Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Totally puzzling ride.....

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Totally puzzling ride.....

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-21-18, 04:32 AM
  #1  
bruce19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
bruce19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473

Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 740 Posts
Totally puzzling ride.....

https://www.strava.com/activities/16...ts/41378923742

Went out on my clubs' Wednesday night ride. I think there were 10 of us. Pretty uneventful, except for the killer S. Bear Hill, until about mile 16. Then, as we were on a descent I heard and felt this hard "PING" and I was sure I'd broken a spoke. Sure enough a spoke in the front wheel. Released the front brake cable and was able to allow the wheel to spin freely albeit wobbling pretty good. So, on we rode with me hearing the constant "pff, pff, pff" of the front tire rubbing on the fork. I made a decision to just ride as if it was still good. Then the fun began. I was feeling strong and didn't want to give it up. Amazingly I rode at the front of the group and even got a PB of 23.5 mph on a fast section back to the parking lot. As I was putting the bike on my bike rack I spun the front wheel gently and it just rotated once and stopped. I still can't figure out how that was possible. But, today I'm happy. One day after my 72nd birthday.
bruce19 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 05:54 AM
  #2  
kbarch
Senior Member
 
kbarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,286
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1096 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Thank God for safety margins and redundancy!
kbarch is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 07:19 AM
  #3  
Weakbikr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 249
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 87 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 28 Times in 9 Posts
Wow, that's odd. Congrats on th pb.
Weakbikr is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 07:45 AM
  #4  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times in 2,342 Posts
adrenaline maybe?
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 07:45 AM
  #5  
WhyFi
Senior Member
 
WhyFi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520

Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo

Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times in 4,672 Posts
Originally Posted by bruce19
As I was putting the bike on my bike rack I spun the front wheel gently and it just rotated once and stopped. I still can't figure out how that was possible.
It doesn't take much friction to stop a free-spinning wheel, but a wheel spinning from the inertia of 160lbs+ moving at 20mph is a different story.
WhyFi is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 08:31 AM
  #6  
bruce19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
bruce19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473

Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 740 Posts
Originally Posted by WhyFi
It doesn't take much friction to stop a free-spinning wheel, but a wheel spinning from the inertia of 160lbs+ moving at 20mph is a different story.
That makes perfect sense. Thanks.
bruce19 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 10:10 AM
  #7  
TrojanHorse
SuperGimp
 
TrojanHorse's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Whittier, CA
Posts: 13,346

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 147 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1107 Post(s)
Liked 64 Times in 47 Posts
Did you burn through the paint on your fork?
TrojanHorse is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 10:36 AM
  #8  
Lazyass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,173
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
Maybe the Viagra helps? Kidding haha
Lazyass is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 11:38 AM
  #9  
woodcraft
Senior Member
 
woodcraft's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times in 569 Posts
That was brave.

I don't think would go all out with a compromised front wheel.
woodcraft is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 12:22 PM
  #10  
autonomy
Senior Member
 
autonomy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Boston Roads
Posts: 975

Bikes: 2012 Canondale Synapse 105, 2017 REI Co-Op ADV 3.1

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 507 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times in 133 Posts
Also, you were putting a load on the wheel and thus deforming it (un-deforming it?)
autonomy is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 02:15 PM
  #11  
bruce19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
bruce19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473

Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 740 Posts
Had the spoke replaced and wheel trued this morning. All is well. Changed me $15..
bruce19 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 02:52 PM
  #12  
rgconner
Senior Member
 
rgconner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 1,156

Bikes: Curtis Inglis Road, 80's Sekai touring fixie

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 472 Post(s)
Liked 11 Times in 9 Posts
Less weight and drag from the missing spoke.

Logic dictates that if you remove all the spokes, you will approach the speed of light.
rgconner is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 03:08 PM
  #13  
HTupolev
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4,264
Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1974 Post(s)
Liked 1,298 Times in 630 Posts
Originally Posted by bruce19
Had the spoke replaced and wheel trued this morning. All is well. Changed me $15..
How is the fork?
HTupolev is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 03:58 PM
  #14  
bruce19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
bruce19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473

Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 740 Posts
Originally Posted by HTupolev
How is the fork?
Looks good. No sign of abrasion.
bruce19 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 04:57 PM
  #15  
exmechanic89
Senior Member
 
exmechanic89's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Richmond VA area
Posts: 2,618

Bikes: '00 Koga Miyata Full Pro Oval Road bike.

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 475 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Congrats on the PR. I wouldnt have ridden full out on a broken spoke wheel either - yikes!
exmechanic89 is offline  
Old 06-21-18, 05:04 PM
  #16  
f4rrest
Farmer tan
 
f4rrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Burbank, CA
Posts: 7,986

Bikes: Allez, SuperSix Evo

Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2870 Post(s)
Liked 28 Times in 23 Posts
I consider a spoke key an essential repair kit item, after tube and pump.
f4rrest is offline  
Old 06-22-18, 01:08 AM
  #17  
Dean V
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,853
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1067 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 259 Times in 153 Posts
Pedaling hard helps to unload the compromised front wheel. Well done!
Dean V is offline  
Old 06-22-18, 08:00 AM
  #18  
redfooj
pluralis majestatis
 
redfooj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: you rope
Posts: 4,206

Bikes: a DuhRosa

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 537 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by rgconner
Less weight and drag from the missing spoke.

