thdave

Yesterday was not a banner day for me on my bike even though my ride in was great and I noted that when I went to get onto the lab, I was the third bike in a row that went through security. That was heartening.

But my ride home was not heartening...

I'm on my bike leaving the lab and ride up behind a car who's waiting at the light to turn left. My brake squealed just before I used it to come to a stop. I reached down to adjust it. As it turns out, that was a big mistake. A moment later, the light turned green. Several cars are behind me so I go. At least I try to go. Holy crap! I pedal my heart out to turn and am going so pitifully slow I can't stand it. I get onto the Brookpark Road bridge, which right after the turn. It goes over a river valley and is quite long. Now I'm stuck--the speed limit is 45 and it's 4 lanes. Traffic is steady and I have no where to pull over. I've got my bicycle rain cape on as rain is drizzling down. Wind is in my face--it's always windy going west across this bridge. I grin and bear it. This is always the worst part of my ride--but this is the worst of the worst. The bridge is probably only 400 yards, but it felt like a couple miles--going uphill! I finally get to the end and pull into a driveway and up onto the sidewalk.

Now I'm exhausted, very sweaty, and exasperated. I remove my cape and the rain felt better. I go to spin the front wheel, and as I suspect, it's locked. The caliper is stuck. I frickin' biked the bridge with the brake on in the rain and into wind. I work it loose and get it to work. It's my front brake, so I didn't want to unhook it.

Just needed to vent. Got home fine. But I'll never forget that godforsaken ride across that bridge.

dalmore

I hear you. But I think it's even more disheartening when you go through all that then pull over to find - NOTHING - everything is fine mechanically.