Originally Posted by Losligato
you have only your basic touring tool kit, and you...
...pop a few spokes on the drive side of the rear wheel -or-
...burst a large hole in your last tube
...split your rear brake cable
...break the support on your rear rack
...you get the idea.
What I'm looking for is creative solutions people have used to fix common (and no so common) mechanical disasters in the middle of nowhere.
When you pop a drive side spoke you get out your kevlar fiber fix spoke and use it or you take out your mini cassette removal tool and replace the spoke the standard way. Keep in mind when you break one spoke it is because the wheel does not have sufficient tension and all the spokes have been flexing. Once one breaks several more are on their way to failure. So do your repair and start thinking about getting yourself to someplace where they have a bunch of spare spokes and/or can retension your wheel. Ideally you should have a spoke wrench with you and be able to tension the wheel yourself. If you stay on top of spoke tension you will not break a spoke - barring a crazy accident or your wheel is way too weak for the application.
When you burst a hole in your last tube start pushing and head for the nearest spot you can get a new supply of tubes. You can try tying the ends of the burst tube shut so you'll have a long straight tube - put it in your tire and pump it up. No promises, but that might allow you to limp onwards. You should start the trip with a good supply of tubes and patches. As soon as you start to get low it is time to get more - not when you are down to your last one.
If you break your rear brake cable - no biggie. You can live without it as long as your front brake is in good shape. Naturally you need to check your front brake out carefully and I would consider walking any henious downhill mtn roads just to be safe, but for most conditions a front brake alone is fine.
If you break your rear rack you need to carefully examine what the situation is and try and McGyver something out of your repair kit - if you have zip ties, hose clamps and/or duct tape you might just be able to fix the problem well enough to get on down the road. If your rack is steel and you can find a welder that should be an easy fix. Avoid cheap racks. I am totally okay with aluminum racks as long as you get a high quality one - if you pack a reasonable amount of gear it won't break.
No matter what bike problem you have you can always walk and hitch hike with your ride. Be prepared for common problems and don't sweat it if something really unlikely happens that you can't fix.
My feeling is that the best way to avoid bike troubles is not to carry a ton of tools and spare parts. I think you need to ensure your bike and equipment is the best possible you can afford, ensure everything is well maintained during your tour (ie. check your bike over daily and head off problems) and go as lightweight as possible. I am totally convinced one of the biggest contributing factors to mechanical problems on tour (wheels, racks, etc...) and to general difficulties/dissatsifcation is carrying too much weight on the bike. If you are bike touring you obviously like riding bikes, but generally you ride a unloaded or lightly loaded bike. Then you suddenly end up on tour with a ton of gear, 4 full panniers (or a full trailer) and crap stacked on your rear rack. The bike is hard to handle and takes a lot of work to move down the road (not to mention up a hill). Suddenly you are not having that much fun and stuff starts to break.
Be ruthless with your packing list - I promise you will not regret it.