Mechanical failures whilst commuting?

[buddha]

This morning my rear mudguard snapped in half (just below the brake) - fatigued I guess. I only realised when I got off to see what the loud banging noise was every time I went over a bump. I managed to botch it together with a wood screw and large rubber band that were in my saddlebag

Most annoying breakdown was when the splines on the rear sprocket on my hub geared bike sheared off when stomping up a hill. I had to walk the bike home 10 miles with two panniers full of shopping

 

[HJ]

There is a wee thing called regular maintenance which avoids most of these problems. I had a unplanned deflation event once...

 

[BrumJim]

Both brake cables snapped on me once, one wet day in the early '90s. Coming down hill towards the South Gate at the University of Birmingham. Took a dive for the flower beds to save myself from flying across the A38.

Broken chain after being left hooked going up the Bristol Road into Selly Oak.

Broken crank arm when going home one evening - I had been trying to remove the pedals, but had clearly loosened the nut without removing the pedal.

And cracked frame obviously, but only noticed when I got home.

 

[Chamfus Flange]

Mostly punctures interleaved with the odd crash or two.

 

[u9ge]

Numerous brake cables snapped (never even risk buying ITM aero levers!)
Snapped my frame at the chainstay
Broken light bracket from it falling off numerous times when hitting potholes

 

[gbb]

There is a wee thing called regular maintenance which avoids most of these problems. I had a unplanned deflation event once...

I sat here thinking if i'd had any mechanical failures while commuting...no. Not in years, and what you say may be very true. I'm lucky enough to keep my bike in my workshop, which allows me to tinker and clean at work. Spend time checking and cleaning, you probably avoid many problems.

The only failure i had, and that wasnt commuting, was a jockey wheel bolt fall out on a ride once...had to scoot home about 6 miles away.

Just remembered, actually maintenance can cause problems. I remember cleaning my bike at work once. brake cartridges off, clean the pads and refit. Off on a ride after work, and several miles in, i saw something fly off near the bike . I assumed i'd kicked up a bit of debris....until i got to the road and braked
No, it was a cartridge. Went back to look, but never found it. I'd forgotten to tighten it up

 

[biking_fox]

Snapped chain.
Worn out brake pads - you think they'll be ok and then halfway through the week sceeeeeechy noises happen.

A buckled wheel once or twice from hitting things.

The bonus of a hub gear is that I don't need to maintain the bike so often - the downside being brakes and cables etc all still need checking.

I've worn rims out so that they crack when you go to change a tyre - but not whilst I've actually been riding.

 

[fossyant]

Nothing that's ever meant walking in 24 years of serious cycling. The odd broken spoke (one set of wheels), a snapped gear cable near work (replaced at lunch) a frozen freehub and that's it.

A colleague had a frozen freehub recently out in the hills.....you guessed, had to pee on it.

 

[BentMikey]

Broken derailleur this weekend, although technically not communting. I had a seized jockey wheel bearing last year, managed to bodge that so it ran as a bushing for the remaining 15 miles home.

 

[Twenty Inch]

I've had a rim wear out and develop a big crack all the way around - only a couple of mm holding it together. I stopped to investigate the slight "thunk" coming from the rear brakes and saw that I was probably only a few metres from complete rear wheel collapse. Nasty moment. Took me an hour to walk the rest of the way to work.

I've had snapped chains too, and I always carry a chain tool now.

 

[Amanda P]

Unplanned deflation events.

Snapped a chain once on the way to work, but only had to walk the last half-mile or so, fortunately. Borrowed a chain tool to fix it while I was at work.

I was going to the shops at lunchtime once when a cleat bolt fell out of my shoe, leaving my left foot seemingly permanently attached to the (recumbent) bike. I decided going into the shops in one shoe and one sock would be embarassing, so went back to work.

 

[Kestevan]

Snapped chain.
Broken spokes.
Broken brake return spring.
Freewheel siezing.

A combination of crappy weather and a 25m commute with minimal maintenance has to take its toll at some point.

 

[2Loose]

Bent a rear mech hanger when a t-shirt dropped into the mech (it was sunny at the time). Fortunately Reynolds steel got bent back into shape by the LBS at the time using a huge adjustable spanner!

 

[magnatom]

My rear derailleur is failing on me now. I think it go an little bit dirty and now despite cleaning it and oiling it I have significant problems shifting up gear. In fact the only way it shifts up is if hit a bump in the road. I'm actually aiming for potholes!

So if anyone has any ideas how to fix it you could look in the know how section....

 

[J4CKO]

Recently,

Spokes mainly.

Right hand shifter stopped returning the other day, took it apart, explosion of springs, bought and fitted a new one.

Oh, locked on Avid Juicy on the hybrid when new, had to deatch the caliper and tape it out of the way, sent the bike back.



As a kid

Snapped some drops whilst accellerating, clean off at the stem, crashed into a Pole but not much damage done.

Gears in the rear wheel, snapped frame !