Have you ever been stranded?

Have you ever been riding your bike, and had either a mechanical issue which made your bike impossible to ride, or faced an impassable road, unsafe conditions, or other situation where you just couldn't get to where you were trying to go?

What did you do? Was that the best solution, or was there a better one you thought of after the fact?

If it's never happened to you, you can play, too...

What do you think you would do if it happened to you, and (let's make this more challenging) your emergency call person is not answering their phone, or is just too busy to come help you? Add in, you're getting cold, and it's getting dark.

Jeez, this sounds like the beginning to a scary movie, doesn't it? Maybe I have a screen play in me after all.

I got a terrible upset stomach about 5 miles from home on my bike once, the year before last. I was way out in the country, far from any stores or gas stations, etc. I felt pretty ill.
At that time I did not have a cell phone. That was one of the things that really prompted me to get one after that. I have 6 or 8 different people's phone #'s on my cell phone that I could call in an emergency. Somebody would be sure to be reachable- not all ideal, but hey they could do 'something' or possibly call someone else to help me too if they couldn't come to my rescue.

Anyway, every time i got back on my bike my stomach was in agony again- very painful! I wound up walking slowly along the side of the road, then sitting on some stone wall or guard rail for a couple minutes, feeling almost faint, then biking about 1/4 mile, then alternating back to walking again, etc. I suppose I 'could' have flagged down some passing motorist, but that idea seemed pretty scary to me.
I was truly miserable, but I eventually made it back home. Meanwhile all this time, my husband was innocently sitting around at home with our cars, not even knowing.
I think a couple weeks later I got a cell phone. :cool:

I biked to the DeYoung museum in SF. While locking up my bike I stepped back onto my bike helmet and my back went out. I could barely move, let alone bike anywhere. I ended up laying on the grass for a while hoping the pain would go away but when it didn't I started contemplating getting home. I couldn't take a cab since my bike wouldn't fit. I wasn't going to just leave my bike. I was finally able to get a hold of a friend who came and got me. He put my bike in his trunk and got me home. I was very thankful for my cell phone.

Like Lisa a ride experience prompted me to finally get a cell phone.

I was riding out to meet my husband once, it was late afternoon/early evening and he was practicing for a team time trial with his teammates, who mostly lived in the next county up, so I had ridden about about 35-40 miles to get there. When I did arrive, I found that where I thought we were supposed to meet was not where I thought it was..... I tried asking around, I even borrowed a cell phone and tried to call my husband, but he wasn't picking up (turns out he left it in his car, because he was wearing his skinsuit - no pockets).
I ended up with a handful of change at a pay phone trying to talk my parents (they were visiting at the time) through how to start up the computer and get to the phone book.... finally I got them to get a phone number of one of his teammates for me. (He is a police officer - he convinced me I should have a cell phone if I was going to be out riding alone like that...) and he helped me track down the hubby.

As a funny end note that teammate was the first phone # I put into my phone when I got it, that made him #1 on the speed dial. So recently I dropped my phone and the person who found it decided rather than doing the right thing and returning it (my credit card, drivers license etc, were in the case with it :mad:) they would keep it and use it... I was alerted to the fact it was missing because they kept hitting speed dial #1 and calling my cop friend.... no not so bright my criminal friends. They also ordered pizza to their apartment with my bank card... I (and the police) have their phone number and address and they kept using my phone. I thought I might not be able to get anything back because it is a pay as you go phone, so I didn't hurry up in replacing it. Well turns out I could transfer my minutes and number to a different phone, which I did. Now I am getting calls for my thief and I know her full name as well.... like I said, not so bright my criminal friends.

two occasions.

