Hi guys, I was sitting down last night talking with my four daughters, showing them my proposed Tour next Summer and explaining that when I retire in 6 years(I'll be 60!)I plan on Touring the US then will hit Europe. I plan on doing it Solo..my youngest daughter then asked.."Dad, what happens if you have a heart attack or something and you're in the middle of nowhere?". Yikes....this is something I never thought about. I like to think I'm physically fit, eat good...has anyone ever encountered a problem while riding solo? Do you hope you're near other people? What if your Cel phone is out of range? Is this something that maybe I shouldn't worry too much about??

If you're really worried, you can always get a Personal Locator Beacon. They're not cheap, though.

Wow...$500? Wonder what they charge should you ever have to use it?

You are going to Die sometime, perhaps obsessive worry about the inevitable suits you?
Go for it!

-Bandera

I agree with CBadRider that a PLB will certainly work, but it may or may not provide the rapid emergency response you need for something like an MI. I used to work in a pretty remote part of the desert in Southern California and I noticed that these days there's hardly any areas that don't have at least 1-2 bars of cell signal. The other factor is in areas where there isn't cell coverage the response times for fire/EMS/LE will be really long...like 45 minutes where I used to work.

If you're reasonably fit, take care of yourself, and don't have any serious chronic medical issues then your level of concern for experiencing a serious medical problem should be the same as for any other hazard like crime, dangerous roads etc...use your brain and trust your "spidey senses".

Have a great time! Sounds like a fantastic post retirement plan.

Sam

Get a Road ID, put the pertinent emergency contact info, and enjoy yourself.

Depending on where you are, it does not matter if you are solo or not. There are places in the western states, and other places, that medical help may be hours away.

https://www.roadid.com/Common/default.aspx

It's an appropriate concern. It's one where you can reduce risks but not eliminate them.

I downloaded the Road ID app onto my iPhone. I like it, but once I was in Da Boonies and lost the signal, and it sent out an emergency notification that freaked my wife out for a moment.

If you are truly in the middle of nowhere, nothing much will help.

I was concerned about my cardiovascular status enough to get a heart cath. Knowing I have clean coronary arteries gives me a level of confidence about charging up hostile hills in Da Boonies. Before you embark into the great outdoors, you'd want a thorough check-up.

My take on travel-related emergencies based on years traveling & living overseas while in the military and doing some international athletic competitions totally solo where I couldn't rely on military medical/transportation backup. I've also spent month s on the road in a schoolbus/van touring the States after I retired.... so take the following for what it's worth to you. YMMV

1. Family at home issue - you need to get home YESTERDAY for whatever reason. Find a LBS(hotel, local, whatever) and arrange to leave bike there/store it. Worry about getting it home later. It's that simple. First thing's first.

Be prepared to write off the bike if it comes to that. Sometimes it might cost more to get it back home than it's worth.(I wrote off $650 skis under similar circumstances once....back in the late 70s/early 80s, I forget exactly... yes, I was a serious racer in a past life.)

You need to have the cash and/or access to credit and/or your bank account to buy a "fly today/tomorrow" ticket - usually much more expensive than the buy_now-travel_in_6_months type of ticket. Sucks but you just do it. Happened to me 2x in 14 years.
[Having an open-return date ticket never seemed to work when I had to return quickly/unexpectedly.]

2. Injury - you need medical insurance that covers you for the area where you are traveling. No insurance (or it doesn't cover you/is refused in a particular place)? This is where a wad of traveller's checks/$100 US greenbacks comes in (yeah, that can be a safety/theft issue.. but that's another story). You pay as much as possible in the traveller's checks first and the cash second.

In the States, it's not as big a deal as overseas, but I was once refused medical care at an Austrian clinic and told to head down the road to a hospital emergency room. In the States, I've never been turned away from an emergency room even when my medical coverage was iffy. Otoh, the check-in staff can be real dicks. But, if you are bleeding, they wil definitely take care of you first and then bleed your wallet dry later.

3. Bike problems - assume (near)catastrophic failure of some part of the bike. Buy/carry a replacement te entire length of your tour. Get to a train/bus station and go from there to nearest town/city where a replacement can be found/made. Hit up a local welder to have your frame/rack/derailleur hanger re-welded.

Basically, you need to decide what are the potential showstoppers for which you are willing to carry spares and the likelihood that you can buy replacement parts where you will be riding. If you're in the hinterlands, parts may be unavailable. Can you afford (money/time-wise) to just sit and wait while someone ships you a replacement (from home/from online)? I've carried far more than others on various routes at times - but I've never regretted it for longer than an individual hill. I'm the conservative type - I 'd rather have it and not need it than not have it and be stranded/tour-ended.

4. Illness - relates to but is different than injury. Sometimes you can just go to a local clinic and get help cheaply. Other times, you're going to face a serious decision - hole up in a hotel/motel and be sick or (try to) return home while ill. The latter is something that can be a gamble - I've been refused boarding when I was sick and trying to fly out from Istanbul to Frankfurt.

