Dumbest thing you did on a bike...
06-02-08, 09:41 PM
#51
Weekend Warrior
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 24
Bikes: Giant OCR and a couple Bridgestone road bikes + mnt bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
When I was 17 I got the bright idea to move my Schwinn varsity stem shifters to the downtube without getting new shifters. I drilled a hole in the downtube with an electric hand drill and somehow managed to mount the stem shifters with some extra hardware from my Dad's garage. It looked butt ugly. I did actually get it to work; however, I didn't have a clue at the time how to tune a dérailleur. It sort of shifted but it was really really bad. I reused the shifter cable as well. I rode it once like 1/4 mile.
Then I got the brilliant idea to paint it black with store spray can paint. I hardly sanded it and applied the paint to the bike. For days paint would smear off that bike.
This little venture still haunts me today. It really does.
Why oh why... why did I..... if I only left it alone!
b
Then I got the brilliant idea to paint it black with store spray can paint. I hardly sanded it and applied the paint to the bike. For days paint would smear off that bike.
This little venture still haunts me today. It really does.
Why oh why... why did I..... if I only left it alone!
b
06-04-08, 08:11 PM
#52
Banned.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 27,199
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 378 Post(s)
Liked 1,413 Times
in
913 Posts
These are killer bits....I had to call my dad (nearly 70) and ask him, since he didn't have a car until well after he got married... He was riding some kind of cruiser-type with swept bar, no grips, hanging onto the back of a milk delivery truck. The truck stopped, he impaled the inside of each arm on the bar ends. The country doctor made him eat prunes and squeeze tennis balls to build them back up. Modern medicine, 1948. I've never seen him on a bike, eat prunes. I don't think he likes tennis, either.
My third dumbest: riding on a frozen lake. just the top 1/2 inch was frozen. my mom was so mad...talk about shrinkage...
My third dumbest: riding on a frozen lake. just the top 1/2 inch was frozen. my mom was so mad...talk about shrinkage...
06-04-08, 08:18 PM
#53
Emeritus...a second time?
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 310
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
A Bit Graphic......................
Beat This.......................................
Rode a bmx bike in flip flops in third grade. Flip flop came off and lodged in the front fork, locking the tire up. I flew over the handlebars, but didn't really let them go so the bike kinda did a front flip with me.
You know how eventually your handle grips wear out on the ends, leaving the metal handlebar exposed?
Well I somehow landed right on one of the bar ends completely spread eagle and um......lacerated myself.
7 stitches right up the right hand side of my scrotum.
Rode a bmx bike in flip flops in third grade. Flip flop came off and lodged in the front fork, locking the tire up. I flew over the handlebars, but didn't really let them go so the bike kinda did a front flip with me.
You know how eventually your handle grips wear out on the ends, leaving the metal handlebar exposed?
Well I somehow landed right on one of the bar ends completely spread eagle and um......lacerated myself.
7 stitches right up the right hand side of my scrotum.
06-04-08, 09:15 PM
#54
Needs to Ride More
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 764
Bikes: 1996 Bianchi EL/OS, 1991 Miyata QuickCross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Oh I have a story like that but not as horrific. I had just gotten a new BMX bike at around age 7 or 8, it was the first bike I had that had a brake lever. It being my new bike and feeling invincible and with all the capabilities in the world, I thought I would attempt a barspin or something of the sorts on it. Fell down and the end of the metal handlebar stabbed me in the side, had to get a couple of stitches. Not as bad as your scrotum slicing bars, but ugly nonetheless.
06-04-08, 09:47 PM
#55
Senior Member
06-04-08, 09:52 PM
#56
GEAR HEAD?
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 54
Bikes: Nishiki fixie, & some old Vintage thing lol. Moto = Ducati m750 and Honda xr200
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Forgot I was on a Fixie with clipless pedals and almost went over the bars, one shoe unlocked as the other kept going around. This happened today actually (=
06-04-08, 09:57 PM
#57
Old Skeptic
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New Mexico, USA
Posts: 1,044
Bikes: 19 road bikes & 1 Track bike
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
I was in my late teens and definitely old and experienced enough to know better. One day I had hastily put my track bike back together after a thorough overhaul. Anxious to take it out for a spin all freshly cleaned and lubed, I totally forgot to put the lockring back on the fixed cog... I was reminded of this when I began to slow as usual with leg resistance when approaching the first intersection.
