sparknote_s

Today I had the worst ride ever. No mechanical problems with the bike, but everything that makes up a bad ride happened:

Since I have no cycling shorts yet, I must wear whitie tighties. Been doing that for three weeks now. Need I say more?

22 mph wind, headwind happened to be on the flats for my 8-mile loop which is worse than being it being a headwind on the hills, since wind resistance is more significant at higher speeds

It's cold outside (40 degrees yeah I know not too cold hah, but cold enough)

Hitting huge road cracks every 2-3 seconds (the kind where you see the entire handlebars vibrate in half-inch movements)

Three semi trucks passed me leaving about 2 feet of room, when I had about 6 inches on my otherside before a 2-inch drop onto gravel

Had to wait 2-3 minutes to leave my neighborhood across a busy road, due to traffic

My heart rate monitor stopped getting a signal or something, so it said 0 bpm

I was so tired I was yawning

I ended up stopping at 16 miles because I got too hungry, plus everything above.

Ehh what makes up a bad ride for you?

joejack951

Falling because of black ice then having to crawl home at 8 mph so I didn't fall again. It's tough to see the stuff at night. That was my worst ride.

Boudicca

A Sunday in late spring. Rain or snow every weekend, so I didn't ride and that week I was damn well going to ride, whatever the weather. It was vaguely clear when I started. But after about 1km the rain started, and then it turned to almost snow, and it kept on that way until km 39.9 of a 42km ride. And I swear there was a headwind all the way, regardless of the fact that it was a circular route. Riding into driving snow/rain, and feeling the water squish into your shoes and splash down the back of your neck is really not my idea of fun.

jslopez

Seeing my wife get swiped in front of me by a parking car...

She's ok, just a few bruises. Even her bike came out in pretty good shape but that image will haunt me forever.

jakemoffatt

This guy had a close call I doubt any would want to go through...

Mine was several years ago riding home from school. A friend was riding with me and showed me how to do what he called a "Pro Hop". Pull up hard on the front, push down hard on the front, causing the rear wheel to launch into the air.

I amazed him and myself, because within minutes I was jumping 2 to 3 feet into the air. It was amazing. So I drop him off at his house and start my own ride home, and all the way I'm doing these "pro hops". And then my handlebars start wigging out on me. Like... "what the heck?"... I keep riding and then right before I get to stop sign my handlebars come plumb off the bike! Needless to say - I crashed. Good on me for crashing before going into the intersection. My "gooseneck" broke due to the stress of landing on it with my full weight and 30 pounds of bike.

On a brighter note... It took so long for me to get the bars fixed that I taught myself to ride the bike without them. I would reach down and grab the fork on both sides, and then pedal a bit and let go once I was moving. It was pretty cool. I could ride all the way to school and back and turn on sidewalks and everything. Wicked crazy stares came my way though... but that was cool too.

Moochers_Dad

Rode once in the farmlands of Illinois. On the way out I was "the strongest man in the world" and reaching speeds I have never seen on a bike.

Then I turned around:

A freezing cold wind had been at my back which made me seem so strong. It took me twice as long to get back while wearing the wrong shoes in the freezing cold.

By the time I got back to my apartment I had to crawl up the steps, crying in pain from frost-nip. I swear if i had been riding for 10 more minutes I would have lost some toes.

I ran a bath of tepid water and crawled in; the wait for feeling back in my toes was painful and long.

I can laugh about it now; I just choose not to.

hoodlum

40 mph wind, one flat tire, one wreck which resulted in one smashed STI shifter, ran out of h2o, all in 50 miles. One bad day.

KirkeIsWaiting

Something wrong with this image.....?

Guest

I had about 6 flats in a row, then limped my way home with very little air, plus I had to pee in the bushes in public. That's NOT fun.

Koffee

Rushfan

Got hit by a car by my own stupidity. Pulled out in front of a car, then was getting pushed along by the car, then I was on the hood where the car's hood ornament should have been and my bike was under the car, then the driver slammed on the brakes. I played Superman and flew, rolled when I hit, and came up with a wicked abrasion on my knee, jammed wrist, but not much damage considering. Wheel taco'd, frame scraped, but not much real damage to the bike, too. Steel framed Bridgestone...

mooncricket

Not counting the ones where I ended up in an ambulance, emergency room or doctor clinic, of course.

I forget the distance, somewhere on the Pacific Coast inland to Eugene OR., all day ride, 4 flats in a row, 15mph headwind the whole way, had to actually pedal DOWNHILL, 3 broken rear spokes (the rim was a goner, repaired with 3 emergency "hook" spokes, and released the rear break), 50lbs of touring/camping gear, a tooth ache (which later turned out to be a major root canal), cold rain with thunder and lightning, alone with no one to whine to, some jerk stole my nice sunshade at a hostel in Legett. Went thru a whole lot of emotions that one day, the last of which came with a chuckle, so I guess I was ok, if just barely.

kaisersling

Worst ride: Getting taken out by a 1 week old Audi A4 on my 18 yr old bike(bent rims, dented frame, minor physical damage)

Best Ride: Getting taken out by a 1 week old Audi A4 on my 18 yr old bike, and nearly totalling the A4. Completely crush front hood and grill, broken headlight and dented front fender

Hipcycler

1. Doing an endo onto my face. Busted front tooth and busted right wrist along with nasty road rash.

2. Crashing under a dark overpass that had a film of mud on it. Like ice, and down I went right on the replacement hip. The swelling and bruising was wicked ugly but the replacement somehow was not damaged.

