what is your worst cycling experience

[bryanquinn]

I was on a long ride with a group one day and we had just eaten breakfast (this was a slow casual ride) and back into the ride about 10 miles. In the back of the group I heard a commotion, when I turned around I saw several riders going down. I slowed to a stop. One of them was not getting up. There were several others standing over him calling his name with no response.
I set my bike to the side and went back to see what was going on. While the others were calling his name I bent down and felt for a pulse, there was none. I started CPR but as I had never done it before I was at a loss. I tried to do what I had seen on TV.
I know some of you will probably say that never being trained at this I shouldn't have attempted it, but no one else was doing a thing.
After a short time a fellow rider and my fiancee took turns with me while waiting for the paramedics. Since we were out in the country it took what seemed 20 to 30 minutes for them to get there.
After they arrived they used the defibrilator on him about 8 to 10 times, he had blood comming out of his ears now. I think they knew it was no use but were trying to make it look like he had a chance.
After he was taken away to the hospital, we all got back on our bikes and rode in silence for the rest of the way. I was in shock as was every one else.
We found out later that he had been to see a cardiologist that week and was cautioned not to ride. I think he was dead before he even went down.
I'll never forget that day.
BQ

 

[darkboong]

I can't top that one, and I'm glad I can't.

The closest I come to that is seeing my father vomit blood during a ride. He had got into shape amazingly quickly having started cycling again, a number of months later he died.

I'm glad I got a few last rides in with him though, he set a mean pace despite his (unknown at the time) terminal condition.

I actually ended up with that very same 1986(7?) Peugeot "Bretagne" touring bike (Stronglight cranks, 5 speed Sachs Duopar Eco gears - she was a *triple* too !), not the greatest of bikes.

However I became very fond of her after I got a decent pair of Mavic rims with Shimano DX hubs (this was ~1990-3), and a 7 speed block on it and some decent tires (Panaracer Touring II). That setup has done a good 14,500 - 15,000 miles without changing *anything* apart from the brake blocks.

After a long and very hard life that old warhorse is off the road, the components finally getting to the point where tweaking won't cure the play. I hope to at least get the frame back on the road again next year in time for her twentieth birthday, quite probably adorned with some ragtag mixture of simple but durable components again. God forbid that she get kitted out with fancy-pants stuff.

 

[McBain_v1]

Cycling in the French Alps on my own, I went through a pitch black tunnel and foolishly did not slow down. Upon emerging into the blinding sunlight I found I could hardly see and applied the brakes. Unfortunately I was applying the brakes while on a large patch of gravel and so went down like a sack of spuds, sending up an impressive spray of general roadside detritus.

I picked myself up after the usual check to make sure all my limbs were still attached and was horrified to find that I'd torn the **** out of my cycling shorts. To make matters worse it was at the exact time that I made this discovery that a coach load of OAPs went past (slowly because of the bend) and they were "treated" to a view of my pasty white but badly scraped backside.

I had to cycle all the way back with my butt hanging outta my shorts, to the accompaniment of lots of toots from the French motorists.

 

[stealie72]

Originally posted by McBain_v1
Cycling in the French Alps on my own

Come on, after that statement, how bad can the rest be! I'd gladly ride with my bum hanging out if I got to ride the alps.

 

[firegooroo]

Well I don't think many people can top that death on the road, but here's my story.

On a typical Sunday ride in typical beautiful South Florida weather there were a approximately 50 riders that morning. After had riden over 55km going over the Key Biscayne bridge that down here is our only real climb any where. Well on the way up one of the riders had gone over a pipe or some glass and got a flat. Now this is the amazing part if you can believe it. The bridge is about 80ft tall and goes over the bay area, as he aproached the top of the bridge and gets the flat so he avoids the riders to the left he goes to the right and fall over the side of the bridge and fall over 70 ft down into the water. Luckily he survives the fall with only broken ribs and swims to shore. But as if that isn't bad enough some one steals his bike from the top of the bridge.

The good news, he makes a full recovery and Trek who had some how heard the story sent him a new bike to replace the one that was stolen.

 

[DiabloScott]

Originally posted by firegooroo
Well I don't think many people can top that death on the road, but here's my story.

On a typical Sunday ride in typical beautiful South Florida weather there were a approximately 50 riders that morning. After had riden over 55km going over the Key Biscayne bridge that down here is our only real climb any where. Well on the way up one of the riders had gone over a pipe or some glass and got a flat. Now this is the amazing part if you can believe it. The bridge is about 80ft tall and goes over the bay area, as he aproached the top of the bridge and gets the flat so he avoids the riders to the left he goes to the right and fall over the side of the bridge and fall over 70 ft down into the water. Luckily he survives the fall with only broken ribs and swims to shore. But as if that isn't bad enough some one steals his bike from the top of the bridge.

The good news, he makes a full recovery and Trek who had some how heard the story sent him a new bike to replace the one that was stolen.

Firegoo - that story appeared on the KleinBikes.com website recently (he was riding a Klein). I didn't realize he was with other riders or that anyone had seen him.
Here's the link.
http://tinyurl.com/266qa

 

[firegooroo]

I thought it was Trek that replaced the bike and I had forgotten about the fisherman. I also thought he swam to shore. But he did suffer some broken ribs as a result and there were riders but didn't realize he was missing until after the fact. I was on that ride that morning and we had heard what had happen when we all finished the ride.

 

[damiansmith]

"was horrified to find that I'd torn the **** out of my cycling shorts"

Classic!

What a great story!

"I thought it was Trek that replaced the bike"

I think Trek owns Klein so its probably both, he was riding a Klein and Trek replaced it for him.