Bike washed away down river!

HebdenBiker

Riding the red trail at Gisburn today, I came to a river crossing. The river was swollen and fast moving - no chance of riding through. I used the bike to test the depth of the water and it completely submerged the frame.

Next thing the bike tugged out of my hands and disappeared down the river! I ran down the bank after it but couldn't keep up with it. 25m or so down river the handlebars caught on an overhanging tree. I waded in up to my waist and dragged it out.

Things I have learnt:

1. Bikes float. I knew there was a good reason I ride high tyre pressures.
2. Chucking your bike into a fast-flowing river is a very effective cleaning method.

Andy B

Things you are about to learn

1 how effective a fast flowing river is at degreasing bearings

2 how to service all your bearings

HebdenBiker

Andy B wrote:

Things you are about to learn

1 how effective a fast flowing river is at degreasing bearings

2 how to service all your bearings

Indeed.

Fortunately I already know how to service my bearings. After today's incident I may have to bring the Spring Service forward.

shx8000

Don't understand why you put it in far enough to submerge the frame, or was that also unintentional???

HebdenBiker

shx8000 wrote:

Don't understand why you put it in far enough to submerge the frame, or was that also unintentional???

Well as I rolled the bike into the water holding the saddle, it's true I didn't expect it to be so deep, but...

The river was fast and too wide for me to leap. I could have hoyed the bike across, hoping it would make it to the opposite bank, then hoyed myself across and hoped for the best, but TBH the only way to get me + bike across the river was for me to stand the bike in the water, and "pole vault" across using the saddle to push off from, then drag the bike out the other side...

...but it didn't turn out that way

sparrowlegs78

Was this the crossings at the bottom of Hully Gully?

Caz xx

DodgeT

If it was (at bottom of hully gully) jees, it was only a 3" deep trickle when i was there 2 or 3 weeks ago :shock: i know we've had a lot of rain, but still.

angry_bird

HebdenBiker wrote:

Riding the red trail at Gisburn today, I came to a river crossing. The river was swollen and fast moving - no chance of riding through. I used the bike to test the depth of the water and it completely submerged the frame.

Next thing the bike tugged out of my hands and disappeared down the river! I ran down the bank after it but couldn't keep up with it. 25m or so down river the handlebars caught on an overhanging tree. I waded in up to my waist and dragged it out.

Things I have learnt:

1. Bikes float. I knew there was a good reason I ride high tyre pressures.
2. Chucking your bike into a fast-flowing river is a very effective cleaning method.

Sorry I laughed very hard and slightly sinisterly (not sure why it was sinister, but according to my flatmate it was) at this.

HebdenBiker

Erm I think so

arthur_scrimshaw

you were lucky you didn't get pulled in too, not sure if you'd have floated as well as the bike!

angry_bird

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

you were lucky you didn't get pulled in too, not sure if you'd have floated as well as the bike!

could have tried to ride it down the river bed though

HebdenBiker

Angry Bird wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

you were lucky you didn't get pulled in too, not sure if you'd have floated as well as the bike!

could have tried to ride it down the river bed though

I'd be half way to the Isle of Man now :shock:

grim168

So whats the option for crossing in this case ?

angry_bird

grim168 wrote:

So whats the option for crossing in this case ?

Use skills acquired from watching Ray Mears programs/generally being a man to build a bridge/boat.

grim168

meant wheres best to cross. going up tuesday.

WierdBeard

Dont wish to be rude but i find this highly amusing.

HebdenBiker

With any luck the level will have fallen by Tuesday, but if not, push the bike up river (turn right) and find a narrower point. I wish I'd done this :roll:

shx8000

Class!!! Well at least you didn't lose your bike

patto583

looking at the map the river is just run off, as in not lake fed at all, so the level should be lower later in the week (as long as the weather man isn't lying too badly!) it's supposed to dry up a bit towards the start of the week.

mr_poll

Please tell me u had a helmet cam and this is somewhere on you tube - sounds so funny it could go viral.

mr_poll

Please tell me u had a helmet cam and this is somewhere on you tube - sounds so funny it could go viral.

unixnerd

I was faced with a similar problem last year. There was a dead tree nearby, in good shape and not at all rotten. I loped a few of it's branches off and managed to swing the trunk over the river to act as a bridge.

Steve_F

You must be have a good survival instinct, I'd have been straight in there after the bike! Wouldn't have got much wetter than I was yesterday either tbh!!

supafly1982

WierdBeard wrote:

Dont wish to be rude but i find this highly amusing.

i second that, sorry, but im glad it turned out this way as it could of been alot worse.