first one was on a training ride. I was riding from Mammoth Mountain. I had rented a cabin there and was planning on doing training rides from Mammoth mountain ski lodge down into the town then up highway 395, up and over deadman's pass then over to Lee Vining, pass by Mono Lake and climb to the top of Conway pass and return to the ski lodge via June Lake loop. This was way before cell phone days. I made it to the top of Conway pass, back to Lee Vining, back to and down Deadman's pass then I pretzeled my rear deraillure, Shimano 600. Suprisingly, my dropout didn't bend. but the jockey wheel and the tentioner wheel was really not aligned and couldn't even pedal. Not enough cars were going by for me to hitch hike with my bike. Somehow, I managed to un-pretzel my deraillure just enough so that I could pedal and ride on my 4th gear, 15 teeth cog?? It was a 6 speed freewheel cluster. I had two gears to ride with 39 chain ring or 52 chain ring. Great choices :D. I struggled back up to my cabin on 39 chain ring and the fourth gear.

second time still before cell phone days. Orange County classic. heh! 100miler. After about 60mile mark, I was forced to take it easy, the group didn't bat an eye and just dropped me like a lead balloon. What'ya going to do when you start having cramps in your calf? not much but to be dropped.

I decided to take it easy and turn it into a fun ride. Sat up riding hands free. looking at the open field and a lone coyote sitting at the top of a knoll. Looked up and I could see red tail hawk gliding on turqoise blue sky. Then I looked forward then down and realized that the black top was an inch below the concrete curve. My front tire rubbed the curve and I went flying onto the concrete sidewalk doing around 25MPH. My head bounced (lucky I wore a helmet even back then Kiwi helmet) but I ended up breaking my collar bone into three pieces. Right shoulder. couldn't move and all tangled up in my bike. suprisingly, my bike didn't get scratched, just the seat took the beating. I think I layed there for about 40minutes before an ambulance finally showed up. Maybe longer wait. Other slower cyclist weren't about to stop for me!! All the meanwhile about half a dozen red tail hawk was circling overhead. Every once in a while one would come down and check me out so I wave then the bird went back up, returned to circling overhead.

When I was released from ER, I must have called half a dozen friends of mine. None of them were home except for one. She came by and picked me up and drove me home. Later in a day I did manage to get hold of another friend so we went and picked up my Tercel station wagon. I managed to get my bike back about three weeks later at a bike shop.

ooo forgot a third incident. Again, before cell phones. Went for a training ride even though I had a fever. pretty dumb and subborn as an ox I guess. Needless to say, half way up on the first hill I got really faint, dizzy and just plain awful. pull into an open field where I just collapsed off my bike. Hand and knees on the ground. I ended up throwing up, shivering. It was cold, damp and cloudy that day. A police cruiser went by but he didn't stop. I was all balled up for about half an hour. sipping my cold water. I finally got back on my bike and limped my way home. I took a long hot shower and collapsed in my bed with my two kitties Mr. Cat and Raspycat. they snuggled with me all worried. And I slept a long time.

I'm not young anymore, and I'm not strong, so I'm lot more careful. In someway, I've lost that "fire" in me. I just don't push my limits like I used to.

smilingcat

Gee, smiling cat, what stories! Laying there waving the hawks away!!!


and Eden, did the police ever catch up to the thief? You dropped your phone, how did they get your credit card too?

Been lucky so far, knock on helmet. Have had to turn the bike into a single speed. Have had to walk. Over the years have biked in separate incidences with a broken collarbone, a little bit of a fractured arm, cracked ribs, a concussion, whiplash and a finger sized hole in my head, a really swollen bashed knee. I can be a stubborn old thing.

Hmmmm.....
I really ought to stop crashing.

