Rare mechanicals

[Pale Rider]

A thread for mechanical failures which are rare.

I once snapped a pedal.

That happens very occasionally, but I was surprised mine went on level ground when I was applying very little pressure.

A friend had a saddle rail break - never heard of that before.

Branded saddle, he's no fattie, but for whatever reason the rail snapped.

Any other rare mechanicals?

 

[Drago]

According to The Times, yesterdays plane crash wiped out a couple of cyclists. Jet fighter induced mechanical are the rarest of the rare.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

1) I snapped a handlebar as a kid on a cheapy BMX bike doing a wheelie.

2) I stopped to help a lad looking puzzled at his bike a while back.

He'd snapped the seat bolt. I carry a few bits and bobs but that was beyond me.

Luckily we were 5 minutes from Evans @ Mcr Velodrome, he had no idea they were there so I'm claiming it as a sort of good deed.

 

[Garry A]

My bike broke in half when I was about 8 or 9, just came apart. Front half went one way and the rear another.

 

[classic33]

Managed to twist a SA 5-speed axle through 90°. Sent it back, they'd not come across it before.

 

[Houthakker]

Years ago I had a handlebar stem break on a downhill run into the Welsh village we were living in. The bolt held it together but moving the bars had no effect on the front wheel. Was too scared to apply the brakes so just coasted until the speed ran out. Fortunately a very quite day on the roads.

 

[Accy cyclist]

My alloy handlebar stem ripped apart the other month. I'd just been saying to someone how "these bikes are made to last" then as i pulled back on the bars the bike lost control and i nearly came off. I thought my bars had come loose but on inspection the 18 year old stem had gone. I managed to ride home with the bars at 45 degree angle(how many what the hell is that?! looks did i get) Funnily enough i was looking at it a few days before wondering how long these things last. Much as i tried i couldn't remove it as it's welded itself to the frame having not moved for 18 years, so the bike had been binned.

 

[oldroadman]

Not one of my own, I witnessed a rider (GB) snap his handlebars in half on very steep section of a big climb in Wales during a Milk Race (may have been Devil's Elbow). Unperturbed, he sat back down and climbed in the saddle for several minutes until the car got to him for a bike change. Still finished in the first third of the peloton at Aberwstwyth or Llandudno, can't recall which, memory fading with old age!
And it's raining again, out this afternoon perhaps....

 

[raleighnut]

I once had a brake arm snap in half.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 3867555, member: 9609"]Approaching a junction on a steep hill I snapped the nipple off my rear brake cable - thankfully a switched on driver spotted something was wrong and stopped instead of crashing into me, I did manage to stop with the front brake but went over the handlebars and amazingly landed on my feet in front of the car.
Have never had entire confidence with bike brakes since.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I had the bottom jockey wheel fall off the rear mech years ago and more recently a Shimano pedal decided to detach itself from the spindle, still clipped to my shoe.

 

[Drago]

I've had pedals come off spindles before as a kid, probably down to sheer abuse. Don't think I've ever had anything especially unusual happen to me though.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Crank sheared off the tricross a couple of weeks ago

 

[Shortmember]

The bottom bracket assembly on an 18 speed Peugeot Puma I was riding disintegrated and shed its components onto the road.

 

[gbb]

I had the bottom jockey wheel fall off the rear mech years ago .....

Ditto. 5mm bolt fell out, nut had obviously gone shortly before. 5 miles from home, took me an eternity.