How big of a deal is it if you have to SAG?

[airinpie]

Asking for a friend. 

[bikeman564™]

if you have to you have to. I never have yet.

[Square Wheels]

It's awesome that it's available.  One of our toughest, and craziest, recently employed their services, but I'd never call @Thaddeus Kosciuszko out, so if he chooses to tell about it, he will.

@bikeman564™ has probably done more centuries this year than I have in the past 5, so I'm far from an expert.  That means I'm more like you and not a superhuman like him.  I've thought a few times of stopping, as has my wife.  There a lot of satisfaction in actually making it to the end, and knowing there's an easy way to get a ride back really helps.

You'll make, or you won't.

[Kzoo]

You mean other than the big DNF sign they make you wear on your back or the slow ride through the countryside in some creeper's smelly truck, it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Seriously - they have SAG for a reason.  People us them - you can too if you have to. 

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Not big at all. Nothing ventured nothing gained. On the O#7 shame scale it's a 1 or 2. Not doing the ride because you're scared you won't finish is higher up the scale, say 6 or 7. Life is short, get out there and kick ass. You will surprise yourself and have a good time. Never doubt your own bad self!

[bikeman564™]

14 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

 

@bikeman564™ has probably done more centuries this year than I have in the past 5, so I'm far from an expert. 

My count is 9 for the year

[airinpie]

26 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

 You'll make, or you won't.

 

I kind of love this response. And it's so true.

[ChrisL]

My wife was forced to get in a SAG after complaining of being light headed at a rest stop on an organized century. One of the medical folks took her bike, put it in the van and said you are done get in.  Extra precaution which I'm good with but she was fine and just needed a minute to recover.  She had ridden 80 miles prior to the century and was only about 45 miles in when they forced her to stop.  

Afterwards she was really upset and resentful that she was forced to stop.  I would've been too as she prepared well enough to have made it.

[Longjohn ★]

I know people who expect to sag every ride. I never have but that's just me. My wife sagged after the first rest stop on Saturday. I'm just glad she rode with me for awhile.

[Road Runner]

Would a different type of bra help?   

[Caretaker]

1 hour ago, airinpie said:

Asking for a friend. 

Your friend should decide for him/herself.

I don't think you would want my opinion about SAGs.

[airinpie]

5 minutes ago, Caretaker said:

Your friend should decide for him/herself.

I don't think you would want my opinion about SAGs.

I can handle the truth 

[Longjohn ★]

23 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

Would a different type of bra help?   

This made me LOL in the waiting room at doctor's office.

[Kirby]

I think it's much more badass to have an ambitious goal and go for it, even if you fall a little short this time for some reason, than riding only distances that you know are easy for you

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

You get in the SAG wagon when you have to based on your judgment of the circumstances at the time.

I posted in a thread that I got in the SAG wagon three miles from the end of a century.  On the surface that seems like a cop out.

But before I got in the SAG wagon, though, I rode this for 25 miles before it blew out a second time:

I could have fixed it yet again.  I had a roll of duct tape (yes, I did!) with me, and I could have cut away all the duct tape on the tire (because I do carry a small pen knife in my saddle bag), patched the tube, taped it all back up again, and ridden the last 3 miles in.

However -

The 2 volunteers in the SAG wagon wouldn't leave until I got back on the road again, no matter what I said.  The 15 or so volunteers and staffers at the finish line weren't going to leave until everyone was off the course and I was the last one still out there.   All those people had had a long day as well - some longer than I because they had to get the event set up long before I got there at 6:15am.    It would have been utterly vain, selfish, and not to mention inconsiderate of me to keep all those people waiting simply because I didn't feel like getting in the SAG wagon. 

Years ago on another century I crashed about 7 miles from the finish, and crashed pretty hard.  The other riders with me wanted to me wait for the SAG wagon.  I couldn't swing one leg over the bike, but I could swing the other.  Once both feet were clipped in, I could pedal.  No SAG wagon for me, no sir.  So I finished.

Later, back at home, Mrs. TK took one look at me and dragged me to the emergency room.  The xrays showed a fractured pelvis and at least one broken rib.  The doctor said I was an idiot for getting back on the bike because another fall would have broken my pelvis.

So I think these two incidents illustrate the SAG wagon decision.  In the second circumstance I had much better reasons for getting in the SAG, but didn't.  In the first circumstance I was physically capable of finishing but I believed my personal reluctance to get in the SAG wagon was not reason enough to keep all those people waiting on my account.  I felt I'd proved my commitment to the MS Society, and making people wait another hour or so until I repaired the tire and rode in wasn't going to 'prove' it any more than I already had.

 

 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

26 minutes ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

I could have fixed it yet again.  I had a roll of duct tape (yes, I did!) with me, and I could have cut away all the duct tape on the tire (because I do carry a small pen knife in my saddle bag), patched the tube, taped it all back up again, and ridden the last 3 miles in.

