Biggest Cycling Disappointment?

[User32269]

Just wondered if anyone else had cycling related tragedies to share. My first - and worst - was around Christmas when I was 12. I had been throwing out massive hints that a bike would be top of the wish list, and my Mum had spent lots of time buttering my Dad up, and all was looking good.
I couldn't contain my excitement and ensured all my mates knew I would soon be joining them bombing about on their Choppers, 10 speed Raleighs and saddos still trying to fit on Tomahawks. I grew up on a pretty rough estate in Liverpool, the wrong trainers would earn you a good slap and relegation to being "prey" in the pebble-dash jungle.
Anyway, Christmas morning came and I feigned excitement opening pyjamas and The Guinness Book Of Records etc. Then the big moment...was told to see what was in the garden...THE BIKE...YES!!!
Chopper? Racer?
My Dad had been the local 2nd hand shop and thought his strapping 12 year old lad would look good on a gold Moulton Mini fold up shopper, with integral shopping basket and white tyres
On the plus side, taught me to ride VERY fast and a VERY long way away.

 

[ColinJ]

My biggest cycling disappointment was going to the school bike sheds after school finished, and discovering that my bike had been stolen!

It was 20 years before I bought another bike so I missed 2 whole decades of cycling.

 

[User32269]

Ar aye mate, just coz Im from Liverpool? Wasn't me!
I left Moulton unlocked for 2 years and nobody would even nick it!

 

[KneesUp]

The cheating scumbag Lance Armstrong.

Surely you knew?

Like @ColinJ I'm disappointed (in myself, I suppose) that I didn't cycle more when I was younger and had the time and lack of responsibility to ride more and further.

 

[Sharky]

I was a little disappointed when my first real bike was stolen. Nievely left it unlocked outside Prescot Woolies when I was about 12. A lovely green Hill Special (fixed) I was given for my 10th birthday. Fortunately my neighbour donated his old sit up and beg bike and my Dad helped me repaint it and converted it to drop bars. It was pretty heavy, but didn't look too bad. A couple of years later when I was about 14, my dad acquired the Bates that I am riding on my avatar picture.

The other disappointment was the one and only 100 TT that I finished. Target was 5hours and I finished on 5hrs and 10 seconds! Tried a few times since then, but get to the 70 mark and blow up. Only had to do each mile one tenth of a second quicker and I would have hit my target.

Cheers keith

 

[mrbikerboy73]

Really wanted a Raleigh Boxer but got a Tomahawk instead which I hated

 

[bianchi1]

Failing my cycling preficiency test at the tender age of 10. I was the only one who regularly cycled to my primary school, and to top it all I wasn't allowed a cool BMX but had a Dawes kids road type bike (which I loved). Even at that age I saw myself as a 'proper cyclist'.

I thought I would breeze the test, and confidently sat in the classroom afterwards awaiting my name to be called out and receive my certificate.

Sadly, I did not check or signal upon pulling away after my emergency stop. My name was read out in the fail list.

I can still vividly remember that feeling of rejection and shame, and could show you within a meter where the transgression occurred...as I still cycle past it on a regular basis.

 

[slowmotion]

Me, actually.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I can't think of a big cycle disappointment so this minor will will do instead. I bought these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-airstream-overshoe-1/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&utm_source=pla&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&utm_content=Altura Airstream Overshoe - S Black | OvershoeS&kpid=5360576307&sku=5360576307&ci_src=18615224&ci_sku=5360576307uk The stitching is abysmal they fell to pieces after 6 months!

 

[raleighnut]

Failing my cycling preficiency test at the tender age of 10. I was the only one who regularly cycled to my primary school, and to top it all I wasn't allowed a cool BMX but had a Dawes kids road type bike (which I loved). Even at that age I saw myself as a 'proper cyclist'.

I thought I would breeze the test, and confidently sat in the classroom afterwards awaiting my name to be called out and receive my certificate.

Sadly, I did not check or signal upon pulling away after my emergency stop. My name was read out in the fail list.

I can still vividly remember that feeling of rejection and shame, and could show you within a meter where the transgression occurred...as I still cycle past it on a regular basis.

Snap, and for exactly the same reason (never been any good at play-acting and as for bollards on a playground ) I was really restrained on the braking as well, my usual stoppies involved the rear wheel skidding at least 10 foot and 2 foot sideways plus I was one of the few who cycled to school (just so I didn't have to go home to fetch it). I'd also lay money on me being the only one out of the class who still cycles most days.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Carbon fibre. I rode my bike on a slightly damp day and it melted

 

[Hip Priest]

Finishing the season on a low note by putting in my two worst 10 mile TT times of the season in my final two events. I hit a patch of bad form at just the wrong time.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

My legs in bib shorts!

 

[Mrs M]

Never being the proud owner of a Raleigh Chopper, in ultra violet, hinted, drooled and begged but it was never to be.

 

[Saluki]

I dropped lots of hints about wanting a 'racer' for my 11th birthday and I helped, every saturday, in my Dad's shop from the beginning of September to the beginning of March to work towards getting my dream 'racer'. My Birthday arrived and outside, with a large bow on it was.......






........ a diarrhoea brown Raleigh Twenty with Stumey Archer 3 speed gears. All my cousins could catch me out on my bike and after a couple of broken arms (Simon was, and still is a thug), chipped teeth and a broken collar bone from being duffed by stupid cousins, I raided my bank account and bought a Puch Pacemaker from a shop that my Dad didn't own. Happily, I was very tall for a 11 and a bit year old - 5'4" - so the bike shop owner was happy to serve me.