Calling for a ride (ever?)



Mr. Beanz

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2015
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I don't carry my phone on rides as I ride most miles on the trail and with friends often. I do ride on the roads at night and I will carry my phone in case of an emergency. Much harder to fix a mechanical in the dark. :D

But even when I ride in the mountains I don't carry my cell as the road we ride is up then down. If something happens there, pretty much rolling back to the truck. Not to mention that we can not get reception up there.

Most times I can repair most things well enough to get back. I've fixed a broken chain once, flats many times, broken spokes (adjust and tie up spoke). Many wheel truing deals on the side of the road for friends. Broken cables, frames, saddle rails, you name it.

But one time I did get stuck. A buddy and I rode across the valley and up a mountain. Cajon Pass heading toward the high desert. My tires seemed fine but the jagged road up along the side of the pass really tore up my back wheel. Seca tire. It totally thrashed the middle of the tire and it was a fairly new tire. Maybe 300 miles.

It split down the middle and I was with a friend who carried a phone so I didn't have mine. If I had been alone, I would have carried mine. But he had to go to work a few hours after the ride. So I used his phone to call Gina. She still had 2 hours at work before she could leave but luckily, I was only 5 miles from her work so it was not too far out of the way.

But my buddy had to go so after I used the phone, he took off heading back to complete the ride with 30 miles still remaining. So I waited out there for 2 hours before Gina could pick me up. I could have risked it but I'm not that stupid to descend a 10% grade of 3 miles or so ha ha ha!

I could have walked but by the time I got to Gina's work, it would have been time for her to get off and I would have probably thrashed my shoes. So I waited up in the mountains.

This was back in 2009 I believe. She showed up so I took a pic of my support crew checking out my bike ha ha! :D

So post your story of getting stuck or whatever. I have only been caught this one time in 25 years.

support1.JPG
 
No real one to share. I as well repair most things but something that puts you out of commission I am definitely happy I always carry my cell phone.
 
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Because I'm older, and my wife worries about me, I carry my cell phone, but the only time I use it riding is when someone calls me!

I did go on a bike camping trip about 4 weekends ago, when I got there and dismounted my seat came off its own frame?! I tried to put it on and couldn't, even took apart some stuff that did nothing but cover up staples. So I had to call her the next day to bring me back. So in 40 years we've been married I only had to call her three times, once shortly after we got married and I was riding and got diarrhea really bad, I even carried Imodium AD in case of such a thing and the stuff wouldn't stop it, so I tried riding home but after stopping a bunch of times I was getting too weak to ride, so I got on a payphone...a what? Yeah, one of those dinosaur things, anyway she had to come get me. Then I called her after I had a crash and I was at a hospital to let her know I would be needing a ride home due to the bike was destroyed and my arm was in a sling. Then the last was that camping trip call.
 
I hit something that ripped the sidewall out. No way to repair. I hit a dog and fractured my pelvis. Once again no way to repair.
 
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I hit something that ripped the sidewall out. No way to repair. I hit a dog and fractured my pelvis. Once again no way to repair.

I've had a couple of split sidewalls. I carry a dollar bill and it has helped me get back. Doing 10 mph of course and low pressure, like 40 psi. But it works.

BUT! Make sure to remove the dollar asap. It gets shredded up. I've been screwed out of two dollars already! :D
 
I've had a couple of split sidewalls. I carry a dollar bill and it has helped me get back. Doing 10 mph of course and low pressure, like 40 psi. But it works.

BUT! Make sure to remove the dollar asap. It gets shredded up. I've been screwed out of two dollars already! :D

I know that trick but on this occasion the damage was extensive. I would have needed a higher denomination bill.
 
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