Solo riding, migiating risk, planning for problems ?

[weeksy]

There was an interesting thread over on cycling forum about riding solo and a bloke who fucked himself up in the middle of nowhere and got really lucky with someone passing by.

It made me think a little about things though as a lot of my riding is in techie places without any possible chance of being found if something happened. Yesterday was Cwmcarn, which you could argue should have people, but with the rain and ice yesterday it was a graveyard out there, i didn't see anyone all day. It did make me think about whether i hit a particular trail or not as it was properly the middle of nowhere.
When i'm out locally i never feel i'm that far from help, but sometimes at trail places i feel a bit more exposed. I'm mostly used to it now, but it does sometimes play a factor in what i'll hit.

Quite a few of them take a GPS tracker, a blanket, a spare coat, whistle, various other plans.... But i don't even really take even a pump with me.

So...something you think about ? Or....

[Count Steer]

Same as solo stuff on foot. (Which I wouldn't do in lots of places and quiet seasons). Whistle, space blanket, decent first aid kit - eg stuff to make a splint or a tourniquet with, not just Elastoplast - and a well protected phone - although that might need you to be mobile enough to hunt for a signal + water and food.

This gives some idea of what the serious, hard cases carry in the mountains.

https://foxmountainguides.com/climbing-first-aid-kit/

But, best thing is....

.....having someone with you.

[weeksy]

.....having someone with you.

That'd be awesome, but a lot of the time these days that's just not viable. My riding partner isn't getting out as much and doesn't necessarily want to hit some of the places, which i totally understand of course. I'm hoping when we move to FoD i'll get a few of the locals i know who'll hit some of these days out with me. But at the moment, riding with someone is less often than i'd like.
That said, i enjoy riding alone anyway, so it's not like it massively detracts from my enjoyment.

[Horse]

I'm a professional pessimist, so it is (albeit a lazy one with buggered balance, so wouldn't be out there anyway )

You could plan ahead, leave route map with someone else, then phone / txt (if signal) at start, mid points and end.

Unfortunately, shit does happen.

[Count Steer]

I'm a professional pessimist, so it is (albeit a lazy one with buggered balance, so wouldn't be out there anyway )

You could plan ahead, leave route map with someone else, then phone / txt (if signal) at start, mid points and end.

Unfortunately, shit does happen.

Au contraire Hoss, you could say the optimist knows shit happens and says 'Yeah, but I've prepared for it and, chances are, I'll probably use most of this stuff to help some plonker that hasn't'.

[MingtheMerciless]

Mrs L always knows where I am as I have a “find my app”
on watch and phone. Both devices have a crash 999 call ability. If If I’m going a long way on Dartmoor I’ll let her know the route. I normally get a “you’ve found the pub” message. If I’m on my own I’ll take an extra layer and a whistle and in my big day out pack I’ve got matches and a space blanket and small first aid kit. I also ride more within my limits as well (not that that helps when I fell of twice on the nutcracker stones last time). The other thing I take into account is the weather. Don't be afraid to bail out or turn back. I’d probably die of embarrassment if I needed to call Mountain Rescue

[Horse]

I'm a professional pessimist, so it is (albeit a lazy one with buggered balance, so wouldn't be out there anyway )

You could plan ahead, leave route map with someone else, then phone / txt (if signal) at start, mid points and end.

Unfortunately, shit does happen.

Au contraire Hoss, you could say the optimist knows shit happens and says 'Yeah, but I've prepared for it and, chances are, I'll probably use most of this stuff to help some plonker that hasn't'.

Actually, I've also called myself a 'happy pessimist'

[DefTrap]

My missus calls me when I'm out of sight.

[Horse]

My missus calls me rude names when I'm out of sight.

ftfy

[Ditchfinder]

Most of the places I ride in the UK I wouldn't be too concerned about not being found as I'm usually on a ROW of some description and I don't ride as much in the quieter months. If i'm on my own I properly dial down my ability estimator and tend to plan routes that aren't remote.

In France however everywhere is remote even if not far from a town or village as hardly anyone lives there and so trails just don't get walked. Maybe a local hunt might find me if they were in the area. I don't have a riding buddy out there either which isn't great. I'm probably goung to set up a crash alert thingy/Find me app for the next rides I do out there. The good news is the search area would be fairly small as I'm so old and slow these days I rarely get 5 miles from the door

[Noggin]

I don't ride, but when I ski tour I normally text someone to let them know where I'm going (I do really easy safe stuff cos I'm on the piste, not hiding in powder!) and text when I des-kin to ski back

The one time I got caught out in very poor visibility, I text the only friend here that I knew would be up at 6:30 and know where his phone was! Let him know which piste, what the conditions were and that I'd text every 15 mins or so and let him know when I turned to go down and when I got back safe. I also sent a locator pin via Whatsapp so he could see where I was if I didn't contact him. He just sent so I knew he would keep an eye out

(TBF, I don't normally go out in poor vis so have never needed to do that before - but it didn't clear as I'd expected it to LOL )


Another mate that does off piste a bit solo (yes yes, stupid, but you can't tell and old dog etc etc etc ) always sends the location thing on Whatsapp to someone he knows will keep an eye on him and if he doesn't move for a while, they'll call him/emergency services! Not that that would help if he was caught in an avalanche But the bit he skis alone is used a lot and isn't that likely to avalanche, apparently !!!


