What's You're Plan For Major Breakdown?

Motor or controller dies, I pedal my way to either end of the commute. I did that last year, burned the winding on a 500 w bafang hub motor. Out in those hills of the safe route, it was a struggle to get up them. I'm still up to it age 72. I pedal 80% unpowered to stay in shape unless the wind is >12 mph in my face. Rain can take out the throttle, have had to pedal to a hair dryer several times after that.
Tubes etc I carry all tools for that. I carry 3 new tubes. Now that there are kevlar tires that will fold up, I carry one of those too. Previous I split a cord of a tire and pushed 94 lb bike and 40 lb groceries 7 miles.
I'm thinking of putting a derailleur takeup in a watertight jar & carrying one of those. Bent one on a stick once, fortunately only 2 miles from home. Pushed it.
After a rear axle race came unscrewed & dropped the balls, I carry ball bearings in a pill bottle. 7 speed shimano owners, beware.
Chain, I measure wear, change out before 100%. Chain tools are heavy, I don't carry those. Never had one fail.
Wife's car and car of my friends are too small to carry the bike. I carry a SS sling and Abus lock to lock frame to fences or power poles if I have to abandon the bike and go buy a part. Same scenario if a break a leg, pelvis or have a cardio event. Broken legs run in one side of the family. Not me yet.
 
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PDoz said:
Warning, carrying a spare will enact murphys law so something else will break instead - so once you have packed the spare derailleur , cable repair kit, chain quick links and suitable toolkit, be prepared for the bag to be torn / stolen / have a seized zipper or left at home

In your case, I'm not sure they built that hanger to protect anything

View attachment 144732
Am I correct your whole back wheel is held in place on an adjustable plate? I guess you can use that to take up slack when running as a single speed....but WTF were they thinking?
Click to expand...
Pdoz
I don't have to worry about Murphy's law, I am way past that stage,
everything is in the front basket, bag can't be stolen/broke, have Velcro for the zippers etc...... Bike stored inside the house with 2 very big mean G Shepherds and a meaner owner that packs 24/7/365...............LOL

Looking at what you have indicated, via the arrow, it appears that the whole plate is bolted to the frame, the 2 big silver bolt heads in line with the chain, same thing on the other side, the QR axle goes thru both side plates and thru the cassette (black hole just below the arrow point), there is an adjustable screw/bolt for adjustment on the front edge of the frame, right in front of the view of the chain.

Right now on my bike there is no adjustment possible as both of the locking bolts are out of space and at the end of the slot, just like the picture shows.
So this means I have no adjustment possible for the chain?

Do they make an spring loaded idler wheel setup for bike chains?
I have seen some on motor bikes/scooters, (don't know what it's called)
that could take up the slack in a chain while under power?

So at this time I am SOL, if the derailleur is destroyed etc,
I only have the shorten chain method to get home via pedaling,
or push an walk, I am getting too old (75) for pushing this 90lb bike,
so it will get stashed and I'll walk out to get a ride or walk home,
which ever comes first.

Thanks,
 
Robspace1 said:
Just wondering what others plan to do when the motor dies 20 miles from home. Mine did two years ago. Peddling that was brutal over hills. I'm getting a second battery for the rear rack. More weight but less stress. AAA has bike towing available but you need to be on a street.
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After running out of water and getting heat exhaustion 70 miles into a mountainous gran fondo (100 miles) with my single-speed carbon belt drive e-bike, I learned my lesson.

1) Added a rear rack and saddle bag
2) Loaded up bag with extra water, food, tools, 2 spare tubes, zip ties, disposable plastic gloves, duct tape, and a few spare spokes
3) Bought and carry an extra external battery in the bag
4) Still need to buy a spare carbon belt, just in case

Now I feel better about the 60-80+ mile rides, where I usually use a lot of battery conservation techniques and or motor off riding, and now expect to be able to make it home.
 