Logic dictates that if you remove all the spokes, you will approach the speed of light.
makes cents.
redfooj is offline  
Old 06-22-18, 04:48 PM
  #19  
kbarch
Senior Member
 
kbarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,286
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1096 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by exmechanic89
Congrats on the PR. I wouldnt have ridden full out on a broken spoke wheel either - yikes!
I've ridden with a broken spoke, and it didn't bother me too much, but the wheel didn't feel the least bit wobbly, or make a "pff, pff, pff" sound - I think that would unnerve me too much. At least it did in the story. I've done plenty of things that didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but in the retelling sounded terrifying.
kbarch is offline  
Old 06-22-18, 07:13 PM
  #20  
Bah Humbug
serious cyclist
 
Bah Humbug's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Austin
Posts: 21,147

Bikes: S1, R2, P2

Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9334 Post(s)
Liked 3,679 Times in 2,026 Posts
I really wish HED would make the GT3 in a clincher option. No broken spoke worries...
Bah Humbug is offline  
Old 06-23-18, 01:04 AM
  #21  
canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
canklecat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513

Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4559 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times in 1,800 Posts
Adrenaline rush from the ping. You were so hyper-vigilant about the wheel you were distracted from mundane concerns about fatigue. Or maybe it was the coffee. Good night's sleep before the ride. The stars were aligned. Saw or smelled something along the ride that jolted sense memories.

All kinds of stuff can kick in a little extra energy. My current favorite method to kickstart my indoor trainer rides is to binge-watch Orphan Black while on the trainer. I tried watching bicycle training videos but they were so boring. But Tatiana Maslany plays multiple roles in Orphan Black and some of the situations combine horror and hilarity within moments of each other, so it's like a jolt of caffeine.

Some of my best times came when my bike was somehow compromised or less than optimal, just because I felt exceptionally good that day or something happened in traffic to kickstart my adrenaline -- not necessarily a near miss, maybe just heightened awareness during morning rush hour on my 20 minute warmup route toward the point where I start seriously putting in effort. I've finally got my road bike tweaked just about perfect, but I still haven't topped some of my best times from last year when I was riding with platform pedals and soft soled shoes, a saddle that was too short, a stem that was too long, and a balky rear derailleur that had too much friction drag. But somehow I had inexplicably fast rides despite that mess, while this year it felt like I've had to push harder despite the bike feeling better attuned to me.
canklecat is offline  
Old 06-23-18, 06:19 AM
  #22  
kbarch
Senior Member
 
kbarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,286
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1096 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by canklecat
Adrenaline rush from the ping. You were so hyper-vigilant about the wheel you were distracted from mundane concerns about fatigue. Or maybe it was the coffee. Good night's sleep before the ride. The stars were aligned. Saw or smelled something along the ride that jolted sense memories.

All kinds of stuff can kick in a little extra energy. My current favorite method to kickstart my indoor trainer rides is to binge-watch Orphan Black while on the trainer. I tried watching bicycle training videos but they were so boring. But Tatiana Maslany plays multiple roles in Orphan Black and some of the situations combine horror and hilarity within moments of each other, so it's like a jolt of caffeine.

Some of my best times came when my bike was somehow compromised or less than optimal, just because I felt exceptionally good that day or something happened in traffic to kickstart my adrenaline -- not necessarily a near miss, maybe just heightened awareness during morning rush hour on my 20 minute warmup route toward the point where I start seriously putting in effort. I've finally got my road bike tweaked just about perfect, but I still haven't topped some of my best times from last year when I was riding with platform pedals and soft soled shoes, a saddle that was too short, a stem that was too long, and a balky rear derailleur that had too much friction drag. But somehow I had inexplicably fast rides despite that mess, while this year it felt like I've had to push harder despite the bike feeling better attuned to me.
Nicely put. I know the feeling.
kbarch is offline  
Old 06-23-18, 06:34 AM
  #23  
BillyD
Administrator
 
BillyD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 32,998

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92

Mentioned: 325 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11967 Post(s)
Liked 6,635 Times in 3,479 Posts
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
BillyD is offline  
Old 06-23-18, 08:27 AM
  #24  
f4rrest
Farmer tan
 
f4rrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Burbank, CA
Posts: 7,986

Bikes: Allez, SuperSix Evo

Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2870 Post(s)
Liked 28 Times in 23 Posts
Originally Posted by canklecat
Adrenaline rush from the ping. You were so hyper-vigilant about the wheel you were distracted from mundane concerns about fatigue. Or maybe it was the coffee. Good night's sleep before the ride. The stars were aligned. Saw or smelled something along the ride that jolted sense memories.

All kinds of stuff can kick in a little extra energy. My current favorite method to kickstart my indoor trainer rides is to binge-watch Orphan Black while on the trainer. I tried watching bicycle training videos but they were so boring. But Tatiana Maslany plays multiple roles in Orphan Black and some of the situations combine horror and hilarity within moments of each other, so it's like a jolt of caffeine.

Some of my best times came when my bike was somehow compromised or less than optimal, just because I felt exceptionally good that day or something happened in traffic to kickstart my adrenaline -- not necessarily a near miss, maybe just heightened awareness during morning rush hour on my 20 minute warmup route toward the point where I start seriously putting in effort. I've finally got my road bike tweaked just about perfect, but I still haven't topped some of my best times from last year when I was riding with platform pedals and soft soled shoes, a saddle that was too short, a stem that was too long, and a balky rear derailleur that had too much friction drag. But somehow I had inexplicably fast rides despite that mess, while this year it felt like I've had to push harder despite the bike feeling better attuned to me.
This is how you turn a potentially annoying/negative situation into a positive one.

Glass half full, as they say...
f4rrest is offline  
Old 06-23-18, 09:14 AM
  #25  
bruce19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
bruce19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473

Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 740 Posts
I don't know if the glass is half full or half empty. But, whatever is left is mine.
bruce19 is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.