The humbling thread...
08-17-05 | 09:14 AM
#126
Gravel for Breakfast
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 0
From: Inside my scabs
Bikes: Jake
Saturday morning, cruising down to see my buddy on my Stingray. Taking the traii through the bush that comes out right across from his place. As I near the end of the trail, I see buddy's sister and her cute friends hanging out in his front yard. There's a deep, wide ditch at the end of the trail, so the trail takes an almost-90-degree bend so you can navigate across the ditch at an angle. I'd been perfecting my skidding skills, and concluded that 12-year-old girls would be pretty impressed if I skidded to a sideways stop at the lip of the ditch, a roostertail of mud arcing through the sky, me, framed majestically against the forest.
With a cry of something eloquent like, "Hey, Cindy!" I execute my skid to perfection, stopping right at the lip of the drop. I teetered for a moment, put my foot down into open space, and tumbled over into the ditch with my bike on top of me. I untangled myself from my bike, spit out a big mouthful of grass and mud, dragged my bike out of there and walked past all of them like nothing had happened. As soon as I went around the corner of the house, there was a big burst of laughter. Probably some "girl" joke.
All things considered, I think I was pretty suave.
With a cry of something eloquent like, "Hey, Cindy!" I execute my skid to perfection, stopping right at the lip of the drop. I teetered for a moment, put my foot down into open space, and tumbled over into the ditch with my bike on top of me. I untangled myself from my bike, spit out a big mouthful of grass and mud, dragged my bike out of there and walked past all of them like nothing had happened. As soon as I went around the corner of the house, there was a big burst of laughter. Probably some "girl" joke.
All things considered, I think I was pretty suave.
02-13-06 | 12:49 PM
#128
Behind EVERYone!!!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 111
From: Burlington ON, Canada
Bikes: 2010 Specialized Tricross Comp 105 Double
Sorry to dredge up old threads but this is the funniest thing I have read in a long time.
Thanks for the laughs.
Cheers,
Brian
Thanks for the laughs.
Cheers,
Brian
__________________
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
02-13-06 | 02:01 PM
#130
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: Orland Park, IL
Bikes: 2005 Specialized Roubaix (Dream)
I was passed while on my trainer in the basement.
I've never been on a road bike off of a trainer or outside.
My training rides are in 42/19 right now.
14 mph is blazing fast to me.
I just bought clipless pedals and shoes. I am thankful that my bike is still in the trainer!
I have bought cars that were cheaper than my bike, but it still does not make me faster.
I am sure I will fall, fail to clip out, and get dropped by women, children, goats, water buffalo, whatever. It is all part of the improvement process.
I am doing a team duathlon because I know I can't bike AND run in the same day.
I've never been on a road bike off of a trainer or outside.
My training rides are in 42/19 right now.
14 mph is blazing fast to me.
I just bought clipless pedals and shoes. I am thankful that my bike is still in the trainer!
I have bought cars that were cheaper than my bike, but it still does not make me faster.
I am sure I will fall, fail to clip out, and get dropped by women, children, goats, water buffalo, whatever. It is all part of the improvement process.
I am doing a team duathlon because I know I can't bike AND run in the same day.
02-13-06 | 02:02 PM
#131
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by gapowermike
Congratulations. I fell from failure to unclip at a crowded intersection and provided laughs for the rush hour crowd fortunate enough to be passing by that morning.
I stopped to let 2 ladies cross the road and had a captain crash - but they were very helpful and apologised like it was their fault. hmm females...
02-13-06 | 03:19 PM
#132
Elite Fred
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,953
Likes: 44
From: Edge City
Bikes: 2009 Spooky (cracked frame), 2006 Curtlo, 2002 Lemond (current race bike) Zurich, 1987 Serotta Colorado, 1986 Cannondale for commuting, a 1984 Cannondale on loan to my son
Originally Posted by DXchulo
Ok, I'll admit it:
I can't ride no-hands.
