Frustrating, this road bike lark!
Discussion
Having a mare of a first day on a road bike.
Collected bike from shop, they persuaded me to have the new clip pedals fitted not the clip less that' I'd asked to be fitted so I could get used to this road bike malarkey.
Clip in, no prob, and out, ok, I get this, fine. Am on the bike, right foot clipped in, drop my guard and suddenly, hey up, wtf.....I'm on the floor of the shop in a big heap still strapped to a Cannondale and with some rather expensive carbon Giant for company, (nearest thing to grap hold of on the way down).
So that's the first crash out the way then, much to the hilarity of the other customers!
So they fit the crappy non clipped pedals and I buy all the rest of my gear including Xxl red Lycra superman suit, stick the fallen Cannondle in the boot of the car and go home.
Wrist is sore in the car driving home, but figured it is just a bit bruised.
Get home, stick front wheel in and have a go on it. Up the end of the lane, to the junction, go to slow down, wtf, no brake! Grab the rear and fishtail to a stop. Realised there is some release for the brake which helps wheel removal and it was still open! Doh.
Come back to house, my 5 yr old tells me to do a wheely, so I pop a tiny one, ( I know but all the bmx and mtb makes me do it), rubbish shouts she, so up I go again, and I flip it due to insufficient rear brake from the hoods! Thankfully, I stay on my feel and the bike stays upright this time. Mental to to self, i am a t
t and no wheelies!
Take the bike to the garage to fit the bottle cages and other assorted tat that I'd bought. Go to remove the first screw on the seat tube, and it is a bit stiff as it comes out, and once I can see the threads, they are all stripped! Wtf! Bottom screw is clean, try the screws on the front tube and they are better but the forward one is a bit tight as it unwinds and shows some marking on the threads. Brand new bike, and looks like the inserts are goosed.
Fit one cage, some water, get Supermanned up, and out I go. Bike rides nice, got about 3 miles done, bikes starts to feel sluggish and spongy....yep rear puncture. It's ok, I got a tube and levers in the brand new seat bag I just bought, open it up, theres the new tube, where are the levers?
Can't get the tyre off using hands, lolly sticks and dead hedgehogs, so have a nice 4 mile walk home. All the effort of tyre removal without levers has made my sore wrist even worse, i arrive home with some pretty hefty swelling (ooooer) to find my daughter playing with the tyre levers. Put an ice bag on the wrist, it's starts showing a bad colour. Wife persuades me to go to a and e and it turns out I have cracked my scaphoid!
I am hoping the bad luck comes in threes and that's flipping it now! It's not just been a mare, it's been a sodding Weston.
Collected bike from shop, they persuaded me to have the new clip pedals fitted not the clip less that' I'd asked to be fitted so I could get used to this road bike malarkey.
Clip in, no prob, and out, ok, I get this, fine. Am on the bike, right foot clipped in, drop my guard and suddenly, hey up, wtf.....I'm on the floor of the shop in a big heap still strapped to a Cannondale and with some rather expensive carbon Giant for company, (nearest thing to grap hold of on the way down).
So that's the first crash out the way then, much to the hilarity of the other customers!
So they fit the crappy non clipped pedals and I buy all the rest of my gear including Xxl red Lycra superman suit, stick the fallen Cannondle in the boot of the car and go home.
Wrist is sore in the car driving home, but figured it is just a bit bruised.
Get home, stick front wheel in and have a go on it. Up the end of the lane, to the junction, go to slow down, wtf, no brake! Grab the rear and fishtail to a stop. Realised there is some release for the brake which helps wheel removal and it was still open! Doh.
Come back to house, my 5 yr old tells me to do a wheely, so I pop a tiny one, ( I know but all the bmx and mtb makes me do it), rubbish shouts she, so up I go again, and I flip it due to insufficient rear brake from the hoods! Thankfully, I stay on my feel and the bike stays upright this time. Mental to to self, i am a t
t and no wheelies! Take the bike to the garage to fit the bottle cages and other assorted tat that I'd bought. Go to remove the first screw on the seat tube, and it is a bit stiff as it comes out, and once I can see the threads, they are all stripped! Wtf! Bottom screw is clean, try the screws on the front tube and they are better but the forward one is a bit tight as it unwinds and shows some marking on the threads. Brand new bike, and looks like the inserts are goosed.
Fit one cage, some water, get Supermanned up, and out I go. Bike rides nice, got about 3 miles done, bikes starts to feel sluggish and spongy....yep rear puncture. It's ok, I got a tube and levers in the brand new seat bag I just bought, open it up, theres the new tube, where are the levers?
Can't get the tyre off using hands, lolly sticks and dead hedgehogs, so have a nice 4 mile walk home. All the effort of tyre removal without levers has made my sore wrist even worse, i arrive home with some pretty hefty swelling (ooooer) to find my daughter playing with the tyre levers. Put an ice bag on the wrist, it's starts showing a bad colour. Wife persuades me to go to a and e and it turns out I have cracked my scaphoid!
