Biggest maintenance stuffup - I nominate myself

[DaveB]

What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
need a good laugh.

Dave B (typing very slowly)

 

[Glen F]

Ouch.

No injury resulted, but on the weekend I spent a few hours replacing
a bottom bracket and then dismantling and reassembling a crank set -
only to find that the pedal creak I was chasing was still there.

[Turned out to be the mudguard rubbing against the frame as it flexed.]

 

[bjay]

I cannot take credit for this one but thought it should be included.
I friend of mine decided to adjust his speedo pick-up . . . while he was
moving. The pickup was on the left of his front fork and he tried to adjust
it with his right hand. So he just put his hand through the spokes . . . .
.. and did a perfect somersault over the handlebars! Fortunately he was only
going at about 10 kph at the time. He bent his forks and removed a bit of
skin, it was mostly his ego that was bruised.

"DaveB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
> I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
> ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
> anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
> because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
> and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
> hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
> fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
> plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
> need a good laugh.
>
> Dave B (typing very slowly)
>

 

[Andrew Swan]

bjay wrote:
> I cannot take credit for this one but thought it should be included.
> I friend of mine decided to adjust his speedo pick-up . . . while he was
> moving. The pickup was on the left of his front fork and he tried to adjust
> it with his right hand. So he just put his hand through the spokes . . . .
> . and did a perfect somersault over the handlebars! Fortunately he was only
> going at about 10 kph at the time. He bent his forks and removed a bit of
> skin, it was mostly his ego that was bruised.

A "friend" ..... riiiiiiight.

&roo

 

[Andrew Swan]

DaveB wrote:
> What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
> I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
> ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
> anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
> because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
> and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
> hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
> fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
> plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
> need a good laugh.
>
> Dave B (typing very slowly)

Wow, that sent chills down my spine - I have only recently fitted and
re-fitted my fork (before and after cutting it down), and I'm so glad
that I did it up tight enough. This raises the question of how tight is
"enough", not only for forks but also other critical things like brakes,
cranks, etc. Can you imagine the effect of a front brake caliper coming
loose and falling into the front wheel?

&roo
(... heads off to r.b.t to ask tech-heads about torque settings ...)

 

[Sprinter_989]

Not tightening pair of cranks on track bike, riding along at 40kmp
wondering what the hell that banging noise is everytime I pedal, loo
down and I've been bashing the **** out of the chainstay


-

 

[bjay]

Honest, twas someone else.

"Andrew Swan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> bjay wrote:
> > I cannot take credit for this one but thought it should be included.
> > I friend of mine decided to adjust his speedo pick-up . . . while he
was
> > moving. The pickup was on the left of his front fork and he tried to
adjust
> > it with his right hand. So he just put his hand through the spokes . .
.. .
> > . and did a perfect somersault over the handlebars! Fortunately he was
only
> > going at about 10 kph at the time. He bent his forks and removed a bit
of
> > skin, it was mostly his ego that was bruised.
>
> A "friend" ..... riiiiiiight.
>
> &roo
>

 

[Peter Cremasco]

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 12:47:55 +1100, DaveB
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
>I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
>ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
>anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
>because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
>and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
>hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
>fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
>plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
>need a good laugh.

Mine was as a result of making the tyres look nice and new (and helping
to preserve the rubber) by spraying them with a silicon based
protectant/lubricant.

It takes about 150 metres of a downhill run at approximately 50-60 kph
for the brake pads to eventually wear off the silicon coating from the
side of the rim. If there had been TWO cars at the red light at the
bottom of the hill, instead of one, I'd probably would have had to
replace the front rim at least. I may have even been able to sport a
cast like yours.


---
Cheers

PeterC

[Rushing headlong: out of control - and there ain't no stopping]
[and there's nothing you can do about it at all]

 

[Peter Cremasco]

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 18:27:57 +1100, Andrew Swan
<[email protected]> wrote:

>that I did it up tight enough. This raises the question of how tight is
>"enough", not only for forks but also other critical things like brakes,

Conversation between me and mechanic, many moons ago.

Me: Hey! Bruno. I'm trying to get this cast drum brake off the back of
the FC. How hard can I hit the damned thing before it breaks?

Bruno: Hit it as hard as you can - as long as it's not too hard.


---
Cheers

PeterC

[Rushing headlong: out of control - and there ain't no stopping]
[and there's nothing you can do about it at all]

 

[John Doe]

"DaveB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
> I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
> ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
> anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
> because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
> and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
> hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
> fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
> plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
> need a good laugh.
>
> Dave B (typing very slowly)
>

Ouch. Sorry to hear that.

I always have the fear of not tightening something.

My best go was not tightening the rear Quick release enough. Waiting at
front of queue of traffic at red light. Nice busy road to. Stand up out of
saddle to get a nice quick get away on green and back wheel pulled forward.
The back wheel does not turn and the momentum put me over the handle bars.
No real damage apart from pride. One person honked me to get out of the
way. Another laughed and clapped as he drove past.