I know, I know....I'm ashamed of myself.
I can't ride no-hands.
I know, I know....I'm ashamed of myself.
02-13-06 | 03:28 PM
#133
I'm also afraid to let go of the bars. I can't spin and drink at the same time that well either.
And I'm real ugly too.
And I'm real ugly too.
02-13-06 | 03:34 PM
#134
.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,831
Likes: 1
From: "The Woo", MA
I recently had a forgot-to-unclip-and-fell incident in my driveway. Managed to bounce my head on the side of my car on the way down, too. A quick look around confirmed that there were no witnesses, so I started to extricate myself from the pile I was in. I then heard a strange noise, almost like two pieces of 60-grit sandpaper rubbing together. I looked up, and saw my cat in a second floor window. He was looking down at me...and laughing. I swear, that cat hates me...
02-13-06 | 03:58 PM
#135
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,917
Likes: 1
From: Milwaukee
- Was lapped 4 times in my first ever bike race.
- Drove 4 hours for a 150 mile race ... left my shoes at home.
- Fell asleep at Pizza Hut after the state road race ... got a face full of tomato sauce.
- Was best man at a friend's wedding ... his only demand was that we go for a ride that morning ... I lost him ... bride asking " WHERE'S PAUL ?? !
" ... uh, I dunno. 
He showed up 30 minutes later. 
jw
- Drove 4 hours for a 150 mile race ... left my shoes at home.
- Fell asleep at Pizza Hut after the state road race ... got a face full of tomato sauce.
- Was best man at a friend's wedding ... his only demand was that we go for a ride that morning ... I lost him ... bride asking " WHERE'S PAUL ?? !
" ... uh, I dunno. He showed up 30 minutes later. jw
02-13-06 | 04:12 PM
#136
Peloton Shelter Dog
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 90,508
Likes: 32
From: Chester, NY
Bikes: 2017 Scott Foil, 2016 Scott Addict SL, 2018 Santa Cruz Blur CC MTB
Last spring, after five years of inactivity due to back problems, I started riding again. After a few weeks, I decided to head out on the local group ride. I went out with the 'Slow B' group - which is several clicks down from the AA guys who I generally ride with now. This is middle aged fat guys, women, essentially a major fredfest. Very nice people, nice ride, etc. Now remember I'm a former hard core racing guy (like every weekend for a decade) who routinely averaged 7K miles annually, yada yada.
So my MIND thinks I'm still like that. But my overweight (at that point I was 5'11", 190+ lbs) body belied that fantasy. So on the first climb (a moderate 3/4 mile affair with a couple of 10%+ upgrade spots) I get dropped by EVERYBODY. Old guys, fat guys, middle aged women, you name it. Man it was the loudest wakeup call I ever got. I knew it was coming - but the degree to which my cycling mojo was diminished was rather stunning to me.
That was 9000 miles/9 mos. ago. I'm 90% of the way back. I wound up with a similar group (sort of by accident) in December and dropped the entire group on the same climb by 150+ yds. So it's coming back. But I won't forget that day. EVER.
At the time it didn't really bother me. I was happy to be riding ANYWHERE with ANYONE on ANY LEVEL. Still am.
So my MIND thinks I'm still like that. But my overweight (at that point I was 5'11", 190+ lbs) body belied that fantasy. So on the first climb (a moderate 3/4 mile affair with a couple of 10%+ upgrade spots) I get dropped by EVERYBODY. Old guys, fat guys, middle aged women, you name it. Man it was the loudest wakeup call I ever got. I knew it was coming - but the degree to which my cycling mojo was diminished was rather stunning to me.
That was 9000 miles/9 mos. ago. I'm 90% of the way back. I wound up with a similar group (sort of by accident) in December and dropped the entire group on the same climb by 150+ yds. So it's coming back. But I won't forget that day. EVER.
At the time it didn't really bother me. I was happy to be riding ANYWHERE with ANYONE on ANY LEVEL. Still am.
