One time, a bike store didn't have the size tube I needed and advised me that one just a little smaller would work. I needed one, so I gave it a try.

Several weeks later it got a puncture, and because the tube needed to be over inflated to fill the tire, the rubber was so stretched that I couldn't get a patch to hold. So I ended up dragging my bike to the nearest bus stop and took the bus the rest of the way in to work.

Another time, I had just bought a new bike and a spoke popped. The wheel was so badly laced that the rear wheel immediately tacoed too severely to be ridden. My wife picked me up.

One time I was bike-jacked while commuting to school. I walked to the police station two blocks away and then walked home.

One time I was assaulted by another cyclist and my rear wheel tacoed as he strong-armed me into traffic. I locked the bike where I hoped it would be safe and walked the rest of the way to work.

One time I was feeling ill but tried to commute anyway. The first block was slightly down-hill so I made it. Then I got onto a level street which was so excruciating that I knew I wouldn't make it the 9 miles to work. So I turned around, rode home and crawled back into bed.