Share your biking faux pas, accidents, bodges...
Discussion
Meh! Loads of life left in those 
One race did most of that damage, the pads were less than about 50% worn going into the race, but the conditions were shocking. To be honest, another lap and I'd have gone through the backing pad and started using the piston itself as a braking surface. And all for the sake of £11 (or far less if you buy online ).
One race did most of that damage, the pads were less than about 50% worn going into the race, but the conditions were shocking. To be honest, another lap and I'd have gone through the backing pad and started using the piston itself as a braking surface. And all for the sake of £11 (or far less if you buy online
). dibbers006 said:
Ooh! Did they not make a horrible noise?
dibbers, they probably did. But absolutely everything on that course was making a horrible noise. It was truly the worst weather I have EVER (in my 35 years of cycling) ridden in. Only the thought of 'losing' my race entry fee got me out of bed that morning. That, and losing face on Pedal Powered, having declared it would be my first race. Parts of the course were mud right up to the wheel hubs, the brakes were wailing and grinding from the start, several riders retired having torn their rear mechs off, many more bailed with less serious failures. Sand/grit/mud was in every nook and cranny, and to be honest I didn't think I was really using the brakes that much, due to the claggy mud preventing any real speed. It rained constantly from late the previous evening until well into the afternoon, and through the entire race. I'd ridden home at a crawl because I was borderline hypothermic, so had little need of the brakes. I only discovered the true extent of the pad wear when I stripped everything back a few days later to clean the bike properly. It needed new pads all round, a new chain, and cassette, and a short while later new chainrings, along with a rebuild of the hubs front and rear, with new axles and bearings because grit and water had ruined the cone nuts too. 14 miles of racing on a Sunday morning took a far heavier toll on my (cheap, old) bike than I ever expected.rdjohn said:
Inflating the tyres on my folding bike to 5.5bar.
They worked just fine for 6 months but the the rear exploded on a Sunday, so I had a 2-hour push home. LBS says 2 bar is just fine.
I tend to work in psi rather than bar. But isn't 5.5 bar just 80 psi? (A quick google says 1 bar = 14.5 psi.)They worked just fine for 6 months but the the rear exploded on a Sunday, so I had a 2-hour push home. LBS says 2 bar is just fine.
That's not a big deal - I pump my Brompton tyres up to between 80-100psi (i.e. 5.5 - 7.0 psi) and they have been absolutely fine. Just one puncture in the last 4 years.
2 bar (i.e less than 30 psi) is ridiculously low - you'll get loads of punctures with such flat tyres, not to mention making forward movement a bit harder.
A few years ago I decided to upgrade the mountain bike. Spotted a bargain Giant Anthem on Ebay, usual anxious wait as the deadline approaches but my silly offer was still the top one. As soon as the auction was over and I had won, I spotted something tucked away in the description that it was a 1x chainset. I was so cross I hadn't seen it before, and it put my right off. I know it simplifies the drive train and saves weight and maintenance, and it probably had enough of a spread of gears, but I just couldn't go through with the purchase. Luckily the seller was happy to relist.
Daveyraveygravey said:
A few years ago I decided to upgrade the mountain bike. Spotted a bargain Giant Anthem on Ebay, usual anxious wait as the deadline approaches but my silly offer was still the top one. As soon as the auction was over and I had won, I spotted something tucked away in the description that it was a 1x chainset. I was so cross I hadn't seen it before, and it put my right off. I know it simplifies the drive train and saves weight and maintenance, and it probably had enough of a spread of gears, but I just couldn't go through with the purchase. Luckily the seller was happy to relist.
And I bet your now your wanting to upgrade to 1x.......ecsrobin said:
Daveyraveygravey said:
A few years ago I decided to upgrade the mountain bike. Spotted a bargain Giant Anthem on Ebay, usual anxious wait as the deadline approaches but my silly offer was still the top one. As soon as the auction was over and I had won, I spotted something tucked away in the description that it was a 1x chainset. I was so cross I hadn't seen it before, and it put my right off. I know it simplifies the drive train and saves weight and maintenance, and it probably had enough of a spread of gears, but I just couldn't go through with the purchase. Luckily the seller was happy to relist.
