XmisterIS
Purveyor of fine nonsense
What's been the most embarrasing accident(s) you've had on a bike?
I have two:
1) I'd just switched from toeclips to cleats --- came to a zebra crossing with loads of pedestrians on it, loads of people on the pavement, plenty of people in the beer garden of the pub opposite ... so I went to pull my foot backwards out of the "toe clip" ... didn't budge ... panicked, let out a little falsetto "uuuh!" scream, slowly fell over while wiggling around trying to pull my foot backwards. Got a round of applause from the people in the pub garden ... the two thoughts going through my head as I was lying on my back trying to disengage myself from the bike were, "christ, that hurt!" and "oh, the shame!".
... note to self: "you have CLEATS!!!!" ....
2) I was riding through the new forest, came to a shallow, wide stream by a campsite, loads of people picnicing on the far bank. Choice between getting off bike and carrying it up steps over footbridge, or try to ford the stream. Everyone else in the group decided to take the bridge ... I thought I'd pull a natty little move ... thought I'd impress all the picnickers with a swanky bunny-hop over the stream ... took a big run-up, booted it towards the stream as fast as poss, just about to hop the bike, front wheel hits a root I hadn't noticed, totally takes me off-guard, back wheel kicks up as front wheel plummets ... face first into stream ... which happens to have a stream-bed that is made of squishy, smelly mud at least four feet deep ... clamber out of stream looking like the bogwoppit while several picnickers have started taking photographs and the rest are grinning and staring.
... note to self: "Cretin!".
I have two:
1) I'd just switched from toeclips to cleats --- came to a zebra crossing with loads of pedestrians on it, loads of people on the pavement, plenty of people in the beer garden of the pub opposite ... so I went to pull my foot backwards out of the "toe clip" ... didn't budge ... panicked, let out a little falsetto "uuuh!" scream, slowly fell over while wiggling around trying to pull my foot backwards. Got a round of applause from the people in the pub garden ... the two thoughts going through my head as I was lying on my back trying to disengage myself from the bike were, "christ, that hurt!" and "oh, the shame!".
... note to self: "you have CLEATS!!!!" ....
2) I was riding through the new forest, came to a shallow, wide stream by a campsite, loads of people picnicing on the far bank. Choice between getting off bike and carrying it up steps over footbridge, or try to ford the stream. Everyone else in the group decided to take the bridge ... I thought I'd pull a natty little move ... thought I'd impress all the picnickers with a swanky bunny-hop over the stream ... took a big run-up, booted it towards the stream as fast as poss, just about to hop the bike, front wheel hits a root I hadn't noticed, totally takes me off-guard, back wheel kicks up as front wheel plummets ... face first into stream ... which happens to have a stream-bed that is made of squishy, smelly mud at least four feet deep ... clamber out of stream looking like the bogwoppit while several picnickers have started taking photographs and the rest are grinning and staring.
... note to self: "Cretin!".