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Solo riding far from home - What do you do?

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Solo riding far from home - What do you do?

Old 05-02-14, 03:47 AM
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I too ride 90% solo.
Some of the riding is fairly desolate areas.
Two years ago I wrecked, and gashed my knee. With no first aid kit, I bled until I got to a bathroom, approx 5 miles away.
Then I started carrying a very small first aid kit. I always carry basic bike tools, a spare tube, lights, emergency food, and early and late seasons when the rest stops are not open, extra water. For the true emergencies, I carry my cell phone, credit card, health insurance card, and a little cash.

There are stretches on the MUP's where there is no one for miles. Some paths are heavily wooded. I have often wondered if I should carry a small pepper spray for wild dogs, etc. Have not done that yet.
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Old 05-02-14, 04:52 AM
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Been doing it for decades with no cellphone. I carry two quarters for a pay telephone in my patchbox but there aren't any payphones anymore. Someday I need to get me a cellphone.

Don't be a dummy and ride far on rotten tires like I did last summer. Luckily I was only a few miles from home when one split. I used to carry a dollar bill too just for a tire boot but had forgotten about that after a decade layoff until a forum poster reminded me of that trick. I walked my bike for miles then took a chance riding about the last mile or so with the tube showing. It finally blew about 2 blocks from my house. Now I carry a couple of these tire boots:

Park Tool Emergency Tire Boot Set - Normal Shipping Ground

I always carry a chain breaker. Haven't used it myself but I've used it on a riding partner's broken chain once. We just shortened it and he stayed off his inside cog.

I also carry a spoke wrench. They come in handy in case you bend a wheel. You'd have to loosen the spokes all around and find a tree limb or something to bend it back with, standing on it, and re-true the rim with your bike upside down. I have the advantage of having built some wheels. It happened to me once when I slipped into a rain gutter about 30 miles or so away from home and I got back home OK. In fact I rode on that rim for about a month until building my present wheels.

I need to get me one of those cyclist dogtag IDs one of these days too with my address and blood type on them. I like to carry a map in a plastic bag too since I have no GPS device.

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Old 05-02-14, 05:13 AM
  #28  
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There's a Kickstart idea in here somewhere.

Surely someone could develop a 911 alert button that works even in areas of minimal or no cellphone reception. It would provide considerable peace of mind.

When I was riding in Dan'l Boone Nat'l Forest there was absolutely no cellphone reception and few cars. If I wrecked I would have been discovered by the flock of buzzards feeding on my carcass.
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Old 05-02-14, 05:14 AM
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Zinger,
Try RoadID for a dog tag type rider's ID, Road ID | USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags they have them as well as the writs band types and shoe pouches with their ID tag that is laser engraved. You can choose the standard type with whatever contact or medical information you want or the interactive that has a toll free number and your PIN number is engraved on the reverse. First responders or medical personnel can access your medical information as well as contact information you choose. Monica and I both wear them, we have the interactive version. It is inexpensive either way. I have many health issues that an emergency doctor or paramedic/nurse would need to know, this lets them know my drug allergies and specifics about what issues I have. I got my first one when I got back in riding to make Monica feel better about my riding alone out on the roads in our rural area.

Disclaimer: I have no association with Road ID nor do I receive any thing if someone decides to purchase one.

There is a system with a fall or impact sensor that sends out a call to the number of your choice if it is triggered and you do not deactivate it within a given time frame, also. Not sure what it it called, I saw them advertised during various races this spring.

Bill
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Last edited by qcpmsame; 05-02-14 at 05:27 AM.
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Old 05-02-14, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by qcpmsame
Zinger,
Try RoadID for a dog tag type rider's ID, Road ID | USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags they have them as well as the writs band types and shoe pouches with their ID tag that is laser engraved. You can choose the standard type with whatever contact or medical information you want or the interactive that has a toll free number and your PIN number is engraved on the reverse. First responders or medical personnel can access your medical information as well as contact information you choose. Monica and I both wear them, we have the interactive version. It is inexpensive either way. I have many health issues that an emergency doctor or paramedic/nurse would need to know, this lets them know my drug allergies and specifics about what issues I have. I got my first one when I got back in riding to make Monica feel better about my riding alone out on the roads in our rural area.

There is a system with a fall or impact sensor that sends out a call to the number of your choice if it is triggered and you do not deactivate it within a given time frame, also. Not sure what it it called, I saw them advertised during various races this spring.

Bill
I've never seen that impact alert system but it's a great idea. Anyone have any info on it? I know, I know, GIYF...
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Old 05-02-14, 05:21 AM
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GIMF: Impact Sensor ? Cycling
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Old 05-02-14, 05:26 AM
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https://icedot.org/site/crash-sensor/, needed to take time to find it for you, sorry for the wait. this is the one I saw advertised.

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Old 05-02-14, 05:37 AM
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Hi Gerryattrick,

Some nice safe rides down here in West Wales as you probably know with some long off road routes too,as you say traffic is light, apart from Bank Holidays!

I know what you mean about mobile signals, pretty poor in Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire.

