I enjoy long distance rides and have done a couple of quite hard ones albeit in quite tame countryside (SDW, Ridgeway Double etc). They’ve been in good weather.

Im toying with the idea of some more remote ones and possibly group starts. One thing is holding me back and that’s a weird unease/concern over what might happen if I suffer a mechanical or something goes wrong.

It happens in darkness/when I’m tired/as it gets more remote and can end up being quite off putting.

I suppose I ought to get some tired, dark and remote riding in and toughen up. Thing is I get it in other wilderness sports when I know that an incident should it happen would be serious and it still scares me no matter how many times I do it.

Good lights.
Spare good lights.

Let people know where you are going.

(And for me a Met Parachute if it’s somewhere really hard).

Self reliance is earned. Get into the hills for some more straightforward days. Have a few close calls. Get tired and cold. Sort yourself out. Grow in awareness and judgement – and you will find your skills and confidence grow.

(However it is still intimidating heading out solo or indeed leading a group in such settings.)

Pack emergency gear – co-codamol, whisky, food, primaloft jacket and foil blanket etc

If you can walk 10 miles you’ll get to a road from just about anywhere in the UK. Emergency over so long as you can do that.

I suppose I ought to get some tired, dark and remote riding in and toughen up. Thing is I get it in other wilderness sports when I know that an incident should it happen would be serious and it still scares me no matter how many times I do it.

Being concerned is a good thing, being blasé is dangerous or thinking it will be fine.
What’s your experience in self rescue and first aid? What’s your plan if it goes wrong? Can you fix a basic singlespeed conversion? Do you know what makes a good emergency spares kit?

Your never far away from help really. Take a mobile, leave your planned route with someone you know and arrange a check in time with them

Be self sufficient as above. Basic first aid kit, including paracetamol and ibuprofen. Emergency bivvy shelters are good and pack up to practically nothing.

I think it might be paradoxically easier to deal with problems on really remote wilderness rides. Because you’ve got no choice.
Any time I’ve had a freak unfixable mechanical, or had to fix a puncture, say, on a night ride when it’s very cold and wet, it always seems like a bigger deal than it is because it’s just a normal mountain bike ride – I think a real emergency out in the wilds brings clarity of thought and action.

It really is all about the weather though in this country. Some of these massive wilderness rides I could see myself doing – in clement weather. Not tomorrow or anything, but I can see what it would take to get round. Bad weather is just a different story. Riding / bike-hiking all day in the wind and the rain, sleeping in a bag under a rock, then getting up the next day to do it all again. Just a different mental level.

Well, to begin with I’d say your fear is rational, and it’s a good thing.

I’d start with trying to identify exactly what you’re scared off. and go from there. You can’t plan for every eventuality, but you can obviously mitigate some of the more obvious problems with decent kit, spares, A Plan…and so on

Pretty much the above post. Fear is normal. I’ve done some pretty long solo rides and there is always that thought in the back of your mind. Back when I used to kayak I did a couple of solo surfing trips which gave me butteflies and a couple of solo river trips where looking back I was stupid. But fear gives you focus.

I’d suggest planning is the key. Look at your route, think about contingency and escape. Look at your kit, do you have things you need to fix likely problems (Mech hangers, SS tensioner, tyre boots, tools). Look at your kit – firstly does it work. Make sure it does and is well serviced. Secondly, is it suitable. On long toad rides I favour a heavier 32h rim because when I brake a spoke I can remove it, loosen the calipers and limp home. My nice radial race wheels (20h) are probably going to hit the fork and be unrideable.

If you are going somewhere properly remote then in addition the the usual emergency stuff to keep you warm, a SPOT tracker may be a good investment.