Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Well that was embarassing

This afternoon I managed to mess up my front brakes. To be specific the anchor bolt that holds the front brake cable came loose then apart. I put the brake back together, tightened up the bolt and finished the commute home. After an hour or so tinkering with the bike I decide that I should take it to the shop as I wasn't getting the power to the front brake that I was before.

Some of you can probably sense where this is going:rolleyes:.

I take it to the shop and after ten minutes of oogling a new FX 7.3 I am leaving. The mechanic who took care of me assured me my braking power was back. I rode the bike back to my car going 12 mph when I decide its time to stop so I can load it up. I grabbed my brakes with the force I was used to and sure enough the bike stopped...but I didn't. Straight up and over the bars I went: brunette, blond, then back again. Thankfully my head broke my fall. 1035 miles after starting I had my first accident...in the parking lot of the LBS. I got up and said "Ta-Da" put the bike in the car and drove off. I get home and decide I aught to ride the bike a bit and make sure its ok. Aftermath: a scratch on the chain stay, a gouge on the rear deralliure, a headache, sore shoulder, hurt pride, and the inability to shift into gear 6 or 7. I guess what I am saying to all new and perspective riders, dont feel bad when you go down, it happens to everyone.

Been there, done that. Got my MTB a couple of years ago. Grabbed a big handful of brake (never used v-brakes before) like I always did on my OLD roadie. Right over the bars in the street in front of my house, my brother, my kid, and the TV news crew. (Ok, I made the last part up!) Managed to break the fall with my palms not my head.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x95/TeacherStu/homer.jpg

Like you say it happens to everyone:) Dust your pride down and get back on. were you joking about landing on your head? were you wearing a helmet? You're lucky so! Hope you did the lotto after that!

I've read it somewhere before, "There are two types of cyclist: Ones who have crashed, and ones that will." My first year riding I caught the lip of the sidewalk near the bike lane and careened into a telephone pole as a car drove by, busting my mirror, wrist and pride.

My most embarrassing fall had to be when I was in high school about 15 years ago. I had scene a show on TV where a motorcycle did a 'stopie' and I figured I could do that on my Walmart bought MTB. I was in a big empty parking lot along a major road when I grabbed all the front break I could. I didn't realize you needed to feather the break once the back tire left the ground. A bruised pride and some road rash was about the worst of the damage.

I heard that too, good quote:) More of a shock than anything else i suppose. I don't want to tempt fate but its absolutey ages since i fell! ha ha sort of due a good kick in the arse soon;)

I lost count of the times I would set off on my motobike without undoing the front disk brake first.
I would be looking over my shoulder, ready to pull out, slowly edge forward and then clunk, the bike would stop dead, my feet would be in the wrong position to hold the bike up and me and bike would slowly and quite gracefully fall over.
I must have repaired the front right fairing about 5 times.

This afternoon I managed to mess up my front brakes. To be specific the anchor bolt that holds the front brake cable came loose then apart. I put the brake back together, tightened up the bolt and finished the commute home. After an hour or so tinkering with the bike I decide that I should take it to the shop as I wasn't getting the power to the front brake that I was before.

Some of you can probably sense where this is going:rolleyes:.

I take it to the shop and after ten minutes of oogling a new FX 7.3 I am leaving. The mechanic who took care of me assured me my braking power was back. I rode the bike back to my car going 12 mph when I decide its time to stop so I can load it up. I grabbed my brakes with the force I was used to and sure enough the bike stopped...but I didn't. Straight up and over the bars I went: brunette, blond, then back again. Thankfully my head broke my fall. 1035 miles after starting I had my first accident...in the parking lot of the LBS. I got up and said "Ta-Da" put the bike in the car and drove off. I get home and decide I aught to ride the bike a bit and make sure its ok. Aftermath: a scratch on the chain stay, a gouge on the rear deralliure, a headache, sore shoulder, hurt pride, and the inability to shift into gear 6 or 7. I guess what I am saying to all new and perspective riders, dont feel bad when you go down, it happens to everyone.

Let me guess: no helmet because it was "only" the LBS parking lot. Thank goodness you weren't hurt more seriously. Can you fix the bike yourself, or does it have to go back to the shop?

One time I went for a night hike in the winter up to Horsetooth Rock. It was all snowy and icy. I made it all the way up and all the way back down without falling down once and felt proud of myself. I got back to the parking lot and slipped on some ice on the way to my car. Boom! It happens!