Last edited by patentcad; 02-14-06 at 05:55 AM.
02-13-06 | 05:00 PM
#137
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by chroot
Let's see...
I've fallen about eight times myself on clipless, and have done plenty of stupid things. Let's recap:
- I fell after three minutes of clipless use in a parking lot in front of my girlfriend.
- I almost fell two minutes later (the gf was still watching), and actually broke the cleat.
- I fell once because I neglected to unclip both feet when turning the bike around 180 degrees. A nice patch of bramble bushes broke my fall.
- I fell once because I was in much too high a gear to begin moving up a hill.
- I fell once waiting for a car to pass, after the driver tried to be "nice" by giving me the inappropriate right-of-way.
- I end up in my granny gear at least once on almost every ride that's not board-flat.
- I have found myself wishing for gears lower than 30/25 literally dozens of times.
- I hit my max heart rate within three minutes of my most recent liesurely group ride.
- I couldn't fight the wind on the Golden Gate Bridge one morning and ended up getting pushed into the railing.
- My helmet (Giro Pneumo) makes my head look like a mushroom. My girlfriend is happy to point this out routinely.
- I always have the whitest little chicken legs of anyone in every group ride I've done to date.
- I almost cried when I fell on someone's driveway at 0 mph and my brifter got rotated out of line. I thought I had ruined my bike. When I got home, I finally realized you can just push them back.
- I'm absolutely terrified of going through the rows of concrete poles that block cars from entering bike paths.
- I got stuck at a protected left turn light for almost ten minutes one time because I could not figure out how to trigger the light, or what else to do.
- I took a quick look at someone else's bike and thought for a minute or two that he was riding a bike called a Bento Box. I complimented him on a nice looking Bento Box. He was puzzled.
- Warren
I've fallen about eight times myself on clipless, and have done plenty of stupid things. Let's recap:
- I fell after three minutes of clipless use in a parking lot in front of my girlfriend.
- I almost fell two minutes later (the gf was still watching), and actually broke the cleat.
- I fell once because I neglected to unclip both feet when turning the bike around 180 degrees. A nice patch of bramble bushes broke my fall.
- I fell once because I was in much too high a gear to begin moving up a hill.
- I fell once waiting for a car to pass, after the driver tried to be "nice" by giving me the inappropriate right-of-way.
- I end up in my granny gear at least once on almost every ride that's not board-flat.
- I have found myself wishing for gears lower than 30/25 literally dozens of times.
- I hit my max heart rate within three minutes of my most recent liesurely group ride.
- I couldn't fight the wind on the Golden Gate Bridge one morning and ended up getting pushed into the railing.
- My helmet (Giro Pneumo) makes my head look like a mushroom. My girlfriend is happy to point this out routinely.
- I always have the whitest little chicken legs of anyone in every group ride I've done to date.
- I almost cried when I fell on someone's driveway at 0 mph and my brifter got rotated out of line. I thought I had ruined my bike. When I got home, I finally realized you can just push them back.
- I'm absolutely terrified of going through the rows of concrete poles that block cars from entering bike paths.
- I got stuck at a protected left turn light for almost ten minutes one time because I could not figure out how to trigger the light, or what else to do.
- I took a quick look at someone else's bike and thought for a minute or two that he was riding a bike called a Bento Box. I complimented him on a nice looking Bento Box. He was puzzled.
- Warren
i know what you mean!
02-13-06 | 05:10 PM
#138
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,917
Likes: 1
From: Milwaukee
Originally Posted by Blackberry
Oh, yeah. I brought a brand new bike. Took the front wheel off. Put the bike in my car. Left the front wheel on the ground. Then backed up. As soon as I heard the sickening crunch, I knew I would have to go back in the shop and order a brand new wheel. Boy did I feel like a Yahoo.
jw
02-14-06 | 02:23 AM
#139
Behind EVERYone!!!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 111
From: Burlington ON, Canada
Bikes: 2010 Specialized Tricross Comp 105 Double
Sometimes its fun to bring back the old stuff isn't it ?
