What was your most shameful / painful ride?

[Andrew_Culture]

O.o What happened?

I think this segment sums it up nicely, KOM (so fastest) time up this hill was 13 minutes, and it took me 47 minutes!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Went for a ride with my fit but non-cycling neighbour. Me on my road bike with lycra, him with his semi-slick hardtail and jogging pants.

I had a heavy cold in the days before and was still suffering, but thinking I'd take it easy and besides, he doesn't cycle so will be slow right?

Nope. He chose a hilly route and being skinny, flew up every hill. Me, being the 'proper' cyclist couldn't be seen to be struggling, so rode harder than I should have. 7 or 8 mile into the ride I was completely spent and kept making excuses to stop for a rest like: 'need to stop cause I greased my seatpost last night but I fitted it a couple of mms too short' or 'just gotta ring home and ask if they need owt from supermarket on the way home'.

From starting off two abreast, I started falling behind until it got so bad that he'd get about 200 metres in front and then wait for me.

15 miles into the ride and with about 8 flat miles to go, he suggested that we ride flat out for the last third. I agreed but I was already riding at max effort. Very quickly he disappeared into the distant and had been waiting at the finish line for several minutes I when I got there.

I learned never to ride when feeling unwell and never to trust someone when they say 'I'll struggle to keep up with you'

Sounds identical to the mistake I made, my brother in law hadn't even been on a bike since he was a kid so I thought I'd be fine. Big mistake.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

During an off season from racing mtb's cross country I was trying to improve my downhill technique by doing a local timed run. The first run went fine, my best ever on this course but I felt I could shave off more time. Second run and I was away but too loose and out of control trying to carry too much speed. On one corner the rear started to drift and I but my inside foot down to right myself. As I was going forward my toe caught something on the inside of the corner basically pulling my foot back in the direction I'd just come. When I skidded to a halt adrenaline was really pumping and on seeing my foot at a weird angle, assumed I'd dislocated it, reached down and pulled it so it was straight with my knee again. Several minutes of punching the ground ensued while swearing loudly (sorry mum). A couple of riders who were following 2mins apart asked if they should send up the 4x4 and at the time I said yes but with having to clear the course first and then wait for the help I figured I'd be quicker riding down one legged with the banged up one flapping in the breeze. At A&E I was told I'd broken my leg and shattered my ankle requiring pins and surgery that very evening. Not a long ride but certainly my most painful.

Arg! I'm yet to have a catastrophic off on my MTB, but it's a horrible feeling knowing that it probably will happen one day, mind you, that probably won't make me slow down in the meantime...

 

[Matt1705]

A few years ago I was in a road accident and was off work for 3 months. I recovered and went back to work, but a few weeks later I had a minor bump in my car. The car was off being mended, and with my unsociable working hours transport was a problem.

This day I managed to get picked up in a works van so decided to take my bike (a very heavy dual suspension MTB) so I could cycle home.

I hadn't considered the fact I was still recovering from 3 months doing nothing so was very unfit anyway. And the journey was about 15 miles.
I can't remember how long it took me, but I had to stop countless times on the way, mainly to curse that I hadn't got any water, food or money :-(

Oh how we learn from our mistakes!!

 

[hondated]

My most painful ride was several years ago.Prior to it I had managed to complete the obligatory 100mile ride which I thought was painful but not as painful as this ride.
Several of us drove down to Alp Dhuez and cycled up it and several others in the area and then I had the foolish idea of cycling the Croix De Fer.
I set off by myself early when it was cool from Bourg Ouison and struggled up to Altamont. As I rested up at the top I could see the next long drag and so I set off. I struggled and struggled up and up telling myself that I would get there very soon.Completely shattered I took a rest at the side of the road and as I sat there another cyclist stopped and clearly seeing the vacant look in my eyes said to me that I must not give up otherwise I would regret it if I did.His encouragement came at the right time so I decided to struggle on.That was for a few miles until totally spent and knowing I had to cycle back I could do no more so I turned around and rode back to the camp site.
Once back there I was elated at just how far I had ridden but disappointed I had not achieved my goal.
Until I could return the following year I constantly thought about it and as soon as I could get back there it was my first ride.
Needless to say with a bit more struggling I finally managed to achieve my aim and I reached the Croix De Fer and I now look at the photo of my bike leaning on the wire monument with great pride.

En route to the Croix De Fer I of cause had to ride past the Glandon and I wished that it had been my target as the bit of road from there to the Croix felt so far.

Having struggled to cycle over a few mountains now I have realisedthat because I am such a bad cyclist that there will always be pain so I just need to man up and get on with it.

Now at the age of 61 I need to get as many mountains climbed as I can and for a few years now I have had this nagging feeling of riding up the Ventoux so it will have to be done sooner rather than later.

