Did something VERY stupid.....

[mister oy]

I had to leave the car at the garage, so I took the wheels off the bike and stuck it in the boot for the way home. After leaving the car at the garage I took the bike out, put the wheels on then rolled off down the hill towards Green Lanes in North London on a busy Saturday morning.

As I got to the bottom of the hill approaching the busy junction, going pretty quick, I pulled the brakes and - NOTHING…….oh sh*t, forgot to put the V brakes back!!! Slammed down my foot onto the floor and managed to just about stop at the junction in a Speedway skid style. Normally I put a bit of effort in at the top and bomb down, but thank f*ck this time just rolled down from the top without pedalling…..still makes me shiver a bit to think about it……!!!

Lesson learnt.

 

[mister oy]

It looks like this, the main road is roughly where the 3rd car back is.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Oops ... bet you won't do that again! Glad you got away with it.

 

[BentMikey]

Oooh, scary! I guess that's very easily done!!!

Goes to show how a quick brake check at the start of every ride is so important, and yet so easily forgotten.

 

[Spinney]

But good show for owning up to it - maybe someone else will learn by your mistake without having to have your experience.

Glad you're OK.

 

[Crankarm]

New shorts and shoes time .

I bet you had white knuckles and dicky ticker after ..............

If V-brakes could you not have leaned forward and grabbed hold of the cross loop, linking each side, manually operating the blocks onto the rim?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

If V-brakes could you not have leaned forward and grabbed hold of the cross loop, linking each side, manually operating the blocks onto the rim?

If you have the presence of mind, as someone sitting in front of their computer afterwards reading about it might, then I suppose you could do that ...

 

[fossyant]

Doh................ scarey stuff......... hope you didn't have road shoes on - you'd never stop

 

[upsidedown]

Just needed a couple of men crossing the road with a huge sheet of glass to complete the comedy effect.

 

[Rykard]

This happened to me years ago when both brake cables snapped on a downhill. I wore through the sole of my trainers, foot got a little warm. I then had to ride about 5 miles with no brakes - fun :-)

 

[jonny jeez]

It looks like this, the main road is roughly where the 3rd car back is.

Blimey...Mister oy, glad you're here to tell the tale. I will have to keep an eye on that myself as i plan to take Chitty home in the boot of my car tonight so that we can enjoy a friday and monday run together.

That will involve taking her wheels off...I think i may be one of those who will learn from your mistake, so thanks for owning up to this one.

 

[Matthames]

Wouldn't jamming your foot on the wheel BMX style work?

Hasn't happened to me yet (Touch wood!). I always check my brakes are working before I leave my drive way. The last thing I want is the brakes not to be working when I leave my driveway, cos it is a steep hill with a road with a bus route at the bottom with no escape.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Don't the roads on the "Harringay Ladder" alternate one-way east/west ? So why were you going the wrong way.
Tut tut

 

[skrx]

I've got into the habit of checking the brakes whenever I set off somewhere, usually a quick squeeze well before the first turning.

I live right on top of a hill, so I think this is essential!

 

[Coco]

Same here skrx. I've forgotten to reconnect the brakes and found out on the squeeze test just before the hill. I suppose living on a hill finally has (and pardon the pun) an up side