And I bet your now your wanting to upgrade to 1x.......
30T 11-36, more than enough range, 9 too many gears tbh
I fairly recently went out with the fast group of a local cycling club for the first time. The night before I checked my bike over, got all my kit ready etc to make sure I wouldn't be late for the fairly early start. I drove the ten miles or so to where they met up, so it was only when we set off that I realised that although I had charged the battery for my Di2 groupset the day before, I hadn't put the bloody think back on the bike...so that's me marked out as a total plonker from the word go.
richardxjr said:
ecsrobin said:
Daveyraveygravey said:
A few years ago I decided to upgrade the mountain bike. Spotted a bargain Giant Anthem on Ebay, usual anxious wait as the deadline approaches but my silly offer was still the top one. As soon as the auction was over and I had won, I spotted something tucked away in the description that it was a 1x chainset. I was so cross I hadn't seen it before, and it put my right off. I know it simplifies the drive train and saves weight and maintenance, and it probably had enough of a spread of gears, but I just couldn't go through with the purchase. Luckily the seller was happy to relist.
And I bet your now your wanting to upgrade to 1x.......30T 11-36, more than enough range, 9 too many gears tbh
Zigster said:
rdjohn said:
Inflating the tyres on my folding bike to 5.5bar.
They worked just fine for 6 months but the the rear exploded on a Sunday, so I had a 2-hour push home. LBS says 2 bar is just fine.
I tend to work in psi rather than bar. But isn't 5.5 bar just 80 psi? (A quick google says 1 bar = 14.5 psi.)They worked just fine for 6 months but the the rear exploded on a Sunday, so I had a 2-hour push home. LBS says 2 bar is just fine.
That's not a big deal - I pump my Brompton tyres up to between 80-100psi (i.e. 5.5 - 7.0 psi) and they have been absolutely fine. Just one puncture in the last 4 years.
2 bar (i.e less than 30 psi) is ridiculously low - you'll get loads of punctures with such flat tyres, not to mention making forward movement a bit harder.
Not sure if this qualifies but I moved some stuff around in my shed a few weeks ago.
Came back to find that an old Insinkerator unit (heavy duty) sink waste disposal unit) had slipped off the top shelf and managed, somehow, to attach itself to my rear brake cable.
The thing weighs a good few kilos and was virtually impossible to remove as the cable had lodged into one of the crevices in it.
The cable still has a kink in it which I didn't think anything of until I looked down during a 40mph descent and hoped that the brake would still work.
Luckily, it did.
Came back to find that an old Insinkerator unit (heavy duty) sink waste disposal unit) had slipped off the top shelf and managed, somehow, to attach itself to my rear brake cable.
The thing weighs a good few kilos and was virtually impossible to remove as the cable had lodged into one of the crevices in it.
The cable still has a kink in it which I didn't think anything of until I looked down during a 40mph descent and hoped that the brake would still work.
Luckily, it did.
I'll share mine from today.
last weekend I took the bike apart to clean and polish up the frame and fit the new BB and headset bearings. Today was the first ride since doing that, so I was slightly nervous about anything going wrong. All fine by the 10 mile marker, so I carried on.....
Got to the 16 mile marker and the backside is starting to ache, but as I have timing marks all over the bike I know it went back together as per the bike fit I had done, so just appled rule 5 and thought nothing of it. Anyway by the 23 mile mark, its really starting to become a pain in the arris, quite literally! At 27 miles I had to stop as my legs were cramping up, so I had a quick nibble to eat and a drink and looked at the bike and thought to myself, I don't remember the saddle and and light being quite so close together!