Like you say it happens to everyone:) Dust your pride down and get back on. were you joking about landing on your head? were you wearing a helmet? You're lucky so! Hope you did the lotto after that!

No, I wasn't joking about landing on my head. No helmet either. My baseball cap took the beating and managed to save the skin. I didn't play the lotto last night, I'll check this afternoon and see if my numbers come up.

Let me guess: no helmet because it was "only" the LBS parking lot. Thank goodness you weren't hurt more seriously. Can you fix the bike yourself, or does it have to go back to the shop?

I appreciate your concern, next time I'll walk it to the car and ride when I can have my helmet.

I don't think I'll be able to fix it. It hit the RD pretty hard, on the commute to work this morning it kept jumping gears. I couldn't figure out how to fix my V brakes so I doubt I'll even try to fix the rear derailure. Looks like I'll be riding to the shop after work then walking the rest of the way home.

My favorite crash happened to someone else :-). My buddy and I were starting on our commute home when we caught sight of some absolutely gorgeous co-eds decked out for the warm spring weather. W/ his head turned, my buddy slipped on some gravel, skidded about 10 feet (still on gravel), and came to rest practically at the feet of one of the girls, with the bike on top. He was a bit stunned and so spent a few seconds feebly trying to get the bike off before he managed it.

The girls were initially speechless, but when I lost it and doubled over in laughter they did too :-(. I know, I'm a terrible friend, but I just couldn't help it.

My poor friend was undamaged except for a bit of grit on his jacket, and in his pride. Years later he finally admitted that it was pretty funny.

I appreciate your concern, next time I'll walk it to the car and ride when I can have my helmet.

I don't think I'll be able to fix it. It hit the RD pretty hard, on the commute to work this morning it kept jumping gears. I couldn't figure out how to fix my V brakes so I doubt I'll even try to fix the rear derailure. Looks like I'll be riding to the shop after work then walking the rest of the way home.

Sorry to hear about the continuing problems with the bike.

No, what I meant was that even for a test ride in the shop parking lot, you should wear a helmet. Especially for something such as new brakes.

Whoa, that sucks. So ironic because after work yesterday I drove (flat tire on the bike AGAIN) to the LBS to check out a Surly. As I'm pedaling out of their parking lot I was thinking "gee, I should stop at my car and grab my helmet... naaa.. I won't crash". Thankfully my much too short of a 2 mile trip went off without a hitch, other than a super itch for that LHT. Speaking of... I have a 57cm 7.3FX that's looking for a home... :D

Anyway, I think my moment of hurt pride was shortly after I first started riding, in the summer of '06. I was riding an old Raleigh MTB that was too small for me, and anxious to replace it. A friend and I stopped at the LBS on the way home from a ride and they had a nice Cannondale MTB that seemed awesome. So I took it out, all $1200 of it. They had put toe clips on it, something I've never ridden before, and so I was tooling around this neighborhood and decided to turn around. Well I'm turning around and grabbed a little too much brake, so I was almost stopped. Well I went to put my foot down and...

..ended up on the ground still attached to this beautiful Cannondale, now with a bloody leg and some old lady in her front yard 10 feet away from me shaking her head. I smiled, rode back, then had to explain it to the LBS. My riding partner STILL gives me grief over that one :).

Mine wasn't a brake problem. I wonder if this has happened to anyone else?

It was my senior year at college and I was on my new Schwinn Voyager 11.8 Chrome plated pimp'd college ride. I was heading home and decided to see how fast my new bike would go. As I was approaching top speed around the curved road in front of our college stadium, I was leaning hard and traveling screamin fast.

I hit an oil slick on the road.

My bike careened into the curb and sent me ass over applecart into a telephone pole. The bike assumed a lovely L shape and my shoulder never has fully recovered in the 25 years since.

I don't ride fast anymore.

I've read it somewhere before, "There are two types of cyclist: Ones who have crashed, and ones that will." My first year riding I caught the lip of the sidewalk near the bike lane and careened into a telephone pole as a car drove by, busting my mirror, wrist and pride.