Two or three years ago we went on a 50 mile ride with our cycling buddies. We drove about 6 miles to a meeting place in Littleton, MA and rode to Hollis, NH. This is one of the most beautiful rides we do. As we were eating lunch on the grounds of Kimball's Fruit Farm in Hollis, I noticed some dark clouds off in the distance. The lunch stop is high up on a ridge, so we decided to take off and head back. The return trip goes through Pepperel, Dunstable, Tyngsboro, and back to Littleton, which as some of you know, are not the biggest towns in the world. So as we made our way past the farms and residential areas, it started raining a little. Then a lot. I mean, torrential rain, with scary thunder and lightning. First, a man cutting his lawn let us hang out in his garage. It wasn't stopping, so we decided to brave it. Steve and I had rain jackets and arm warmers, but our friends did not, which was very weird, since Janine is the most prepared person I know. Finally, we took shelter under the eaves of the Dunstable Public Library, which was closed, since it was Sunday. Janine was shivering as it was now about 58 degrees out, dropping from about 84. I gave her my arm warmers, which barely got up her arms, since she's about 5'8" and I'm barely 5' 1". I was really worried that she was going into hypothermia. So, after much debating, Steve and Brant found a taxi service in Ayer, MA that would come out to the boonies and get them. They took the taxi back to where the cars were and then drove back to get us and the bikes. This whole thing took about 2 hours. It took dinner and several glasses of wine to warm up.

The first thing I would do is remind myself not to panic. As long as nothing's broken (smilingcat!) on my body, or I'm not stuck in front of an oncoming train or something, I figure I'm okay.

The second thing would be to take stock of the situation. Figure out if this is something that's going to ruin the ride for good, or just delay me.

The third thing I would do is: Ask for help if there's someone available.

Two incidents have occurred. One, I was with my then-12-yo son in Albuquerque, and all four of our tires went flat due to goatheads, right in front of the Balloon Museum. Most people in Albuquerque do not know the bus routes, I'll tell you that. We asked the folks at the Balloon Museum and they were clueless. The phone book was no help. Finally found a place with a bus stop and called the number. They were very little help, either, but we eventually got back to our hotel via bus and walking, got the car and then went to get the bikes. The hotel was full of people that we knew, but only one that we knew a phone number for, and she didn't answer. None of them would have been in their rooms because we were there for a conference that son and I had skipped out on for a ride.

The second incident was when I was 15, and I was riding my bike home about 5 miles, after playing tennis. A guy followed me, and he'd pull up ahead, turn around in a side street, wait for me to pass, and then come out and follow me some more. We were still on party lines then, so no cell phones! The road was not deserted--houses here and there, and light traffic as I got out of town. I was afraid to pull into the only house I knew--a girl in my class lived there, and I didn't want the perv to think I lived there and get to her. I lived on a big hill. He climbed the hill in front of me, and I knew he couldn't turn around for about half a mile, unless he pulled in a driveway, which he hadn't done, yet--kept using streets. So I let him think I was climbing the hill and as soon as he was out of sight over the hill, I cut across to the neighbor's house just before mine. He still couldn't see me. I took my bike to the back of the well house and threw it down in a gully, then hid behind the well house. I saw him going down the hill, then I saw him drive back and forth a couple of times. When he finally left, I ran inside and called my mom at work and she came home. Oh, at some point I got his plate number and we found out his name, that he was probably a college student in one of the three colleges in town, but I never saw him again. It didn't appear that he had any clothes on, but this was the '70s and he may have had some short running shorts on. I tried not to look.

I could have asked for help during that situation, but I really didn't want the guy to see me interacting with anyone, and then think that I lived there. I just wanted to disappear from view. It would have been pretty audacious for him to grab me off my bike in broad daylight, in front of houses, with cars going by (this was 1976?)--although I know it happens. He was probably waiting for me to get out in the less populated area, which was about a mile beyond my house, leading down to the river. Or maybe he was just enjoying the view? I dunno. But I think I did the right thing, even knowing what I know now.

Even after all that, I'm a pretty trusting person. I like to think people want to help, if you're not asking too much. So far that has been my experience... :)

Karen

The only time I've actually been stranded was on day I set out to ride to Onset which is about 80 miles from home. It was mid summer, after a long, dry spell so the roads had lots of glass, safety pins, & staples. After 3 flats, I had run out of spare tubes, so when I got the 4th flat I gave up even though I could have put patches on the 3 tubes and continued. I was just tired of changing tubes. Fortunately, Dan did answer my cell phone call and came to get me. While I waited for him, 4 other cyclists passed by, 3 of them stopped to check on me and I think the 4th really didn't see me since I had moved well back from the edge of the road.