Sometimes, Montezuma's Revenge is just that - a couple day's discomfort and you can move on. Other times, it's something else and only a medic can tell. What's your personal medical knowledge? Mine's pretty good but I know its limitations.

If you're overseas, what's your medical language ability? Can you convey your symptoms to the medical types? I always carried a local language medical reference card or pocket dictionary. At one point, my medical-travel library was quite extensive.

Last thing about medical insurance. In the event of catastrophic injury, does your insurance cover medical flights home? Some policies don't. Medical flight expenses can be unbelievably expensive.

All that said, I have never let any of those concerns stop me from traveling.

ICEdot Crash Sensor

$149, plus annual service subscription

To keep your phone charged, consider a dynamo hub with a USB charging port. The B&M Luxos U combines a dynamo headlight (with daytime running lights) with a handlebar-mounted USB charging port. Charge your phone or your Garmin as you ride. I just put one on my primary commuter. Although I don't use USB devices, it's a great headlight. I like the DRLs.

Dont worry over the worst possibility causing you not to do what you really want to do.

Talk to really old people, they will tell you that the thing they regret the most is what they didnt do, rather that the things they did do.

good question but it is the same thing we need to consider anyway without cycling. every family should have a plan. yesterday as I was paying my life insurance bill I reminded my wife who to call if I die. she said: "that's not enough $$"

but tsl's icedot link looks like the right thing to get for someone like you

Those are issues we 50+ people face all the time. An experienced Las Vegas cyclist in tip top shape suffered a heart attack and died on the River Mountain Loop last winter. You never know when something is going to happen. Preparation is not just for Boy Scouts, we all need it.

I appreciate that you started this thread. There are many good ideas and options posted here. Enjoy the ride and keeping an eye on retiring!

I espouse the Bierbaum Model of Emergency Response: "If assailed by fear and doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."

About the only thing I carry to deal with emergencies is my prepaid ultra-dumb phone. For the rest, I just trust to the fact that I've told others where I'm going, before I go. I'm too cheap and broke to do anything else, aside from finding a riding partner everywhere I go, and I don't have those handy very often.

If I were to get serious about it, I'd probably call a designated "home base" every half-hour or so with my current location and any change of plans I may have for my ride.

I come from a mountaineering and cycle touring background, where there are always uncertainties. Some things we can control and some thing we can't. They are called "objective dangers" in mountaineering which include events that are out of the control of the climber, such as rockfall and avalanches.

Cycle touring is much the same way. There are things that will happen that are out of our control. We can be somewhat prepared, but to obsess over events that in all probability will not happen is counter productive to the primary reasons we tour on our bikes. My wife and I have been touring for many years and have ridden self contained across the U.S. twice, several times in Canada, and through 7 European countries. Many of our earlier trips were in the pre-cell phone days. Our most recent tour, this summer, was across British Columbia into Alberta. Actually, I was more worried about bears when we were camping on the last trip than if I had cell phone coverage. Most of our multi- month tours were done after we retired, in our 50's and 60's. i just turned 70 and we are planning a 2+ month self contained tour from the Atlantic coast of France to the Black Sea in Romania. Do I think about "what if's", yes; do I obsess over them, no.

The point is: Work on the things we can control, prepare adequately for the things that we can't, and then just go out there and ride.

Being self sufficient is probably the best way to reduce the anxiety of what to do in an emergency. Learn first aid, know basic bike maintenance skills, develop good riding skills, have and know how to use the proper equipment. Sure there are days when you will be out of contact with the rest of the world, but in today's tech age that is usually a very short period. There are even some folks who puposely leave their cell phones at home while on tour.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with some folks some time back. I was driving across West US and Western Canada. Lots of times I'm in areas with no communications(common in even suburban areas) and ending up in a place well off the road system and with no neighbors within miles. The other person asked: "But what if you have a heart attack? What if you are injured?" My answer was: "I'll either survive, or I'll die, same as if I'm in town."

Sounds flippant, but it isn't. Fact is most folks don't really have a very good understanding of the risks they take in daily life. Neither do they understand the limitations of people who are in the rescue business. Nor, what the chances are of their walking out of hospital after a serious cardiac or other medical event requiring advanced life support. Fact is my risk factors of dying from a serious but survivable event are very little different than a person in an urban setting. What is big league different is the requirement that I keep my head out and understand what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.

The other factor is, as has been mentioned, attitude. Mental attitude is nearly everything. The foundation of that is being self-sufficient. Being able to take care of yourself is, literally, a life saver. But, it requires training and practice and more practice. Buying ID devices, while sounding sensible is way down on the list of places to spend money. Finding and successfully taking a good Wilderness Medicine class is invaluable for nearly anyone who wants to be confident and self-sufficient.