When I do attempt it I am sure that any painful ride I have ever had will pale into insignificance. All part of being a cyclist I suppose and I love it.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Well I'm impressed on several levels!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

When I started cycling again in 2010, I had 3 rides which stand out as being utterly awful for various different reasons.

The first 2 were Sky rides, and the first of the 2 was a 30 mile jaunt on the country roads round Neilston etc.
Now, anyone who's seen my bike will appreciate it attracts a bit of attention, so I felt like I needed to perform, although I have never been terribly macho, so I didn't over do it. Also, 30 miles was the most I'd cycled since starting, so I knew not to push it.

Anyway, I managed to get round most of the route relatively easily, even getting up all those hills, but I started to fade within the last 10 miles, and ended up crawling back to the start at Pollokshaws Park with some of the real beginners at the back of the pack
It wouldn't have been so bad, but I happened to meet a woman I was at College with a few years before, and she was happily whizzing about on a fixie!

Next week, the second run came along, another Skyride. This was actually the second I'd done that day after doing a 20 odd mile run round the Campsies that morning. This was one of the rides for older kids (lycra clad kids on road bikes), and I saw it as being a good opportunity for me to learn a new route at a leisurely(ish) pace.

Anyway, in short, I ended up having numerous clippless moments, mainly because I was knackered and I didn't know the route, and then I had a puncture. The ride leader helped me whilst the others rode on ahead and we started off again to catch up..... only for his front tube to explode, so I then had to chase down the pack, but becuase we had had taken so long getting me sorted out, they had gone and left us behind for good.

The ride leader was NOT impressed, so we gave up and somehow manged to cram both our bikes into the back of a taxi and headed back to the station!

I hadn't been feeling entirely well during that ride, and was feeling a bit run down for the next week until I did the 3rd, the 2010 Pedal For Scotland Ride. 51 miles, which I managed to do in a perfectly respectable time, even meeting a fellow CCer on the way.
All was well, except that yet again I was flagging by the time I got to Edinburgh Airport, but I manged it.

I got home, and slept like a baby..... And woke up the next morning feeling like I had had 6 shades of s*it kicked out of me, which rapidly got worse.

A couple of weeks later I was at deaths door and was only saved after having major surgery.

 

[Nihal]

All was well, except that yet again I was flagging by the time I got to Edinburgh Airport, but I manged it.

I got home, and slept like a baby..... And woke up the next morning feeling like I had had 6 shades of s*it kicked out of me, which rapidly got worse.

A couple of weeks later I was at deaths door and was only saved after having major surgery.

Sorry

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'd like to point out I'm liking the write up, not the fact you ended up at deaths door & having to have major surgery.

What happened? (If you want to tell us that is).

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I'd like to point out I'm liking the write up, not the fact you ended up at deaths door & having to have major surgery.

What happened? (If you want to tell us that is).

I'd been having dia... dio... Dire Rear for about the week between the last Sky Ride and the Pedal For Scotland run, and every time I ate anything it was bloody sore (I remember being doubled over at one of the food stops on the Pedal For Scotland, but it probably just looked like I was stretching or similar).
I was supposed to stop at another food stop and meet another CCer, but to be honest, I just couldn't face it so I carried on instead

Turns out it was severe Ulcerative Colitis which just came out of the blue. They tried to treat me with drugs first, but in the end, they had to remove my large intestine, which was.... Interesting - I even asked if they could take a picture of it (as you do), so I have the photo if anyone want to see it! Ha ha!!

The intestine ruptured at one point but somehow resealed itself, and it was about to merge with my bladder by the time they removed it. I should be having the reversal op later this year using my small intestine instead, but one bonus of it currently is that I can't fart! .

Ah yes, the risks of cycling, eh? Some people get hit by cars, whereas I get myself gutted!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

There is no emoticon to accurately describe how shocked I am!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Turns out it was severe Ulcerative Colitis which just came out of the blue. They tried to treat me with drugs first, but in the end, they had to remove my large intestine, which was.... Interesting - I even asked if they could take a picture of it (as you do), so I have the photo if anyone want to see it! Ha ha!!

I think we'll be happy with just the description, thanks!

but one bonus of it currently is that I can't fart! .

Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.

Ah yes, the risks of cycling, eh? Some people get hit by cars, whereas I get myself gutted!

Sometimes you just can't win. I hope the reversal op goes well.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

There is no emoticon to accurately describe how shocked I am!

Don't worry about it, sh*t happens..... Or not in my case!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Say, do any of you drink the blackcurrent/berry innocent smoothies?

Mixed up with all that blood, what was coming out of me was soon very similar in appearance!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Say, do any of you drink the Blackcurrent/berry innocent smoothies?

Not after today we won't.