Walking your bike

[hikerjer]

At what point do you get off and walk/push your bike while touring be it due to wind, ground surface, hills, utter exhaustion, etc.? How many mph/ What conditions? Or do you just refuse to do it. I'm certainly not above doing it given the right or should I say, wrong , conditions.

Just curious.

[UncaBuddha]

If the surface is dangerous I might walk.
On uphills I ask myself, "do you really feel worse than you did 5 minutes ago?"  if the answer is yes, then I walk a little. I don't race. I don't want to be miserable...

[Pat Lamb]

On a long ride (tour or brevet), I look at walking as a balance between speed and endurance.  OK, I can climb a 22% grade, but if I've then got to ride 50 more miles, maybe I'm better off walking that blasted hill and then having the energy left to ride the rest of the way for the day.

The only time I've walked because of wind was a similar consideration.  50 mph headwind, I was ahead of my daughter by 50 yards and needed a break.  After walking 15 minutes, using some different muscles and getting a slight stretch in my legs, I was 50 yards behind her.  Well worth the walk!

[John Nelson]

You walk when you need a mental break under unusually difficult conditions.

[TCS]

One of my cycling mentors was once found walking down a hill.  When asked what was wrong, he replied, 'Nothing, it's just really pretty here and I didn't want to rush past it.'

[BikeliciousBabe]

I only walk when: (1) I am physically incapable of making the bike move my pedaling due to grade, and/or (2) When the road surface makes pedaling dangerous or impossible. Pushing a loaded bike is no fun, especially up a steep grade, so I avoid it whenever possible.

[driftlessregion]

I'm 67 years old and last summer was the first time I ever walked and it was because I stopped to rest and found the hill too steep to restart. That experience took me to the bike shop for lower gears before touring a couple of weeks later with a full load.

[BikeliciousBabe]

I'm 67 years old and last summer was the first time I ever walked and it was because I stopped to rest and found the hill too steep to restart. That experience took me to the bike shop for lower gears before touring a couple of weeks later with a full load.

I hate when that happens. "Not the best place to stop." I end up saying to myself.

[canalligators]

When the power required to move the bike is greater than I care to expend.  Or when I can't move fast enough to maintain balance.

I don't have any silly emotional issues about walking.  No pride problem, no artificial goal to complete the tour without walking, no macho image to maintain, and I don't give a s*** what anybody else thinks.  Just the physics.

[fastrog]

I walked shamelessly many times on the first 800 miles of the Transamerica last year. When I hit the road to Afton it was over 100 and the road was freshly chip-sealed. Just too much. Living in south Florida, I had no chance to train on hills, so it was not go or walk some. I walked when it seemed my forward progress was getting too slow for stability, and/or my lungs and muscles were crying for a break. I crashed near Loretto, Kentucky, while trying to avoid a ground hog who wanted to be a road hog
. Broke some bones and abandoned. Going back to pick up this year, and will walk as much as I need to.

[Pat Lamb]

fastrog, sorry to hear about your accident.  (Though that could make an insurance commercial...   You were just about past the steep walking parts, at least until you hit Missouri.  Wishing you a safe and happy ride this summer!

[fastrog]

thanks pat

[bbarrettx]

Pennsylvania

[neil]

When your cycling speed drops under 3mph, it's far easier on the knees and having done it many times on group rides, I arrive at the top in better shape than those who are cycling and suffering 

[BikePacker]

Walk my steed any time I feel moved to get a little slower and more appreciative 'look' at the Almighty's wonder-ous great outdoors.