My personal rule that I followed for many years was to leave my plan with someone back in town. Generally I would tell them about where I was going to be and when I'd either return or check in. Instructions were to give me a day or so after check-in to solve my own problems before calling out rescue. Then I carry a PLB, others use SPOT, for the time I am in over my head.

Solve the attitude challenge first. Then all the mechanical details will fall in place very nicely.

I have a SPOT tracker. For $150 a year plus the initial $120 or so, you can set up a personal page (EXAMPLE) and have the thing track you online. If people are worried about you, they get used to how the SPOT works. They have a newer version that's coming out. It also has an SOS button that will eventually result in a 911 call, or you can push an emergency button that results in a message to someone you set up. It's not 100% reliable, but if it can see the sky it gets tracked pretty well.

For entertainment, you can hit replay and watch me ride 750 miles HERE

In addition to all the suggestions here (some contradictory I know), it wouldn't hurt to take a first aid/CPR class from the local Red Cross. Better yet if they offer a wilderness/backwoods version as well. I know OP mentioned doing his tour solo, but while CPR is tough to perform on yourself, the classes do cover some self-rescue techniques e.g., abdominal thrusts (formerly known as the Heimlich Maneuver, until the Heimlich family wanted royalties). Plus, it never hurts to be prepared just in case the person needing help isn't you, but someone you know (or even someone you don't know).

I spent much of my youth backpacking in the Sierras and Rockies long before there were cell phones, plb's, etc. I always left a general route of my trip with friends or family, along with telling them I would check in on certain days, if they didn't here from me within 24 hrs of that check-in time they could then call the authorities in the area I was in. What did people do before there was instant communication, just go on and live your life. Should the worst happen, someone or something will find you eventually, if it's a someone, you'll be given a nice service and memorial stone, if it's a something, you'll be left on the ground at some point along with everything else that's been digested.
John

I do a lot of riding in areas with no cell coverage and very little traffic. I've been using a SPOT for several years. I even pay for the "bread crumb" feature that sends my position every ten minutes. Every so often, the information gets stuck somewhere on the server for an hour or so and then updates all at once. This has caused some consternation for my followers. You can pay to have the SOS button send emergency crews to you, including a helicopter. At least that's what the brochure said way back when I started paying for it. I hope to never find out how that works.

My sister-in-law, who lives in the Tahoe area, recently got one. She had a good friend crash his mountain bike on a solo ride and it took quite a while to locate him. If he would have had a SPOT, his partner would have known both when he went down and where he was to pretty close approximations and he might have had a fuller recovery by saving those six hours of searching time.

Learn these techniques just in case :


https://www.hoax-slayer.com/survive-heart-attack.html

Yeah, take appropriate precautions with RoadID, maybe a satellite phone if you really want to be prepared, etc. But at some level, if this is what will really make you happy or be the focus of your life, then don't shy away from the risk.

I have a cousin who is a diver. Some years ago he had an event that almost killed him ("blebs"). He was advised that if he continued to dive, there was some risk of it returning, so for some years he didn't dive. But a couple of years ago, in his mid-60s, he returned to diving. When I asked the "what if" question, he said, basically, this is my bliss - my son is grown and independent, I have no career any longer, I don't want to rot in a rocking chair. He's been diving for a few years now without incident (well, except that a his chartered diving boat sunk off of Indonesia, but he was rescued), and he's got something to live for.

Why live forever if we don't do what we love?

Wow, I really like this. I'll have to look into acquiring one....

I suspect one of the safest plans is the buddy system, ensuring both of you have some emergency medical training. How much safer that actually makes you isn't clear to me, but I'd guess it's significant.

Kids understandably have a difficult time dealing with their parents' mortality. I tell my kids that things will be okay, no matter what happens. Sometimes the reasoning behind their fear is something you aren't even aware of - like they read a fairly tale and are worried about an evil step-parent. Or a friend's dad died and left the family with nothing.

I think what we do is raise them the best we can, and part of that is living by example, and part of that is showing them how to live life to the fullest.

The most painful and upsetting thing about the two heart attacks I have had is the reaction of my wife.... she was and is so worried and it has changed her life. Anything I can do to assuage her current concerns, I do it, even if it gets in the way of what I would like to do while riding. Keep your family in mind, they have to live with what happens to you. A locater beacon or other such technology is cheap in the grand scheme of things. What do you think they will think if you don't think about them. Anything can happen anytime, that is the only thing I know at this point and I want my family to be protected no matter what happens to me.

Sometimes I realy think that my wife and I have actually been good role models for our kids. I was just talking to my daughter about a tour we did together earlier this summer. It is an annual tradition that we started a few years ago; taking our two daughters on a tour sometime during the summer.

She told me that she was going to take her daughter and her daughter's friend, on a short tour next summer. She is planning on using part of the route we rode 2 years ago, Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Idaho. I am proud of her for taking this on by herself, and being a role model for her kids.

However, she also wanted to know where the "big girls" were going next year.