Originally Posted by seely
Well, I'm coming down the biggest hill in downtown Grand Rapids and skipping here and there to check my speed when all the sudden, *ping!* and there goes my chain... mind you this is maybe 1/4 of the way down, and there are 5 traffic lights before you get to the bottom, not to mention they are all red and there is cross traffic. I'm dragging a shoe, its not doing a whole lot. I'm starting to think about laying the bike down and letting my bag take the impact, but I'm going 25+ so the thought is a bit scary and definately last resort.
Ouch!
Too bad you didn't know about the "Scuffy Skillman*" front brake:
If you put one of your toes just behind the fork crown and press the sole of your shoe against the top of the front tire, it's a surprisingly effective and controllable "brake."
It would be too scary to do if your cranks were still spinning around, but if the chain has disengaged, you'll have a stable enough contact with the bike for this to work.
It's not too good for your footwear, but in an emergency it can save your ass.
*The term comes from Anybody's Bike Book, by the late Tom Cuthbertson.
Sheldon "Hotfoot" Brown
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