What lesson have you learned the hard way?

24

Comments

  • Doing some proper research before impulse tyre buying...

    In a moment of madness, where I got suckered in by a CRC sale, I bought a few pairs of Schwalbe tyres:-
    Crazy Bobs (really meant for street and urban ramps, not off-roading, unless perhaps dry summer days)
    Super Moto Evolutions (light monster sized tyres, for road or sandy rides, not any sort of off-roading, very little PF protection)
    Big Apples (better PF resistance than the Super Motos, their more expensive cousins, but still not an off-road tyre)

    Land Cruiser (a budget semi-slick that can do mixed terrain, happy with this buy, but only bought a single tyre)
    Hurricane (a slightly better semi-slick, more suited to road than off, but has better protection, wish I had bought more than a single tyre)

    In hindsight, I wish I had bought:-
    More than one Land Cruiser and Hurricane
    Bought a pair of Smart Sams instead of spending ~£70 on the Super Motos and another ~£25 on Crazy Bobs

    Anyone interested in swapping some tyres? :lol:
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    NitrousOxide
    :lol:
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    black routes are not for the fainthearted. by faint hearted i mean first timers.

    You gotta ride it sometime or you'll always be a first timer ;)
  • Aldo001
    Aldo001 Posts: 251
    Having not much of the gear (or mediocre gear) and little idea actually puts me in a better position than those with all the gear sometimes...

    Don't brake heavily with your front brake only when you are on the road, in the rain, and whilst touching a white line... I very nearly hit the car in front of me at about 20mph. I managed to not hit the deck somehow 8)

    Don't go too fast into a berm then go straight on, over the side about halfway through it... People laugh :cry:

    Never get your knee trapped between your handle bar and the top tube when crashing... it really, really hurts
  • x-isle
    x-isle Posts: 794
    After drinking all day in Cardiff with the Rugby on the weekend, at 1am in the morning I must remember that I'm NOT a pole dancer and probably never will be!


    What made it even harder was I didn't even have a pole!
    Craig Rogers
  • delcol
    delcol Posts: 2,848
    when you stop for that trail side pee. or that between pubs pee.. be sure you tucked the little chap away before you pull up the zipper :shock: :shock: :oops:
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,392
    Credit cards and loans are too easy to get when you turn 18.
    7 years later I'm just out of debt and have nothing to show for what i used the credit cards and loans for!
    (I do have 2 purdy bikes, but i paid for them with cash...!)

    Sounds like you but (hopefully) plus about 5 years! :(

    Mine is measure twice, cut once...but I can't really say i ve learned it given how many times i fark it up!!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • x-isle wrote:
    After drinking all day in Cardiff with the Rugby on the weekend, at 1am in the morning I must remember that I'm NOT a pole dancer and probably never will be!


    What made it even harder was I didn't even have a pole!

    Least you remembered not to ride in a golf buggy drunk on the road..... Good win though, not worth doing that. How wasted must they have been!
  • x-isle
    x-isle Posts: 794
    x-isle wrote:
    After drinking all day in Cardiff with the Rugby on the weekend, at 1am in the morning I must remember that I'm NOT a pole dancer and probably never will be!


    What made it even harder was I didn't even have a pole!

    Least you remembered not to ride in a golf buggy drunk on the road..... Good win though, not worth doing that. How wasted must they have been!

    At least Powell is now out of the team.......shouldn't of been there to start with (of course in my opinion!).
    Craig Rogers
  • If you only *think* its gonna be a fart... take the necessary steps to get to a bog asap.
  • If you think you are fit - go MTB racing!

    I could not believe the pace of some of the guys around the first Gorrick race I entered last year - not just the fitness, but how they blasted through the trees and stood up on most of the hills.

    Awesome....but what I have learnt is that if you can stick with them even for just 50 metres it builds your own skill and confidence.

    Example yesterday at the Gorrick Tunnel Hill West course there was a drop off and a steep bombhole. Last November I bottled it; first lap yesterday I had the brakes on going down and barely made it out; second lap blasted down and got airborne coming out! What a feeling - yeha. Later when I checked my speedo I went down at 24.8mph.

    Best part of the whole day
  • DON'T punch a policeman in the face.

    DON'T punch a court-room judge in the face.

    DON'T punch a prison guard in the face.

    DON'T punch ''Leroy'' in the face.

    If you DO punch Leroy in the face, you better make it a BLOODY GOOD SHOT.

    DON'T punch a cage fighter in the face.

    DON'T punch a 9 dan black-belt Jujitsu trained sensei in the face.

    DON'T punch a grizzly bear in the face.

    DON'T punch a giant squid in the face.

    DON'T punch yourself in the face.

    DO punch some jeans.... 8)
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    If you think you are fit - go MTB racing!

    I could not believe the pace of some of the guys around the first Gorrick race I entered last year - not just the fitness, but how they blasted through the trees and stood up on most of the hills.

