Forum: bicycles.stackexchange.com
Tags: <repair>
Title: What tips do you have for making temporary "get me home" repairs?
Question: I do some mountain biking in remote parts of wales. I usually carry a minimal tool kit: pump, spare inner tube, and multi tool.  I'm wondering if you have any temporary 'get me home' repair tips I might need one day for when something breaks?

Answers:
sents: text: You should also have a survival bag, mobile phone, whistle, torch and small first aid kit as well as a map and compass.
text: Remember it may be you that is broken not your bike!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/132/Ian
score: 12
sents: text: I recommend carrying also a patch kit - something that will help you fix that second flat, or the tube you replaced badly.
text: Always carry lights, you never know when you'll take longer than you expect and be stuck in the dark.
text: Have a friend with a car and a bike rack, for the really extreme issues :)
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/563/zigdon
score: 10
sents: text: Zipties!
text: Zipties!
text: Zipties!
text: Shoe splits - ziptie
text: it Centre pull brakes cable breaks - ziptie
text: it Saddle post emergency - ziptie
text: it Front chainring pops - ziptie
text: it Replacement lights - ziptie
text: it Broken bone - ziptie plus sticks Split tyre - stuff with grass, ziptie it if needed :) " When a man has a hammer
text: , everything in the world looks like a nail "
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/518/Ivor
score: 9
sents: text: I always carry a bit of electricians tape or duct tape.
text: I have done several impromptu repairs using the tape.
text: The best one was a time where I ripped open the sidewall of the tire about 6" long.
text: I wrapped the replacement tube with tape going from about 4" before the ruined sidewall to about 4" after the rip.
text: Was able to pump up the tire enough to roll 5 miles home.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/133/Rodney Schuler
score: 7
sents: text: When everything else fails: Hybrid MTB/hike shoes
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/444/GvS
score: 7
sents: text: Multi tool w/
text: a replaceable derailleur hanger as part of it.
text: Or just a universal derailleur hanger.
text: Pretty nice.
text: Mind you, if you are touring you might as well carry your proper hanger as a 'just in case'.
text: Having a phillips head screw driver can save you.
text: I have snapped the head of the front shifter cable mid way through a 160km point to point ride ...
text: I just dialed in the limit screws and blocked the gear in.
text: Same can be done for the rear derailleur to get you home.
text: A quicklink or power link is exceptionally useful to have on a ride.
text: You can fix a broken chain enough to simply get home or if it was just a tweaked link, replace it, and have a fully functioning geared bike to ride home (or continue on your ride).
text: For mountain biking a spoke key can be essential.
text: Break a spoke?
text: Over tension
text: the two opposing spokes to even it out.
text: You can wrap the broken spoke around its nearest or, if you have tape, tape it to the other spoke.
text: A friend has stuffed a tyre full of grass (seriously) enough to ride the trails home.
text: It did ferment a bit inside and was fairly odiferous after but it worked really well.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/245/tplunket
score: 5
sents: text: Carry a banknote for when you have a tear in the tire casing.
text: Wrap the note around the tube
text: (that you just had to fix twice until you realized what was going on) and gently inflate the tire.
text: The banknote will contain the pressure until you get home.
text: Unfortunately, your burger budget is now trapped in your bike!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/396/Byron Ross
score: 5
sents: text: The best 'repair'
text: I saw that got our group home was when a guy snapped off his headtube.
text: We grabbed some sticks and jammed them down the tubes and got to the car (1 hour away)
text: so carry big sticks?
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/30/curtismchale
score: 2
sents: text: About to years ago, I had a brand-new Trail Rat battery die on me in the middle of a ride.
text: Luckily, I had a maglite on me as a backup, and I rigged this up: ( photo credit )
text: That's twine and zipties holding it onto the bar.
text: A few miles later, the maglite died.
text: I rode in the taillight of the guy I was riding with.
text: Then it started hailing.
text: We had no experience riding on slush so we called for help.
text: (I've since ridden on ice, but I was young and not yet stubborn enough to tough it out.)
text: These days, when I'm on tour, I bring along those lamps you put on your head on a strap.
text: I use them as reading lights in my tent, but they also serve as backup headlights.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/8/Goodbye Stack Exchange
score: 1
sents: text: You can straighten a bent wheel by hitting the lawn (or something soft -- not to damage the braking surface).
text: You need to take it in hands on 8:00-4:00 with the bulge pointing downwards and hit appropriately hard.
text: Repeat few times correcting for the bulge position and direction until you can ride.
text: I did that twice and both wheels are still in use.
text: One of those is so true (after some spoke tweaking), that you would never say that it was bend to the point it wouldn't go through the fork.
text: The brake pads leave less than 1mm space on both sides.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/406/dhill
score: 1
sents: text: A spare link of chain and tool - or an entire chain if you are really far past where your legs can carry you if the route is remote.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/1819/bmike
score: 1
sents: text: This isn't a "need" so much as a "nice-to-have," but I certainly appreciated having handy-wipes (alcohol-soaked individually-packed wipes) along after fixing a flat on my trail ride last Friday.
text: Also useful if whatever you're looking at is so grimy/dusty
text: you can't see or handle it properly.
text: If weight/bulk is not at a premium, in the States it's possible to buy a can or square of diaper wipes.
text: Same idea, different branding, works just as well.
text: You may find that your first-aid kit has these already; in that case, just keep 'em stocked!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/3631/D.Salo
score: 1
sents: text: I know this is an old question, but it was recently bumped up.
text: Here are a few more suggestions: FiberFix Kevlar emergency replacement spoke.
text: Grease Monkey Wipes for clean-up after a greasy repair.
text: A tire boot to put between the tube & the tire if the tire casing gets cut.
text: In a pinch, a candy wrapper, gu packet, or paper money will also work.
text: Don't rely only on CO2 cartridges, carry a pump as well.
text: +1 on the zip ties and power link recommendations.
text: I once saw a photo of an emergency field repair to a broken chainstay using only Popsicle sticks and zip ties.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/2572/keithmo
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
A "get me home kit" shouldinclude a survival bag, mobile phone, whistle, torch and small first aid kit as well as a map and compass.  A patch kit is also recommended so you can mend a puncture. A phillips head screw driver can be a life-saver. Othe recommended items include lights, replacement spoke, chain, spoke key and zip ties.
It would be a good idea to carry a small bag with essentials, like a phone, a first aid kit and navigation equipment. You could also try setting up a repair kit to fix your vehicle. Depending on your needs, route and carrying capacity, this could include zip ties, electricians tape or duct tape, phillips head screws, a quicklink or power link, a spare link of chain and tool, a replacement spoke, a tire boot, a pump, even a banknote for tore casings. Moreover, it is useful to carry lights in case you delay. Finally, you might want to bring along handy-wipes to clean yourself and your vehicle after a repair.