No brakes on the bike naturally, I suddenly found myself in freefall - the cog having just jerked free and unscrewed from the threads of the hub fast enough for me to just comprehend and think a silent "Oh sh...".
Approaching the intersection too fast to even think of grabbing the front wheel with a gloved hand, I had to throw the bike and myself down to the pavement on our sides to effect an abrupt "road-rash stop". Fortunately, the bike was just fine... But I had to limp what seemed an endless block back home - all the while imagining everyone in the neighborhood had seen the graceless spectacle and was now watching form their porches laughing at the battered dummy who had looked so very cool only minutes before.
No brakes on the bike naturally, I suddenly found myself in freefall - the cog having just jerked free and unscrewed from the threads of the hub fast enough for me to just comprehend and think a silent "Oh sh...".
Approaching the intersection too fast to even think of grabbing the front wheel with a gloved hand, I had to throw the bike and myself down to the pavement on our sides to effect an abrupt "road-rash stop". Fortunately, the bike was just fine... But I had to limp what seemed an endless block back home - all the while imagining everyone in the neighborhood had seen the graceless spectacle and was now watching form their porches laughing at the battered dummy who had looked so very cool only minutes before.
06-05-08, 12:18 PM
#58
Senior Member
Hi,
.
When I was 12, I had a Reliance "English Racer" (gas pipe;
Sturmey Archer 3-Speed). My best friend, Peter Macguier, had
one just like it and we were evenly matched competitors.
.
So one day we decided that instead of racing each other head
to head around Circle Drive, a course through our suburban,
residential neighborhood of about a quarter of a mile,
we decided to race each other in opposite directions around
Circle Drive with the finish at the start.
.
We each began our race with farily steep ascents, fast
descents on the return across the finish line.
.
Well, we discovered we were even more evenly matched than
we thought as on our fast ascents to the finish, blind to
both of us, we crashed with me broadsiding Peter and throwing
us and our bikes into an oak tree that we discovered was
somewhat harder than ourselves and our bikes.
.
We survived and decided we were equally good racers and
didn't try to sort out who was best again.
.
.
When I was 12, I had a Reliance "English Racer" (gas pipe;
Sturmey Archer 3-Speed). My best friend, Peter Macguier, had
one just like it and we were evenly matched competitors.
.
So one day we decided that instead of racing each other head
to head around Circle Drive, a course through our suburban,
residential neighborhood of about a quarter of a mile,
we decided to race each other in opposite directions around
Circle Drive with the finish at the start.
.
We each began our race with farily steep ascents, fast
descents on the return across the finish line.
.
Well, we discovered we were even more evenly matched than
we thought as on our fast ascents to the finish, blind to
both of us, we crashed with me broadsiding Peter and throwing
us and our bikes into an oak tree that we discovered was
somewhat harder than ourselves and our bikes.
.
We survived and decided we were equally good racers and
didn't try to sort out who was best again.
.
06-05-08, 12:40 PM
#59
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Posts: 524
Bikes: riders:Schwinn Continental ('80), Specialized Crossroads Sport ('07), Schwinn Super Sport (73), Schwinn Superior (76), Projects: Schwinn Sprint ('74), Trek 800 & Schwinn Continental ('71)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I loaned my lil brother's bike to a friend's cousin so we could ride to a park and run the trails in the early 60s. Then had my brother ride on my cross tube.
On the way, there is a steep hill, (country roadway, chipnseal with asphalt patches), rolling downhill picking up speed, My lil brother started using heel to fiddle the spokes,, well...
The heel of his shoe, caught a spoke solid, and against the fork, it locked that front wheel propeling us both forward across the bars, placing my lil brother (4 yrs younger) between me and that hot (did I mention how hot it was), hot bubbly asphalt chipnseal pavement.
Other than my hands with embedded gravel and tar, no other scratchs, my lil brother, not as lucky, thought he was dead, one side of his face was black from the tar, his shirt and shorts were ripped and streaked with tar as well. Not a pretty sight.
Most fortunately, he was not hurt, (he always was lucky that way) and nice lady near by came out of her house and helped us clean him up, and only a couple of small stone scratches on his cheek.. Very lucky.
