Scared to cycle to far from home

[al78]

At the moment, I'd probably be reluctant to go much more than 10 miles from home (10 miles being the distance I'd be OK with walking if the bike couldn't be ridden). I do take spare tubes with me, and I am happy changing a tube, but I haven't got the strength to get more than about 60psi in the tyre without a track pump, so it would be a very careful ride home.

I'm not prepared for things like a broken chain or snapped cables, so I need to think about those things before I go further, I think.

I can't get more than 50psi in a tyre with a mini-pump, it will do as a get home measure though.

For a broken chain, get a chain splitting tool and a powerlink.

You can still ride a bike with a snapped cable, if it is the rear derailleur cable then it means you will be stuck in top gear. If that is a problem, you can adjust the high limit screw to bring the derailleur in line with a larger sprocket.

Worst incident I have had was when my chain overshifted, got snagged then yanked the rear derailleur so violently it snapped, went through the spoke guard and buckled two spokes, destroyed the cable, twisted the chain through 90 degrees (thus destroying the chain) and tangled the chain up so badly it locked the rear wheel. Fortunately I was only 1 km from home when this happened.

 

[Norm]

My favourite way to spend a day is to take a train out west (usually to Great Bedwyn) and cycling home along the Kennet & Avon. Lovely and quiet and up to 60 miles from home, but I'm very seldom more than a couple of miles from a station which will bring me back to Maidenhead, just in case.

 

[ufkacbln]

Unwrap your spare inner tube, put the valve in your mouth holding the pimple thingy down with your teeth and ........

I thought you were going to say blow!

 

[the_mikey]

Re: Tubes: I remove them from the cardboard packaging and re-package them in sandwich bags, it keeps them clean and dry, same for everything else in my saddle bag!

 

[gb155]

I totally understand where the op is coming from, when I started I was the same, for a good 12 months I made sure my routes always gave me an " out " just incase , in 3 years I've been reduced to walking to my destination just once ( tyre wall blew a hole ) , granted it was 4 miles and it was bloody freezing this day but that's not bad odds

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Oh and if you don't have a bail out phone number, I'd suggest the cycling equivalent of the AA - it's less than £30 a year (I think it's about £16). They won't come out for punctures, but if you blew a rim (ahem) or crashed and damaged the bike, they would get you home.

I have only ever called home once in 25 years, and that was recently when commuting home, went the long way, and the rim exploded.

Who's that? I've never heard of such a service but it sounds worthwhile.

Thanks.

 

[Arch]

Once you have to carry too much stuff, it just becomes unpleasant, I try to keep it down to enough kit to repair a puncture or swap a tube. As for distance, I guess most of my rides don't take me much further from home than 20 miles. I try to keep on top of general bike maintenance at home, clean, lube and check chains for wear or damage is perhaps my most regular check after checking tyre pressure!

I find it reassuring to carry a light rain jacket, food, mobile phone and money, so far I've only ever found myself walking once, when I found out that the valve stem on the replacement tube I had wasn't long enough for the rim of my wheel. These days I make sure everything I carry with me will fit or work when needed.

Really? However do people tour then?

I have a rack and pannier(s) so I can carry spare tube, tools, puncture kit, waterproofs, water and a couple of days groceries if necessary! (and almost all my cycling these days is less than 3 miles at a time!) But on the Brom, I don't have a rack, so I use a saddlebag.


Cyclejersey pockets are good and capacious too. User10119 of this forum bakes cakes that fit exactly into a jersey pocket...

 

[Moodyman]

Punctures are the most frequent mechanical issues. Learn to replace your inner tube and you'll be fine.

There are other mechanicals that can halt a ride, but they're rare. For those, just carry some taxi or train money.

If you want to be uber self-sufficient, get yourself on a bike maintenance course or check out internet videos.

 

[apollo179]

No they don't.

Theres an exception to every rule and it would appear ian you are it (up till now) but remember keep those tubes handy.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Theres an exception to every rule and it would appear ian you are it (up till now) but remember keep those tubes handy.

Read the full post. Think you will find a few more.

 

[apollo179]

Read the full post. Think you will find a few more.

Yes you are certainly an exception.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Yes you are certainly an exception.

As are you!

 

[apollo179]

As are you!

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Theres an exception to every rule and it would appear ian you are it (up till now) but remember keep those tubes handy.

I was going to say that I was an exception, but then I remembered that I once, many years ago, had to push my motorbike about 5 miles off the motorway.

 

[Ian 74]

Theres an exception to every rule and it would appear ian you are it (up till now) but remember keep those tubes handy.

Don't get me wrong I have had to push my bike home hobbling on my cleats like a drunken hoe (no tubes, doh). Its just since I made a conscious decision to buy tires with a bit of kevlar in them - no punctures. Doesn't every one runs puncture resistant tires?