Walk of shame
 

Have you ever Had to walk your bike home, or even worse, to work? I was having a problem getting flats on the way home. Still not sure what caused it, but I had to walk home once and had my wife pick me up the other time. Fortunately it was only about 1.5 miles. Still I hate walking, especially hauling a non-functioning bike.

Yes. I had a serious problem with my rim on my commuter and could not make the last four miles. Called my friends at the bike shop and they picked me up.

That's Awesome... The time I had my wife pick me up I had her take me to the bike shop. I think it's the first time I've paid someone to change my tube. I swear I did the same thing they did. All the same it was worth it.

Not yet. Renewed my AAA membership just in case - the towing service now includes bicycles.

A few times. I've had to catch a bus on two occassions...when I broke a pedal and when I broke a crank.

I had to carry a bike about a mile back to work when I slammed into a curve at about 30 mph...missed a corner...and folded the fork under. I did a full layout dismount with a pivot on my head. I had to carry my broken bike back up to work so that I could call home. Pre-cell phone days

Yes and no. When my chainring bolts exploded after starting at a green light. Hopefully, it was mostly downhill from there so i was able to get home mostly on my bike.
Also before i took care of my flat problem, i got a flat tire once every week...and so the walk...

My chain came off last week. I stopped and fixed it best I could with the cheap took kit I have on my bike. Came off a second time as I was easing her back home and ended up having to call my husband to pick me up. I now have a couple of real wrenches in my bike bag.

Twice.

The first time was when I broke a chain. This was in (my) pre-cell phone days. I walked three miles before I found someone with a phone I could use to call my wife to come rescue me. It was around 0 degrees. I dress pretty light when I'm riding because I generate heat. I discovered walking doesn't generate the same amount of heat. Brrrr. I had been resistant towards getting a cell phone up to this point, but this was actually the incident that my wife finally used to make me get one.

The second time wasn't too long after the first. I had two consecutive flats caused by a complete tube blowout. Fixed the first blowout, but I only had 1 spare tube with me so after the 2nd tube exploded (rather impressively, I might add) I was done. Both tubes were damaged to the point where they couldn't be patched. Called my wife to come bring me home. Turns out I had a split in the sidewall of that tire which was causing the issue.

Did the walk of shame an additional time where I had a flat less than a mile from home and I decided it was close enough to just walk the bike home and use my repair stand to fix the tire rather than try and do it on the side of the road.

Once, while touring. I have told this story here before.

I was flying down a hill on a loaded touring bike in rural Ontario. Saw a set of railway tracks. Silly me, I decided to bunny hop the tracks. Sailed cleanly over the tracks but landed and hard and heard a pop. Stripped out the tube, and patched it. It held....for a while.....long enough for me to make it down the road and across a ferry, where I came into a real isolated area. I got a little farther and then the slow leak was bad enough that I couldn't continue.

So walk of shame, had only brought a patch kit. Walked about 5 miles to a little hamlet that had a general store. Called my aunt who lived near my destination, she came to get me. Next day, new tires and spare tube, and never had another flat for many years.

I have had a few walks of shame.

The first one I remember was due to my derailleur being eaten by my spokes, I was rather perturbed since it was recently out of the shop for a look over after getting bumped into with a car. I walked a few minutes and luckily found a taxi and had him take me to work. My wife drove me home I think, or I hitched a ride and brought it home with the car the next day.

The second one was getting going grinding up a hill one dark rainy fall evening. My chain snapped. I called the wife who was in an inconvenient location due to traffic. I walked about forty minutes with not even a bus going by until she got to me.

I had to have her come get me one time due to a sidewall blowout. It blew halfway to work and I limped it with a crummy boot to work but I didn't trust it for a ride home.

I wrecked on my way to work and broke my right sti so I had a three speed. I got to work and adjusted the cable to give a decent single or three speed for the hill home. Drop the chain on the hill to the small chain ring and bam chain broke. I didn't think I had my chain tool since I thought my in-laws had borrowed it for their own trip. So I called for a pick-up and hoofed it until we met. I ended up having my chain tool with me as it turned out but I hadn't bothered to check.

I once was almost to work and I had a big slice in the tire. I was on a bridge and not comfortable changing the tube on the narrow path, the walk off put me super close to work so I opted to walk. It would have been faster and easier to do it roadside though.

The last one I needed an ambulance and I still have to get the bike back. But I'm walking around the house without crutches now.

Granting, sometimes the tires, depend on which one you have, can be so hard to mount back on the rims!

I am trying to understand what a "walk of shame" is if it sometimes involves being picked up by spouses or co-workers...

It's known as, "tongue in cheek." ;)

+1. This thread is conflating the "Call of Shame" with the "Walk of Shame."

Nope, not yet. Busted the seat tube clean off of the BB shell. Found a hardware store with 1/2" fiberglass backed packing tape. Strong stuff. Worked well for the last 10 miles home. Busted a rear der. cable. Just put a small stick in the derailleur to get it to stay in a middle cog. 3x1 for the rest of the commute. Busted ego once. Got blown off the bike( well blown over and then off the bike) over a snow bank, not a good time. Had to do some duck n cover once. Black wall clouds and tornados, nothing to fool with. Once saw me soaking wet and shivering. Under some garbage cans they will sometimes leave a clean one. Stripped off my base layer and wrung it out. Cut out neck and arm holes from the bag and put it on. Tucked it in as well. Put my wet windbreaker on over it, pedaled home. HTFU and YRMV.