Since I ride by myself a lot, I too try to always remember my cell. & I have called a cab when I had no spare and my tube wasn't patchable. I also now have a BWC membership and have the card in my saddlebag though I haven't had to use it yet.

Last Monday I had a flat about a mile or 2 from home. I was being affected by the heat, so I decided to walk it and change the flat at home. I walked by a house where a guy was mowing. He pulled up a minute later in his jeep. He stopped mowing and came to get me and take me home. (Advantage of small town living! I didn't hesitate).

3 years ago now was when I crashed and cracked my ribs. I really didn't realize how badly I was hurt and probably should have gone to the ER. But another nice man loaded up me and the bike and took me home.

Being a good Southern girl, I have relied upon the kindness of strangers.

It hasn't happened to me cycling, but it did happen to me hiking. About eight years ago, I had planned a trip up to NH to hike with friends but everyone ended up not being able to go at the last minute. I went anyway and car-camped overnight at Lafayette Place campground. Sat. a.m. I went up to do the Franconia ridge trail. I got above treeline and was unprepared - a storm came through and the wind was whipping me about the exposed ridge. I had plastic sandwich bags from my lunch and I used them for mittens and had on a polar fleece jacket, cargo pants and a thin windbreaker. I had an ace bandage in my backpack and some med. tape (nice that I carried first aid but no extra clothes, right?) and so taped the medical wrap around my head for a hat. I got to the top of one of the peaks - I think Lafayette - where there is a stone shelter and saw someone else in the stone shelter. You have to do a little exposed climb up to the shelter and I was seriously thinking I was going to be blown right off the mountain. I finally got in behind a wall and sat down and started crying - very scared. Two guys were there and they gave me a hat and a poncho, and then it was only a mile or so down to the hut. I stuck with them to the hut and then returned their gear and hiked the rest of the way down alone, soaking wet.

On my bike for long rides, I now bring a wool hat (you never know), a pair of cheapy chinese slippers (easier to walk in than cleat shoes and pack very easy into a bike bag as they fold up) and a poncho (folds up very tiny as well.) I know there will come a time I will have to walk. And I don't go without cell phone... too many creepoids out there.

Knock on helmet never since then but happened long ago, '98 I think :rolleyes: posted on the bottom of this thread:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=3943

what's BWC?

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

and Eden, did the police ever catch up to the thief? You dropped your phone, how did they get your credit card too?

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I think her crimes were too minor for them to bother with :mad: - and I had a nice little case that I kept my phone and all my cards in. I'm not a purse carrier and my messenger bag is too big for all the time use.

Better World Club? It's like AAA for bikes :) they cover cars too

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Originally Posted by elk

what's BWC?

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Better World Club - like AAA but includes bicycles. And is far greener.

I took my brand new bike out for a ride only to have the chain snap in two. I was about 7 miles out on some very rural roads. I had my cell phone with me but the people I typically would use as emergency contacts were either out of town or working. The weather was nice so I started walking back to the main road thinking at some point a farmer would pass me and stop and offer me a ride (surely they would know something was wrong if I was walking my bike- wrong assumption!). Several people did pass me and they just kept going so I kept walking. When I finally reached the main road (about 1.5 miles from my house) my neighbor passed me, turned around and came back to see if something was wrong (she picked up on the fact I was pushing my bike not riding it). She offered me a ride home which I gladly accepted given my feet really hurt.

You all are correct on BWC.

drift - how do you like BWC's maps? Really the maps are the only reason I keep a AAA membership (and really if I have to resort to mail order, it's probably just as simple to get the maps from the relevant states).

