Once bitten, twice shy

EKE_38BPM

What has happened to you once that was so bad that you made sure you will never be in that situation again?

A few examples:
1) I was cycling with my older brother when I was about 7 and got my first visit from the fairy leading to a long walk home. Cue him teaching me how to fix a p....... and me always having a spare tube and/or a p....... kit and pump..

2) When I was about 13 I was cycling up a steep hill and an insect flew into my eye causing me to lose control and riding into the back of a parked car. Since then I always wear eye protection.

3) I was off roading when I was about 15 in Hampsted Heath and my chain snapped. I had no chain tool and no mobile phone so I had to walk a mile or two over the heath and then towards Golders Green to a phone box to call for my Dad to pick me up. I didn't want to be in Hampsted Heath after dark, I might have met George Michael and I don't really like his music.

Anyone else got "Once bitten" storys and the "twice shy" steps they've taken to prevent them happening again?

Just realised this could lead to loads of "My helmet saved my life" stories. I hope it doesn't.

merkin

I once went out for a ride without a helmet and hit a tree and died. Now I never go out without a helmet

Marcus_C

I once went out for a ride without a helmet and hit a tree and died. Heaven's fun, you should do it!

merkin

I never went to heaven.
This place is much more fun what with all the debauchery and stuff. :twisted:
Sorry for hijacking the thread with nonsense. I too have been caught out a long way from home with a snapped chain and and had a long walk home. I now always carry a chain tool.
When I was about 13 I was doing a paper round on my bike and I was flying down a hill when a cat ran out in front of me. I grabbed a handfull of brakes and went over the bars. I have never had a cat run out of me like that since but if and when it happens again I won't be braking very hard.

Kieran_Burns

I was taught to ride a bike by my elder brothers.

They neglected to tell me what the brakes were.

I never listened to a word they said ever again.

EKE_38BPM

On the subject of brakes, I have a confession and apology to make.

When I was at school, everyone knew I knew bikes and I was always tinkering so schoolmates would sometimes ask me for advice

"Should I ride on the pavement?"
"BMX or MTB"
"Are spokeydokeys still cool?"
That kind of thing.

One day I was in the middle of doing something that seemed important at the time (I can't remember what) and Phillip (we called him Vicehead as it looked like his head had been squashed in a vice) asked me how to stop his brakes from squeaking on his new bike. He was annoying at the best of times but right then he was really pestering me so I told him to "F*** of and grease your rims!" I never expected the idiot to actually do it.

He had a rather painful off later that day because he couldn't stop when riding down a hill in the park.

Sorry Vice.

SmellTheGlove

I have an opposite experience, in that I have twice spilled on ice on the same corner a couple of miles into my regular commute. Eejit.

BTW EKE, despite your protestations, use of a Wham! lyric in your topic line has outed you as a George Michael fan through and through.

Agent57

SmellTheGlove wrote:

BTW EKE, despite your protestations, use of a Wham! lyric in your topic line has outed you as a George Michael fan through and through.

The thought that it was a Wham lyric hadn't even crossed my mind. I think, therefore, you have actually outed yourself as a George Michael fan through and through.

selfpwn!

EKE_38BPM

Agent57 wrote:

SmellTheGlove wrote:

BTW EKE, despite your protestations, use of a Wham! lyric in your topic line has outed you as a George Michael fan through and through.

The thought that it was a Wham lyric hadn't even crossed my mind. I think, therefore, you have actually outed yourself as a George Michael fan through and through.

selfpwn!

+1
I'm with Agent57, I didn't know it was a Wham lyric.

SmellTheGlove, the fact you know it as a lyric (take your word for it there) and use the exclamation mark in their name marks you out as their biggest fan.
Consider yourself outed!!!

SmellTheGlove

Out and proud - my default outlook on life is "cheese with everything".



...considers moving to guilty (feet ain't got no rhythm) pleasures thread...

EKE_38BPM

Smelly, have you met Simon AH? He loves his kids "More than cheese". I think he is refering to cheddar et al rather than Club Tropicana though.

SimonAH

Heaven is a place full of gin, cheese and new socks - greatest consumer pleasures available for under £20.

