Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

What's the Dumbest Thing You've Ever Done

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

What's the Dumbest Thing You've Ever Done

Old 08-06-18, 08:45 AM
  #1  
-holiday76
No one cares
Thread Starter
 
-holiday76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Yardley, Pa
Posts: 6,146
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 226 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 63 Posts
What's the Dumbest Thing You've Ever Done

I did a search, and I found a lot of threads/posts with results on this subject but I'm not sure all the posters knew it at the time.

Anyway, what's the dumbest thing you've ever done either with or on a vintage bicycle?

I'll start with a few scenarios as primer for this discussion:

- the time I used a pipe/monkey wrench to turn a freewheel remover to get more leverage and exploded the freewheel remover
- the time I was trying to remove a fixed BB cut with a park tool, it slipped and i punched myself in the face.
- the time I thought it'd be a good idea to take my Raleigh off of a jump and crashed into a bush (not the fun kind).

What have you got?
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .


-holiday76 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 08:50 AM
  #2  
sloar 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
Recently I went to grab a can of degreaser, but grabbed spray adhesive and coated a bottom bracket assembly.
__________________
Semper fi
sloar is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:02 AM
  #3  
JaccoW
Overdoing projects
 
JaccoW's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Rotterdam, former republic of the Netherlands
Posts: 2,439

Bikes: Batavus Randonneur GL, Gazelle Orange Excellent, Gazelle Super Licht, Gazelle Grand Tourist, Gazelle Lausanne, Gazelle Tandem, Koga-Miyata SilverAce, Koga-Miyata WorldTraveller

Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 782 Post(s)
Liked 1,212 Times in 675 Posts
Snapping the head off a rack bolt resulting in a useless rack when my final resort was to cut and drill the bolt out.

Taking a C&V bike on a loaded bike tour without checking the wheels first, leading to a broken spoke head once I hit a pothole at speed.

Spending too much money on restoring a bike that wasn't even my size to the point that it became unsellable.
JaccoW is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:03 AM
  #4  
bnewberry
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 227
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times in 11 Posts
Most recently, doing a slow speed, almost trackstand, to wait for another rider and turning around to see where they were. Predictably lost forward momentum and toppled over.

In the past, selling my sweet Voyager frame to buy a different "faster" one.
bnewberry is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:12 AM
  #5  
-holiday76
No one cares
Thread Starter
 
-holiday76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Yardley, Pa
Posts: 6,146
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 226 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 63 Posts
I just remembered that I rode the Sea Otter Gran Fondo on a bike i'd built up the day before. I neglected to realize before the ride there were no bearings in the bottom head set cup until after that ride. I did think that steering felt kinda weird...
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .


-holiday76 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:20 AM
  #6  
Ex Pres 
Cat 6
 
Ex Pres's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mountain Brook, AL
Posts: 7,519
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 500 Post(s)
Liked 183 Times in 118 Posts
I'll start with a common one, that yes, I've done too. Failing to put the chain on the big chainring before removing the DS pedal. When it cracks loose, you get tooth marks.

And speaking of freewheels, I've tried to remove a cog from one that I didn't know had reverse threading and blew apart a chain-whip.

And since I seem to be on chains, I forget exactly what I was doing, but it involved a fixed gear drivetrain, and resulted with a finger jammed between the chain and the chainring. No derailleur give. Ouch.

Last edited by Ex Pres; 08-06-18 at 09:27 AM.
Ex Pres is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:24 AM
  #7  
rocks in head 
...addicted...
 
rocks in head's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: East of the River, Washington DC
Posts: 1,014

Bikes: 1985 Alpine, 2007 IRO Rob Roy, 1985 Ross Mt. Whitney, 1991 Diamondback Master TG

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 190 Post(s)
Liked 58 Times in 35 Posts
Mine all revolve around vintage bike purchases. or parts purchases for those bikes that then never manifest as "complete" builds. It's as if I had a hole in the garage that I throw money into, but instead I'm turning cold hard cash into rusty junk that clogs up the storage space. It never stops, either, my eye's on a baloon bike and a Flamingo pink Team Fuji to add to the long list of projects with a great starting cost, but ultimately losers in the balance of time and additional parts required. About the only things I have that DON'T match my user-name are the recently departed Peugeot PGN-10 and my Alpine.
rocks in head is offline  
Likes For rocks in head:
Old 08-06-18, 09:45 AM
  #8  
Bikerider007
Senior Member
 
Bikerider007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: AZ/WA
Posts: 2,461

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 460 Post(s)
Liked 54 Times in 30 Posts
Built up a bike and did not set rear derailleur before rushing out to test. Put the chain right off the top and into the spokes and broke a couple. Painful lesson.