I'm well aware of AAA's political positions, and I know it's pretty hypocritical to remain a member. It's just that we'd easily spend double the membership fee on maps if we had to buy them, and it's SO convenient to just go to the local AAA office and grab maps (one for each of us) a day or two before a trip.

slightly more targeted drift - I know several of you have mentioned having The Spot or other satellite beacons. Do you use The Spot's messaging feature? How well does it work? Have you ever had to make an emergency call via any of the beacons, and how did that go?

Several times but never anything major. I would never not own a cell phone though and cringe when it isn't working. A lot of Texas is rural and there are some rides we may only see 5 cars after we are just a few miles in!

1. DH had a job with a lot of travel so I was riding alone. I was in a fairly well traveled area when I had a flat. It was my first on the road flat change and I had a miserable time with the hand pumped (spurred me to get CO2). I called my big brother to rescue me since it was getting dark.

2. Last summer my husband and I got caught with a severe thunderstorm heading towards us. We didn't have enough time to make it home and no where to take shelter, so my parents came to collect us.

3. My tire blew out 30 miles into a 60 mile loop from the house. I was with DH and booted it but that was too questionable to ride all the way home. We rode back to the nearest town and waited on my parents to come out to get us. We will be a bit lost if my dad ever gets rid of his truck!

4. Recently commuting home from work I had a blow out. This one there was no hope of booting it, so I walked 1.5 miles.

So far, it looks like I'm the only one dumb/crazy enough to take a ride from a stranger. It turned out okay, I got home safe, but I gotta say, it was CREEPY!

My other options were to wait 2 hours for a bus, or call a cab. I felt since the bus was an option, I just didn't want to wait that long for it, it wasn't fair to expect a friend to drop their plans to come get me.

The lesson I learned...count on the kindness of strangers only in the most extreme emergency, like if an injury is involved. Next time, I'll wait for the bus.

It's interesting to see how many of us this has happened to. It's good to be ready for it next time.

Last fall hubby, friend and I went for a long ride. We had left a small farmer's cafe and were headed to the next town when our friend's tires flatted. And being the weight weenie that he was, he didn't carry any extra tubes. So I pulled my tubes and changed the flat (I've been chosen to be the team mechanic ;) ). He jumps back on the bike and he flatted again. :rolleyes: So I change the other tube and use the last air cartridge. Guess what? He flatted. :rolleyes: Hubby has no tubes to share, we're out of air cartridges and didn't bring the air pump. And we're out where there is no cell service. :( So I elect to jump on my bike and race 25 miles back to the car.

As I'm zipping along my tank is running out of juice because I didn't account for the extra calories I'd burn on a cool day. So I start looking around and notice there are alot of duck hunters out. I figured I could get to the car much quicker if I could hitch a ride with the right person. I spotted a clean cut guy that was sitting in a really nice pickup so I figured I'd take my chances. So I flagged him down, asked if I could have a ride, and he was more than happy to assist. He carefully laid my bike in the back of the pickup and drove me to my car. I headed back to pick up the guys and they were more than relieved to get back to civilization.

There are perks with living in a small rural town. :)

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

drift
slightly more targeted drift - I know several of you have mentioned having The Spot or other satellite beacons. Do you use The Spot's messaging feature? How well does it work? Have you ever had to make an emergency call via any of the beacons, and how did that go?

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I use the Spot and it automatically sends a message to designated phone numbers you set up in your account. I've also used the help button which summons my contact person and they receive the notification instantly as a text on their cell phone. I have not had to use the 911 button yet. I like using the Spot since we live in a rural area with limited cell phone coverage in between some of the little towns.

A long time ago, before I carried a cell phone and before I knew how to change a flat (pathetic I know), I had a rear flat. Luckily, I was not out in the countryside. I pushed my bike to the nearest business and asked to use their phone - could not reach anyone who might be willing to come get me so I called a cab and somehow jammed the bike into the trunk. I learned how to fix a flat after that.

