Author Topic: Mechanical lucky escapes (Read 8210 times)

Tim Hall · « **Reply #25 on:** 07 November, 2017, 04:56:50 pm »

Quote from: Johnny Faro on 06 November, 2017, 09:48:58 pm

I've had a inner tube explode with enough force to take the tyre off the rim about 20 minutes after getting home. On the front as well so rather glad it didn't go while riding.

I'd say it's the other way round. The tyre becomes unseated for one reason or another (worn rim and over heating in my case) which then allows the tube to escape. Unconfined by the tyre, the tube explodes like an excited balloon.

mattc · « **Reply #26 on:** 07 November, 2017, 05:00:17 pm »

Broken cranks are probably the thing I fear the most. I'm sure it's irrational - as noone in anecdote-land actually seems to injure themselves - but the potential for a nasty graphic wound seems enormous ... <shudders>

[Of course if you actually google for such events, you get a different view of things ...

]

Torslanda · « **Reply #27 on:** 07 November, 2017, 07:41:11 pm »

Talking of tyres/tubes exploding, a customer decided he wanted a new groupset on his bike and brought me a Tiagra 4600 triple he'd bought from Ribble. I pointed out his current bike was 9 speed Campag. Apparently the sales bod at Ribble told him it would all fit!

I dug out a used Shimano hub, set to and built a wheel with his existing rim. Fitted the groupset then blew the tyres up and went home. got in the next morning to find the rim had failed on the stand overnight, at least a quarter of the circumference had spalled off, ruining the tyre in the process. The guy in the flat upstairs told me he'd heard what sounded like a gunshot about 11pm. Glad it went in the shop rather than out on the road...

drossall · « **Reply #28 on:** 07 November, 2017, 09:20:31 pm »

Broken cranks - my first ever one was in a three-up. Luckily I was on the back at the time. Bashed my knee a bit, and we all got cold getting back to the start, but at least we didn't have a pile up.

Not strictly mechanical, but last night the trains out of KX were a mess. The whole station was running for anything moving. No chance of getting on one, even less with my folder to fit in as well.

So, I gave up, went to St Pancras, caught a train to Harpenden, and rode home 14 miles from there. Unexpected ride, so hadn't made sure my main front light was well charged. It gave out 100 metres from home

Nice ride though on quiet, country roads in the dark (sorry, this bit should be in "Have you been out today").

matthew · « **Reply #29 on:** 07 November, 2017, 09:36:20 pm »

A few years ago i dropped the chain on my fixed decending at about 20 mph. Locked the rear solid and slid to a halt having grabbed a handful of front brake.

No injury but i had bent the chainstay. Another couple of 100m and i would have been pushing 25 to 35 mph and entering a couple of gentle bends that would have made a controlled stop much harder.

Deano · « **Reply #30 on:** 07 November, 2017, 09:41:12 pm »

Went for a ride round the Dales, and on the way back I noticed that the rear tyre felt a bit weird.

Did the ride, got home, and gave the rear wheel a spin outside my front door.

Spotted that the carcass was showing through and the tube was starting to bulge out.

Thought "phew, that was lucky" and dropped the rear.

BANG.

Peter · « **Reply #31 on:** 08 November, 2017, 01:03:33 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 07 November, 2017, 02:19:54 pm

Quote from: Peter on 07 November, 2017, 11:35:31 am
<SNIP>
the seat pin snapped.
<SNIP>

You are a bit rough with your toys.

Si S · « **Reply #32 on:** 08 November, 2017, 01:37:32 pm »

Leaving work and getting to the T junction at end of the road to find some kind soul had opened the QR's on both brakes.

Peter · « **Reply #33 on:** 08 November, 2017, 01:50:07 pm »

Rival for promotion? Glad you survived - that's awful.

Si S · « **Reply #34 on:** 08 November, 2017, 01:57:16 pm »

How to make friends and influence people. At the time they were doing the works for the tram system, the temporary lights were a godsend as I flew over the junction between the phases.

DuncanM · « **Reply #35 on:** 09 November, 2017, 03:08:06 pm »

I was MTBing when younger and one of the bolts of a 2 bolt saddle clamp stripped the threads! Fortunately I was alert enough to stay out of the saddle until I could stop, but I had to put the seat all the way down and ride home stood up!

Rod Marton · « **Reply #36 on:** 09 November, 2017, 03:21:53 pm »

Snapped handlebars.

Fortunately...
I was going up an incline into a headwind and so going slowly, so uninjured.
I had just finished a major tour when I was several hundred miles from the nearest bike shop, it held out through it.
Although I was 20 miles from home, I was half a mile from a friend's house, so got a lift back.

Karla · « **Reply #37 on:** 09 November, 2017, 03:36:31 pm »

Ooh now that reminds me: this spoke snapped in Berlin, on our way back to the hostel from getting a celebratory stein or two, having just ridden there from Bucharest without so much as a puncture.

Crazyguyonabike: Cottbus to Berlin

mcshroom · « **Reply #38 on:** 09 November, 2017, 11:30:29 pm »

On one of Deano's KTTR group rides I shot off down the hill after our visit to the pub, hitting speeds around 40mph. While I was waiting for the rest of the group at the bottom, my front tube blew quite spectacularly because the rim tape had cracked and punctured it.

I was very glad it waited until I stopped to blow out

cygnet · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 November, 2017, 06:06:04 pm »

I had a rim disintegrate on the first rise out of Chalfont St Peter on an audax.

Fortunately going uphill, so I just stopped.