Yup, the seat post had slipped down 3 inches! No wonder it was uncomfortable and I was in pain, my legs had been supporting me for the last 20 miles or so! A quick fix and on my way again, albeit in pain but now a lot more comfortable. Sadly the damamage had already been done and I had to cut the ride short at 35 miles of the planned 60 as any slight bump in the road, brought tears to my eyes. Looks like I'm going to be bruised for a couple of days.
On the up side though, I am getting quicker and all the strava segments bar 4 are PR's, 2s or 3's now, so I am improving. I have 2 months to get as much distance under my belt in time for my first sportive in June.
last weekend I took the bike apart to clean and polish up the frame and fit the new BB and headset bearings. Today was the first ride since doing that, so I was slightly nervous about anything going wrong. All fine by the 10 mile marker, so I carried on.....
Got to the 16 mile marker and the backside is starting to ache, but as I have timing marks all over the bike I know it went back together as per the bike fit I had done, so just appled rule 5 and thought nothing of it. Anyway by the 23 mile mark, its really starting to become a pain in the arris, quite literally! At 27 miles I had to stop as my legs were cramping up, so I had a quick nibble to eat and a drink and looked at the bike and thought to myself, I don't remember the saddle and and light being quite so close together!
Yup, the seat post had slipped down 3 inches! No wonder it was uncomfortable and I was in pain, my legs had been supporting me for the last 20 miles or so! A quick fix and on my way again, albeit in pain but now a lot more comfortable. Sadly the damamage had already been done and I had to cut the ride short at 35 miles of the planned 60 as any slight bump in the road, brought tears to my eyes. Looks like I'm going to be bruised for a couple of days.
On the up side though, I am getting quicker and all the strava segments bar 4 are PR's, 2s or 3's now, so I am improving. I have 2 months to get as much distance under my belt in time for my first sportive in June.
My only real problems have been accidents.
First one was on my way to work, nice 20% descent on a narrow road under trees with a blind bend at the bottom only wide enough for 1 car and a bike. I'd got used to flying down reaching 40+ mph before hammering the brakes at the latest point to negotiate the bend safely. One morning I was distracted after a barney with my wife and wasn't paying enough attention. Started down the bank and suddenly realised that as it was wet I was going to have to slow sooner than normal, except that point was now behind me. Brakes locked and I slid into the ditch at the side of the road rather than go off into the trees on the bend (or head on with a car!). Bruised and bleeding but no major injuries, I got off very lightly.
Second one was the 2nd outing on my road bike. Narrow country road, or more like a farm track with broken tarmac surface, with sheep hanging around. Thought I was passed all the sheep but was wrong. One was hidden right by the road but behind a bush and I only saw it when I was a few meters away. I knew what was going to happen but had no time, it lept out and I hit it side on. Over the bars onto my side and then my back. Cut my hand open, seriously bruised my leg/hip and cracked my helmet. Sheep was fine, but thankfully so was the bike aside from a couple of small scrapes.
First one was on my way to work, nice 20% descent on a narrow road under trees with a blind bend at the bottom only wide enough for 1 car and a bike. I'd got used to flying down reaching 40+ mph before hammering the brakes at the latest point to negotiate the bend safely. One morning I was distracted after a barney with my wife and wasn't paying enough attention. Started down the bank and suddenly realised that as it was wet I was going to have to slow sooner than normal, except that point was now behind me. Brakes locked and I slid into the ditch at the side of the road rather than go off into the trees on the bend (or head on with a car!). Bruised and bleeding but no major injuries, I got off very lightly.
Second one was the 2nd outing on my road bike. Narrow country road, or more like a farm track with broken tarmac surface, with sheep hanging around. Thought I was passed all the sheep but was wrong. One was hidden right by the road but behind a bush and I only saw it when I was a few meters away. I knew what was going to happen but had no time, it lept out and I hit it side on. Over the bars onto my side and then my back. Cut my hand open, seriously bruised my leg/hip and cracked my helmet. Sheep was fine, but thankfully so was the bike aside from a couple of small scrapes.
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