Falling off

pangolin

Went for a ride out to Box Hill on Saturday with a couple of mates. Absolutely tipped it down on the way out so by the time we were almost there everything was soaking. Went through Great Bookham and then up Chapel Lane. Got to the top and started heading down Chapel Lane / Bagden Hill.

Probably started off a little fast. I was able to keep myself from speeding up any more but not slow down a great deal. Reached a right hand bend, slight slide from wheel. "That was close" I thought. Next moment, slap! Straight down and sliding along on my front, bike slides to a halt. Had that odd moment of realising I've fallen off and being a bit annoyed /embarrassed / wondering if it's going to hurt / hoping bike is ok. It's odd how much you can think in that moment.

Picked myself up. First thing I notice is a big rip in my bib shorts. Favourite gore ones which are really comfy. Problem is the rip is near the crotch, quite large, and I'm... err... well lets just say stopping to pee is going to be very easy from this point onwards. Tuck myself in and take stock. Cuts on both arms, small rip on shirt, cuts all over one leg, grazed side and upper thigh, cut through left mitt and big slash on palm (this was deepest cut, really glad I was wearing mitts!).

Left shifter is bend round and a bit scuffed. Right one is now missing the little metal plate from the top, but no other damage to the bike it seems. Result! Mate pulls up and sees my wardrobe malfunction. Reveals he's wearing 2 pairs of bibs as he thought that 1 was a bit old / thin, so offers me the second.

Car drives past a minute later to see 2 cyclists stood there, stripped to the waist, soaking wet and a bit bloody. They didn't stop, can't say I blame them. Mate takes the opportunity to go for a pee, notices there is a dildo lying in the verge. This is getting better and better.

Anyway, carried on and got a PB up Box Hill (still slow), and found a random medic at the top who patched me up a bit. All in all a good ride!

Not sure what went more wrong. Too much speed maybe, tyres maybe (Bontrager R2), tyre pressure maybe (inflated to about 115 that morning when it was still dry), or just unlucky hitting a bit of gravel (there was lots of crap on the road).

That's all, hope the story is entertaining. Play carefully in the rain.

mtb-idle

Ouch, sounds nasty but thanks for sharing.

I was on my MTB yesterday but by the time we hit Box Hill Road I had enough of riding trails which were now rivers. So I turned left and took the road home.

got passed by a group out from Kingston Wheelers but was glad that I had my 2.3 knobblies on for the fast descent to the Dorking road, wouldn't have felt safe on 23c given the amount of water on the road.

Kieran_Burns

Is anyone else thinking about that scene in "There's something about Mary" when Ben Stiller goes for a pee in a lay-by strewn with gay guys?

Mr Sworld

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Is anyone else thinking about that scene in "There's something about Mary" when Ben Stiller goes for a pee in a lay-by strewn with gay guys?

No. It's just you.

Wierdo...

graham.

Probably as well the car did'nt stop. Two half naked blokes, all sweaty, and one of those "clockwork cucumbers" on the floor!


Sorry about the damage to you and your bike.

clarkey cat

Mate takes the opportunity to go for a pee, notices there is a dildo lying in the verge. This is getting better and better.

Go on....

optimisticbiker

hmmm.. came off myself Sunday a week ago on a tight bend just after a torrential downpour (the same downpour the women's road race experienced)... another similarity, Bontrager R2. Not convinced they've got much (any?) grip in the wet. Up til now always been mainly dry when I've been out (just been lucky I guess) but again this weekend it was wet and they weren't confidence inspiring...

cyclingprop

pangolin wrote:

Mate takes the opportunity to go for a pee, notices my dildo has fallen out into the verge.

FTFY.

Paul E

Why would anyone have one with them out there and just think "you know what, I don't want this dildo anymore, I'm going to throw it out of the window"

pangolin

Paul E wrote:

Why would anyone have one with them out there and just think "you know what, I don't want this dildo anymore, I'm going to throw it out of the window"

Exactly! There wasn't even a lay by or any other reason for someone to stop. Was a drive by dildo dumping. Very odd.

pangolin

OptimisticBiker wrote:

hmmm.. came off myself Sunday a week ago on a tight bend just after a torrential downpour (the same downpour the women's road race experienced)... another similarity, Bontrager R2. Not convinced they've got much (any?) grip in the wet. Up til now always been mainly dry when I've been out (just been lucky I guess) but again this weekend it was wet and they weren't confidence inspiring...

Suspicious. I have 2 GP400S' on the other bike, I might swap then around so both bikes have one of the GP's on the front?

Do people consciously run lower pressures in the wet?

Kieran_Burns

pangolin wrote:

<snip>

Do people consciously run lower pressures in the wet?

Now we're not still talking about the dildo are we?

pangolin

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Now we're not still talking about the dildo are we?

Like I said earlier

pangolin wrote:

inflated to about 115 that morning when it was still dry

Guess I just got carried away. Easily done.

PBo

Important question...

Please tell me, your mate gave you his outer pair of bibs, didn't he.....?

roger_merriman

Well thats clearly a tale to eat out on for many years!

Googling Bontrager R2 seems to sugest they are not great in the wet, I assume they are on the harder rubber compound side of things, though road tyres with few exceptions seem unwilling to specify the Durometer of the tyres.

bigmat

Not sure what is strangest in this story, the random dildo or the fact that your mate just happened to be wearing 2 pairs of bib shorts. Anyway, sounds like you crashed due to a combination of high pressure, wet roads and training tryes (e.g. less grippy). I wouldn't generally go above 110psi in the wet and that is with racing tyres (more grip, less durable). Have had issues with Vittoria Rubino when I have pumped them up to around 110 in the morning and then it has happened to rain, have actually managed to fall off on the flat in a straight line they were so skittish!

pangolin

PBo wrote:

Important question...

Please tell me, your mate gave you his outer pair of bibs, didn't he.....?

Well he was going to, but then we found that dildo, and, you know... one thing leads to another. Yeah it was the outer pair I had no idea he was wearing 2 pairs up until this point. It was really lucky though. Mine were incapable of holding the line following the rip. Will genuinely be taking a couple of safety pins from now on!

BigMat, yeah it's a combination of all 3 things I suppose. Maybe there was lube on the road too?! I think I'll put a GP4000S on the front of each bike and run slightly lower pressure next time it's going to be wet.

Emailed Gore on Saturday to ask if they do repairs, no response yet. Anyone tried this before?

rubertoe

When you say lube, you mean KY?

pangolin

Yeah it would fit with the other 'evidence'.