"Get You Home" Tricks

Broom Wagon · Post by **Broom Wagon** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:09 pm

Emergency get you home - just cycle with your club mates at all times - someone will be able to sort something out

stevesavage · Post by **stevesavage** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:36 pm

you could try to found a cycling equivalent of the RAC/AA

It already exists
http://www.eta.co.uk/breakdown/cycle_rescue

nickb · Post by **nickb** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:59 pm

Fulford cycles do a 'breakdown' service too!

MarkA · Post by **MarkA** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:55 pm

Broom Wagon wrote:Emergency get you home - just cycle with your club mates at all times - someone will be able to sort something out

Indeed. Many years ago i was out with Rob and i think Giles when snapped chain riding fixed. Chaps were good enough to push me home. Only downside it was middle of winter and I was close to frozen by the time we got back.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:08 am

I was out earlier this year somewhere near Menethorpe when my rear mech decided to tie itself in a knot and head west into my spokes. So I set about the classic remedy of bypassing the rear mech, shortening the chain and turning it into a single speed to ride home. Release gear cable - check. Drop out lower jockey wheel - check. Unscrew rear mech - check. Put chain on 39 ring and something in the middle of the cassette, shorten chain to match - check. I committed the redundant twisted aluminium and length of chain to a watery grave 2m down in a ditch.

Quite pleased with myself, but calculating the cost of new chain/cassette/rear mech, I pedaled off up the road. After half a k it was obvious all was not well as the chain wouldn't sit still. I disconnected the chain yet again and held it up by one end letting it dangle towards the road - looking down its length it formed a near perfect alpha-helix... OK, so I need to chop out all these strained links, where did I put that excess chain - shoot!

After some head scratching I found the spot in the ditch and slithered in. Now up to my knees and elbows in dodgy smelling water I fished around until - viola!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I built up a new chain from about a dozen fairly good three link segments, chucking away the cr*p ones. There was still not enough so I even had to turn around some of the bad ones to push the helix in the other direction... By the time I finished I was black from finger-tip to elbow and my face looked like that of a 3 year old let loose in mummy's make-up bag...

But, it finally worked. It was a "gritty" ride back.

tomf · Post by **tomf** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:29 am

Always carry a spare one of these ?

JC · Post by JC » Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:51 pm

Rob wrote:I was out earlier this year somewhere near Menethorpe when my rear mech decided to tie itself in a knot and head west into my spokes. So I set about the classic remedy of bypassing the rear mech, shortening the chain and turning it into a single speed to ride home. Release gear cable - check. Drop out lower jockey wheel - check. Unscrew rear mech - check. Put chain on 39 ring and something in the middle of the cassette, shorten chain to match - check. I committed the redundant twisted aluminium and length of chain to a watery grave 2m down in a ditch.

Quite pleased with myself, but calculating the cost of new chain/cassette/rear mech, I pedaled off up the road. After half a k it was obvious all was not well as the chain wouldn't sit still. I disconnected the chain yet again and held it up by one end letting it dangle towards the road - looking down its length it formed a near perfect alpha-helix... OK, so I need to chop out all these strained links, where did I put that excess chain - shoot!

After some head scratching I found the spot in the ditch and slithered in. Now up to my knees and elbows in dodgy smelling water I fished around until - viola!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I built up a new chain from about a dozen fairly good three link segments, chucking away the cr*p ones. There was still not enough so I even had to turn around some of the bad ones to push the helix in the other direction... By the time I finished I was black from finger-tip to elbow and my face looked like that of a 3 year old let loose in mummy's make-up bag...

But, it finally worked. It was a "gritty" ride back.

Or you could replace you chain with a shiny new one whenever it gets dirty like I do..... Maybe why I'm skint?!

Get you home tips from me..... Mobile, cash, understanding wife/partner/mates.... Find a pub and sit it out if possible....

JC