My first fall was my most embarrassing. I had just learned to ride and I spilled as I swerved on gravel to avoid a mailbox that jumped in front of me. What was embarrassing about it was that I was 40 years old. :D

Many years ago, I had the tires break loose on some sand in the road in a curve on a long, long hill and I went down hard. I have no idea why I wasn't hurt, really, since I was wearing t shirt, cutoff jeans and a ball cap. :eek: Worst I got was some SERIOUS road rash and a body bruise that was the envy of the teenage set I was running with at the time.......:D

Almost two years back, I did a header on the sidewalk outside a local shop. A very similar thing, I was trying out a new bike, the brakes were a lot stronger than I'm used to, etc. I stopped my fall with my chin. Emergency room, stitches, blah blah blah. The ER doctor remarked as he was stitching up the inside of my mouth, "everything is so tight in here. I'm glad I'm not a dental surgeon."

My shop is ordering new brakes for my bike; I'll have to get used to the increased braking power. I keep wondering if I'll repeat the summer of 2006...

Almost two years back, I did a header on the sidewalk outside a local shop. A very similar thing, I was trying out a new bike, the brakes were a lot stronger than I'm used to, etc. I stopped my fall with my chin. Emergency room, stitches, blah blah blah. The ER doctor remarked as he was stitching up the inside of my mouth, "everything is so tight in here. I'm glad I'm not a dental surgeon."

My shop is ordering new brakes for my bike; I'll have to get used to the increased braking power. I keep wondering if I'll repeat the summer of 2006...

Not while I'm with you, please.

My best "style points" wipe out was in college, and it's a toss up between two situations:

1) Coming back from class on a rainy day, I hopped down the 3 stairs into the parking garage. My landing was crooked, I grabbed a handful of brakes (front and back) to keep from smacking into some students, BOTH tires skidded on the wet, glass-like parking garage surface, and I slid into a stop sign.

2) Out for an off-road ride with a girl I was hot for, we were zipping down a little hill and I decided to hop the (not very big) stump in the trail. I cleared the front wheel, the back wheel clipped it and popped the bike up, smacking the seat right into my nards. I landed clean, stopped, leaned over and barfed. This did not impress the girl and my explanation of why elicited only laughter, rather than offers to check if everything was still OK.

So bautieri, your pride must be feeling a little better now after all them stories;-) I remember i crashed on my sister bike when i was a kid trying to bunny hop over a coke can and squash it. In fairness i was about 6 and the bike was huge! I was knocked out and a neighbour had to carry me home;-) ha ha

another time i was in a bunch and someone fell beside me and took me and another guy down and i smashed my helmet off the road. Lucky it was my helmet!

I suppose it is feeling better. Truthfully it wasn't really hurt that bad.

So now I am debating what to do about the RD. Should I try and have the Altus saved, or just opt for a Alivio or Deore LX. Anyone have a good idea what this might run me?


So bautieri, your pride must be feeling a little better now after all them stories;-) I remember i crashed on my sister bike when i was a kid trying to bunny hop over a coke can and squash it. In fairness i was about 6 and the bike was huge! I was knocked out and a neighbour had to carry me home;-) ha ha

another time i was in a bunch and someone fell beside me and took me and another guy down and i smashed my helmet off the road. Lucky it was my helmet!

to the op, a similar thing almost happened to me. I got on my brothers MTB with disc brakes, first time riding with discs. i was able to stay on by backing off the brake and shifting my weight back, but i easily could've gone right over. i definitely wasn't expecting it to stop that quick, i know exactly what you mean.

I think it's funny how we can all remember our most embarassing moments. Reading the 1st paragraph I instantly went back in my mind to around 1967-68 in Burlington, Vermont (my hometown) me riding my old sting ray over to my buddies house, only 3 blocks away, passing the same houses I always pass, watching this yappy dog barking at me from the porch of this house. For some reason I was mesmerized by this little yappy dog, when all of the sudden "bang" right into a parked car in front of this house. Their is nothing more surprising than running into something completely unexpected. I got up and looked around to see if anyone saw me, I don't think anyone did, but I really felt like a dope. I was somewhere around 10 - 12 years old at the time.

I've read it somewhere before, "There are two types of cyclist: Ones who have crashed, and ones that will." My first year riding I caught the lip of the sidewalk near the bike lane and careened into a telephone pole as a car drove by, busting my mirror, wrist and pride.

Knocking on wood here. Riding for 1 year and no crashes yet except for my first unclipping incident that happened a few weeks ago :D

Knock...knock...knock...

:eek:

I'm glad you're ok bautieri!

