Bodge on the trail...quite proud of this

[jez-4-bikes-max]

Here's a little success story I had recently when out a few weekends ago. I have been meaning to post this but forgot about it:

Ok - picture this:

Out riding on Dogs Bolx. Few hours of riding, far from home, we came to a stop for a quick pint.

Then I noticed my front XTR canti hanging literally off the stud - somehow the stud bolt had wound out and there was nothing keeping the canti on. Panic.

Fortunately, due to the backwards-style mounted position of the RC35 brake mounts there was no risk of the arm pulling off when braking - but having rolled the bike back a few metres after dismounting the canti was now dangling off the stud.

Problem was now on how to fix it - a good 10 miles from home. Noone in the group had a spare and I couldnt rob one from an existing part of a bike that wasnt needed already.

Eureka! Adaptive improv ahoy:

I took out a rear bolt from the rear brake canti and replaced the missing front brake. Then I used a zip tie (phew I had one) and poked it through the frames stud rear (fortunately the Bolx studds are not blind) and zipped it up - thus securing the canti good and proper.

Awesome. Lasted me the whole day and I only replaced it last night when I realised it was still mounted.

(cr*p pic but at least it shows the tie sticking out of the stud on the rear)

Any other whacky trail repair success stories?

 

[legrandefromage]

rubbish - a real man would have whittled the correct threaded bolt out of a passing grey squirrel using a cool tool, a camelbac and a energy bar wrapper.

 

[jez-4-bikes-max]

Totally agree - if it wasn't for the lack of an energy bar wrapper I would have done this. Doh.

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

rubbish - a real man would have whittled the correct threaded bolt out of a passing grey squirrel using a cool tool, a camelbac and a energy bar wrapper.

Grey squirrels are too soft and also too easy to catch,
red ones are harder in the middle,take a thread better
are faster on their toes making the reward of the chase all the better :roll:


Gc

 

[Dr S]

Not a bike bodge but heard a cracker last year. This chap has a 1930's Derby Bentley- scruffy as anything and very well used. 4 years ago during a six week tour of Europe the engine block split, six inches long and an inch wide. He used a pair of leather driving gloves, his wifes slipper, some fencing wire and wood to fix the hole. His technique was to wrap the wire around the block, plug hole with gloves, secure with slipper and the wedge with wood- hammering more in until the wire was at bursting point. He then filled the rad back up with water from a stream. He then continued on his holiday and another 2,300 miles. I asked how much the new block cost him and he smiled- lifting the engine cover he said "my dear boy, I cannot afford a new engine but I did change the wire around 12,000 miles ago!"
I could not believe it, but there it was on a campsite at Le Mans four years and 30,000 miles since it broke. Coolest bodge ever!

 

[jez-4-bikes-max]

Now that IS cool

 

[Kona Paul]

Hell, when my front canti popped off last winter, I just finished the ride (a night ride) without front brakes. That's the way to do it Jezz.

But otherwise a very creative fix.

 

[perry]

A while ago while on a ride with orange71 we were stood chatting and he was fiddling with the rear brake .

" I have to make sure I don't roll back with the brake on , I don't have pins in the pads "

:shock: Rather you than me . Made a mental note not to ride so close to the back of Ed for fear of hearing a grating sound of empty brake pads on rim and rear ending him

I once broke a rear wheel that left me having to do half as many pedals backwards as forwards because the freewheel would tighten and lock the cranks solid

Various broken chains and chainrings have left me having to lean the bike from left to right to pump the ground to get momentum , once had to do that for 15 miles , got quick enough in the end to maintain a decent cruising speed to keep up with mates . its hard to resist the urge to pedal even though theres no way it could work .

I can't think of any times Ive had to use other stuff in place of those lost or broken , I loctite everything so its pretty rare and my bikes are always so stripped down theres little surplus parts to scavenge from .

 

[mattbrown]

i had a mate, who's animal watch strip pin fell off along a trail, he then proceeded to pace the distance between when it could have fallen off, to where he noticed it, to which i proclaimed it could be anywhere, but then looked down at my feet and low and be hold, it was just there shining up at me. not a bodge but a bloody lucky fluke.

 

[ekiborter]

I used the string from my oakleys bag to bodge the remnants of my rear mech into a singlespeed setup
so I could limp down cym carn (fortunately it's not a long loop on the xc course).

;]