Well, as lucky as we were that afternoon, it was another story when he got home, explained to mom what happened, and then to dad why lil brother had given up his bike and was on my cross bar.
Well, I did suffer some bruising that evening, and it took a bit before it improved.
Never loaned my brother's bike again, or mine.
That was and is the dumbest thing I have done involving bikes.
On the way, there is a steep hill, (country roadway, chipnseal with asphalt patches), rolling downhill picking up speed, My lil brother started using heel to fiddle the spokes,, well...
The heel of his shoe, caught a spoke solid, and against the fork, it locked that front wheel propeling us both forward across the bars, placing my lil brother (4 yrs younger) between me and that hot (did I mention how hot it was), hot bubbly asphalt chipnseal pavement.
Other than my hands with embedded gravel and tar, no other scratchs, my lil brother, not as lucky, thought he was dead, one side of his face was black from the tar, his shirt and shorts were ripped and streaked with tar as well. Not a pretty sight.
Most fortunately, he was not hurt, (he always was lucky that way) and nice lady near by came out of her house and helped us clean him up, and only a couple of small stone scratches on his cheek.. Very lucky.
Well, as lucky as we were that afternoon, it was another story when he got home, explained to mom what happened, and then to dad why lil brother had given up his bike and was on my cross bar.
Well, I did suffer some bruising that evening, and it took a bit before it improved.
Never loaned my brother's bike again, or mine.
That was and is the dumbest thing I have done involving bikes.
06-05-08, 02:36 PM
#60
Senior Member
How about "dumbest thing I've let my son do on a bike"? He was just starting out and still had training wheels on his Diamond Back Viper. We were camping and I let him get ahead of me on the campground road. Suddenly, we found the gravel road we were riding on had a steep decent. As he picked up speed, he leaned hard to the left to activate the coaster brake. So far left that his rear tire was off the ground and he was running on the training wheel. I kept telling him to lean the other way as I tried to get close enough to grab him. He finally got his rear tire back on the ground and got the bike stopped. Don't know whe was more scared at that point, him or me.
06-05-08, 07:11 PM
#62
Senior Member
Hi,
.
When I was 12, I had a Reliance "English Racer" (gas pipe;
Sturmey Archer 3-Speed). My best friend, Peter Macguier, had
one just like it and we were evenly matched competitors.
.
So one day we decided that instead of racing each other head
to head around Circle Drive, a course through our suburban,
residential neighborhood of about a quarter of a mile,
we decided to race each other in opposite directions around
Circle Drive with the finish at the start.
.
We each began our race with fairly steep ascents, fast
descents on the return across the finish line.
.
Well, we discovered we were even more evenly matched than
we thought as on our fast descents to the finish, blind to
both of us, we crashed with me broadsiding Peter and throwing
us and our bikes into an oak tree that we discovered was
somewhat harder than ourselves and our bikes.
.
We survived and decided we were equally good racers and
didn't try to sort out who was best again.
.
.
When I was 12, I had a Reliance "English Racer" (gas pipe;
Sturmey Archer 3-Speed). My best friend, Peter Macguier, had
one just like it and we were evenly matched competitors.
.
So one day we decided that instead of racing each other head
to head around Circle Drive, a course through our suburban,
residential neighborhood of about a quarter of a mile,
we decided to race each other in opposite directions around
Circle Drive with the finish at the start.
.
We each began our race with fairly steep ascents, fast
descents on the return across the finish line.
.
Well, we discovered we were even more evenly matched than
we thought as on our fast descents to the finish, blind to
both of us, we crashed with me broadsiding Peter and throwing
us and our bikes into an oak tree that we discovered was
somewhat harder than ourselves and our bikes.
.
We survived and decided we were equally good racers and
didn't try to sort out who was best again.
.
,,,,BD
__________________
So many bikes, so little dime.
So many bikes, so little dime.
06-05-08, 10:01 PM
#63
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 1,143
Bikes: Many. Ralieigh sports`s, Raleigh Superbe, sears Spaceliner, Firestone supercruisers, many vintage mountain bikes, random cruisers, and other unique bikes.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
...