    Awesome....but what I have learnt is that if you can stick with them even for just 50 metres it builds your own skill and confidence.

    Example yesterday at the Gorrick Tunnel Hill West course there was a drop off and a steep bombhole. Last November I bottled it; first lap yesterday I had the brakes on going down and barely made it out; second lap blasted down and got airborne coming out! What a feeling - yeha. Later when I checked my speedo I went down at 24.8mph.

    Best part of the whole day
    Definitely. Me and a mate entered a CX race in my local woods a couple of years ago, they had all their lycra and expensive lightweight CX bikes, i was on a £200 carrera vulcan from halfords wearing jeans, a hoodey and a full face helmet and had no training, same for my mate but he was on a full bouncer raleigh! Needless to say, i didn't win, but i DID come 12th out of 15! i beat two of the poncey CX racers and my mate came stone dead last :P still, quite an achievement i thought.
    Production Privee Shan

    B'Twin Triban 5
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    DON'T punch a policeman in the face.

    DON'T punch a court-room judge in the face.

    DON'T punch a prison guard in the face.

    DON'T punch ''Leroy'' in the face.

    If you DO punch Leroy in the face, you better make it a BLOODY GOOD SHOT.

    DON'T punch a cage fighter in the face.

    DON'T punch a 9 dan black-belt Jujitsu trained sensei in the face.

    DON'T punch a grizzly bear in the face.

    DON'T punch a giant squid in the face.

    DON'T punch yourself in the face.

    DO punch some jeans.... 8)

    So you're saying you done all of the above?
  • Valy
    Valy Posts: 1,321
    ilovedirt wrote:
    If you think you are fit - go MTB racing!

    I could not believe the pace of some of the guys around the first Gorrick race I entered last year - not just the fitness, but how they blasted through the trees and stood up on most of the hills.

    Awesome....but what I have learnt is that if you can stick with them even for just 50 metres it builds your own skill and confidence.

    Example yesterday at the Gorrick Tunnel Hill West course there was a drop off and a steep bombhole. Last November I bottled it; first lap yesterday I had the brakes on going down and barely made it out; second lap blasted down and got airborne coming out! What a feeling - yeha. Later when I checked my speedo I went down at 24.8mph.

    Best part of the whole day
    Definitely. Me and a mate entered a CX race in my local woods a couple of years ago, they had all their lycra and expensive lightweight CX bikes, i was on a £200 carrera vulcan from halfords wearing jeans, a hoodey and a full face helmet and had no training, same for my mate but he was on a full bouncer raleigh! Needless to say, i didn't win, but i DID come 12th out of 15! i beat two of the poncey CX racers and my mate came stone dead last :P still, quite an achievement i thought.

    Absolutely no training at all? You just got the bike and entered a race? Or didi you just casually ride it aroun... or hwat?
  • Briggo wrote:
    DON'T punch a policeman in the face.

    DON'T punch a court-room judge in the face.

    DON'T punch a prison guard in the face.

    DON'T punch ''Leroy'' in the face.

    If you DO punch Leroy in the face, you better make it a BLOODY GOOD SHOT.

    DON'T punch a cage fighter in the face.

    DON'T punch a 9 dan black-belt Jujitsu trained sensei in the face.

    DON'T punch a grizzly bear in the face.

    DON'T punch a giant squid in the face.

    DON'T punch yourself in the face.

    DO punch some jeans.... 8)

    So you're saying you done all of the above?
    Yeah!!! Of course!

    I always punch courtroom judges in the face. And blatently giant squid and grizzly bears.... :? :roll:

    Joke...?
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • CFS
    CFS Posts: 124
    Don't ride with a big bunch of keys in your pocket, cos when you fall off your bike a week before you go on holiday it's really going to screw your hip.
    Shot by both sides...
  • A few lessons I've had first hand over the last year or so:

    DON'T spray GT85/WD40 anywhere near disk brakes...you may think you spraying it the other way but somehow it will catch the wind and ruin yet another set of pads.

    DON't Leave your Maxles at home when out with the bike.

    DON'T Lie about how much your bikes cost and then put full details of the actual cost when filling out the home insurance with the otherhalf!

    DON'T drink 5 shots of sambuca in quick succession at a family wedding (I learnt this gem at the weekend)

    DON'T forget your spare socks if you commute in the rain.
    Santa Cruz Chameleon
    Orange Alpine 160
  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    Valy wrote:
    ilovedirt wrote:
    If you think you are fit - go MTB racing!

    I could not believe the pace of some of the guys around the first Gorrick race I entered last year - not just the fitness, but how they blasted through the trees and stood up on most of the hills.

    Awesome....but what I have learnt is that if you can stick with them even for just 50 metres it builds your own skill and confidence.

    Example yesterday at the Gorrick Tunnel Hill West course there was a drop off and a steep bombhole. Last November I bottled it; first lap yesterday I had the brakes on going down and barely made it out; second lap blasted down and got airborne coming out! What a feeling - yeha. Later when I checked my speedo I went down at 24.8mph.