I'd guess there are proper trackers that would at least mean someone could keep an eye out for you? (Better than the WhatsApp location thing!!)

[Horse]

Would giving someone else Strava access be worthwhile?

And What 3 Words is worth having - if you have signal and are conscious.

[weeksy]

Would giving someone else Strava access be worthwhile?

And What 3 Words is worth having - if you have signal and are conscious.

Strava Premium has a tracking thing built into it.

W3W is, but yes signal can be an issue.

[Taff]

MrsTaff bought me the Garmin 1030(?) a few years ago, partly for this reason.

The majority of my riding is solo and often in the dark at this time of year.
As soon as the Garmin starts recording it sends an email to her with a link code, if I've pre planned a route then the route is displayed, and she can see the 'breadcrumb' of my progress and so will have a very good idea of which way I've gone. It's not perfect because it relies on mobile signal, but the updates seem to get out often enough that the search area would be limited. Even in fod and cwmcarn.

In my waist pack I carry a space blanket and tools to get me out bother one way or another. Sitting here WFH the whistle that should be in/on my waist pack is on the desk so that needs to go back.
I have been contemplating carrying an emergency shelter in winter because they are excellent at keeping you warm if you're immobilised.

Back in May we got ourselves into a proper sticky situation on a North Wales mountain that none of us were dressed for, and we decided to bail out down the pre planned emergency exit. It shook me up a little bit because I could see that we were one injury or mechanical away from a very serious situation, and only 2 off the 6 of us were navigating as we went.

[Mr Moofo]

I crashed, and unbeknownst to me had broken my shoulder and crack some ribs. Adrenaline told be I was ok - so I started to try and ride down a nadgery bit.
I was up on the Downs, not far from Chanctonbury Ring, it was Thursday afternoon and there was no one about. The weekend before, a friend had given me his "old but newer than mine " iPhone, which I had with me. Obviously, whne in pain and with no othere source of help, I phone the wife. And couldn't hear a thing - the mic and speakers of the phone were absolutely rammed with pocket fluff.
We communicated eventually, and I walked, climbed and pushed the 3 or so k back to Steyning, where she picked me up. Sally Gunnell offered me a lift ( Blue cabrio BMW with white leather seats - I declined as I was covered in mud).
It did make me think "what happens if the hadle bar had actuallly gone into my leg and I was losing blood"

I make sure I carry a well charged phone (that I can hear), as small first aid kit, water. But other than that it is just a risk ...

Unfortunately I didn't lean too quickly, as I crashed about 12 months later, separating my AC joint. But at least I could hear the complete lack of sympthy from the wife when I rang ...

[Yorick]

When I ride enduro by myself I stick to dirt roads and footpaths.
If i dare venture off piste a bit, I know where I can get a phone signal

My pals will know where I am from Watsapp location and my description of exactly where I am

[Pirahna]

I did the Great Divide by myself and didn't die.

I went to a lot of places where I could have been in deep trouble if something had gone wrong, a good example was the Wyoming Basin. The Tour Divide goes through the place in June and takes a different route to the normal mapped route, that's the track I followed, I was there in August. The trail very quickly becomes a very faint line, it could be weeks before anyone came through. I was confident I had sufficient kit and skill to get myself out of trouble, including a Spot tracker with an SOS function.

On Google maps, find Atlantic City, Wyoming. The main route goes to Rawlins, I'd turned off and was headed towards Wamsutter.

The first pic is camping somewhere north of Wamsutter, the second is south of Wamsutter with the high peaks of the Rockies in Colorado in the distance.

[Pirahna]

Thinking about carrying some sort of emergency contact device. If I were doing the Divide now I'd have a Garmin Inreach for comms and tracking. iPhone 14 and later now have satellite communications if the regular network isn't available. Starlink is too early in it's mobile rollout to consider.

[Yorick]

Thinking about carrying some sort of emergency contact device. If I were doing the Divide now I'd have a Garmin Inreach for comms and tracking. iPhone 14 and later now have satellite communications if the regular network isn't available. Starlink is too early in it's mobile rollout to consider.

Phone the missus and tell her you talked to a barmaid.

She'll find you