Je suis un muppet

[Zipperhead]

I thought I had better own up to my stupidity now so I can have a clear(ish) conscience for the afternoon.

After fitting a new chain it's a quite a good idea to tighten the wheel bolts properly.

Goinig to work this morning I wondered why my bike seemed to be a little crooked, perhaps last nights collision had bent something, but a quick looked couldn't find anything amiss, apart from the rear wheel not being completlely centered. Oh, I must have been a bit careless when I changed the chain and not centered it carefully. I'll sort it out tonight in the dry at home.

A bit further on accelerating a little going up a slight slope there was click. Hmm, that's not good. I stopped at the top and saw that the back wheel had moved far enough over to touch the rear forks.

So I stopped to have a closer look and saw that the chaintug had slipped - it was pretty obvious why, I hadn't tightened the bolt, nor the one on the other side.

Whoops. It was last Tuesday evening that I changed the chain, so either I was forgetful and forgot to tighten the bolts or someone had tried to nick the wheel and got as far as slackening the bolts before noticing how it was locked.

My money is on my stupidity!

[woollypigs]

Well come and join us Zipperhead, there is quite a few of us over here

Years ago I took the bike apart to give it a good rub behind the ears. It was soo shiny and new that I wanted to take it out on a spin the the last summer sun rays. Jumped on the bike gave it a wheelie to spin it around and take it out onto the road.

Only to flip right over the handle bars as the front wheel was still where I put it What plunker was I as I had forgotten to tighten the bolts too

[Wowbagger]

Being a muppet isn't restricted to fixie riders.

My favourite is forgetting to put the little bent tube bit of the V-brakes back in its slot after fixing a puncture.

Only done it once...

[Ian H]

Someone turned up late and in a hurry for my 600 a year or so ago. He'd dragged the bike out of the car and fitted the wheels. Then he'd leapt on and hurtled down to the quayside, only to realise, as he approached the canal, that he had no brakes. Cue the unusual sound of metal cleats on cobbles, and the doppler effect of a voice bemoaning its owner's stupidity as he sailed past us.

[токамак]

I believe this is a classic error. I've seen many used frames with paint rubbed off the inside of the chain stays - right about where the tyre would rub if the wheel were to slip due to not being tightened up properly!

[TimO]

Being a muppet isn't restricted to fixie riders.

My favourite is forgetting to put the little bent tube bit of the V-brakes back in its slot after fixing a puncture.

Only done it once...

Very easy to do with both Cantis and V-Brakes, but as you say, you only do it once, and then you check very very carefully in future!

[Jules]

I've got a little quick release for my front brake just below the handlebars. Release it to take the front wheel out, forget to put it back on when you put the wheel back.

Set off in the middle of 30 people at the beginning on an Audax. Realise at "R 50m busy road" that you can't stop.





I've done this twice now