3. Seeing some punk kids intentionally drive down and run over a goose crossing the road right in front of me.

4. Black ice crash on a November morning. I was actually OK but I ripped up a nice new winter riding jacket.

5. Getting caught in a thunderstorm with wind and rain so hard that I had to hide under an overpass and call my wife on the cell to come get me.

There's my top five.

JungleCat

That "Pro Hop" story was funny even if you didn't intend it to be.

-BikeNY year 2000. Temperature shot up in early may from 60 degrees to 91. Did not hydrate, did not adequately train, did not eat right. Bonked about halfway through and had a miserable 4mph ride the rest of the way through. My taint paid for it too.

hoodlum

That happened to me once- In my local bar!

EricT

Worst ride? That would have to be the "ghost ride", when the bully in the neighborhood took my bike and pushed it down the street with no one on it.

TheKillerPenguin

My worst ride was your mom.



Orrr the time that I broke my wrist going up a curb to avoid a car. that sucked pretty bad.

Crashtest

Got hit by a car during my second ride with a new bike. Totally my fault.
I was riding along a Mixed Use Path, and there is one section where the path comes up out of a ravine, joins the sidewalk for about 75 yards, crosses a busy intersection, then drops back into the ravine on the other side. So I was riding on a sidewalk, rode across the intersection and got creamed by a car making a right hand turn. Only the back wheel was destroyed and I replaced it later that day. Not a happy ride.

MICHAELM

I was riding in Southern Illinois. The roads are not the greatest. They are those chip and tar jobs. Anyway, I was riding on a firm road and then I noticed fresh pea gravel and the tar. I slowed and "attempted" to turn around. When I turned, the bike shot out from under me. I broke my elbow. Give me the smooth roads in Kentucky any day.

caloso

On Labor Day a couple of years ago I was going to attempt a solo century: from my house in Sacramento, up the American River Bike Trail to Folsom, around the lake, and back. Perfect weather, got out nice and early, and I figured I'd be back home in time for lunch.

I had three flats and only two CO2 cartridges. When I got the third flat at mile 75, I had to call my wife to come get me. As it turned out, the rim tape on the back wheel shifted away from the nipple hole and the tube would form a nice little bubble and eventually pop. I was really lucky it didn't happen when I was coming down the canyon from Cool and hitting 45mph on a fairly twisty road. Very lucky indeed.

kaisersling

Speaking of Folsom, one of the worst rides I had didnt involve a bike. I was on my third jump off the Folsom Rainbow Bridge (I believe the lower trusses measure 75-80 above water, road level is about 90-95...I think). I pitched back slightly and landed on my tailbone...needless to say I didnt ride for a couple of weeks.

Prosody

Underlining added: This is the one thing I will not do. If the bike works and I'm not incapacitated, I'm riding home. I do have my pride, you know.

terrymorse 

About this time of year, two years ago. The weather forecast was for scattered clouds with a chance of showers. The predicted temperature was in the 60s, so I left the cold weather gear behind and just brought along a lightweight wind jacket in case it started to sprinkle.

The group had been riding along the foothills, and the weather had been cooperating, so we decided to go up Montebello Road. At about the half way point, it started to sprinkle. Most people turned around, but not me. Oh no, can't let a couple of raindrops ruin a climb. I continued onwards.

As I continued the climb, the rain picked up, and the wind started to blow. Soon the rain was coming down sideways, but I was climbing well. So I gritted my teeth and continued.

When I reached the exposed ridge, the wind was really ripping. I looked down at my fingerless gloves, and the backs were white. The rain had turned to sleet. No problem, it was only a few tenths of a mile to the top. I was working hard, so the cold didn't phase me. I'd summit and turn immediately around.

But summitting was not in the cards for that day, for just as I stood to climb the last major grade, I noticed my front tire was flat. And the sleet had turned to snow. As I stood there trying to fumble with the tire, my hands became unusable from the cold, and I started shivering violently. There was no shelter up there, so I started walking my bike down the 5-mile road. I finally found a bathroom at the Ridge Winery, where I holed up and tried to get warm. A riding buddy stopped by and fixed my flat.

After 20 minutes in the bathroom, I was able to move my hands, so I started riding back down the hill. I had to stop every 1/2-mile or so, because I was shaking too violently to ride. I would stop in a wind sheltered area, with for the shivering to subside, then continue down the hill. When I got down to the Pichetti Ranch Winery, I went inside. They had a fire burning and an espresso machine running. A godsend! I must have spent the next hour there, sitting on the hearth with my coffee. The gal working the espresso machine got a big laugh out of my uncontrolled shivering.

Once I got off the mountain, it was sunny and not at all cold. It turns out I had just gotten hit with one of those freak springtime cloudbursts. Lucky me.

So that would have to be my worst experience to date.