Several years ago, in my first attempt to procure a bike, I was riding the $60 *Mart bike that my (now ex) wife had gotten me as a birthday gift. I had ridden maybe 50 ft. when a tooth snapped off of the front chainring and lodged the chain up against the crank. Needless to say, I made a not-so graceful dismount over the handlebars shortly before the rear wheel did the same, and smacked me right in the lower back.

Hopefully, since I've gotten that one out of the way, the new bike, whenever I get around to purchasing one, will be relatively injury free.. ;)

Ok, I'll throw in an even more embarassing story. Riding my bike down a sidewalk as a kid (around 11 or 12) I wasn't paying attention and veered off the sidewalk in to a drainage ditch. Did the *** over tea kettle thing. When I got up I found a stick had penetrated my shorts (denim mind you) and scraped a bit of skin off Mr. Johnson. My mom wasn't home, I was pannicked and went to a neighbor's house. That was a bit hard to explain. :eek::o:o:o:o

Indyv8a wins :D
Stupid kid stunt involved making a ramp from a door and 4-5 tires; landed front tire first and almost nailed a pine tree and chain link fence. since my return to biking the only time I haven't been able to land on my feet was my first time clipless.

I have a few.

As an early teen, I ran into the side of a moving car because I didn't look after delivering a newspaper and pulling out to go to the next house. The funny part is that I was really proud of the fact that I could pull a paper out of my bag, fold it and slip it into the customer's tube without slowing down. I guess the thing that I didn't figure in was safety. No significant damage. I was a little more careful after that. BTW - I was riding a 3 speed without brakes. My method of stopping was to use the gravel shoulders and slide sideways to stop. For one ride, I did go down a road affectionately called Snake Hill (anyone here from NE Tacoma or Brown's Point?) before I put brakes on the bike. I just thought of something... I wonder if my parents realized I was riding without brakes??? If so, BAD parents!!!! :D

Another time (also as a youngster) I rounded the corner going home at top speed. I lived on a gravel road. I t-boned a parked car after I had to straighten things out to keep from going down, and I slid over the trunk of the car. Only damage was the rear door of the car...

Several years later when I was on Okinawa with the Marines, I was going home after work, and tried to make the green light while making a right turn (they drive on the other side of the road, so it was from outside edge to outside edge). I had picked the perfect line to end up in the middle of the lane to swing out and make the immediate left that I had planned to make... I was leaning hard into the first corner when I hit a metal grate that ran the width of the road I was turning onto... did I mention it was raining? I slid right over and stopped right at the curb of the road as my wheels hit it... It would have been sweet if I was playing bicycle baseball and was sliding into third. :) No damage but to my pride.

Then as an adult in my late 40's as I started back into cycling, I pulled up to a stop light, and was getting ready to get off the saddle and put my foot down. I decided I wanted to stay in the saddle, so I whipped over to the curb to stop... that way, I could remain in the saddle with my foot up on the curb. It hadn't occurred to me that hitting the front brake when the tire is turned very sharply to the right would basically take away the leverage that is usually present when the bike is in line with the front wheel... I call this my "over the handlebars sideways" maneuver. I didn't think I had damage here (other than mild pain in the hands from the landing) until I got to where I was going, and someone saw the blood. After some cleaning, still no significant damage.

I think I have discussed my three clipless falls, and my recent incident on the dirt road here.. so, there you have it, all of my memorable crashes.

If you can save the rear mech go ahead. You can spend as much as you like on one too. I see a Sram one for €10 here and one for €164;-) A good opportunity to upgrade if you want to. If it was me i'd go for a Shimano LX for about €22.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=659

I was only joking about your pride btw. lol

Not to interrupt a throughly amusing thread, but I was able to get the bike fixed. Turns out the wreck bent the dérailleur hanger which explained the inability to shift in gears 1, 5, 6, and 7. In addition the front dérailleur was also knocked out of line slightly. The mechanic took me in right away and fixed everything for 19.00. He said once the hanger was replaced everything "snapped back in line", he did a quick tune to the front and rear and I was out the door. Evidentially the Altus is a bit tougher than I gave it credit for.

The commute to work this morning was flawless!

..and fixed before I was going to post you a link to a LX rear der! :)

One mech told me that my low-end stuff (Acera) is really tough because "they don't worry about weight on that" :D. I've heard of several locals who have snapped XTR ders under load, and pretty much everyone I talk to says that unless you are racing and replace them yearly, avoid XTR.

Anyway, great to hear!