?
__________________
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
02-14-06 | 06:30 AM
#140
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 373
Likes: 39
From: Baton Rouge area
Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Cervelo and Santana
man, this is a funny thread... I guess I find it funny b/c a lot of this has happened to me.*just got my first road bike about a week after christmas... I was in there getting fitted and the guy says "ok, get on the bike and pedal while shifting thru the gears". I'm thinking ok... not a big deal... start pedaling and realize I don't know how to shift both ways. didn't know there was a little shifter for the thumb. he kinda laughed when I asked how to shift. I felt like a goofball.... and then trying to get the front wheel off was another story...
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Bikes: C'dale, Trek, Cervelo and Santana
Bikes: C'dale, Trek, Cervelo and Santana
02-14-06 | 07:33 AM
#141
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Bikes: Specialized Hard Rock Pro
When I was young I had a bike with a front carrier (Moulton Deluxe). Riding into the wind, head down, I rode into a parked car and ended up on the bonnet (hood). The carrier went straight into the radiator, and as a neighbour pulled me off there was a nice trickle of green water coming from the car.
I once bonked so badly that a five year old on a tiny bike out with his mum decided to race me and there was nothing I could do about it.
Last year in Chamonix I had just descended a very steep and long trail, hopped off at the bottom, looked back up the hill for my g/f, stepped back and put my leg on the red hot rear disc. I swear it went Hiss as it branded a nice little crescent mark in me. She laughed as I was hopping around. We are no longer together.
I once bonked so badly that a five year old on a tiny bike out with his mum decided to race me and there was nothing I could do about it.
Last year in Chamonix I had just descended a very steep and long trail, hopped off at the bottom, looked back up the hill for my g/f, stepped back and put my leg on the red hot rear disc. I swear it went Hiss as it branded a nice little crescent mark in me. She laughed as I was hopping around. We are no longer together.
02-14-06 | 07:51 AM
#142
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Uxbridge, Ontario
Bikes: LeMond Reno, Specialized Hardrock
At the start of the 2006 Toronto Ride for Heart I was so pumped for the start of the 75K that I clipped my feet in and started off with a great hammering cadence.....only to find after about 100m that the entire mass of cyclists (this is the start remember, around 10,000 bikes!) stopped due to a bottleneck in the way. You guessed it, I failed to execute the unclip and toppled over nearly causing a 10,000 person domino unclip topple over. Do I win for having the most witnesses??
02-14-06 | 07:54 AM
#144
Geosynchronous Falconeer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,311
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, CA
Bikes: 2006 Raleigh Rush Hour, Campy Habanero Team Ti, Soma Double Cross
Originally Posted by uxrider
sorry 2005, although I'll probably do it again!
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Bring the pain.
Bring the pain.
02-14-06 | 07:58 AM
#145
Behind EVERYone!!!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 111
From: Burlington ON, Canada
Bikes: 2010 Specialized Tricross Comp 105 Double
Originally Posted by Wheels4
man, this is a funny thread... I guess I find it funny b/c a lot of this has happened to me. Cheers,
Brian
__________________
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence.
― Bruce Lee
02-14-06 | 08:05 AM
#146
bannned
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 0
From: philadelphia
Bikes: black bike, white bike, blue bike, yellow bike, silver bike
my huffy road bike has seen better days...
02-14-06 | 08:07 AM
#147
member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
From: Spring, Texas
Bikes: Lemond Tourmalet, Giant mountain bike and a Cannondale Adventure 400 hybrid
- got dropped on a "social ride" by three obviously overweight middle aged ladies who I was certain would never finish the ride
- after same "social ride" nearly passed out in front of the group from failing to hydrate properly in 90 deg weather - ended up on my a$$ on scorching hot pavement unable to stand...
