Author Topic: Mechanical lucky escapes  (Read 8179 times)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Mechanical lucky escapes
« on: 06 November, 2017, 07:27:25 pm »
(Do we already have a suitable thread??)

Here's my starter. Virtually new bike*. Did a 10-mile commute after fitting audax crap accesories, then rode the Upper Thames 200k. Mysteriously lost the use of biggest sprocket early on. Briefly tried twiddling adjusters etc, but couldn't be arsed to look into the problem properly, and honked round the event with about average sweat and toil.

Cleaned bike on the Sunday and found the rear derailleur was undoing itself from the hanger! Not sure what the consequences could have been, but probably quite annoying  ::-)

https://flic.kr/p/219seLu


[Actually several years old, hand-me-down from Dad. He and first owner had barely worn the brake blocks.]
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #1 on: 06 November, 2017, 07:35:53 pm »
Spotting a Koolstop dual-compound brake pad on the ground while waiting to regroup at the top of a hill.  "Cor, there's a Koolstop dual-compound brake pad!" says I, picking it up.  Took me an alarmingly long while to associate my lucky find with which bike I was riding.   :facepalm:

(In my defence, last time I found one it was about 50m from my house and I spent a good 10 minutes convincing myself that it couldn't have come from my bike.)

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #2 on: 06 November, 2017, 07:45:27 pm »
On returning home from my standard loop, I propped the bike up out front and went through the house to open up the side gate.  Grabbed bike by saddle and bars in the usual way to steer it into the side entry, but the bars turned  yet the wheel didn't.  No sign of this during the 30+ mile ride.  :o
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #3 on: 06 November, 2017, 08:57:25 pm »
Riding new-to-me bike home from collection. Saddle a smidge low, so I raised it a cm.

After another mile or so I thought it could come up another 5mm, but after fewer than about 2mm the post came clean out.

The silly idiot I bought it from had cut off about half of the post, including the 'min insert' line, without telling me.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #4 on: 06 November, 2017, 09:01:05 pm »
Dunno if this one counts, but when I was a PSO in Bristol, I once borrowed a flatmate's bicycle without considering the implications of it being fresh from Cambridge.  I discovered the fenland-quality brake adjustment while descending Whiteladies Road at speeds rapidly approaching R17.  :facepalm:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #5 on: 06 November, 2017, 09:08:41 pm »
At least it wasn't Park St.  :facepalm:

And of course I, living on a hill of similar steepness (though thankfully very little traffic), would never set off (downhill) forgetting that my brakes, front and rear, were totally disconnected, would I?  :hand: :-[ :hand:
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #6 on: 06 November, 2017, 09:21:43 pm »
Picked up Danish set up bike at the local UK bike shop after full service. Rode off, thinking saddle a bit low, naa be ok. Another 50 yards, naa need it up or my knees will die over the next 7 miles. Tapped the brakes gently to do a U-turn, and was nearly airborne, luck kept me on bike, glad it was not on busy road yet. Got back to LBS could you lift the saddle by 2 inches and swap the brakes around please.
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #7 on: 06 November, 2017, 09:31:46 pm »
Cycling back from the black sea, via Riga, and I knew one of my trailer bearing was dieing because the wheel was starting to wobble.
I think I damaged it after bouncing the trailer on one wheel a few times before it finally flipped.
Didn't want to take it apart to check it, just in case it didn't go back together.
So it was a question would it get me back to the UK or not.
It didn't, both bearing in the wheel finally collapsed on the German/Netherland border.
But I think I covered ~4,500 miles from when I first damaged the wheel to when it finally failed.
What finally killed it was a dog hitting the side of the trailer at speed, I think it miss judged it's charge out of a farm yard.
So how to get home ??
Checked online.
The main place to sell Carry Freedom parts was only 50 miles away .....   :thumbsup:
If I'd been unlucky, it would have been just this side of the swiss border.
Took a bearing out of my trikes steering for one side of the wheel and bodged the other one out of a steel washer, so I could get moving again.
Then took a couple of days to cycle there slowly with the trailer still behind the trike and picked up two new wheels.

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #8 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.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #9 on: 06 November, 2017, 10:00:13 pm »
Completed a 200k on Saturday, and the temperature dropped dramatically after the sun went in.
So about an hour of cold riding which led over some high ground in the dark.
Got home OK.

Next morning, the bike has a totally flat rear tyre.
At least it let me get home without having to fettle the thing in the cold and dark.

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #10 on: 07 November, 2017, 07:02:52 am »
Riding new-to-me bike home from collection. Saddle a smidge low, so I raised it a cm.

After another mile or so I thought it could come up another 5mm, but after fewer than about 2mm the post came clean out.

The silly idiot I bought it from had cut off about half of the post, including the 'min insert' line, without telling me.

Has happened to me too...caused a 15mm crack in the frame just at the top of the weld on the top/seat tube joint, which I noticed [dirty grease leaking through] before it got too long and any movement/creaking started. Stabilised with a correct length post; not sure if it's worth repairing.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #11 on: 07 November, 2017, 07:45:10 am »
Lost the use of my front brake after ~400 km of PBP for no readily-apparent reason; did another 700 km on the back brake only before opting for local politics over cycling, then another 200 from Paris to Dieppe and 25 from Gallows Corner to Larrington Towers.  During which I noticed a slight rubbing noise from the rear brake.  Obviously some fettling ensued to get the bike sorted for the upcoming New Forest On & Offshore...

