Show us your broken bits

[Donger]

It seemed to make my LBS mechanic's day when he saw the latest of a long list of metal bits I'd somehow managed to snap. He couldn't wait to get at it to see what on earth I'd done, as he'd never, in all his years, come across a snapped axle. "I'm putting this on Facebook!" he said! Glad at least he was happy.

Reckon breaking more things than most may be part and parcel of being a super-heavyweight cyclist, but even so ....!!! I've been doing a few big hills lately, and I had noticed a bit of a creak developing when pressing on the right side pedal on the steeper ones. In the end, though, it just went with a huge CRRRRUNCH!! as I accelerated away from a T junction in too high a gear, leaving both pedals hanging limply at a 6 o'clock angle. (Shimano Deore, by the way, so not a cheapjack part).
Anyone else got any extreme examples of mechanical failures to share with us?

 

[Heltor Chasca]

You are some sort of Marvel Comic superhero. I'll leave it to the panel to decide which one.

Glad you are ok; and at look on the bright side; you might have the chance to clean those chainrings.

 

[RoubaixCube]

you must have thighs like Robert Förstemann

Same guy but without the jersey and the shorts....

Your cranks couldnt handle all that power you were trying to put through the drivetrain.

 

[Drago]

Same guy but without the jersey and the shorts....

View attachment 376273

Thats actually Trey Brewer, high ranking amateur body builder. He was on the verge of turning pro and inexplicably came back quite porky one season, blowing any chance of hitting the big leagues. He's now a part time firefighter and a personal trainer.

 

[classic33]

Didn't break it in the same way the bottom. But I managed to to rotate the axle running through the SA five speed hub by over 180°. Viewed from one end to the other.

Sent it back to SA, having rung them to ask. They said it shouldn't have been possible, but.....

Replaced with no further questions.

 

[cyberknight]

 

[RoubaixCube]

Thats actually Trey Brewer, high ranking amateur body builder. He was on the verge of turning pro and inexplicably came back quite porky one season, blowing any chance of hitting the big leagues. He's now a part time firefighter and a personal trainer.

My mistake. They looked the same to me

 

[classic33]

It seemed to make my LBS mechanic's day when he saw the latest of a long list of metal bits I'd somehow managed to snap. He couldn't wait to get at it to see what on earth I'd done, as he'd never, in all his years, come across a snapped axle. "I'm putting this on Facebook!" he said! Glad at least he was happy.
View attachment 376249
Reckon breaking more things than most may be part and parcel of being a super-heavyweight cyclist, but even so ....!!! I've been doing a few big hills lately, and I had noticed a bit of a creak developing when pressing on the right side pedal on the steeper ones. In the end, though, it just went with a huge CRRRRUNCH!! as I accelerated away from a T junction in too high a gear, leaving both pedals hanging limply at a 6 o'clock angle. (Shimano Deore, by the way, so not a cheapjack part).
Anyone else got any extreme examples of mechanical failures to share with us?

View attachment 376327

Is that a common problem with hollow bottom bracket axles?

 

[Donger]

Is that a common problem with hollow bottom bracket axles?

That one looks like a clean break at the crank, though. I'm keeping the bragging rights for now, for tearing one apart with rotary force!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Never broken an axle like either of those but I have broken a crank on two separate occasions. No pics - pre digi tech it was.

 

[Donger]

Never broken an axle like either of those but I have broken a crank on two separate occasions. No pics - pre digi tech it was.

Yep. Done that, too! (Had to call Mrs Donger a couple of years back to come and get me. She was in her nightie and dressing gown at the time, and might never let me forget that one).

 

[derrick]

It seemed to make my LBS mechanic's day when he saw the latest of a long list of metal bits I'd somehow managed to snap. He couldn't wait to get at it to see what on earth I'd done, as he'd never, in all his years, come across a snapped axle. "I'm putting this on Facebook!" he said! Glad at least he was happy.

Not been a mechanic very long then

 

[CanucksTraveller]

You are a machine. (Although those chainrings look disgusting.. please tell me that's not indicative of your maintenance routine... mine look new!)

I have no broken part stories that can compete, I've snapped a few spokes but I doubt that was in any way due to the sheer awesomeness being delivered through the wheel... probably just fatigue. I've ruined a wheel rim hitting one too many potholes. Not worth recording though.

 

[stedlocks]

Boom! Top work fella!
Quick story about forstermann...I was doing a bit of fire marshalling at the Olympics and managed to blag a few days in the velodrome.....wahoo! I had access all areas (apart from female dressing rooms!) and upon carrying out a routine check of the exits early one morning, forstermann came out of the gents changing room and we met at a pair of fire doors in the corridor.......he was very small, but massively wide! He was in cycling kit (all the athletes used to cycle in from the Olympic village) and he laughed when he saw me staring at his thighs......they were physiologically wrong!!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yep. Done that, too! (Had to call Mrs Donger a couple of years back to come and get me. She was in her nightie and dressing gown at the time, and might never let me forget that one).

I'll inform Mrs Donger that i rode back on one leg on both occasions shall I?