Once, less than a mile from home, on my way back. Flat tire, had not brought my flat fix kit because "it's only a short ride." I now bring the flat fix kit everywhere, not in case I get a flat, but rather to ward it off with effective preparedness juju.

I always carry the gear needed to fix a flat tire with me, so I haven't for a flat tire.

I have for a frame that broke at the bottom bracket (old schwin rusted out), a cheap walmart bike someone else was riding that busted at the stem, and someone I was riding with didn't have good lighting for night riding and tried to turn into a curb and flatted their tire - they had the gear to fix it but it was only a mile from home so we just walked back as it was easier to fix at home. One time in winter I got picked up biking to my parents place when I found that the last leg of the trail was not plowed at all (it had been plowed up to that point).

I always bring a cell phone and credit card with me in case someone unfixable happens and I need to call a cab. You can't really bring a torch and welding equipment with you in case your frame gives out lol.

I've had two in really remote places. Once I rode 10 km on a rear flat, intentionally ruining a rim. The second time I broke a chain 20 km from civilization and had to persuade the one vehicle that passed to turn around and take me back to town (Dili, East Timor). I've called the wife a couple of times: once for an unrideable wheel and once for a bloody crash (laid the bike down on a mountain curve when an oncoming vehicle crossed the double yellow.

Now I mostly rescue others. I carry a small chain pin tool, spare pins, spare connex links, a tube, a tire boot, vulcanizing patch kit, pump, spoke wrenches, etcetera. It's not a lot of bulk. The pump straps to the bike and everything else fits in a jersey pocket. Short of catastrophic failure I can make a bike rideable with this kit.

I've made the call a few times due to my heart condition bugging me. Once it was the combination of that and cool weather - I couldn't work hard enough to warm up. I've had one debilitating mechanical but I was close enough to home to walk it back.

I separated a chain and had to foot paddle/coast 4 miles home. On the downhills, I looked the business and even passed another cyclist just to have them catch me up while I paddled. It was actually pretty fun and a decent workout.

I had one this year when my RD blew up. There was no way I was going to be able to fix than one on the side of the road.

My first trip to work on a new bike my rear wheel collapsed. 9.5 miles into my 16.5 mile commute, 5:00 AM. I decided I would rather get stranded at home than at work, so I turned around and started limping home with the tire all wobbly and lightly rubbing against the frame and fender. Three miles from home I encounter my only significant hill climb and I decided to walk. At the (almost) crest, I decided to ride it out. Tire started rubbing pretty heavy and was a chore to pedal. The last two miles are (effectively) down hill, so I was able to nurse it home. The last 1/4 mile saw the rear tire pretty much fully involved with the left frame rail and I could smell the tire. But, being so close to home my mechanical sympathy was long gone. Chugged the last few blocks and parked it.

Changed out of my soaking wet riding clothes (oh, and it was raining) and into work clothes and motorcycle gear and sped off to work. Only 45 minutes later than usual.

Lesson learned: After rebuilding a wheel for the first time, give it a solid test ride and keep tuning until it's tight and right.

Back when I first had my folding bike I made sure I had all I needed to fix a flat; 2 spare tubes, tire levers, pump, even tire boots. I was all ready!

Until I actually got a flat and discovered that the folder (Da Hon) didn't have QR on the back . . . had it on the front so I just thought it would have it on the back. No . . . 15mm nut and me with no wrench.

Phoned my wife (yes, this was in Cell-Phone era) but it took her awhile to get off work and get to where I was. Must have walked a mile, mile and half, not sure exactly. Finally hooked up, threw the Da Hon in the back of her Subaru Forester; no worries!

Then there was the time (before I was married), when I broke a chain and had to walk all the way home, about 3 miles.

Rick / OCRR

I tried my best to follow that principal.

Made repair kit with tube, tools and patch kit. Mounted Road Morph to chain stay. Replaced $12 Nashbar slicks with Schwalbe Marathon Racers......

Less than fifty miles later......rode past a construction zone. Picked up a piece of roof decking in the new rear tire big enough it would flatten the tire on a big truck. Flat within seconds--first one in several years. Local cop stopped to check on me, I told him that I be OK as soon as I got this in and unrolled my pre-talc powered tube. He went on. Tube was for road bike, I was on MTB. Called wife she offered to come get me. ​Told her no, just letting you know that I'll be late. Patched tube and rode on. Missed the machine-gun effect on the rim side and had to pump up three or four times on way home.

Now, I have two, correct sized, tubes and the patch kit. So far, so good.

I Guess being picked up wasn't so bad but it was actually the third flat within 2 or 3 weeks that drove me to the LBS. I live so close to my job that I take the long way home. Pushing your bike down a MUP with bikes wizzing by is kind of sad. I like biking, inline skating, driving, it's been awhile but riding a motorcycle. For me, walking is not enjoyable. Neither is an unrideable bike.