I'd pay a lot for a bike guaranteed never to break down. A lot. But it's not in the nature of things. It almost is, when you compare mountain bikes of today to those I tested in the Utah deserts in the early 1980s. The amazingly strong and responsive frames, sealed bearings, beefy rims and spokes, shockproof bottom brackets, durable derailleurs, the simple but powerful newest brakes, space-age gear and brake cables — all combine to make up the tough mounts we know that we can trust almost anywhere, anytime. Almost.

Mechanical trouble brewing
in the backcountry

Yes, almost. That's the rub. Because even when we do regular maintenance on these wonderful machines, we know that someday, somewhere, something's going to break down. If we're stopped when close to the trailhead on an after-work ride, or while commuting across town, well, it's bad enough but we can live with it. But what do you do when forced to a halt in the backcountry, whether it's a one-day very long ride (and looking to become far longer!) or a week or more on the Great Divide or elsewhere? Suddenly an annoyance grows into a problem. Do you have enough food and water? Are you equipped to spend the night in the wild comfortably enough to do what you have to do the next day to get back to the trailhead? Is someone going to be worried when you don't return?

You can see how quickly a breakdown 20 miles from anywhere changes plans. While such a distance even over the roughest terrain can be ridden in a few hours, walking a score of miles — especially if pushing your bike while wearing biking-only (not combination biking/hiking) shoes — can eat up a day. A looooong day, if your water bottles are dry and your last energy bar is but a memory.

So what to do? Well, there are several answers to this scary scenario.

One, wait till a breakdown-free bike is invented. (You may as well take up golf.)

Two, wimp out and leave the backcountry to the rest of us. (There's golf again.)

This rider packs her tool kit in an old sock

Three Key Hints

Even if you do assemble the world's best tool kit, keep the following three things in mind at all times.

Tune up! You will greatly reduce the probability of breakdown in the backcountry if you inspect and tune up your bike before heading out.

Test out! While we all love the idea that the purchase of a tiny mini-tool will answer all our worries, it probably won't. The best ones will replace many of the individual tools above, but if you're wise you'll spend some time actually using the tools to see how they work on your bike. Pay attention as well to places where you might need two tools at once — an Allen wrench at the bolt head and another wrench (crescent, channel locks, box end . . . ) to hold the nut on the opposite side. If what you need in separate places is attached to either end of the same tiny tool, you're hurting.

And the third parting note? Just the mother's imperative to wash your hands! A small tube of waterless hand cleaner and a paper towel will make this enjoyable post-greasy-repair task a whole lot easier.