Mr Plum

Had a very close shave with a HGV whilst commuting with my MP3 player on loud. Not used it whilst cycling on roads since.

the_hundredth_idiot

I used that minty shower gel one time. Gave me an uncomfortably warm feeling "down below". I use different shower gel now.

sketchley

About 15 (1987) brand new Raleigh Sprint which I'd saved £2 per week for a whole year to buy. Setting off on a charity bike ride, ironically for a guy at school that had been seriously injured in a bike crash, I was about 2 minutes from home and I found myself getting out of the back door of parked Ford Cortina. I'd gone straight through the back window with no helmet on! Only damage to me was cut under nose and very bruised upper thighs where they had hit the handle bars. My mother was not very impressed when I turn up a few minutes later with blood poring down my front, having only just waved goodbye, she says I scared her a little with the amount of blood. Doctor was amazed I only had the injuries I had.

I don't remember much about the accident and I was probably unconscious for a few minutes after it happend. However, around that time I was in habit of looking back at the rear derailleur to check what gear I was in. Knowing the road and knowing me I suspect I was in top gear flat out and then looked back to check the gear before hitting the car.

Damage to the bike; the frame was about 1/2 inch shorter, the impact had concertinaed both the top tube and the down tube and seriously bent the front fork, I think it went straight down. Result being the front tire wall was next to and rubbing against the down tube. Clearly new frame and fork where needed, also handlebars and brake levers took a beating, but amazingly the front wheel was still 100% true, bike shop where shocked to say the least. IIRC I think I ended up with a new bike as a full strip down and rebuild was too expensive. Still my parents sorted that and insist to this day that they had accident insurance that paid for the new bike and damage to the car, I'm still not sure I believe them instead I think it’s more likely they paid out themselves and just didn’t want me to know.

I was back on the new bike a few weeks later, having had a very lucky escape. I do think this was the beginning of the end of my teenage cycling (that and alcohol, exams, girls, etc) and it took another 22 years before being completely confident on a bike again. Having been bitten once I would never look back to check anything on my bike whilst going flat out, slow down, stop then look. I still have small scar on my top lip that reminds me what happens if you don’t.

Mr Plum

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

I used that minty shower gel one time. Gave me an uncomfortably warm feeling "down below". I use different shower gel now.

I had a similar warm feeling when I used the toilet after making a chilli. I'll never forget to wash my hands again.

asprilla

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

I used that minty shower gel one time. Gave me an uncomfortably warm feeling "down below". I use different shower gel now.

I use that shower gel. You become acustomed to it after a while.

At uni my house mate's cypriot girlfirend used it. Apparently she 'enjoyed' it a lot and filled her suitcase before going home.

rjsterry

Mr Plum wrote:

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

I used that minty shower gel one time. Gave me an uncomfortably warm feeling "down below". I use different shower gel now.

I had a similar warm feeling when I used the toilet after making a chilli. I'll never forget to wash my hands again.

Done the same but scratched my nose instead. Noses are quite sensitive to that sort of thing. BTW, you need to wash your hands REALLY well. A quick splash won't do it. Found that out the same way.

Completely OT, but I couldn't help noticing a fellow old steel Giant owner. Yours looks a little older, nicer and less scuffed than mine. Very nice.

Mr Plum

rjsterry wrote:

Completely OT, but I couldn't help noticing a fellow old steel Giant owner. Yours looks a little older, nicer and less scuffed than mine. Very nice.

Thanks very much. I've been using it as a stepping stone into road riding and I've now caught the bug... looking to buy a Tricross Sport soon to do some touring and general road riding with so the Peloton Lite will sadly be going...

rjsterry

That's a shame. Is there no way you could hang on to both? N+1 and all that.

Hope it goes to a good home.

Mr Plum

rjsterry wrote:

That's a shame. Is there no way you could hang on to both? N+1 and all that.

Hope it goes to a good home.

N+1 works well with my other hobby (bass guitar) but not so well with bikes - the issue is with space, being that I don't have loads of it. Looks like I might be selling it to a friend though so it's all good.

EKE_38BPM

Chatting to a colleague reminded me of another one.

After getting my road bike and gradually building up my time spent riding it and the distance I would ride I hit a wall in terms of comfort. I would limit my time on the bike because the little finger on my left hand would go cold, then then little finger on my right hand would do the same a little while later.

It took me ages to take it seriously but I eventually bought some Spesh Body Geometry gloves. No more cold/numb fingers. Money well spent.