A Bit Of A Bad Day Really

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andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
I was out this morning cleaning and lubricating my bikes, enjoy the sun and the warmth here today. Just after lunch I thought I'd go for a ride.

I planned a route on Garmin Connect and tried to sync it to my GPS. Won't work with 64-bit Chrome so I try with IE. Garmin Express gets stuck in a loop of showing a dialog box (one of those access control ones) and keeps wanting to be set up again but doing that causes another dialog box. So I uninstall and reinstall the software. Eventually get the course on the GPS.

It's nice out but I still get out my base layers and get properly dressed up. I'm not taking any chances. I get my helmet, put it on, put my jacket on, get my bike out and off I go. 2 miles down the road I realise I'm not wearing my helmet. I only thought I'd put it on (when I get back it's on the sofa). I really am going senile!

I follow my route and am enjoying the day. It's not too warm or too cold. I'm taking a steady pace. All is good. I'm going down one of my favourite steep hills when a learner driver pulls out from a line of parked cars causing me to brake fairly hard then promptly brakes and pulls into the side of the road causing me to brake again. No harm done and I continue on.

A few more miles down the road and I change my front derailleur from the large to the small chainring. I'm suddenly aware that the pedals won't turn! I stop and check. The chain has wrapped itself around the chainring! 5 minutes later and I have the chain free. I don't know what, if anything, has happened to the derailleur cage and the chain so I decide to turn round and go home.

Luckily I'm able to get home and everything seems fine. It's only been a month since the LBS serviced the bike though so I phone them. Their mechanic is going to take a look tomorrow. If anything is wrong I'm damned if I'm going to pay for it though.

Thank you and goodnight!
 

Boon 51

Veteran
Location
Deal. Kent.
I get days like that as well mate.. as for Garmin Connect I just can't get on with the new set up, not that I'm good with computers anyway..
 
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andyfraser

andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
I get days like that as well mate.. as for Garmin Connect I just can't get on with the new set up, not that I'm good with computers anyway..
I could've easily lived with everything else and enjoyed a nice ride in the country. I was hoping to finish off by cycling down some quiet, unlit country lanes. Then the chain happened and that was that.

I don't like the new Garmin Connect either but I'm persevering with it. It's Garmin Express that gives me nightmares.
 

Boon 51

Veteran
Location
Deal. Kent.
I could've easily lived with everything else and enjoyed a nice ride in the country. I was hoping to finish off by cycling down some quiet, unlit country lanes. Then the chain happened and that was that.

I don't like the new Garmin Connect either but I'm persevering with it. It's Garmin Express that gives me nightmares.

Its all this putting your rides into a seperate files then I can't remember what ride it was..
Hope you get the bike sorted.. :thumbsup:
 
A few more miles down the road and I change my front derailleur from the large to the small chainring. I'm suddenly aware that the pedals won't turn! I stop and check. The chain has wrapped itself around the chainring! 5 minutes later and I have the chain free. I don't know what, if anything, has happened to the derailleur cage and the chain so I decide to turn round and go home.

!
Be interested to know what they say - I've had this problem too and it's a bit of a bugger coming to a sudden stop when you're not expecting it. Although since I changed the cassette it's not happened again (so far)....
 
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andyfraser

andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
Everything was fine before the LBS got their hands on my bike. This was the first proper ride I've done on the bike, choosing to commute on my hybrid due to the weather, so it's not something I've done.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
If it's any consolation to you I had my first puncture on the bike for about 12 months today.

Only to find that the mini pump wouldn't attach to the valve properly. So I couldn't pump up the tyre. No idea yet if the pump or the valve is the problem. I had to call Mrs Nickyboy as I was on a little lane with no chance of another cyclist to help. An hour's drive away. Needless to say she wasn't impressed
 
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andyfraser

andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
If it's any consolation to you I had my first puncture on the bike for about 12 months today.

Only to find that the mini pump wouldn't attach to the valve properly. So I couldn't pump up the tyre. No idea yet if the pump or the valve is the problem. I had to call Mrs Nickyboy as I was on a little lane with no chance of another cyclist to help. An hour's drive away. Needless to say she wasn't impressed
I think you win the worst day award. Having said that though, if I had been unable to get my bike working again I'd have had to walk nearly 5 miles home as the OH was working today.

