Over twenty years ago before I had a cell phone I was riding out in the country. I was kind of in the middle of nowhere and I had a flat. No problem I thought since I had everything that I should need. For some reason the little nut on the presta valve was on there so tight I could not get it off! I know that it always seemed loose so one time I really cranked it on there. That day I regretted it greatly. I walked for quite awhile but I was so far from home I was looking for a friendly farm house. A truck pulled up and asked if I needed help. I asked if he had some pliers but he didn't and offered me a ride. He drove me and my bike about 15 miles home. We have been great friends since. I no longer have those little nuts on my bike anymore.

Had one recently. Around mile 25 in a friday afternoon solo ride, I get my first flat. No problem - replace the tube, go on my way. At mile 32, I get my second flat. No problem - pull out the patch kit, only to realize I didn't put fresh glue in this season and the tube of glue was all dried up. Damn. I start walking, knowing there is a service station less than two miles away. I reach it - ask if they have some contact cement -- they did, so I patched the tube. At this point I'm only 5 miles from home, so I didn't bother patching the other one.

Well, a half mile along and I'm flat again!! I figured I might just as well walk the rest of the way, which I did until my wife happened to be driving past me about a mile from home and picked me up.

So what was the problem? Debris stuck in the tire causing repeated flats? Nope...the problem was the original flat had left a slit in the tire about 1/4 inch long and every time I pumped up the tire it opened up in such a way that it easily picked up any little piece of debris from the roads. If I'd paid attention when Ii was fixing on the road I would have noticed that and put a boot in there, but I didn't notice it until I was fixing at home.

Is a tube something that you have to remember to bring with you everyday? I full emergency flat repair lives on my bike.
I use spd mountain bike shoes to commute on a road bike or flat pedals to commute on my hybrid. I usually use the hybrid to commute because it is just better suited for it.

Would the "called" of shame ask why you couldn't repair your own flat?

I was reading a book Cycling home from siberia by Rob Lilwall and he told about while riding in China he had stopped to ask a group of people for some directions ana as he was leaving he had swung his leg back onto the saddle in order to set off again . But as he did so he heard a loud ripping sound and he claimed the seat of his trousers which were well worn had ripped cleanly open revealing his very white behind to the very astonished onlookers . He stated he quickly sat down and pedaled away with out looking back. I guess you could describe this more as the ride of shame.

just use platforms, bro...you can put out just as much power without them, you just end up using some muscles more than others

also safer and faster to accelerate at stop lights

I walked up a steep part of a hill today. Right after donating blood. I could tell I was a bit low.

I've patched, swapped, walked, called, locked and left, carried - you name it - and I feel no shame.

I've walked up a short 13% hill. I feel confident that I will shame myself even further when I walk that section on the new Synapse. I just suck. I claim old, female and overweight. I'm working on the overweight, but the other two cannot be changed.... in this lifetime.

My walk of shame story goes like this:
I'm riding my single speed commuter one day when the chain breaks (I'd removed a link and must've not gotten it back together properly - my fault). I'm about 15 miles from home and have no tools appropriate to attempt the repair so I call my wife to come get me. I hate being in a position of having to wait for my wife (as she's one of these people who's always late for everything) but I saw no choice. I describe to my wife where I am and how to get there and I wait. I position the back of my bike facing the traffic lane she should've been traveling on with my 3 watt Magicshine tailight blinking away so she could see me. An hour plus goes by, still not there. I call her - she can't find me but claims she rode down the street I sent her to "twice". Starts arguing with me when I try to figure out where she is and how she might've missed the street. States she'll drive down it "again". 20 minutes later, still no sign of herr. Call her again - she's furuious (and in all fairness, I am too) and screaming at me that I'm not where I keep telling her I am. I can't figure out where she is because by this time, civility has gone out the window. I finally tell her to forget it - I'll walk home (never occurred to me to take public transportation). By now, I've regressed to the maturity level of a 5 year old. I'm imagining myself straggling in after 11 PM, blisters on my feet, bike cleats worn to a nub.... (picture little Ralphie's, from "A Christmas Story", gone blind fantasy) .... making her feel unbearably guilty over the situation. Ha, another hard fought victory (hey, it's my fantasy!). Anyway, she comes up behind me about a 1/2 block up the road (driving in the opposite direction she should've had she been following my directions). I guess I wasn't too committed to my cause as I get into the car with her. Though still boiling, I keep my mouth shut - the kids were in the car - thank God. This truly was a shameful moment - luckily our marriage survived.

I've had a tire slice open, and spokes snap on me before, none on the way to work, all after hours. I Sighed and walked, or limped it back.

I was stopped on the way home a few weeks ago fixing a flat tire a mile or so south of my office . I had just finished inflating the tire and was slipping it back into place. A woman (I had never seen before) in a pickup truck stopped in the traffic lane and said,"Looks like you're in trouble, throw the bike in the back and I'll give you a ride home." I assured her that I was fine, flipped the bike over and started stashing my tube and tools in the brain box (recumbent seat bag) and waved as she pulled into traffic. Sometimes it's nice living in a small town... I have made the 'call of shame' when I had a flat and wasn't prepared...but no more.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

How many ways are there to do that? One should do, but all are OK, I guess. Belt and suspenders...

Ouch!!!

More "Ride of Pain" than "Walk of Shame." I think I'd rather take the walk.

One gets occasional offers of help in the city too. However it's also the case that strangers may recognize that you're less in need of help in the city than you would be in a rural area, since you may be close to a bikeshop, phonebooth (back in the day), public transit, etc.

I always walk up a hill whenever I feel like it. I seem to have no shame.

After donating blood, I would probably have taken the bus.

Oh man, that is some heavy pain. Perhaps she missed you watching out for traffic. Did she wash your mouth out with soap when you said "Oh fuuuuuudge, only I didn't say fudge" in front of the kids :-P

The worst walk of shame is when it happens to my triplet with my wife and/or others. We've sheared through cotter pins, destroyed chains, broken spokes, damaged rims and snapped clamps on the saddle. That sucker is no kinds of fun to walk either!

Hey Aaron, that's quite a list of bikes. I'd love to be your heir (assuming you're an old guy with all those vintage classics )!

Summer of 73, US Coast Guard Cadet cruise to Northern Europe. I ended up buying a German department store bike in Lubeck. Our next stop was Alborg, Denmark. On our day off a friend and I headed out. Within a couple of miles, I'd had 2 flats. I'd run out of patches so my friend went on and I returned to the ship to get another repair kit. We had agreed to meet about 20 K outside of Lubeck and then ride back. In the process I had about 3 more flats. I didn't know a lot about bikes and didn't realize until later that there was no rim tape on either wheel. The spokes were eating up the inside of the tubes. Late in the afternoon, after missing the meet with my friend, I stopped at a road side store for a drink and snack. When I came out I found another flat. My walk of shame lasted about 10 minutes before a Danish family took pity and stopped to give me a lift back the to ship. Thank goodness the high school aged daughter spoke some english.

That's a great story for people who think the "Walmart bike" is a new phenomenon, or who might automatically have assumed that Germans somehow would have had higher standards.

It depends on the definition of old!

Thanks, I like them.

My seat collar broke today on a trail after trying to adjust it. This right before a storm was getting ready to come in. Had to call my gf to pick me up. For shame!!