So, this cycling malarkey...?

visesh

Around a fortnight ago, I bought a (relatively cheapo, non-branded) road bike from an LBS and was keen to test it out. I'm very new to the world of cycling (apart from pottering about around town - less than 2 miles at a time), and want to take it up as a hobby and work on my relatively poor cardiovascular fitness.

In the last week or so, I've clocked about 40 miles in town. I am currently commuting to another city 40 miles away for 'work' and have my final exams coming soon so have relatively little time to cycle at the moment... The bike feels great and is really a step up from the previous BOSs I've owned. It feels awesome overtaking other cyclist and car with relative east! I live in a very cycle friendly student town and have had a couple of bikes in the past which I used on a regular basis locally.

So, this morning, a few friends and I decided to go on a nice 40 mile round-trip in the sun to one of the nearby towns. We were planning to leave at 1030 and hoped to be back for 1430 (after enjoying a beer garden for lunch).

However, as I set out to meet the group, I noticed that my rear tyre was flat. Despite being the first p*ncture I've had in 5+ years, I thought nothing of it and started changing the tube. However, this new, pristine tube, sprung a leak as I was pumping it up for the first time.

Fine, I got another fresh tube out and was planned to carry a patch kit for the trip. This tube was fine at 100psi, but as I was reattaching the tyre to the frame, POP. A loud explosion. Out came that tube, and a quick glance reveled a 3mm, circular hole. Now, I had thoroughly checked the rim and tyre for sources of the puncture after the first two flats. The flats were in different locations relative to the tyre. We patched the two tubes I used earlier, and they held up relatively well.

As the p*nctures were along the seam of the tubes, I decided to only go to 80psi just incase the tubes were crap.

We finally set off at 1200...but by 1240, I started finding it harder to pedal and felt like I was riding on rims. *Sigh*, another flat. We patched that one up, it appeared fine, and pumped it to what must've been around 40-50psi with a mini-pump. This lasted about 20 minutes. Grrr. One more patch. By this time, I was running low on patches...

About 15 minutes later, same again. Each time, it was at a different location. I was getting rather pissed off and embarrassed by this point, as I was certainly keeping everyone behind... I just decided to pump it up and carry on and keep pumping it every 15 or so minutes, as it was just a small leak. The second time this happened, some vigorous pumping led to the valve stem snapping, but thankfully, this didn't cause the tube to lose much more pressure.

One of my friends kindly offered to swap bikes with me as he could see I was getting out of puff riding a very poorly inflated tube (not to mention my relative lack of endurance - he's a marathon runner...) I gladly accepted and trundled along on his MTB.

We then reached a hill, and I sort of mashed the gears causing the chain to slip off the small chainring and get caught against the chainstay. This then caused the rear wheel to come off its axle slightly, and press the fat tyres against the chainstay. It refused to rotate. *sigh*, another roadside repair. Thankfully, this only took a few minutes and I caught up with the rest who had pulled in about half a mile away. We were only a few miles from our destination, YAY. By this time it was 1415.

With about 1.5 miles to go, the friend riding my bike was having a tough time riding on the rims so we walked the rest of the way.

We arrived at our destination at 1515, and had the nicest pint. Ever.

I took the train back (didn't want to go to an LBS there, as I want to take it back to the shop I bought it from and ask them for their opinion.) I'll probably need a new wheel or at least need to get the wheel trued...

So I took the train back, and my friend cycled back along the main roads (a much shorter route). The walk to the station and the journey took around 45 minutes.

They beat me back!

So, guys, I just wanted to rant. I also wanted to ask if cycling gets any nicer...? What are your worst stories? I can't be the only one... :P

unixnerd

I've been relatively lucky. My own worst one was last year at the start of the winter when my chain snapped. It was so cold (about -15C) that the chain tool snapped when I was trying to repair the chain. I had to freewheel 10 miles home in the dark.

I've never heard of a wheel moving on the axle. I'd say the skewer wan't done up tightly enough.

I can't help but wonder if you're catching the tube under the edge of the tyre when you change it.

Cleat Eastwood

it's not the bike, its not the inner tube, its not the wheel.....IT"S YOU. You're a jinx. You need to pray to the great god speed_king and say five 'I blame wiggles' to be absolved.

Valy

Hmm, that sounds like the tire may not have been seated properly, maybe not.

But I've once spend a couple of hours trying to fit a tire on a rim, which in the end never went on properly (Went on a short test ride, only for the tube to slide out and explode). The rim was a bit deformed, not letting the tire stay on.

desweller

I once cleverly dropped some oil into my Blackburn mini-pump to lube the oring in the barrel as it was squeaking a lot during use.

The oil made its way down to the head and thereafter the head would not grip a valve.

Of course, I discovered this in the dark. At least it was relatively warm for a February and not raining or anything. Even more fortunately it was only a 5 mile walk home. 5 miles is a quite a long way to walk whilst continuously rebuking yourself for being such a moron.

sloboy

Pleasure and pain, the yin and yan of cycling. Without the 3 punctures on my last 3 rides I wouldn't have had so much fun out today. Nearly fainted when I got home though, so maybe the fitness isn't quite there yet :O)

DIESELDOG

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

it's not the bike, its not the inner tube, its not the wheel.....IT"S YOU. You're a jinx. You need to pray to the great god speed_king and say five 'I blame wiggles' to be absolved.[/quote]

This + last years crop of Maris Pipers.

Love n hugs

DD.

ps, what was the Op about? War n Peace?

BiggerBoat

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