mihlbach

I have ridden about 45,000 miles in the last 6.5 years, most of those miles commuting. I've had countless flats and other minor problems, but I can only think of 2 times where I pulled out the cell phone to make a bail-out call.

Once, the DS chainstay snapped in half right at the drainhole, near the dropout (aluminum frame).
The second time, my tire catastrophically failed, leaving an 8 inch tear.

In retrospect, I may have been able to gingerly ride the broken frame home, or at least have ridden it for a few more miles and walked the rest, but the cell phone seemed a safer option.
Although the catastrophic tire failure was irrepairable, I could have ridden the final 12 miles on the rim if absolutely necessary. I did ride home on the rim one other time without destroying the wheel, so its possible.

So I guess after 45,000 miles, I have never been absolutely and totally stranded by an unrideable bike since I could have technically ridden a bit further. I once was helicoptered to a trauma center because some jackass turned into me, but I'm not really counting that since it wasn't bike failure.
Total catastrophic bike failures aren't totally preventable, but after the tire blowout incident, I don't use cheap tires anymore, so at least that mitigates some risk. I don't think theres anything one can do to prevent total failure of other parts, except monitor the bike very carefully and replace the bike or the parts after a reasonable amount of use and hope that freak failures don't happen.

Leebo

Zero, fixed two flats in 3 years. Busted the seat tube in half near the bb. Fixed with 6 ft of duct tape ripped in narrow strips. Rode the 10 miles home that way.

idc

Hmm, once when I didn't have a spare/patch kit I had to call my wife (ooops). Second time I broke my arm and although I finished the remainder of the commute on adrenalin, I had to call my wife from work to take me to the hospital, so I left my bike at work and didn't complete the return commute.

I've fixed maybe 5 flats on commutes.

mihlbach

Nice!
I could have used some duct tape when my frame broke. Were you carrying the duct tape or did you break down somewhere where it was handy? There really aren't any stores, gas stations, or anything on my commute..just trees and private residences (mostly big gated-in estates). If I don't carry it with me, its not really available.

MNBikeCommuter

Fortunately, it's been many, many years ago and tens of thousands of miles: My winter/bad weather beater was a Schwinn Varsity (aka The Tank). A mile from home one morning I heard a *ping* and the rear felt a little whippy for the next 5.5 miles to work. I figured a spoke had broken. But, it was the rear axle. :-)

Seattle Forrest

My chain came off the cassette and wrapped around the hub, destroying the wheel, on my way into work this year. The back wheel wouldn't turn. I had to catch a cab.

Steely Dan

i've only had to break out the cell phone and call for help once, and that was only after me and my bike were hit by a city bus.

there's a CTA el route that parallels my entire commute, so if i ever do have a catastrophic failure, i can always limp my bike over to the nearest station and plead with the station attendant to let me through because of a busted bike, or, failing that, if i'm feeling like a big spender, i can always just hail a cab and throw my bike in the trunk. in 4 years of commuting, i haven't yet experienced an unrepairable failure during a commute (other than the bus wreck, which totaled my bike)

CACycling

Have had a few flats and a few broken spokes over the years but the only thing to end a commute was a slashed tire. Not sure what I hit but it left me with a 1 1/2" slice across the tire. My dear wife came to the rescue.

bigbenaugust 

Bike technical issues: 2 times since 2006. Both involved flats on the way home and a tight evening schedule. Called wife for pickup.
Scheduling problems: 1 time since 2006. Late class, missed the last train, rainy night. Called (unhappy) wife for pickup. Never did continuing ed again.
Health problems: 1 time, but that doesn't really count, because I rode back to a light rail station (in a state of vertigo, no less) and took the trolley back home.

Leebo

I carry a small amount on my mt bike rides, but for this I hit up a hardware store.

Mithrandir

Once. Close to twice.

Started commuting in July, have 19 commutes under my belt now. Got a new rear wheel a few days before Commute #3, and it spontaneously untensioned itself on my way to work. Tried riding it back to the bike shop but it became worse and worse so I had to walk some of the way. Finally got to the shop but they didn't have any replacements, and I had no one to drive me home. Luckily they offered to drive me and built a new wheel, so in the end everything turned out great.


