Trail Disasters How To Avoid Them    Back to: Trail Disasters      Home

We've had almost all the trail disasters you can think of, including broken frames and forks... Some disasters happen pretty regularly though, so here, with the common ones first, are the solutions you need to avoid or fix all the major calamities.

Punctures
Whose idea was it to ride along on two big balloons anyway? Check your pressure. Never go on a ride without checking your tyre pressure first. As a guide use 45psi or above to avoid pinch punctures. Use at least 2.1 inch tyres with a decent tread. Become an obsessive tyre pincher, most slow punctures will go un-noticed until the falling pressure results in a pinch flat. So check tyres at every rest stop. Using a No-Tubes style tubeless kit will reduce punctures but you still need to top up sometimes in the same way. Don't run old tyres with worn tread, these are more puncture prone and worse, will tear around the bead in spectacular fashion. Carry two spare inner tubes regardless of your tube/tyre system. Carry a puncture repair outfit regardless of your spare tubes. Carry a tyre sewing kit unless you carry a spare tyre (not including the one that stops you seeing your toes...) Carry tyre boots to stop that replacement tube from blowing out of the hole, which scuppered the other tube.
Broken Replaceable Mech Hanger
See D.I.R.T. Gear Buddy Review. you need one of these.
Leak-less
If you change tyres or fit a new one, fit a new tube or a patched and tested old one. A small thorn is often embedded in the tyre, plugging the hole in the old tube. When you change the tyre the thorn is no longer there to plug the hole and you have a new leak. Similarly inflating a replacement tube in a thorny tyre can make a bigger hole which the little thorn does not plug. The end result is a slow puncture as you ride. The best puncture mending technique has been on MTBB since the beginning.
Rim and spokes
If you have rim brakes the braking surface of the rim slowly wears away. The outer edge of the rim eventually splits off causing a blow-out and often making re-inflation impossible. The best solution to this is to get disk brakes. Disk brake rotors are made of steel and wear much more slowly than the aluminum of modern rims. If this is out of the question observe rim wear closely by feeling with your finger tips. Once the rim wall feels concave (curves inwards) you are courting disaster. Feel how thin this part of the rim is, then remember that rim brakes work by powerfully squeezing these edges together... Good wheels can be broken if they are under specified for their use. It's much more common to find a wheel has failed because it has loose spokes though. With rim brakes the rim must be kept completely straight to avoid brake rub. This has the good effect of encouraging the rider to use a spoke key. It all goes wrong once the rim has been 'dinged' though. The rim is bent off to one side and the rider uses a spoke key to increase spoke tension on the other side to pull it back in to line. This leaves the opposite spokes loose and the wheel ready to fail more spectacularly. The solution is to choose rims from Mavic which are up to the job. Keep even tension on your spokes, this is easier with disk brakes, as the wheel doesn't have to be so straight.
Slipping grips
Wet weather riding will eventually un-stick most grips. This can result in a serious lack of control, the problem being, once un-stuck it's impossible to re-gain a safe hold on the bar. The real answer to slipping grips is ODI Lockon grips. If these are just too expensive, spray paint is a very effective way of gluing your grips to the bar. Use clear lacquer to avoid making a mess if you can find it lying around.
Broken chain
Carry a chain splitter and learn how to use it. It's worth carrying a couple of Shimano black joining pins, taped to the inside lid of your puncture repair outfit in case anyone in your group has a Shimano chain. Remember that Shimano chains must never be split again at a black pin. This means a new joining site should be chosen each time the chain is split.
Seized free hub/Broken free hub
Free hubs most commonly seize, resulting in a fixed wheel effect. This means you have to keep pedaling continuously, or the chain will wrap around the block, threatening your rear mech and hanger. At this point it's a toss up whether to remove the chain, leaving a push up all the hills, or keep it on, making some descents impossible as there are places where you just can't pedal. If you have mostly climbing or descending left the choice is easy. If you have sufficient time and steep climbs/descents ahead you should consider pushing with no chain. What's the point of getting to the top a little quicker if you spoil the descents? A broken free hub gives you the opposite effect, the pedals freewheel in both directions. You could zip-tie the cogset to the spokes, producing the problem above. We would only consider this if there was a long way left to pedal and time was limited.
Worn V-brake pads
In the wrong conditions (UK mountain biking...) soft V-brake pads can wear out in one long ride. This spoils your descending and can lead to off-bike aerobatics even before you notice a creeping deterioration in performance. The solution is to start every big wet ride with a fresh set of pads, or get disks which last loads longer. If this sounds too expensive, carry a spare pair of pads for the rear at the very least. Don't forget to tape a pair of pins to the inside of your puncture repair outfit lid, if your brakes need them. It's a good thing if you do this to also have a pair of pliers along...
Hypothermia
The most important item of clothing by far is your waterproof jacket. Yeah, I hear you say, we all carry one. But is it still waterproof? You can wash your jacket in the machine, we do with Goretex approved solution, but at some point it will begin to lose it's waterproof coating and then you're in danger. The best way to solve this is to spray the outside of your jacket with a re-proofing spray such as Supapruf or Grangers. You will need to do this at least the night before a ride as it takes eight hours to dry. Make sure you get the aerosol and not the pump version, you need a finer spray than a hand pump can give.
Low blood sugar
This one seems to be just about performance, but if you're over-stretched in terms of distance and other factors are in play such as poor weather, injury or inadequate clothing it can be serious. The key is to eat well in the morning, and not stop eating all day! A particular problem can occur with a long drive and early start. If you have your breakfast before 8:00AM and don't start riding until after 10:00 you are starting with very low reserves. If you're driving long distance to your ride make sure you eat on the way, when you get there and all through the ride.
Getting lost
If you've followed MTB Britain over the last year (you have, haven't you?) you'll know we really like digital GPS Mapping. However, we're not to be found out on a new route without a compass and a map in a waterproof bag as well. If you're taking an OS map it's smart to re-fold it so that you don't have to open the whole thing on a wind-swept, rain blasted hillside. The double sided ones are the worst in this respect, don't say we didn't warn you, as your map turns to slush and sails off across a distant field.
Darkness falls
This is one we'd been slacking off on for ages. Then some major mechanicals on an ambitious route in the Peaks in December left us wishing we hadn't. There's no excuse these days for running late without a single watt bulb between you. We're especially fond of the new Petzl Ticca head torch. If you're going to be carrying a light on day rides all through the Winter (and hopefully never using it) then it's got to be incredibly light, surprisingly bright and helmet mounted. This is because if you're going to ride with a tiny light, it's good to be able to point it where it's needed. It also rocks for dealing with mechanical problems, reading your map and even when you're trying to rack your bikes in the dark.