About a mile further down the route I could have been on the A40 doing >25mph

Still managed to finish, thanks to the Willesden team.

mzjo · « **Reply #40 on:** 11 November, 2017, 07:36:49 pm »

I have had a couple of mechanical lucky escapes

One was on the tandem: just finishing a 1km climb when the rear tyre (cheap Michelin 26x13/8") came off the rim with consequent bang. The lucky part was that 20mins earlier we had come down this same hill at speed heading for a coffee stop. Unsighted stoker so I don't know how she would have reacted to a crash situation - phew!!! (the tyre was a new one and I think brazilian; it replaced a chinese one that was a much better fit!!).

I also had a chain incident where I finished a randonnée with the chain held together by one sideplate on one link. I had been trying to be gentle for the last 15kms because something didn't seem quite right with the transmission. Lucky to get back to the finish without a chain tool incident (because I wasn't carrying one!!). Of course a quick link would have worked if I could have detached the sideplate completely - but I didn't have one of them either. It was a long time ago and I am wiser now (I don't use Shimano chains any more).

Polar Bear · « **Reply #41 on:** 11 November, 2017, 08:42:34 pm »

On the first forum ride that I organised I went over a pothole and my USE Alien Seatpost snapped at the saddle clamp. mllePB continued leading the ride whilst I honked home, had some lunch, swapped in the seatpost from my tourer and rode out to meet them on the return leg after lunch taken by the group at Foxton Locks.

I have also had the brake block issue that Kim endured upthread.

Palinurus · « **Reply #42 on:** 13 February, 2018, 12:41:14 pm »

Lockring had come undone on my commute bike and I use one of those Miche sprocket carriers that really benefits from having a lockring present.

citoyen · « **Reply #43 on:** 13 February, 2018, 01:57:34 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 07 November, 2017, 05:00:17 pm

Broken cranks are probably the thing I fear the most. I'm sure it's irrational - as noone in anecdote-land actually seems to injure themselves - but the potential for a nasty graphic wound seems enormous ... <shudders>

Depends when and how it happens, I suppose... I had a crank snap on me while pushing away from the lights at the Waterloo roundabout in That London. Luckily, I toppled to the right, away from the van that was accelerating hard behind me - had I fallen to the left, I would have fallen right into its path.

Jakob W · « **Reply #44 on:** 13 February, 2018, 04:24:21 pm »

I've had a BB spindle go on me as I set off from the lights; I suppose (other than honking up a hill) that's when you're most likely to be putting bodyweight through the cranks. In my case I moved to set off and there was a clunk; I looked down and there was the crank on the floor. Thankfully I managed to avoid falling over or painful contact with the crossbar - I just grabbed the crank off the floor and pushed my bike to the pavement.

matthew · « **Reply #45 on:** 13 February, 2018, 04:49:56 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 13 February, 2018, 01:57:34 pm

Quote from: mattc on 07 November, 2017, 05:00:17 pm
Broken cranks are probably the thing I fear the most. I'm sure it's irrational - as noone in anecdote-land actually seems to injure themselves - but the potential for a nasty graphic wound seems enormous ... <shudders>

Depends when and how it happens, I suppose... I had a crank snap on me while pushing away from the lights at the Waterloo roundabout in That London. Luckily, I toppled to the right, away from the van that was accelerating hard behind me - had I fallen to the left, I would have fallen right into its path.

I have distinct memories of snapping my chain in similar circumstances.

Traffic Lights into an uphill entry onto the Twin Bridges roundabout in Bracknell. All entrances / exits are dual carriageway and I was central in lane 2 of 3 to go straight on when all drive went and I wobbled to a halt praying I wouldn't get collected from behind. Then I had to get to verge and once the lights changed walk back out to collect the chain from the middle of the road.

Jakob · « **Reply #46 on:** 14 February, 2018, 07:19:37 pm »

Fixed gear bike, riding home. Segregated bikepath and numbty car right hooks me, I yank the front brake, hear a nice *PING* as the cable breaks and while I start taking avoiding action, I'm certain it's too late and I'm bracing for impact. Amazingly, the drivers spots me in the last second and I just squeeze by, in what feels like slow motion.
Stop at the next light and I'm promptly rear ended by a colleague (on a bike), who was going to jump the red light and thought I was going to do the same.
I now check my brake cable every spring.

sojournermike · « **Reply #47 on:** 15 February, 2018, 12:25:19 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 13 February, 2018, 01:57:34 pm

Quote from: mattc on 07 November, 2017, 05:00:17 pm
Broken cranks are probably the thing I fear the most. I'm sure it's irrational - as noone in anecdote-land actually seems to injure themselves - but the potential for a nasty graphic wound seems enormous ... <shudders>

Depends when and how it happens, I suppose... I had a crank snap on me while pushing away from the lights at the Waterloo roundabout in That London. Luckily, I toppled to the right, away from the van that was accelerating hard behind me - had I fallen to the left, I would have fallen right into its path.

Mate of mine has broken two XD2’s commuting in London. First time he fell off and grazed his calf on the chainring and gibbons, the second fell in front a taxi that, thank heavens, stopped. It’s a bit worrying really, but he’s bigger than me and admits to the first 100kgs.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #48 on:** 15 February, 2018, 11:47:25 am »

Changing lanes on what used to be the northbound A10 bit of the Tottenham one-way system before The Man did things to it when the Speedmachine's tiller snapped off just aft of the headset. The fact of being unable either to steer or brake was of little import, because I was horizontal on the tarmac before you could say "metal fatigue", but happily the lorry driver behind me was on the ball and thus I did not end up wearing forty tonnes of German engineering for a hat.

"Oh," said Darth Stuart, "HP Velotechnik issued a recall notice on those years ago! Didn't you know?"

Kim · « **Reply #49 on:** 15 February, 2018, 01:51:38 pm »

Tillers scare me a bit for exactly that reason. Especially when they're engineered by people from countries with decent road maintenance. And having done the suddenly horizontal thing at speed, so do tyres.