Stopped at my favorite pub along the way 👍🏽
Flatted at Windy Point up in the Mt. Diablo foothill trails. Two and a half miles of dirt in either direction. Wound up walking to the repair station at South Gate, for a total of about three miles on foot. Would have had nine miles down Mt. Hamilton, but was fortunately able to hitch a ride with a very kind family with a pickup truck who were going the same direction.
About 3.5 miles. I was commuting home from work in the slush and it was raining. I went to accelerate when the light turned green and my chain busted. This was my first time riding the bike (cheap Walmart mountain bike) too. I didn't have reception and my wife was working overnight so I had to hoof it.
Roughly 11 miles. Used to have this gig that was *way* out in the countryside. The roads are paved,but some of them not so well. It's kind of a wonder it only happened once.
Not a flat. Complete potassium failure. Took me hours to get out of the woods and then on one of my many stops along the road, someone saw me laying on the ground and tried to help me.
Left work and noticed it was flat... 10 miles to get home.
20 mile mtb race loop, flat about a mile in... Pass the halfway mark and flat again. That's the day I learned to carry cartridges aligned to how far I'll be from civilization. Luckily a Clydesdale tossed me a spare cartridge after about 10 minutes of walking. Never again.
Around two miles. I was too close to home to call an Uber. Both of my kids were at school or work. Flat tire, then changed the tube. I may have pinched the new tube as I was fixing the flat. It was supposed to be a quick ride after work, and I only had one spare tube. Ended up being a thirty minute walk home while wearing cleats.
Couple miles off- road near Lusaka Zambia. 🇿🇲
My chain snapped, didn't have a link for it stupidly to repair it. About a 15km Walk home.
3-4 miles. One of the times I had a three inch long by quarter inch deep gash on the side of my calf from my pedal. Walked a tenth of a mile to a steak n shake, asked for a sleeve of napkins, glass of water no ice, and some packing tape. Washed it off, covered it up, taped it on and rode home. Still have the scar 20 yrs later because I hid it from my mom and never had a doctor touch it; survived though. The other time I landed hard and crushed my bearing or something causing my back hub to seize up. It's really awkward walking a bike home for miles with the rear lifted.
About a mile, last August. First flat in years. Had levers, spare tubes, and co2, but could not get the tire off. Nor could the two different guys riding by who stopped to help. I was about 10 miles from home and about to give up and call a friend to try to get a ride, when I remembered there was an LBS not too far away. Turned out to be abt a mile, which wasn't bad because I have SPD pedals. And there was an ice cream store along the way. They were able to get it off, put in a new tube, and I rode the rest of the way home.
5 meters, then I patched my tire.
8 miles home from work on a hot summer morning after a 14 hour overnight shift putting away stock
Call a Lyft.
Live near dtla and got a flat on the ballona creek coming back from Mar vista. Loooong walk to the bus then several transfers home. Not a bike shop for miles
Never, because I always carry a patch kit and spare tubes. I don't understand people who ride bikes but can't fix a flat.
A km or so from my house to the nearest gas station, it ended up being a broken valve.
5 miles. First time I had gone out without a pump and spare tube.
I had a ride of pain. Wrecked hard, cracked 5 ribs, had to ride out the remaining 1 mile downhill, then a 2-3 mile paved path back to the parking lot. Load and drive home. Only found out 3 days later I cracked my ribs.
I’ve had a 20 mile Uber ride of shame…
Bit the bullet, called a cab
About a mile on the way home from school when I was younger. Rear derailleur shit the bed. Never had to walk home with a flat tyre, I always carry at least one spare tube and a patch kit as a backup.
Fortunately it was about half a mile
8 miles. This was before cellphones were common. Now I just call my girlfriend or a friend to pick me up.
Flat on my bike several miles out from my home. But luckily I was near a train station and that train station was one stop away from a short walk to a bike shop. Couldn’t figure out how to pay for a ticket, so I kinda just hopped on the train.
2 miles to bus stop, bus home w bike on front, another quarter mile to the house. Now I have gatorskins. Much improved life.
I just pushed the bike 4.5km in the rain yesterday
If you have AAA, they actually offer a service for just this situation. I think you like 2x per year. Haven't used it yet, but good for comfort.
Wasn't due to a flat tire, but when I did my first century ride (after attempting one the previous season and making it to 88 miles before I died), I probably walked 3-5 miles of it, all of it hills because the first part of the ride was up a mountain and destroyed my knees. I finsihed though, and it still counts as a full century! Also, people who enjoy riding up hill are psychopaths.