...during which I found the rear brake caliper to be attached to the frame by one finger-tight bolt rather than the customary two bastard-tight ones.  Rather pleased that Colin the Geordie gave me and the bike a lift in his Mighty MAN most of the way back from Newhaven.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #12 on: 07 November, 2017, 08:14:15 am »
grimping up a climb the left side of the handlebars went dooooowwwwn and i just rolled to a stop. that was the only time i had to be rescued. needless to say i stopped riding vintage bikes of unknown history after that!

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #13 on: 07 November, 2017, 08:19:50 am »
Out riding with a club, while descending I noticed that the front wheel seemed to be out of true (well, it had a wobble). At next pause (for people to catch up after the descent). I picked front of the bike up to give the wheel a a spin so I could see how bad it was - the wheel dropped out of the forks! Wheel nuts had come loose . . .
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #14 on: 07 November, 2017, 08:42:17 am »
When helping check the LEL route in 2009 (riding from London to Edinburgh over 3 days) I rode the first day along the flatlands to Thorne on 74" fixed. That morning I changed it to 67" fixed, which involved splicing in an extra couple of links of chain.

Stopped for a pub lunch in Crayke, some 45 miles later, after grimping up the big hill into the village I glanced down at my bike and noticed the chain looked like this:-

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/le02.jpg

Mixing two different makes of chain is a bad idea...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #15 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:10:06 am »
Snapping my steerer tube on the start line of a TT, rather than 10 minutes later doing 40 mph downhill with traffic passing me at 70.  My right knee might have been a bit bloody but the rest of my body was certainly grateful to have escaped.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #16 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:13:08 am »
Possibly my most fortunate escape was when the chain came off my fixed* as I was descending off a high humpbacked bridge.  The gap between the sprocket and the spokes was just right that the wheel could continue to turn, and I could slow to a stop.

* Yes, it was a bit slack :-[ :-[ :-[ :(
Getting there...

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #17 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:17:00 am »
Commuting to work on an old fixed wheel lots of years ago, as I pulled away from some traffic lights, the LH half of the handlebar went up in the air. I finished the commute with that half of the bars toestrapped to the RH half of the bars and with my left hand gripping the stem. I got the train home. Much better than handlebar breakage happening at speed.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #18 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:25:54 am »
Cleaned bike on the Sunday and found the rear derailleur was undoing itself from the hanger! Not sure what the consequences could have been, but probably quite annoying  ::-)

The derailleur gets pulled over the top of the cluster, mangling the chain and derailleur. I've had to fix a couple of bikes that had that happen.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #19 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:35:31 am »
Commuting to work on an old fixed wheel lots of years ago, as I pulled away from some traffic lights, the LH half of the handlebar went up in the air. I finished the commute with that half of the bars toestrapped to the RH half of the bars and with my left hand gripping the stem. I got the train home. Much better than handlebar breakage happening at speed.

Surprisingly, a high-speed break of handlebars can (on at least one occasion, anyway) be survived.  I was coming down Blackstone Edge when one side or the other came away in my hand, like soft chocolate.  I got the bike to the verge ok, then wondered how I would get the six miles whom, before remembering that we spend half the time riding one-handed anyway.  I did wonder what migt have happened if the bar had gone through the wheel, but of course it only came off because I was pulling on it.  I got home fine.

Have also ridden home 8 miles with saddle in my back pocket after the seat pin snapped.

Also snapped a crank on a climb.  Wasn't hurt but didn't get home from that - not on the bike, at least!


clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #20 on: 07 November, 2017, 11:50:09 am »
Blackstone Edge is one of the places I wouldn't choose to have a handlebar snap.

I had a crank split, but it was as I was setting off from a standing position.  Feels really weird, having a lump of metal swinging off your cleat.

That also reminds me of the number of times that I found the neutral gear in my S3X.  I have been cautious about climbing out of the saddle ever since, though a friction gear lever helps...
Getting there...

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #21 on: 07 November, 2017, 12:00:39 pm »
Ah yes, crank/bb failures:

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/bbfail.jpg

Luckily pulling away at traffic lights and so the cars behind me weren't going too fast, it could have been much worse if it had happened whilst stomping on the pedals in the middle of faster moving traffic.

Cycled the remaining 4 miles in to work with just the remaining crank (clipless to the rescue), got a friend to bring in a long 1/4" socket wrench, bought a new BB and BB tool on my lunch break and fixed it in the pub after work.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #22 on: 07 November, 2017, 12:40:44 pm »
Proper job!

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #23 on: 07 November, 2017, 01:46:06 pm »
When helping check the LEL route in 2009 (riding from London to Edinburgh over 3 days) I rode the first day along the flatlands to Thorne on 74" fixed. That morning I changed it to 67" fixed, which involved splicing in an extra couple of links of chain.

Stopped for a pub lunch in Crayke, some 45 miles later, after grimping up the big hill into the village I glanced down at my bike and noticed the chain looked like this:-

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/le02.jpg

Mixing two different makes of chain is a bad idea...
Which reminds me that I learned the easy way not to re-use the quick links that you undo by 'flexing' (bending) the plate that both pins are fixed to. When the chain started to make a funny noise I spotted that the flexed plate had snapped, and the chain was being held together by the the other plate, into which the pins were inserted with a tiny amount of head protruding through.

Got me home, though.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Mechanical lucky escapes
« Reply #24 on: 07 November, 2017, 02:19:54 pm »
<SNIP>
the seat pin snapped.
<SNIP>

You are a bit rough with your toys.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...