What's your biggest bike related mistake?

[Justinslow]

Another mistake, entering into a pro-helmet debate on here

Yeah I can relate to that,

 

[Sillyoldman]

Spd-sl are not look compatible. If you are mixing the two it might explain the problems?

Ah, I thought SPD SL was a generic term for the larger three hole cleats/pedal types. I was using (not very successfully) Look pedals and Look cleats.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

look deltas on a mountain bike. over one of those canal bridges that are cobbled, very steep (swapping the tow-path from one side to another); back wheel slid and i ended up under the bike with both feet clipped in

 

[steve50]

Mine was fairly recent, i set off for a twenty five mile early morning ride incorporating Crag Vale, I had not taken into account how cold it would be and arrived home frozen to the bone #wrong clothes#frozen knees#in pain for a week

 

[Arjimlad]

Ignored the tyre rubbing on my newly fitted mudguard for a couple of miles..new tyre needed.

 

[Profpointy]

At the age of eleven, allowing my mother to buy me a Moulton. It weighed a ton, and I could have had a really good lightweight for the 32 guineas it cost. Worst bike ever designed. Quite simply, in 1963, the bicycle was just about perfect and didn't need reinventing. I was at a grammar school at the time, and you can't imagine the derision as I had to run the gauntlet of other boys from the entrance gates to the cycle shelters. It was only the second or third Moulton to appear in the town. I think the reason behind the purchase was that my mother secretly wanted one. Well, she got mine in fairly short order. I swapped for her Phillips. Although it was a "girl's bike," it attracted less unfavourable comment from my schoolmates.

similar story for me involving Raleygh 20 folding bike pursuaded by my Dad. I knew no better and ws just desperate for a bike. So so heavy, 3 crap Sturmey archer gears agains 5 or even 10 of my pals' lightweight derailleurs. I replaced it with something resembling a pup bike some years later - which was vastly superior

 

[mjr]

So so heavy, 3 crap Sturmey archer gears agains 5 or even 10 of my pals' lightweight derailleurs.

Nothing wrong with the Sturmey which would trump a 5 and challenge a 10 if set right, but those bikes are heavy and the gears are set so high that you'd need to be doping to accelerate quickly.

 

[Sharky]

Nothing wrong with the Sturmey which would trump a 5 and challenge a 10 if set right, but those bikes are heavy and the gears are set so high that you'd need to be doping to accelerate quickly.

Before my time, but the late Vic Gibbons did quite well with a hub gear.

 

[Padraig]

On the subject of hub gears, another mistake was stripping down the AW hub on a Hercules I got for Herself. I'd never seen inside one before. Absolutely no problem to replace the pawl springs and clean and reassemble it. Also no difficulty in getting the bearings adjusted correctly. The trouble was that it was no longer oil tight. I even replaced the grease on the bearings with some special stuff, but it still leaked oil on the rear tyre. As I planned to replace the tyres, I also bought a new back wheel and built it up as a single-speed. This actually transformed it. It was much lighter and more balanced. Unfortunately, Herself preferred her MTB, so I sold it, just about recouping what I'd spent on it.

 

[snorri]

Biggest bike related mistake was during a lapse of concentration when I cycled in the left lane at a road crossing in mainland Europe. The one and only time in my cycling life when a driver has shouted anything at me other than a friendly greeting. I will be forever grateful that this young woman was able to shout and apply her brakes at the same time.

 

[mjr]

The trouble was that it was no longer oil tight.

I don't think the AW ever was completely, hence the practice of resurrecting old hubs by oil-flushing them. Wrapping newspaper around the spokes just after a refill avoids oiling the rim and tyre.

Biggest bike related mistake was during a lapse of concentration when I cycled in the left lane at a road crossing in mainland Europe.

Amen to that. I've done that in Europe and I've also ridden on the right on a main street in central Cambridge after nearly getting thrown off by a dent in the road!

 

[bonsaibilly]

Joining Cyclechat.

 

[raleighnut]

On the subject of hub gears, another mistake was stripping down the AW hub on a Hercules I got for Herself. I'd never seen inside one before. Absolutely no problem to replace the pawl springs and clean and reassemble it. Also no difficulty in getting the bearings adjusted correctly. The trouble was that it was no longer oil tight. I even replaced the grease on the bearings with some special stuff, but it still leaked oil on the rear tyre. As I planned to replace the tyres, I also bought a new back wheel and built it up as a single-speed. This actually transformed it. It was much lighter and more balanced. Unfortunately, Herself preferred her MTB, so I sold it, just about recouping what I'd spent on it.

I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to completely fill them with oil.

 

[Lonestar]

Buying cheap 5h1t brake blocks because I wasn't thinking and then using them on new rims which lead to a collision with me rear ending a moped @ Aldgate in Feb 2014.Of course the conditions suddenly became right for a brake failure with oil and water adding to the situation on a dark windy wet night.My fault of course.First time that has happened to me and it hasn't happened since.

 

[Wolf616]

I don't know what you idiots are on about, buying a the ParkTool chain cleaning thingy was one of the best ideas I ever had, it's great.

Having said that, if that was my best decision ever you can imagine the calibre of my bad decisions...