The 5 mistakes that can leave you stranded on a ride (and how to spot them before leaving home)
BICICITA admin
None of these five things break down suddenly. They all give warning. The problem is they give warning in the garage, silently, and we only find out 40 km from home with the band waiting. Ten minutes the day before prevents almost all of them.
1. The puncture that wasn't a puncture
You get a flat tire, change the inner tube, and then five kilometers later you get another flat. Classic. It almost always means that whatever punctured you is still there, inside the tire, and you weren't looking for it.
Before you head out: run your finger along the inside of the tire each time you remove it. Slowly, going all the way around. And check that the spare inner tube has a valve long enough for your rim—a short valve is useless with high-profile rims.
On the road: if you get a puncture in the same spot repeatedly, don't keep changing inner tubes. Stop, take it off, and look for the problem.
2. The chain that was already requesting the change
A stretched chain doesn't break; it slips under load, right when you stand up on a climb. And if you let it run, it wears down the cassette and chainrings. That's when the repair cost jumps from €25 to over €150.
Before you leave: a chain tensioner costs little more than a coffee and churros and takes ten seconds to use. If it reads 0.75, the chain is on the last beep. If it reads 1.0, you've already worn out the cassette.
On the road: there's not much you can do without a chain tool. That's why this is one of those problems you either solve at home or you don't solve at all.
3. Brakes that barely reach
The brake rarely fails suddenly. First it makes a noise, then it bites strangely, then the lever reaches the handlebar.
Before you head out: check the brake pad thickness. If the friction material is less than half a millimeter thick, replace it. If you hear metal on metal, you're already too late: you're scratching the disc. And squeeze the brake lever with the bike stationary: if it feels soft all the way to the grip, there's air in the brake lines.
On the road: brake with whatever power you have left, slow down, and warn the group. A faulty brake can't be fixed on the side of the road.
4. The gear shift lever bent in the trunk
This is the one that's ruined the most meetups. The bike travels lying flat in the car, resting on the derailleur side, and arrives with the derailleur hanger bent a couple of millimeters. Nobody notices. On the first shift to a large cog, the derailleur gets caught in the spokes and that's the end of the day—and sometimes the derailleur too.
Before setting off: with the bike upright from behind, check if the derailleur cage is parallel to the sprockets. If it's sticking outwards, don't set off without checking it.
On the road: a spare derailleur hanger weighs 20 grams and costs less than €15. Keep it in your saddle. Without it, the only solution is to shorten the chain and ride back on a singlespeed.
5. That which loosens without warning
A seatpost that lowers itself mid-ride, a stem that moves a degree, a thru-axle that no one tightened properly. These aren't breakdowns: they're just tightening issues.
Before you head out: use a torque wrench to check the tightening specifications of the handlebars, stem, and seatpost. Almost all components have the correct torque marked next to the bolt. Tightening them "by feel" is the most common way to break a carbon clamp.
On the road: always check that the wheel is properly tightened before starting, especially if you have just changed a tube.
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Four of these five problems can be prevented in ten minutes, without any special tools or mechanical knowledge. That's the message: most lost days aren't lost due to bad luck.
The fifth one—and the part about fixing it by hand, not detecting it—is a different story. Changing a camera while reading a blog post and changing it on the side of the road, in the cold and with six people watching, are nothing alike.
That's why we've organized a maintenance clinic with Rafa Soria , who has over twenty years of experience in Shimano after-sales service, in Madrid this September. Small group size and dirty hands from the very first minute.
Limited spaces available. If you'd like us to notify you as soon as registration opens, leave your name here 👇
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