I was about halfway into a 50 mile ride (out and back) and I flatted. Got enough air in the tire to get to a nearby gas station, where I sat down to figure out the extent of the problem. No holes that I could find, but it still wasn't holding air. Tried pumping it up more. BOOM. Exploded at base of valve stem. Changed tubes. Stupid mini pump broke the valve tip off that tube. I was out of tubes. I called a friend, and waited an hour for him to show up.

slight thread drift... why I got a cell phone.
We have a neighborhood near where i live where the streets all get curvy and crooked, and there is a steep hill, and the borders of 3 cities are..
I have always had a bit of trouble finding addresses there because they become ambiguous.

okay. my father had died about 2 weeks before when we heard the news that a friend's youngish father had died suddenly. DH & I were going to their house with food, but he had to leave early so we took two cars. I wrote down the address, DH didn't need an address, he has always been phenomenal at remembering where people live, me, i'm just average. And I had transcribed two numbers of the address.

I drove right to the approximate area that i had written down, but could not find the exact number. So I kept driving round and round. It was a neighborhood with no mini marts, so there were no pay phones around. OUr 10 minute drive for me turned into 20, 30, 40. I finally started to panic because i know everyone would be wondering where I was. I drove into a cul de sac
and noticed that no one was home in any of the houses, they were all dark.
And I knocked on one after the other. Finally i found someone at home, could I please use her phone? she regarded me with pure fear as she brought her phone outside (would not let me in). I felt like i was in the Twilight zone.
I got to my friend's house an hour late!

I got a phone the next week.

In the pre-cellphone era, when I was a bit more of an agressive rider, due to heavy traffic I took a turn too fast. To compound it, the corner was less than 90 degrees and I went down hard. Fracture/dislocation of the elbow.

As I sat on the side of the road I knew I couldn't ride and wasn't sure what to do. One of the cars that, as I saw it (ah, the anger of youth), forced me to go too quickly stopped and offered a lift. Being the paranoid sort, I declined. OK, so I wouldn't take a ride, did I want him to call someone--after all, he said, his car was filthy and there was definitely room to write a phone number or two in the dirt. I chuckled, almost accepted the ride and then, said, no, just call the local cops.

Before the guy returned from the phone call, the cops were there (hey, at the time it was a smallish, low-crime town and this was something to do for them) as well as the paramedic vehicle. Since my blood pressure was 80/60 at the time the paramedics took over, my bike tucked away at the police station and I was being hauled off for repairs.

I never got a chance to thank that odd stranger (thank you, sir!)...his bizarre humor took the edge off.

Redrhodie, you can always call me!

Also, you can always, always call the police. If you are scared, weather is foul, it is dark, your safety is in jeapardy, call the local police.

See my rides with strangers on P1.

Oakleaf, I've not ordered their maps. I tend to rely on google.

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Originally Posted by indigoiis

Redrhodie, you can always call me!

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Awww, thanks! That's so nice! You can always call me, too!

You know, the funny thing is, as I was standing there stranded, wondering what to do, Marci rode by on her Giant. I contemplated yelling out to her, but I let her pass me by. If I had more energy, I would have ridden with her, killed some time, then caught the next bus, but I just didn't have enough sleep the previous night. Instead, I let Mr. Creepy Stranger drive me.

He had a Foxy Lady business card in his truck, and he asked me if I was a police officer. Later I realized he probably thought I was "working" (ewwww)!

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

See my rides with strangers on P1.

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Sorry, I missed that! Your strangers were better than mine :o.

I'm grateful to mine, though. He didn't do anything wrong, and was just odd enough to teach me a lesson.

There is a hill down home I ride on, seriously the cars really stuggle to go up. Once in a while, if I go on a long ride and I just can't make it but: "there's no hill too steep to walk up!"

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Being a good Southern girl, I have relied upon the kindness of strangers.

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I do too. Course with my luck I'll encounter a Ted Bundy on my next adventure. :eek: