Mike Sales wrote:II have read that banknotes will do the job, but am doubtful.
Plastic bank notes work fine, e.g US dollars and our UK soon to be released plastic fiver (I think it is the £5 note)
Quick links - because I use different sizes of chain on different machines, (1/8", 8 spd and 10 spd) instead of carrying each as a spare I put an appropriate one in the handlebar end plug.
Bank notes of any sort seem and expensive tyre boot. Duck tape? a bit of something rescued form a ditch? One of those ubiquitous plastic carrier bags folded over a few times?
Quick link in the handlebar seems a good idea, though!
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Ive used a Dentists appointment card as a tyre boot after ripping my tyre halfway round a 100k audax. Managed to make it to the finish within the time limit.
I ended up with the dreaded tyre hernia too, at the top of the Bavarian Alps, miles from anywhere. Gaffer tape to seal the cut...and a clump of dried grass for padding. Did the trick, though the 25 mile descent to the next town was a tad nervy. Bike mechanic gave me THAT look - don't think the Germans do bodging...
I too carry spare cables (one rear shifter cable and one rear brake cable) but hats off the the op for getting going again with working gears.
One thing that worked for me as a teenager was grass cuttings as an alternative to an inner tube!
We had a puncture and of course had absolutely no spares off tools at all, the inner tube fell apart when riding the bike flat and as a last ditch effort we shoved as much cut grass in there as we could... and it actually worked
I've used gaffa tape as a tyre boot and it works well. I've also found that an old (plastic) toothpaste tube can work really well. It can go all the way around the inner tube which makes it easy to keep it in place and seems to work even with cuts/splits that are very close to the bead. Certainly got a clubmate of mine to our club Xmas dinner last year, we arrived just in time for the first course!
Hmm well so will I, now I've learned the error of my ways!
Some good replies, folks I'm intrigued by this inner tube knotting trick. Hope I never have to try it.
53x13 wrote:I heard a story (perhaps Apocryphal!) about a CTC tour of the highlands in the late 50's. Apparently someone hit a massive pothole with a fully loaded bike, and boom! Right hand fork blade broke about half way up and rider came tumbling down. They were by Lairg which is about 30 miles from anywhere, completely remote, so some wiley carpenter among them got a largish branch from a silver birch and whittled a new fork blade, complete with drop out and then rammed that into the half of the fork remaining.
You know, that sounds so unbelievable that it might just be true. . . !
Mike Sales wrote:II have read that banknotes will do the job, but am doubtful.
Plastic bank notes work fine, e.g US dollars and our UK soon to be released plastic fiver (I think it is the £5 note)
Quick links - because I use different sizes of chain on different machines, (1/8", 8 spd and 10 spd) instead of carrying each as a spare I put an appropriate one in the handlebar end plug.
Bank notes of any sort seem and expensive tyre boot. Duck tape? a bit of something rescued form a ditch? One of those ubiquitous plastic carrier bags folded over a few times?
Quick link in the handlebar seems a good idea, though!
I've cut a milk carton (plastic) up before and inserted that into a tyre. Was able to get home 40 miles no problem!
Hmm well so will I, now I've learned the error of my ways!
Some good replies, folks I'm intrigued by this inner tube knotting trick. Hope I never have to try it.
53x13 wrote:I heard a story (perhaps Apocryphal!) about a CTC tour of the highlands in the late 50's. Apparently someone hit a massive pothole with a fully loaded bike, and boom! Right hand fork blade broke about half way up and rider came tumbling down. They were by Lairg which is about 30 miles from anywhere, completely remote, so some wiley carpenter among them got a largish branch from a silver birch and whittled a new fork blade, complete with drop out and then rammed that into the half of the fork remaining.
You know, that sounds so unbelievable that it might just be true. . . !
Apparently there is photographic evidence, my pal Joyce has a large archive she inherited in slide format of a dozen or so CTC tours from that era I will do some digging..
My stick in the front derailleur to keep it on the middle chainwheel (as I had to do recently when the cable snapped) seems almost too simple to post. Maybe carrying a spare cable is a more sensible option.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
Seatpin snapped once . Jammed handy 27.2 mm stick in frame and beat the top half of the pin onto the stick. Got me the 5 miles home. Always carry a spare stick now
mercalia wrote:dont know about bodges but I carry some zip ties in case some thing comes loose
+1 A pannier came off and a couple sorted the offending breakage. They are still there almost a year later as they are as good as Ortlieb's replacement part...b
I'm intrigued by this inner tube knotting trick. Hope I never have to try it.