I am hoping the bad luck comes in threes and that's flipping it now! It's not just been a mare, it's been a sodding Weston.
Good video here for dealing with punctures without levers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLTE56CQ-Ks
I am laughing at the pedal incident because we've all been there. Admittedly I never toppled over in a shop but did fall whilst riding approximately 2mph on a friends driveway!
You have obviously had all of your bad luck in one day, and I can guarantee a year if incident-free cycling from now!
Oh and just to avoid confusion, pedals that you clip into are called clipless pedals. Confusing or what!
You have obviously had all of your bad luck in one day, and I can guarantee a year if incident-free cycling from now!
Oh and just to avoid confusion, pedals that you clip into are called clipless pedals. Confusing or what!
Wow that was fast. I was expecting the Tour/Olympics fallout eBay road bike fire sale in September. 
I sometimes catch a gaggle of roadies on my commute. Some on fixies others on several thousand Pounds worth of Carbon fiber stuff with Titanium this and Kryponite that. They sometimes have a crack because I'm on a fairly decent ATB with slick tyres. Obviously they have gearing and aerodynamic advantage but I don't swear at every pothole and can ride my bike without having to wear Lycra.
I sometimes catch a gaggle of roadies on my commute. Some on fixies others on several thousand Pounds worth of Carbon fiber stuff with Titanium this and Kryponite that. They sometimes have a crack because I'm on a fairly decent ATB with slick tyres. Obviously they have gearing and aerodynamic advantage but I don't swear at every pothole and can ride my bike without having to wear Lycra.
It's a synapse 5.
Credit to the bike shop, I call them and they said they'd sort it at first service or before if I can get down there. They said if not they'd put in for a warranty claim on the frame.
I took pics showing the damaged threads next to the cages still on their cardboard backing, but they seems fine about it.
I was a bit miffed though and shop said cannondales are usually pretty good for stuff like this.
Wrist is sore as hell this evening!
Credit to the bike shop, I call them and they said they'd sort it at first service or before if I can get down there. They said if not they'd put in for a warranty claim on the frame.
I took pics showing the damaged threads next to the cages still on their cardboard backing, but they seems fine about it.
I was a bit miffed though and shop said cannondales are usually pretty good for stuff like this.
Wrist is sore as hell this evening!
Good work chap, sounds like a great first day! At least things should, will, might can only get better from here.
Shame about the break, but suppose it gives you time to look at some upgrades
Hope you're not too sore.
Oh, and the pedal thing is very easy to do. I lost concentration in Richmond Park on Thurs, went to turn, realised I was going down and couldn't get a foot out. Right next to the kids play area... Cue lot's of (assumed) laughter, and sore knee and a fubar'd iPhone 4 due to landing on my back and a gel pack exploding all over it.
Shame about the break, but suppose it gives you time to look at some upgrades
Hope you're not too sore.
Oh, and the pedal thing is very easy to do. I lost concentration in Richmond Park on Thurs, went to turn, realised I was going down and couldn't get a foot out. Right next to the kids play area... Cue lot's of (assumed) laughter, and sore knee and a fubar'd iPhone 4 due to landing on my back and a gel pack exploding all over it.
Liquid Knight said:
Wow that was fast. I was expecting the Tour/Olympics fallout eBay road bike fire sale in September.
Ditto, I need a new bike, am almost afraid to go in a shop as they'll assume I'm some TdF/Olympics watching noob, might have to buy a 2nd hand POS to trade in so it looks like I was cycling before this summer! :-)Well that story is making me feel a lot better. I picked a new bike up on Saturday the first new bike since 1995. My last ride was circa 2003 when my MTB got stolen.
Getting on ok with the 105 SPDR, they seem easier on the knees then the old MTB SPD's. Only real issue is my BTM getting reconditioned to sitting on a saddle. I have managed to do about 50 miles on it and not fallen of yet, so there is hope yet.
My legs haven't forgiven me as my last exercise was 2 years ago following an arthoscopy of my left knee.
Getting on ok with the 105 SPDR, they seem easier on the knees then the old MTB SPD's. Only real issue is my BTM getting reconditioned to sitting on a saddle. I have managed to do about 50 miles on it and not fallen of yet, so there is hope yet.
My legs haven't forgiven me as my last exercise was 2 years ago following an arthoscopy of my left knee.
That's a worse first day than mine.
I recently decided to get into road riding so dug my dad's old Thompson Orbit out of retirement, tidied it up and on my first trip out, the derailleur got pulled into the rear spokes (not adjusted correctly, I guess), bending the gear hanger, the spokes, and the derailleur.
It's now in a shop being fixed and I have done less than 6km on it.
I recently decided to get into road riding so dug my dad's old Thompson Orbit out of retirement, tidied it up and on my first trip out, the derailleur got pulled into the rear spokes (not adjusted correctly, I guess), bending the gear hanger, the spokes, and the derailleur.
It's now in a shop being fixed and I have done less than 6km on it.
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