Was riding alone, ran into an older friend and joined the Slow Spoke group he rides with. Figured it would let me catch up and be a change of pace. Guys up to 80 with some that swerved and struggled. Well, I was the one that was not paying attention and toppled at the light, they felt bad for me .
Bikerider007 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 09:50 AM
  #9  
davester
Senior Member
 
davester's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Berkeley CA
Posts: 2,531

Bikes: 1981 Ron Cooper, 1974 Cinelli Speciale Corsa, 2000 Gary Fisher Sugar 1, 1986 Miyata 710, 1982 Raleigh "International"

Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 926 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times in 482 Posts
Went on a fully loaded camping tour of England, France and Switzerland using my sewup racing wheels. I did improve my on-the-side-of-the-road sewup patching skills though.
davester is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 10:15 AM
  #10  
USAZorro
Señor Member
 
USAZorro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hardy, VA
Posts: 17,929

Bikes: Mostly English - predominantly Raleighs

Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1488 Post(s)
Liked 1,057 Times in 629 Posts
I almost died anticipating a bus was going to be stopping, and attempting to pass it on the right side... as it approached a bridge. I was 20.
__________________
In search of what to search for.
USAZorro is online now  
Old 08-06-18, 10:17 AM
  #11  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,295

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3873 Post(s)
Liked 4,767 Times in 2,200 Posts
I never, ever do dumb things.
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Wildwood is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 10:25 AM
  #12  
Chombi1 
Senior Member
 
Chombi1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 4,445
Mentioned: 102 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1624 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 806 Times in 522 Posts
Doing my first ever component polishing job some years ago, with too much pressure from a Dremel, I sanded the Shimano logo right off one of the levers of a first gen DA brakeset......
Every time I encounter those once nice old levers in my stash, with a polishing job half done on it, it breaks my heart.......
I would have just tried to find a buy another set of levers to replace them, but I can't seem to find any out there.....
Chombi1 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 10:27 AM
  #13  
seedsbelize 
smelling the roses
 
seedsbelize's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tixkokob, Yucatán, México
Posts: 15,428

Bikes: 79 Trek 930, 80 Trek 414, 84 Schwinn Letour Luxe (coupled), 92 Schwinn Paramount PDG 5

Mentioned: 104 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7081 Post(s)
Liked 901 Times in 612 Posts
When I first started using aero levers, I invariably connected them backward.
__________________
Originally Posted by Bah Humbug
Auto-pause is a honey-tongued devil whispering sweet lies in your ear.


seedsbelize is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 10:28 AM
  #14  
ryansu
Senior Member
 
ryansu's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Seattle WA
Posts: 2,870

Bikes: 2009 Handsome Devil, 1987 Trek 520 Cirrus, 1978 Motobecane Grand Touring, 1987 Nishiki Cresta GT, 1989 Specialized Allez Former bikes; 1986 Miyata Trail Runner, 1979 Miyata 912, 2011 VO Rando, 1999 Cannondale R800, 1986 Schwinn Passage

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 796 Post(s)
Liked 522 Times in 367 Posts
I am just going to comment on bike related stuff, when angry with a stubborn cotter I went over the line with the hammer and punch deciding I was going to get it out even if I destroyed the crank...it didn't end well. That's the day I learned that when angry and reaching for a hammer just walk away
ryansu is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 11:38 AM
  #15  
markk900
Senior Member
 
markk900's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 2,648
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 477 Post(s)
Liked 632 Times in 335 Posts
Riding my Peugeot on grass (short grass!) in the back yard at VERY slow speed; looked away for a second and tacoed the front wheel and bent the fork when I caught a tiny rut.
markk900 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 11:41 AM
  #16  
dedhed
SE Wis
 
dedhed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,490

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2716 Post(s)
Liked 3,332 Times in 2,024 Posts
Spending a good 2 hours trying to removal a pedal, then realizing I was turning the wrong way.

Popping a wheelie on my Gran Prix (wasn't yet vintage at the time) to impress someone on a camping trip and finding out the front QR came undone in transit. Face plant, concussion, broken glasses. Bike was fine
dedhed is online now  
Old 08-06-18, 11:42 AM
  #17  
satbuilder 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 1,524

Bikes: A few

Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 288 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times in 101 Posts
I can't tell you how relieved I am you limited it to, with or on a vintage bike.
satbuilder is online now  
Old 08-06-18, 11:49 AM
  #18  
rustystrings61 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Greenwood SC USA
Posts: 2,340

Bikes: 2002 Mercian Vincitore, 1982 Mercian Colorado, 1976 Puch Royal X, 1973 Raleigh Competition, 1971 Gitane Tour de France and others

Mentioned: 55 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 822 Post(s)
Liked 1,387 Times in 690 Posts
Riding my Puch Royal X, equipped with Lyotard Marcel Berthet 23 platform pedals and toeclips on a hot summer day outside Macon, Georgia, while wearing Adidas sneakers I had temporarily taped together with white cotton surgical tape. Connect the dots - hot, hot, HOT day, unnoticed adhesive ooze bonding shoes to pedals, rolling up to the intersection of Forsyth Road and discovering I couldn't free my foot. I felt just like Artie Johnson on Laugh In.
rustystrings61 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 11:57 AM
  #19  
squirtdad
Senior Member
 
squirtdad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Jose (Willow Glen) Ca
Posts: 9,831

Bikes: Kirk Custom JK Special, '84 Team Miyata,(dura ace old school) 80?? SR Semi-Pro 600 Arabesque