See? You're a friggin lightweight!

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

I think at the end of the ride, after the SAG brings you back, you're supposed to get out your katana and your little tatami mat....

[AirwickWithCheese]

I would be humiliated if you don't make it and would be forced to defriend you inside the Cafe.     

[smudge ★]

4 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

Years ago on another century I crashed about 7 miles from the finish, and crashed pretty hard.  The other riders with me wanted to me wait for the SAG wagon.  I couldn't swing one leg over the bike, but I could swing the other.  Once both feet were clipped in, I could pedal.  No SAG wagon for me, no sir.  So I finished.

Later, back at home, Mrs. TK took one look at me and dragged me to the emergency room.  The xrays showed a fractured pelvis and at least one broken rib.  The doctor said I was an idiot for getting back on the bike because another fall would have broken my pelvis.

 

 

THAT, my friend, is fucking BAD ASS!!!!

(And I don't mean that as a lame pun to your fracture.)

Props!!!

[Dirtyhip]

It is not a big deal at all.  If you need it, load up.

What is the big deal if you do 80 miles vs. 100?

[Ralphie ★]

I got an offer from a SAG wagon on Saturday and I wasn;t even on an organized ride!

 

[Zephyr]

Remember, you truly never know your potential until you fail.  

To use the SAG, you will just know your limit (on that day only)

[ChrisL]

This thread reminded me of a ride I did years ago with a club I was a part of.  We did the Tecate Ensenada ride down in Mexico and the club arranged a van and bike transport.  A guy named Ray who was in his 70's at the time but was a pretty strong rider still.  We had a prearranged meet up place after the ride and well after the ride had ended Ray was missing?  We contacted the organizers and they sent several course Marshalls out but no Ray!?!?!?  So we are 1/2 worried for Ray and half pissed  as it's a 4 hour drive back and its freaking late... Well its about 8 PM and as we are talking to the ride organizers and local officials Ray rides up to the finish!?!?!? We ask him what the he'll happened and he said he stopped to have a couple of cervesa's, took a nap under a tree (probably why they couldn't find him) and slept way too long.... Woke up, all the course markers were gone so got lost....  Luckily one of the locals took pity and gave him a ride into Ensenada and viola!

Knowing Ray he probably found a bordello but we took him for his word  but damn we were hot having to wait so long for him.

[Further]

Waving down the SAG beats the hell out of calling your daughter and trying to explain where the hell you are, when you're not all that sure yourself, or so I've heard 

The money you pay to go on an organized ride is to have support, you payed for it, if you need it use it.

[JerrySTL ★]

I've had to sag twice. Once during a race when I ran over a broken beer bottle. No pump or spare tube when racing.

Earlier this year WoJSTL wasn't feeling very well on a hot, hilly, and humid 1/2 marathon. I wasn't feeling too good either at about the 10 mile mark with a couple of long climbs coming up. We crammed into the sag wagon with 4 other people. I might have made it to the end, but I would have been seriously hurting for days afterward. 

I've driven the sag wagon many times. If it's a ride with different routes, you really need to pay attention to the shortest route. That's were the beginners with big box store bikes are. Lots of mechanicals.  Those doing the longer routes usually know how to take care of themselves.

One interesting sag wagon story. Woman was on the side of the road with the rear tire blown off the rim. It was an older bike that was still in great shape. She says that it has had blowouts very often and kept taking it to the bike shop to fix the flats. The 27" tires were new and in good shape. I started to put in a new tube when I noticed that the inside rims were flat. They were made for old-fashion gumwall tires without a bead. Putting beaded tires on such a rim then pumping them up to 120 psi was an explosion waiting to happen. Seems that the LBS wrenches were clueless about such things. 

I changed the tube and pumped the tire up to only 70 psi plus let air out of the front tire. I told her to either get new hook beaded rims or some gum wall tires and not pump them all the way up. I ran into her at another ride and she just bought a new bike.

[Ralphie ★]

Bikes ain't no fooling around.   Harsh mistresses.

 

[petitepedal ★]

There is no shame in sagging!!  I sagged on two different occasions on CANDISC..one year 30 miles into the first day..my ITband made it almost impossible to pedal...Lucky for me there were PT students at the first overnight..that gal worked over my leg forever...I was even bruised...but I did the next 5 days no problem.  Another time it was nasty rollers and a head wind.  I got so far...like 60 miles of an 80 miler..suddenly there was another hill in the wind..and I used colorful language and started to cry...I knew I was toast. 

Sometimes...your body can handle it..sometimes it can't..sometimes...it is all in your head...but there is no shame in taking a sag.

[petitepedal ★]

FYI on that ride with the wind and the rollers...even before the ride Ian said "Easy peasy we will make that a century (they had a short extension route for those who wanted to get in the 100)..LOL he was not gonna do those extra "easy" miles..he was beat as well....

[Caretaker]

Public transport is permitted in extenuating circumstances.