Tips sought for riding solo

This is really exellent adice and help. Thanks to you all. I really need to get my act together. Having not ridden for about 30 years, my approach has been decidedly teenagerish, boots, helmet, go. Based on some input here I now have enough gear to make Robocop look exposed and it paid off last weekend when I failed to make a clinb; not a scratch. I shudder to think of how I made it to adulthood in one piece.

Trouble can come when you least expect it. Be prepared for everything. I ride with a pack that weighs ~20 #'s and I know I am anal about that stuff. I had the great fortune to hit a cow at ~50 mph on a FS road that was clear and empty of all traffic up or down. Damn thing pretty much fell off a bank into the road out of dense trees. You just don't win that confrontation. Many hours later and lots of pain, blood, pills and wrenching I made it home. I always carry very potent pain pills now because shock can kill you. Always carry a spot unfortunately this was prior to them being available because if I had had one I would have sent the sos.

I ride a local harescramble loop that's between two highways. I rarely venture up in the mountains by myself anymore. But for harescramble usually camelback which has a whistle. Cell phone. Few small hand tools.

Anybody bringing a spare fuel pump on their solo rides, they do fail?
I'm 70, shit happens. 90% of my rides alone, wrenches, spot, cell.

I ride solo most of the time due to lack of consistent riding partners. I ride more reserved when solo than when with a group for sure. I used to worry about the "what if's" so I always wear full protection and carry emergency supplies. I can't change the intangibles so I ride because I love it. I have had some bad injuries that required EMS, some so bad it took them over 3 hours to get me to the nearest hospital. I now accept the risk due to the reward. I am no spring chicken and refuse to grow up and being in that demographic, it makes it hard to find riding partners that are willing to make the same sacrifice IMHO.

Came through perfectly. Great advice and I will be taking it. My local place is a state park with an mx track and trail system, so it is easy to implement. I only wish that the mx track was in a bit better condition (concrete hard clay), but it is what it is. Thanks man. I will be rolling the double jumps though..... Maybe someday!

My buddies on KTMs carry fuel pumps and fuel filters.

I'm in Moab and the guy who runs the Moab Dual Sport operation said relays, and fuel injectors. He also mentin tank filter socks. I don't have any of that stuff. It is something to consider.

mayb

maybe they should tow along a spare bike

Important to carry the most useful stuff on your person and not on that bike that's now a few hundred feet down in a canyon....

I had my spot in a handlebar mount for a while until it occurred to me.... Saw some hikers in the Yosemite area with the Inreach systems. I guess they have become preferred to the SPOT.

http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=122

Satellite Phone $499
Service $300 year or $25 mo. equiv.

Well, the inreach is a two way satelite communicator which allows you to talk to search and rescue. The spot just flashes and its unnerving not knowing if your signal is getting out or not.

How about a first aid kit? For those longer mountain rides etc?

I ride alone sometimes as well, but for the most time im quite near home and letting people back home know were im heading.

not a bad idea to carry some med stuff, i have a small trama pack with quik clot, gauze, tournicate, stuff that would be more for a deep cut. anything more than that is proably going to be over kill, be prepaired for whats most likely to happen. you cant take everything with you, but something is better than nothing.

http://www.tacticalmedicalpacks.com/ they make the pack that i carry

Read "How to win Friends and influence people". or join a club and get involved. or start your own club. Whatever. Do not ride alone.

I strongly agree - just dont do it. You would be surprised how such a simple mishap can end up with tragic results.

I can think of MULTIPLE mishaps that group riders have had that would have been death sentences if solo. It is simply just not worth it.

Those Mercury astronauts were more at risk.

Life is risky. If you follow this advise you would hardly ever get to ride. To each his own