Nvreloader said:
Do they make an spring loaded idler wheel setup for bike chains?
I have seen some on motor bikes/scooters, (don't know what it's called)
that could take up the slack in a chain while under power?



Thanks,
Click to expand...

Variations on this to take up slack? Nb this one bolts to the hanger - all the more reason for a spare hanger?


Some of the modern high pivot dual suspension bikes run tensioners / idle gears up near the front sprocket - but they'd be modern mtb expensive.
 
we had this killer heat wave for portent it was 112 degrees. we wanted to go to the river chose the wrong time of the day. it was only 30 or so minutes 7 miles and we were getting headaches by the time we got there. then we could cool off wade I the river and cool off. it was 110 at the river if I remember right. coming back was not as bad as we were went and drank some water. I had to work the next day and it was 114 wet nI left around 1pm. my Garmin measure the heat from the pavement at 135 degrees. my commute is 8.5 miles and I had to stop half way to go int oa cool convince store and drink a bunch of water. I stopped again and drunk the rest it was crazy. watching my heart rate this time let me know what was going on.
 
fooferdoggie said:
we had this killer heat wave for portent it was 112 degrees. we wanted to go to the river chose the wrong time of the day. it was only 30 or so minutes 7 miles and we were getting headaches by the time we got there. then we could cool off wade I the river and cool off. it was 110 at the river if I remember right. coming back was not as bad as we were went and drank some water. I had to work the next day and it was 114 wet nI left around 1pm. my Garmin measure the heat from the pavement at 135 degrees. my commute is 8.5 miles and I had to stop half way to go int oa cool convince store and drink a bunch of water. I stopped again and drunk the rest it was crazy. watching my heart rate this time let me know what was going on.
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We have summer heat like that regularly in the town I work in. Lots of water is essential. Either a 3L Camelbak, or a couple of 1.5L bottles. And I try to scope out where drinking fountains are. The cities of Fresno and Clovis have special fountains that are dispensers for water bottles on the dedicated paths, with a dog watering spout and built in steel bowl on the ground. I've found that, at those stations when you can do this without robbing your drinking supply, you pour a small amount of water over your shoulders and chest and back en route its like turning the temperature down 25 degrees. Wear a head wrap under the helmet and soak it. Same thing.
 
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m@Robertson said:
We have summer heat like that regularly in the town I work in. Lots of water is essential. Either a 3L Camelbak, or a couple of 1.5L bottles. And I try to scope out where drinking fountains are. The cities of Fresno and Clovis have special fountains that are dispensers for water bottles on the dedicated paths, with a dog watering spout and built in steel bowl on the ground. I've found that, at those stations when you can do this without robbing your drinking supply, you pour a small amount of water over your shoulders and chest and back en route its like turning the temperature down 25 degrees. Wear a head wrap under the helmet and soak it. Same thing.
Click to expand...
I carry a 32 oz water bottle in the cage, and then also a 34oz Platypus super light weight soft bottle bag in the saddle bag, especially for the 3-4+ hour rides.
 
Be Prepared
Screenshot 2023-01-16 174332.jpg
 
I ride in rural areas, rail trails, spotty cell service; I carry my cell phone, and cash. In this neck of the woods, every second vehicle on a rural road is a pickup truck. If I can't reach DW for a rescue, I am confident that someone will stop and offer assistance.
 
McApple said:
In this neck of the woods, every second vehicle on a rural road is a pickup truck. If I can't reach DW for a rescue, I am confident that someone will stop and offer assistance.
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The day I split a tire cord & pushed the bike & groceries 7 miles, I waved a $50 bill at about 20 pickup trucks. Nobody slowed down. The wealthy view bicyclers as some sort of parasite. Fox news tells the watchers global warming is a complete fantasy invented by government grant parasites (scientists) .
I had tracfone then, I was off the edge of coverage (except 911) the whole way. Now I pay 4X as much for Verizon service.
 
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