What happens when your to lazy to finish a bike and wanna ride it? I had a old banana seat bike and I wanted to ride it bad without finishing it when I was young, anyway I was riding it very fast when oh no, the cable for the rear break moves by my peddle, yep it hurt alot, i left a trail of blood and skin on the road, it turned sideways and I slid far grinding to a stop, so now, I finish all bikes before getting on it lol, oh once my front wheel fell off when I was going down a hill but it was like god was on my sidce, I kept rolling but held on tight, somehow I managed to stay on it right side up with bent forks and a bent back wheel, very amusing to my friend lol
06-06-08, 10:35 AM
#64
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Costa Mesa CA
Posts: 2,636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
How well I remember stomping on the rat-trap peddles of my Varsity, using the non-existent coaster brake. The opposite pedal would whip round and chew a chunk out of my shin again. Happened about three times in two days. There is a reason they called them "rat traps"
06-06-08, 11:47 AM
#65
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 194
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I remember back when my dad got a sweet cannondale hybrid bike. I went on a ride with my mom on it once. It was way to big, but I rode it anyway. Well he had a bike computer on it. I had never experienced anything so cool before. As we started out the ride: 5 mph, 10 mph, 15 MPH!!!!
BANG!!!
Parked car. I was light enough so the fork wasnt bent. But man was I bloody. Mom was a nurse and the person who's car I hit came out and helped me too. Nowadayz, I make sure to not concentrate too much on the cyclometer.
BANG!!!
Parked car. I was light enough so the fork wasnt bent. But man was I bloody. Mom was a nurse and the person who's car I hit came out and helped me too. Nowadayz, I make sure to not concentrate too much on the cyclometer.
06-06-08, 12:18 PM
#66
Banned.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 27,199
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 378 Post(s)
Liked 1,413 Times
in
913 Posts
I remember back when my dad got a sweet cannondale hybrid bike. I went on a ride with my mom on it once. It was way to big, but I rode it anyway. Well he had a bike computer on it. I had never experienced anything so cool before. As we started out the ride: 5 mph, 10 mph, 15 MPH!!!!
BANG!!!
Parked car. I was light enough so the fork wasnt bent. But man was I bloody. Mom was a nurse and the person who's car I hit came out and helped me too. Nowadayz, I make sure to not concentrate too much on the cyclometer.
BANG!!!
Parked car. I was light enough so the fork wasnt bent. But man was I bloody. Mom was a nurse and the person who's car I hit came out and helped me too. Nowadayz, I make sure to not concentrate too much on the cyclometer.
06-06-08, 03:57 PM
#67
Bottecchia fan
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 3,520
Bikes: 1959 Bottecchia Milano-Sanremo (frame), 1966 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1971 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1973 Bottecchia Gran Turismo, 1974 Bottecchia Special, 1977 Bottecchia Special (frame), 1974 Peugeot UO-8
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
9 Posts
Two things;
Bunny hop off of a loading dock = bent frame.
In an attempt to jump 9 garbage cans (me being the mini-Fonz), the bike got away from me and my balls landed on the rear tire. Needless to say, the contining forward motion and the knobby tires did not make matters better. No worries though, two kids later is proof there was no permanent damage to the boys.
Bunny hop off of a loading dock = bent frame.
In an attempt to jump 9 garbage cans (me being the mini-Fonz), the bike got away from me and my balls landed on the rear tire. Needless to say, the contining forward motion and the knobby tires did not make matters better. No worries though, two kids later is proof there was no permanent damage to the boys.
__________________
1959 Bottecchia Milano-Sanremo(frame), 1966 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1971 Bottecchia Professional (frame),
1973 Bottecchia Gran Turismo, 1974 Bottecchia Special, 1977 Bottecchia Special (frame),
1974 Peugeot UO-8, 1988 Panasonic PT-3500, 2002 Bianchi Veloce, 2004 Bianchi Pista
1959 Bottecchia Milano-Sanremo(frame), 1966 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1971 Bottecchia Professional (frame),
1973 Bottecchia Gran Turismo, 1974 Bottecchia Special, 1977 Bottecchia Special (frame),
1974 Peugeot UO-8, 1988 Panasonic PT-3500, 2002 Bianchi Veloce, 2004 Bianchi Pista
06-06-08, 04:30 PM
#68
Senior Member
try to adjust the computer fork sensor at 25mph. off balanced the bike and a yard sale in the middle of a busy main road. Wear your helmets man..
second place would be buying those silly hexkey QR's. they dont work, rolled up to a sprint and back wheel came loose jamming into the stay. freaking Hexkey QR's... bad idea..
second place would be buying those silly hexkey QR's. they dont work, rolled up to a sprint and back wheel came loose jamming into the stay. freaking Hexkey QR's... bad idea..