    Best part of the whole day
    Definitely. Me and a mate entered a CX race in my local woods a couple of years ago, they had all their lycra and expensive lightweight CX bikes, i was on a £200 carrera vulcan from halfords wearing jeans, a hoodey and a full face helmet and had no training, same for my mate but he was on a full bouncer raleigh! Needless to say, i didn't win, but i DID come 12th out of 15! i beat two of the poncey CX racers and my mate came stone dead last :P still, quite an achievement i thought.

    Absolutely no training at all? You just got the bike and entered a race? Or didi you just casually ride it aroun... or hwat?
    I rode about a 15 mile loop once every weekend or two, other than that, no training. It bloody killed me, but i didn't come last!!
    Production Privee Shan

    B'Twin Triban 5
  • Don't ever, what ever you're doing, even if your car boot is in on fire, just don't try and blow out a Trangia Methylated Spirit burning stove. You'll end up with a very hot face and your car boot will still be on fire, probably even more than before you set fire to your head!

    Lesson well and truly learned the hard way!
  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    Don't ever, what ever you're doing, even if your car boot is in on fire, just don't try and blow out a Trangia Methylated Spirit burning stove. You'll end up with a very hot face and your car boot will still be on fire, probably even more than before you set fire to your head!

    Lesson well and truly learned the hard way!
    :lol: i can safely add a +1 to this!
    Production Privee Shan

    B'Twin Triban 5
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    never argue with policemen or bouncers....

    even when you win.....you still lose.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • richg1979
    richg1979 Posts: 1,087
    1 sheet of bog roll is not enough to wipe. you end up with poo on ya fingers.
  • Don't brag. Pride before a fall


    At a trackday on my motorcycle I said ''I don't need to lower my tyre pressures I havn't checked them in ages'' I also said '' All the d!cks fall off after lunch'' and the final nail in the coffin '' I'm a riding god''

    10minutes later I was watching my Yamaha R1 spin down the race track as I scrambled off the circuit to safety.


    and many other instances which resulted in one broken wrist, one dislocated shoulder, one dislocated hip and years of follow up pain.

    In addition this applies to others,
    Last night 'doon tha pab' a lad hobbled in and asked if he could chain his bike up with mine and my mates, three hours of utter rubbish and bragging about tail whips, police chases and evasions with more tail whips thrown in... got out the pub. got on his bike and.. splatt = broken tooth, nose and wrist. TOOL

    Made me feel very smug indeed. Bad Kamra headed my way.
    4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul.
  • Ransaka
    Ransaka Posts: 474
    Knee pads make you feel invincible.



    You are not.

    In the slightest.



    Even remotely.

    No sir.

    :oops:
  • Koiler
    Koiler Posts: 513
    edited February 2010
    today i learned the following!

    that tubeless tyres run at silly low pressures will fold if you land heavy, dirt will get in the rim where it supposed to seal and the tyre will not seal properly.

    i also learned today that i have tubeless tyres.... :oops:

    i learned that for the last 4 months, i have been, pointlessly, lugging around a puncture repair kit/ tyre levers etc

    i learned that after a week of rain and snow that chicksands wont ''be fine''. instead, it'll be somwhere between very muddy and mildly treacherous

    i learned that despite its apperance, my cheapy tesco hydration pack isnt waterproof.

    and i am reminded, despite all these things, that bikes are still fun. :D

    that is all...
  • Koiler wrote:

    i learned that for the last 4 months, i have been, pointlessly, lugging around a puncture repair kit/ tyre levers etc
    Think of it as weight training
    Koiler wrote:
    i learned that after a week of rain and snow that chicksands wont ''be fine''. instead, it'll be somwhere between very muddy and mildly treacherous
    Was alright with Schwalbe blackjacks...
    Koiler wrote:
    i learned that despite its apperance, my cheapy tesco hydration pack isnt waterproof.
    If it doesnt say waterproof on it, it isn't. You get nowt for free and waterproof Hydro bag for £10.. unlikely.

    :)

    that is all...[/quote]
    4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul.
  • Koiler
    Koiler Posts: 513
    Koiler wrote:
    i learned that after a week of rain and snow that chicksands wont ''be fine''. instead, it'll be somwhere between very muddy and mildly treacherous
    Was alright with Schwalbe blackjacks...


    :)

    that is all...

    ok, today i learned that i cant ride when its muddy

    better? :lol:
  • Poor prir preparation leads to piss poor performance :lol:
    4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul.
  • Bear77
    Bear77 Posts: 60
    Disinfect your entire universe when your child has a sickness bug. I was going to post this two weeks ago about this time but needed the toilet a bit sharpish.

    I can now add that you should never assume the sickness bug you second child has got is the same one as your first had two weeks earlier.

    I need the toilet again. My poor arse. :(
    The revolution will not be televised