Another time I had maintenance done on the bike by a mechanic (supposedly
reputable) same thing. QR too loose. Standing up on a big hill and it
happens again. I am in a ditch. A lot of bruising but no broken bits.

Its funny though how much time you have to think about how much its going to
hurt before impact.

BTW am very careful about tightening that rear QR these days and do not
trust anyone else.

Peter

 

[hippy]

"DaveB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a question
> I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went for a test
> ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously (well it is now
> anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down into the tube enough,
> because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars were going in one diection
> and the front wheel in another, with me thinking "uh oh this is gonna
> hurt". End result was broken left thumb with arm in plaster, and 2
> fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in a sling for now, decision on
> plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales of stuuffed up home maint, I
> need a good laugh.

Yow! I've done the same thing.. but I was younger and
probably going slower because I'm sure I bounced...

I incorrectly tightened a rear wheel cone which somehow
snapped the QR skewer and trashed the hub.
Luckily, it self-destructed close to home and being
rear wheel, I just skidded to a stop.

I spent a whole afternoon with a mate wondering why
my rear derrailer no longer works.. My Dad walks over,
spins it around (tightening the sping tension) and bam!
she works fine now...

Note for test riders: Start SLOW!

Hope you mend rapidly!

hippy

 

[Frank Palermo]

(1) General bike tidy-up... change tyres, cables, etc. I live just off the
crest of a STEEP hill. Put bike back together, adjusting derailleurs and
stuff. Ride 50m to top of the hill checking gears, bouncing on the shocks
and all that stuff. Turned around to ride back to my driveway, pulled on the
brakes. Hmmm... must remember to hook up the brakes next time! By the time I
was just past my house I was doing 60 and gaining... oh, oh!

I tried using my foot on the back wheel. Doesn't work very well in fluffy
slippers and knobby tyres! I ended up squawking my way down the hill to the
T junction at the end (thankfully only about 200m) bouncing off the kerb
(oneof the big old ones I couldn't bunny-hop sideways over at that speed)
trying to scrub speed before laying the bike down in a gravel patch at the
end of the road. Bugger.

(2) Another maintenance day. Came back down my driveway (yes, I had brakes
this time). I saw the kid from the house behind me peeking over the fence at
my bike. I threw the bike into what should have been a Starsky & Hutch style
sideways skid, caught the bit of carpet I use to rest the seat on when the
bike's upside down with my locked up front wheel. WHEEE! Result: Me battered
and bruised from slamming into a carport pole. Kid out the back in stitches
at the old bloke (he's 11) who can't ride the flash bike he's got.
Bugger II...

 

[Marty]

Sprinter_989 <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Not tightening pair of cranks on track bike, riding along at 40kmph
> wondering what the hell that banging noise is everytime I pedal, look
> down and I've been bashing the **** out of the chainstay.
>
>
>

I've put some funny silly stuff on my web site.
You can find it here

http://www.geo.net.au/~mart/funny_cycling_stories.htm

and here.

http://www.hyperactive.oz.nf/Funny Triathlon stories.htm

regards

Marty

 

[flyingdutch]

got to shops andr ealised I had no lock on me "I'll make it nea
impossible for anyone to take" me thinks... Put helmet strap aroun
seattube and rear wheel. Undo brake cables at Vbrake mech. undo quic
release on front wheel and put gear in smallest possible. "That outt
slow any theif down

Go into and out of shop Walk out to bike and get a big "Hi" from ol
highschool girlfriend, we chat as Im left wondering what if..

Climb back on bike. Fall flat on face as I roll off, no brakes to sto
me and hit a bump and front wheel depart

bloody thiefs...


-

 

[Ray Peace]

Greetings,
Probably my biggest maintenance stuff-up was fitting the
wrong type of back tyre to a tandem. Although correctly inflated, it
proceeded to literally roll off the rim on a sharp downhill curve, a
disaster which left me with a fractured spine (!) The fracture
fortunately wasn't too severe so I still ride. It took me years to get
back on a tandem, then I promptly crashed one again (car came through
stop sign) This time I think I'm taking the hint and staying off them,
they're a lot of fun, but a bit hairy because they're fast and hard to
stop.
Regards,
Ray.

DaveB wrote:

> What's the best maintenance stuffup people have done? It was a
> question I had lots of time to ponder in casualty yesterday. I went
> for a test ride yesterday after fitting a new headstem. Obviously
> (well it is now anyway) I hadn't tightened the bolt that runs down
> into the tube enough, because about 2km into the ride the hdlebars
> were going in one diection and the front wheel in another, with me
> thinking "uh oh this is gonna hurt". End result was broken left thumb
> with arm in plaster, and 2 fractures in the right arm at the elbow (in
> a sling for now, decision on plaster on Thurs). So give me your tales
> of stuuffed up home maint, I need a good laugh.
>
> Dave B (typing very slowly)
>