- fell off and then onto my bike in a parking lot in front of dozens of riders when my leg cramped as soon as I got it on the ground at the end of a training ride...
many more to come I'm sure...
- after same "social ride" nearly passed out in front of the group from failing to hydrate properly in 90 deg weather - ended up on my a$$ on scorching hot pavement unable to stand...
- fell off and then onto my bike in a parking lot in front of dozens of riders when my leg cramped as soon as I got it on the ground at the end of a training ride...
many more to come I'm sure...
02-14-06 | 08:11 AM
#149
Used to be a climber..
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 193
From: Tucson, AZ
Bikes: 2021 Merlin Sandstone, 2016 Ridley Fenix SL, 2020 Trek Emonda ALR (rim brake), Trek Roscoe 9
Let's see....
I've fallen twice due to not unclipping....once on the road and onto a nice soft patch of grass on a busy road (yeah, that was embarassing), and another time in my bedroom while fine-tuning my seat adjustments (I didn't have a trainer at the time).
After years off the bike, my first ride back on the bike consisted of 1 mile climb with a max grade of 17% up near the top. Yeah, that turned into a very short ride. I did, however make it within about 70 yards from the top of the hill. Even though I didn't have a HRM at the time, I do believe I came very close to hitting my MHR on that one, if I didn't in fact do so. I'll still use that hill to gauge my fitness.
Going for mountain bike rides with my gf's brother was always a very humbling experience, since I suck at mtn. biking and he flat out flys through anything. I guess him going every day kinda helped his handling skills as well.
I've fallen twice due to not unclipping....once on the road and onto a nice soft patch of grass on a busy road (yeah, that was embarassing), and another time in my bedroom while fine-tuning my seat adjustments (I didn't have a trainer at the time).
After years off the bike, my first ride back on the bike consisted of 1 mile climb with a max grade of 17% up near the top. Yeah, that turned into a very short ride. I did, however make it within about 70 yards from the top of the hill. Even though I didn't have a HRM at the time, I do believe I came very close to hitting my MHR on that one, if I didn't in fact do so. I'll still use that hill to gauge my fitness.
Going for mountain bike rides with my gf's brother was always a very humbling experience, since I suck at mtn. biking and he flat out flys through anything. I guess him going every day kinda helped his handling skills as well.
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2016 Trek 520 (54cm) touring bike for sale - never ridden. Message me for photos/details.
2016 Trek 520 (54cm) touring bike for sale - never ridden. Message me for photos/details.
02-14-06 | 08:55 AM
#150
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,130
Likes: 1
From: Southeast USA
Since I have not yet taken out my new road bike, everything has happened on my mtn bike:
Had the usual clipless accidents fortunately never in front of a crowd. Going up a small hill right in front of my house I was shifting gears and the chain didnt engage. I got caught free spinning with no tension and I came to an unexpected dead stop. Over I went. On a trail I was transitioning from a concrete bridge to a dirt trail and I couldnt unclip. Over I went onto a pile of jagged rocks. Had pain in my left forearm for 4 weeks!
My own dog ran me off my own driveway and into my mailbox.
I have now learned to slow down FAR ahead of any intersections and unclip about 50 yards before I get there. Scared to death of excessive speed down hills. I'll always slow down...better safe than sorry.
I'm sure my road bike will bring some new experiences!!
Had the usual clipless accidents fortunately never in front of a crowd. Going up a small hill right in front of my house I was shifting gears and the chain didnt engage. I got caught free spinning with no tension and I came to an unexpected dead stop. Over I went. On a trail I was transitioning from a concrete bridge to a dirt trail and I couldnt unclip. Over I went onto a pile of jagged rocks. Had pain in my left forearm for 4 weeks!
My own dog ran me off my own driveway and into my mailbox.
I have now learned to slow down FAR ahead of any intersections and unclip about 50 yards before I get there. Scared to death of excessive speed down hills. I'll always slow down...better safe than sorry.
I'm sure my road bike will bring some new experiences!!