When the Ride Falls Apart: What Do You Do When It All Goes Wrong?

Quick Take: You can do everything right and still watch a dream ride unravel. The work isn’t wasted. Change the goal, keep the miles, move forward.

Last Updated: November 1, 2025

When the Big Ride Falls Apart

You train hard. You log the miles, study the route, check the gear, and show up ready. Whether it’s a multi-day tour or a one-day event, you feel stronger than ever. You’re not just prepared—you’re excited. And then… it all falls apart.

I know that feeling. I spent more than a year preparing for a San Diego-to-Las Cruces tour—over 6,000 miles of training rides. Thirty-four miles into day one, a rag blew off the road and straight into my rear derailleur. In seconds it snapped the mech, twisted the chain, and broke multiple spokes. The bike was done—unrideable. I stood on the shoulder staring at a dream that just evaporated because of a gust of wind.

The first wave is disbelief. Then anger. Then the silence where you wonder if you wasted all that time. But the truth shows up when the emotions settle: the work wasn’t wasted. Your legs don’t forget the miles. Your lungs don’t forget the climbs. The discipline you built doesn’t vanish because the plan did.

Pivot Without Quitting

I didn’t quit. I changed direction. Instead of the long tour, I went after single-day events: Tour de Gap, Hotter ’n Hell, Day of the Tread. New finish lines, same purpose. The road changed, but the reason stayed the same.

Failure Doesn’t Erase the Work

Your fitness remains. The engine you built is still there. Use it.
Your process scales. Apply the same habits to a different target—local events, hill repeats, weekly mileage streaks.
Your identity stays intact. One broken plan doesn’t redefine you. You’re a cyclist because you ride, not because a schedule cooperated.

What You Still Get

Freedom and motion—the wind, the hum of tires, the head-clearing rhythm.
A new goal that fits the moment, not the calendar.
Perspective: bad luck can end a ride, not a season.

You still get to ride tomorrow.

Sometimes a failed ride teaches you more than a flawless one. It humbles you, refocuses you, and reminds you that every mile is a gift—not a guarantee. When things fall apart, take a breath and keep rolling. The work still counts. The road is still there. And you’re still moving forward.

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