The second incident, 2 weeks ago, I got lucky. Rear wheel blew out with a gigantic gash in it that I was unable to fix using a tire boot.



I was only 0.5 miles away from home when this happened, so I just walked the remaining distance. I still don't carry a spare tire for my commutes however.



I've had 8 flats in 19 commutes, but all of those were easily fixable. You know, when you put it in numbers like that it makes me wonder if I should just give up on this and stick to recreational riding where the roads don't suck ass. I don't think the City of Buffalo even knows what a street sweeper is. The same debris that was there when I started 4 months ago is still all there. Sigh.

Steely Dan

holy crap! i haven't had a flat (knock on wood) in over a year now in 28 miles/day of daily commuting (M-F) and you're at almost 50% of every commute run you've taken.

i've got three words for you: schwalbe. marathon. plus.

RichardGlover

I've got three more words:

Take. The. Lane.

BridgeNotTunnel

Before I invested in a mini pump, tire levers, spare tubes and kevlar bead tires, I had a blow out on randalls island as I came off the triboro bridge going at least twenty five mph. I saw something in the gravel but I didn't react fast enough to avoid it.

First I walked to the nearest bike shop that google found for me on the manhattan side fully expecting it to be closed, which it was (it was before 8 a.m. I'm sure).

Then I begrudgingly found the nearest subway stop and loaded myself with bike on to the train apologizing to the good people who were mostly accommodating.

Since I put michelin city protek on the rear and vittorio randonneur on the front, no flats in almost three months after having five in six months.

The other instances where I had a flat I was close enough to home, a bike shop, or work, and didn't have to rely on alternative means of transportation to complete my journey.

zoltani

Didn't ride for the last week or so due to snapping a formula spacer locknut. Without that I can't tighten down the track nuts and couldn't ride.....all because of a $4 small nut, that is hard as hell to find for some reason.

Thanks to a fellow forum member who donated the part I needed, I am back on the road!

When I snapped the spacer locknut it was right after I had a sidewall blowout. Took of rear wheel to boot tire and patch tube when the lockbut fell out in two pieces. I rigged it up to tsay in place for the ride home. It wasn't technically a commute, was heading out to see a movie. I made it home, but I did fear for my safety a bit...

SouthFLpix

The most serious problem I've had is a front derailer cable snapping. This forced the bike into 'granny gear' but otherwise the bike was still ride-able. I've also had a few broken spokes, but I was able to ride on and had them taken care of later.

gecho

2 in the past two years.

One was a shredded tube caused by bad rim tape on a used bike I bought. At the time I only carried a patch kit, and there were far too many holes to patch. I had just left the university, so I rolled the bike back and took the bus home.

The other was a frozen freehub at about the half-way point of my commute. Rolled the bike over to a pay phone and called for a pickup.

pdlamb

I hate to say only three times since 2004 -- it's like (someone else) saying (they) haven't had any flats lately. Stripped derailer hanger, and derailer was dangling. Close to the same place, about a mile from the house, about two years later, and the chainstay broke right in front of the dropout. (Walked home both times, drove once, called a taxi the other time).

The third time was a mile from work when my right crank came off. Practiced one-leg drill with the left leg the rest of the way in, called for help getting home that afternoon.

Ray R

Once. I also had a chainstay break at the dropout. It was my beloved Motobecane Grand Jubile.

mihlbach

Ha. I bought a used MB Grand Jubilee once...a nice looking bike in what appeared to be pristine condition. Unfortanately I cracked the seat tube after about 500 miles...fortunately was able to get home before it was completely severed. I chucked it ASAP.

Mithrandir

These are marathon supreme's. Same puncture resistance rating. Is there that much of a difference?

Mithrandir

Good way to get myself killed. I've tried. These people are oblivious to cyclists.

Mithrandir

If you had a screwdriver handy, it might have been possible to set the limit screw to use the middle or high gear.

no motor?

Just once, and that was when my Topeak floorpump was letting air out instead of putting it into the tire.

alan s 

Never. I have a rolling bike shop in my car, several bike shops along the way, and a decent shop near work. I have a spare of everything that would typically break. Closest I ever came is 4 broken spokes, but with disc brakes, I kept rolling, just a little more carefully than usual.