What's the longest you've had to walk home after a gear mishap?
#1
Thread Starter
veggieburglar
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 647
Likes: 0
From: Santa Barbara/San Jose, CA
Bikes: 60s Peugeot conversion, 2002 Santa Cruz Heckler, 2007 Bianchi "Everyone has one" Pista, Beat up Beach Cruiser
What's the longest you've had to walk home after a gear mishap?
Last night I was riding around goofing off and I completely, irreparably stripped out my hub. It was pretty demoralizing but the wheel was crap anyway, I probably should have expected it. Anyway, I had to walk about 3 and a half miles home at 3 in the morning. Anyone got any horror stories?
#4
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Bikes: '80 Motobecane '86 Eddy Merckx '88 Miyata
you can always stuff grass into you tire, tape in on with duct tape, if the chain breaks and you can't shorten it or put it back, then you always have a poorly designed push scooter. W*mart sometimes stocks 27" tires, which is one of the only good things about them. Once got a flat, walked the bike into the store and reinflated the new tube with one of the foot pumps, alot quicker.
the longest I had to walk was recent when I bought a bike at goodwill that was missing tubes so had to walk both bikes about half a mile.
the longest I had to walk was recent when I bought a bike at goodwill that was missing tubes so had to walk both bikes about half a mile.
#5
Bow$$
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,013
Likes: 0
From: Bodymore, Murderland
Bikes: Surly Instigator '02, Schwinn Traveler fixed conversion, '02 Fuji Track
i've walked plenty of bikes, but the most embarassing, not the longest mind you, was walking my mountain bike out of a trail after I trashed my derailer. I kept having to explain to people that my derailer was broke and that I didn't need help fixing it... when you're a big dude, walking your bike up hill out of a trail just feels like a walk of shame, no matter how badly your bike is damaged.
#7
i was mtn biking a couple years ago and blew thru all my co2 on some too short presta valves. walked about 5 miles out in sidi dominators and my feet were freakin cobbled.
the worst though was when i was younger and dating a psychotic girl and walked twelve miles to get back to my car in cons with no socks. it took the most part of an afternoon, but it was better than having to deal with the girl...
the worst though was when i was younger and dating a psychotic girl and walked twelve miles to get back to my car in cons with no socks. it took the most part of an afternoon, but it was better than having to deal with the girl...
#10
coventry rat
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: cleveland
Bikes: gitane criterium bernard hinault beast, bmc streetfire
please excuse my lack of photochop skills, this was done in ms paint and mapquest, but it sort of represents the longest/ scariest walk I had, sans cell phone (battery died)after a constantines show at the beacland ballroom, through east cleveland at 230 in the morning..
#11
Yeah, but the show was probably worth it. God bless the Constantines.
I had to walk about 5 km in too small Chuck's after I flated a rear tire. First ride on a new wheelset. The rim tape wasn't quite centered, so the tube flated inside the rim ...
I had to walk about 5 km in too small Chuck's after I flated a rear tire. First ride on a new wheelset. The rim tape wasn't quite centered, so the tube flated inside the rim ...
#12
v. 2.0
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Bikes: 2006 Giant Bowery, early 1990s Diamondback "newspaper" bike
I think the longest was 2~ miles for me. I took a freshman out for a ride to show him how to get from campus to Atlanta, blew a tire, botched the patch job & extra tube, and had to walk back to campus in my SIDI road cleats with him tagging along. Hopefully he figured out how to get to Atlanta with someone else...
#14
Thread Starter
veggieburglar
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 647
Likes: 0
From: Santa Barbara/San Jose, CA
Bikes: 60s Peugeot conversion, 2002 Santa Cruz Heckler, 2007 Bianchi "Everyone has one" Pista, Beat up Beach Cruiser
Originally Posted by bonechilling
Apparently no one loves Ryan enough to come and pick
him up.
him up.
Hahaha its true.... although it might have helped if I had brought along my phone.
#15
Banned
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,926
Likes: 0
From: United States
Bikes: roadbikes and full-suspension mountainbikes
If the bike is truly "down for the count" that's when the cellular phone comes out. I've got enough friends and family around that I don't need to have my feet covered in blisters from walking five miles in road cleats. Mountainbiking might be a different story, although my friends and I carry lots more spares for more comprehensive repairs...
#16
8.7 miles.
I was twelve, road my Huffy to the beach to perve on some girls, but got a flat. Tried calling collect home but no one was there. Walked about half, rode on the flat rear for the other half cause I was getting so tired of walking, it was getting dark out and kinda cold.
I was twelve, road my Huffy to the beach to perve on some girls, but got a flat. Tried calling collect home but no one was there. Walked about half, rode on the flat rear for the other half cause I was getting so tired of walking, it was getting dark out and kinda cold.
#17
Lets do this
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, Oh
Originally Posted by calculus
please excuse my lack of photochop skills, this was done in ms paint and mapquest, but it sort of represents the longest/ scariest walk I had, sans cell phone (battery died)after a constantines show at the beacland ballroom, through east cleveland at 230 in the morning..
#19
Originally Posted by calculus
please excuse my lack of photochop skills, this was done in ms paint and mapquest, but it sort of represents the longest/ scariest walk I had, sans cell phone (battery died)after a constantines show at the beacland ballroom, through east cleveland at 230 in the morning..
__________________
https://blicksbags.com/
https://blicksbags.com/
#20
I got one last week on my way to campus. Dangit! A short ride so no flat replacement gear on me. I always crave a huge sandwich board deal when I have a flat that says, "I'd ride my bike if I didn't have a flat. I'm not walking it because my legs are tired or because I'm a wimp." I just have this feeling that everyone who sees me is thinking, "Why is that dickface walking his bike instead of riding it?"
Yeah, I say lots of little prayers to myself when biking through bad parts of town that I won't pick up a flat. Good work, Calculus.
Yeah, I say lots of little prayers to myself when biking through bad parts of town that I won't pick up a flat. Good work, Calculus.
#23
Well, not longest, but most recent:
Broke my chain a little over a mile from home. How, I don't know. Clean break.
Whoever said a chainless bike is a poorly designed scooter was very right.
Broke my chain a little over a mile from home. How, I don't know. Clean break.
Whoever said a chainless bike is a poorly designed scooter was very right.




