Look through ride reports, various threads, numerous social media sites and the topic of conversation comes up a lot why people shy away from taking solo adventures:

‘I’d love to ride solo but if my bike goes down I’m not sure I could pick it back up’

Is this you? Do you love the idea of a solo adventure, but fear stops you? You read about how many do it and how different the experience is, but your mind is overwhelmingly telling you it’s a bad idea?

There are a few different variations of this line of thinking. Where do you stand on this topic that stops you from going on that solo adventure, on a whim?

• My fully loaded bike is too heavy to pick up by myself
• I have to restrict where I ride when I’m solo
• I’m always concerned about going down an unknown track and reaching a dead end and not being able to ride back out
• I struggle with altitude

Regardless of what bike brand you ride, dropping your bike can be an issue, especially in sand, mud, ice, altitude, upside-down in a ditch, half a dozen times on one trail, etc…

Have you looked for options to help get your bike back up?

There are plenty of videos out there showing you how to lift your machine with various different techniques. Load your bike like it will be loaded on your trip, put it down in your driveway, and practice! Practice with it dropped in both directions as hand-holds might be different when you’re on the trail.

Other options

Warn Winches used to make a portable winch called the XT17. It seems they weren’t a big seller, as they’re not listed on their site anymore, but the video below gives you the basic idea.

Occasionally these pop up in the flea market or maybe you could adapt something out there to do the same.

Pole/ratchet strap type lifts might be a more realistic option, but they’re still bulky. I saw this one onAmazon

The cheaper and lighter way to lift your bike, besides good technique, is using a pulley system, A few companies out there make them; below, check out theZ-Drag Recovery SystemfromGreen Chile Adventure Gear. Riders can adapt it to help with otherwise-impossible hill climbs, as well as rescuing stuck or dropped bikes.

Stop making excuses—get the right gear and get out on that solo adventure. Take the worry out of a dropped bike stopping you. Others have been there before, and come up with solutions for you.

Title image: rtwPaul, video the respective owners