And you've just reminded me, 2 cyclists went gliding passed as I was faffing around on the verge. They waved, smiled and carried on. The bar stewards! I'd forgotten about them until now.
 

Twinks

Über Member
Thought it was just me! Not having ridden anything all week (horse or bikes), due to weather and also being chief painter and decorator tarting house up for Christmas, cabin fever was really taking hold by this morning. Peering out the window at the freezing mist I saw a couple of intrepid cyclists making their way up Chunal. Yay I says to OH lets get the bikes out! "Not taking the road bikes out in this" says he ( they are nothing special, just entry level road bikes but we're new to this and he is a bit precious about them). So lets get the Hybrids and go round Derwent Rezzer says I. Cut a long story short he is eventually persuaded and off we went. Felt justified when we got there as there were several others riding even if they were full MTBs with big knobbly tyres. Off we set up the tarmac road that leads to the off road tracks. Trouble is it's shaded by the thousands of tall conifers the forestry commission sees fit to blight the area with and hence sun does not hit the road. Next news....... black ice and thwack. Ungainly sight of mother of two, grandmother of five and great grandmother of one lying in the middle of the road. I really didn't need to hear "I told you so"!!
 
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andyfraser

andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
Thought it was just me! Not having ridden anything all week (horse or bikes), due to weather and also being chief painter and decorator tarting house up for Christmas, cabin fever was really taking hold by this morning. Peering out the window at the freezing mist I saw a couple of intrepid cyclists making their way up Chunal. Yay I says to OH lets get the bikes out! "Not taking the road bikes out in this" says he ( they are nothing special, just entry level road bikes but we're new to this and he is a bit precious about them). So lets get the Hybrids and go round Derwent Rezzer says I. Cut a long story short he is eventually persuaded and off we went. Felt justified when we got there as there were several others riding even if they were full MTBs with big knobbly tyres. Off we set up the tarmac road that leads to the off road tracks. Trouble is it's shaded by the thousands of tall conifers the forestry commission sees fit to blight the area with and hence sun does not hit the road. Next news....... black ice and thwack. Ungainly sight of mother of two, grandmother of five and great grandmother of one lying in the middle of the road. I really didn't need to hear "I told you so"!!
Ouch! I hope you're alright.
 
Think we have all been there, a few times lately for me. I have had a cassette work loose half way round, how I don't know because I did it up good and proper, it chewed the freehub to bits, fix that next ride the back wheel hits a cats eye with no rubber bit just the metal that the council felt should be on the inside not in the middle of the road, blows the valve clean out and the spare well the valve was faulty. I cant tell you the swearing that went on there in the dark & rain. The only up was a guy in a white van who stopped and gave me a lift home with his son who was also a cyclist. Top guys the pair of them.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Thought it was just me! Not having ridden anything all week (horse or bikes), due to weather and also being chief painter and decorator tarting house up for Christmas, cabin fever was really taking hold by this morning. Peering out the window at the freezing mist I saw a couple of intrepid cyclists making their way up Chunal. Yay I says to OH lets get the bikes out! "Not taking the road bikes out in this" says he ( they are nothing special, just entry level road bikes but we're new to this and he is a bit precious about them). So lets get the Hybrids and go round Derwent Rezzer says I. Cut a long story short he is eventually persuaded and off we went. Felt justified when we got there as there were several others riding even if they were full MTBs with big knobbly tyres. Off we set up the tarmac road that leads to the off road tracks. Trouble is it's shaded by the thousands of tall conifers the forestry commission sees fit to blight the area with and hence sun does not hit the road. Next news....... black ice and thwack. Ungainly sight of mother of two, grandmother of five and great grandmother of one lying in the middle of the road. I really didn't need to hear "I told you so"!!

I took one look at the fog enveloping Glossop and the snow on the tops and headed down to Cheshire. Maybe my puncture was karma for wimping out on the hard miles. Hope you're not too sore
 

Twinks

Über Member
That wasn't wimping out nickyboy that was just plain common sense. Would have headed off that way ourselves if I had got my butt out of bed earlier but OH had gone to do horses for me and the duvet just got a strangle hold on me! More relevant to the OP my chain subsequently came off twice to the inside and mangled itself up and the gears started shifting two at a time. I see and afternoon with the handbook and youtube how to videos for today. Oh well its all a learning curve.
 
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