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Old 05-02-14, 06:02 AM
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With only one hand, I'm not much of a wrench. My last road flat fix was a 35 minute affair, and just about froze to death. And after breaking a hip last summer, thankfully on an organized ride and less than 5 miles from a hospital, I have cut way back on what I'm willing to do solo. Now it's strictly cell range, with a family member on standby and with a general sense of the route I'm taking. Much more cautious on the descents. Losing a bit of freedom and spontaneity in favor of peace of mind has been a fair trade.
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Old 05-02-14, 07:25 AM
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Long rides or short rides, I am on board with the people that suggest carrying enough with you to make repairs. The trunk packs on both my bent bike and trike have enough in the in the way of tools and parts to pretty much see to it that I dont have to walk home short of a broken frame.
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Old 05-02-14, 10:02 AM
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Like you most of my rides are solo in remote areas. I started riding with Road ID | USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags. It is a bracelet that links to a web page or phone number that emergency personnel can use to find medical and contact infromation if you are in an accident. I even had to use it one time last year when a clueless pedestrian moved infront of me and I went into a pole trying to avoid her.
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Old 05-02-14, 10:14 AM
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Thank you for the thread, I like wandering around. I ride with a camelback and have two tubes, a pretty substantial first aid kit including eye wash, tools and of course patches, pump and some cash stashed.

A couple weeks back I caught up with a rider carrying a ton of gear. He was 61 and had decided he would try riding to a campground about 50 miles out at Calville Bay (Callville Bay Resort & Marina on Lake Mead | Forever Resorts) at Lake Mead.

Recently I was riding with a group and we caught up with a couple of touring riders. They left San Jose, CA and rode to the border of Mexico. They were on their way home travelling through Las Vegas and decided they would take a detour through the Escalante Staircase in UT Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah Travel & Vacation Guide Now this is the kind of wandering around I hope to one day do!
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Old 05-02-14, 01:22 PM
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I'm 70+, and for the last several years almost all my riding (mainly trail riding) has been solo. I always let relatives know my plan and I do take tools (and a flashlight) to do minor repairs or fix a flat. My phone has an app that continuously updates an internet map every few minutes so my friends/relatives can see where I am at any point. I've told them that if they don't see the location move for a while, they should start getting concerned. So far I've never been riding anywhere that did not have cell/data coverage, and I've been way out in the boonies. I also use this feature when I go out geocaching in the car… I can be out all day and cover 250 miles while caching. I have been in some areas while caching that didn't have cell coverage.

I also carry a small external rechargeable battery pack for the phone (which already has an optional double-capacity battery in it), just in case. I've had to use it several times.
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Old 05-02-14, 01:23 PM
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Did 3 long tours in Europe , solo , self contained touring 88,91,97, at 67 I still dont own a cell phone .
no kids or exes to call , anyhow ..

A Plodding tourist , I've been fine , though visiting countries with a single payer National Health care

may have been my unconcious back up plan..

had a foot problem it was a toenail spur imbedded , Chiropodist in UK took care of it for a 20.
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Old 05-02-14, 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
I still dont own a cell phone . no kids or exes to call , anyhow ..

Wow. And I thought I was the supreme luddite ... I've still got a 10 year old fliphone.

I won't say it's antiquated, but I have to wind it up to use it and all I get are party lines.
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Old 05-02-14, 01:42 PM
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I dont see the point, no calls . why pay a pile to have the service, or buy the phone ..
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Old 05-02-14, 01:48 PM
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You're singing my song.

I use mine for emergencies only.

I sit at a desk in front of a computer most of the day. WTF do I need a smartphone for?
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Old 05-02-14, 01:51 PM
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Same here....I don 't have a cell phone.
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Old 05-02-14, 02:01 PM
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Originally Posted by qcpmsame
Zinger,
Try RoadID for a dog tag type rider's ID, Road ID | USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags they have them as well as the writs band types and shoe pouches with their ID tag that is laser engraved. You can choose the standard type with whatever contact or medical information you want or the interactive that has a toll free number and your PIN number is engraved on the reverse. First responders or medical personnel can access your medical information as well as contact information you choose. Monica and I both wear them, we have the interactive version. It is inexpensive either way........

Bill
OK Thanks Bill. It's bookmarked and I'll definitely Check that out.
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Old 05-02-14, 02:04 PM
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Whoa.
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Old 05-02-14, 03:39 PM
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Sadly, I pay for more phone numbers and phones than I owned in the previous 40 years, including my parents party line.
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Old 05-02-14, 04:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Biker395
Whoa.


Really I will someday.
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Old 05-03-14, 12:13 AM
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Most of the places I do my riding are out of cell phone range and have minimal traffic. (My personal record is 135 miles before the first car passed me.) Since I do a fair amount of my riding either by myself or on a tandem with my wife, we use a Spot. It allows select people to track our location and gives us four other pre-set messages we can send, one of which calls in the search and rescue. We may upgrade to one that allows us to send unique text messages when the service term is up next year.
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Old 05-03-14, 12:25 AM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
Same here....I don 't have a cell phone.
It's an advantage of being 50+. Used to ride solo all the time and there wasn't any such thing as a cell phone (well, not smaller than a lunchbox anyway). I get along fine without one on the bike. (I do have one, mainly just to ask the wife what she wants from the grocery store when I'm out). People know not to call my cell, I never answer unless I specifically tell someone to call me. I've never needed more than a tire repair kit on the road, anything else and I could limp back one way or the other (I've had "single gear" a couple times, just dealt with it). Maybe partly that's because as a kid, there was no such thing as "take your bike to the bike shop" you fixed it yourself or lived with it (for me, mostly the latter).

scott s.
.
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Old 05-03-14, 01:54 AM
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My state of the art phone, apparently designed for developing countries, extra long battery life and really good signal strength compared to my wifes smart phone, suits me fine

All it can do is make and receive calls and texts.



I gave up on fancy phones when I took a dunking when fishing.

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