Mentioned: 104 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2296 Post(s)
Liked 2,710 Times in 1,483 Posts
Removing a pedal, really stuck on a ofmega crank, off of the bike, added cheater bar, and then I notice the metal shavings I was creating.......got confused with crank of the bike and was turning the wrong way.......
__________________
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)



squirtdad is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 12:08 PM
  #20  
Andy_K 
Senior Member
 
Andy_K's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,785

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 522 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3228 Post(s)
Liked 3,848 Times in 1,435 Posts
Originally Posted by -holiday76
- the time I was trying to remove a fixed BB cup with a park tool, it slipped and i punched myself in the face.
Are you saying that doesn't happen every time you try to remove a fixed cup? I thought it was a sign that I was doing it right. Fixed cup -- punch myself in the face (sometimes just the shoulder). Drive side pedal -- maim my hand on the big chainring when the pedal finally comes loose. Both seem pretty standard.

The dumbest thing I've done...this year at Eroica, the day before the ride I noticed that the tip of the valve stem on my rear tubular was bent over at a 90 degree angle. It was holding air and I was certain that the valve core wasn't replaceable so I wouldn't let anyone touch it, or even look at it closely. On the day of the ride, I was starting off with around 30 psi. By the last climb I was bottoming out on every bump and pebble on the road. At the top of the hill I was finally desperate enough to try to straighten the valve tip. Naturally it broke off and I had to take the SAG wagon back to the finish. About a month later I was messing around in the garage and discovered that the valve core was, in fact, replaceable.
__________________
My Bikes
Andy_K is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 12:12 PM
  #21  
abshipp 
Senior Member
 
abshipp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 4,176

Bikes: 1975 Motobecane Grand Jubile, 2020 Holdsworth Competition, 2022 Giant Trance 29 3

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3316 Post(s)
Liked 3,515 Times in 1,218 Posts
I got a small stick caught between my front wheel and fender, down just below the fender stay attachment point. The stick was too small to pose any danger of locking up my front wheel, but it was making an awfully loud racket.

I tried to dislodge it with my foot and ended up dislodging myself from the bike, up and over the handlebars.

abshipp is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 12:29 PM
  #22  
Slightspeed
Senior Member
 
Slightspeed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,257

Bikes: 1964 Legnano Roma Olympiade, 1973 Raleigh Super Course, 1978 Raleigh Super Course, 1978 Peugeot PR10, 2002 Specialized Allez, 2007 Specialized Roubaix, 2013 Culprit Croz Blade

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 741 Post(s)
Liked 816 Times in 420 Posts
Not vintage, but on my '07 Roubaix, when replacing the chain, I mis-routed it outside the little tab on the front of the cage. It only made noises in certain gears, depending on how far the cage rotated. After I did a 50 mile Solvang ride in the rain, later checking the bike over, I found out what the "intermittent" noise was. Blamed the "intermittent" mechanic, me. Second time I've done this, also on my old Allez. I guess I'm an "intermittant" learner too.
Slightspeed is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 12:53 PM
  #23  
Giacomo 1 
Senior Member
 
Giacomo 1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Queens NYC
Posts: 3,175

Bikes: Colnago Super, Basso Gap, Pogliaghi, Fabio Barecci, Torelli Pista, Miyata 1400A

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 316 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times in 12 Posts
I forgot to tighten the handlebar clamp bolt all the way on my Basso.

So I go out for a ride and all is well, until I'm going down the block and see the the traffic light is green for me, but I will have to sprint to make it. So I stand up on the pedals, lean forward and put a lot of down pressure on the hoods. Well, the bars roll down under the weight and I immediately fall forward with my chest laying on the bars with my head way out over the bars and I have no control and can't get to the brakes.

Luckily, thankfully, I rolled into the curb and rolled off the bike onto a patch of grass on the sidewalk, a rare find in NYC! Could have been ugly had the bike rolled into traffic or I miss that beautiful lonely patch of grass!
Giacomo 1 is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 01:39 PM
  #24  
gomango
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: STP
Posts: 15,223
Mentioned: 74 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 821 Post(s)
Liked 253 Times in 141 Posts
Originally Posted by Giacomo 1
I forgot to tighten the handlebar clamp bolt all the way on my Basso.

So I go out for a ride and all is well, until I'm going down the block and see the the traffic light is green for me, but I will have to sprint to make it. So I stand up on the pedals, lean forward and put a lot of down pressure on the hoods. Well, the bars roll down under the weight and I immediately fall forward with my chest laying on the bars with my head way out over the bars and I have no control and can't get to the brakes.

Luckily, thankfully, I rolled into the curb and rolled off the bike onto a patch of grass on the sidewalk, a rare find in NYC! Could have been ugly had the bike rolled into traffic or I miss that beautiful lonely patch of grass!
Heh, I've done that.

Luckily I can't wrench anymore. The RA stopped that in its tracks.
gomango is offline  
Old 08-06-18, 01:41 PM
  #25  
gomango
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: STP
Posts: 15,223
Mentioned: 74 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 821 Post(s)
Liked 253 Times in 141 Posts
Biggest dumbo for me was selling a 1993 Bridgestone XO-1. Yep, pumpkin orange.
gomango is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

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.