06-06-08, 08:00 PM
#70
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 280
Bikes: 1994 Trek 1200, 1984 Raleigh Prestige, 1980 Motobecane Grand Jubile, custom 531 track, and a bunch of tinker bikes of all type
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
a good american, bullet headed, saxon mother's son... all the children sing!
hey bungalow bill, you might get killed...
hey bungalow bill, you might get killed...
06-12-08, 02:28 PM
#71
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 70
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Around 12 or so I was riding with my brother on the local university campus. I was leading and he was chasing me, then he pulled a u-turn when I went around a planter area and he got a gap on me. So obviously I had to catch up with him. Unfortunatly my old Huffy bike was in disrepair and was not shifting gears. As I was going between two building I look down at the gears for a while to see what is happening. Next thing I recall I am leaning against one of the buildings with blood all over my face and shirt. Turns out the side of my head had about 2 inch gash in it!!
Then to top that off I decided I had to get home to get it taken care of and started riding across the campus headed back home. My brother found a campus cop and the cop made me stop and they called my parents for help. Ended up with 7 staples and 4 stitches from that one.
About 3 weeks later I was out riding again - still no helmet stupid me, and after riding down some steps got too close to a curb. As my front wheel went off the curb somehow it threw me over the bars and I ended up doing a full front roll, absolutly no injury. I wish every crash was like that, it was kinda fun actually.
Then to top that off I decided I had to get home to get it taken care of and started riding across the campus headed back home. My brother found a campus cop and the cop made me stop and they called my parents for help. Ended up with 7 staples and 4 stitches from that one.
About 3 weeks later I was out riding again - still no helmet stupid me, and after riding down some steps got too close to a curb. As my front wheel went off the curb somehow it threw me over the bars and I ended up doing a full front roll, absolutly no injury. I wish every crash was like that, it was kinda fun actually.
06-12-08, 11:13 PM
#74
recycled
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Salado Texas
Posts: 76
Bikes: Road Bike (Havnoonian); Commuter (Jamis Auora)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
A couple of less than bright things - Several of of us 13 year olds helped build an inadequate ramp for a friend to attempt jumping the river that ran through our town. The idea came from Evel Knievel's publicity build up to jumping the Snake River that year. Our thinking was that if our friend didn't make it across (there was really no way he would make it across), at least he would have some fun landing in the water. We didn't take into consideration that part of the river was shallow and that the landing shock would be transmitted up through the top tube to anything sitting on it at that point. We pulled our friend out of the water who experienced a great deal of pain. My family moved before I found out if his voice would ever change from that incident.
Last summer, during my commute home from the office I was on a stretch of frontage road next to the interstate when I noticed the right bar tape plug was not completely inserted into the end of the handlebar. I was riding down hill at about 23 mph (the only time I go 23 is down a hill) I thought I would fix the plug by using the heel of my hand to slam it back in - so I slammed it. That sent me all over the road trying to stay upright. I got one foot unclipped and against the pavement to right the bike and keep me off the top tube and avoid suffering a similar fate of my friend in the first incident above. After somehow managing to stay upright, the proverbial light bulb belatedly went off on why I should not have done that.
Last summer, during my commute home from the office I was on a stretch of frontage road next to the interstate when I noticed the right bar tape plug was not completely inserted into the end of the handlebar. I was riding down hill at about 23 mph (the only time I go 23 is down a hill) I thought I would fix the plug by using the heel of my hand to slam it back in - so I slammed it. That sent me all over the road trying to stay upright. I got one foot unclipped and against the pavement to right the bike and keep me off the top tube and avoid suffering a similar fate of my friend in the first incident above. After somehow managing to stay upright, the proverbial light bulb belatedly went off on why I should not have done that.
06-12-08, 11:22 PM
#75
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Costa Mesa CA
Posts: 2,636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
I seem to notice Evel Kneivel's name coming up a lot. The orthodonists & orthopedists of America owe him a great debt.