# What's your biggest bike related mistake?



## Sillyoldman (21 Oct 2015)

mine is going from SPD cleats/pedals to SPD-SL. I have been trying to love my Look pedals all summer (and about 1500 miles) but for some reason I just can't get the hang of them. I just can't clip in quickly and accurately and have had a few little twitchy botty moments.

Have decided to give up on them. Might give Speedplays a go next summer, but on the winter steed it is back to SPD.


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## Sharky (21 Oct 2015)

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


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## slowmotion (21 Oct 2015)

Drinking seven pints of Adnams, aged twenty, at the college bar, and taking a fast , gentle downhill bend at speed. The brick wall came out of nowhere, honest...


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## Accy cyclist (21 Oct 2015)

I had £1500 going spare. I set off on my bike to a bike shop about 10 miles away where i'd seen a Bianchi bling machine in the window, reduced from £2000 to £1300. I intended to buy the bike and return later in my car to pick it up. On my way an old Audi convertible (for sale) caught my eye. Something inside told me that i was now an old man and should be taking it easy, so i ended up buying the car and not the bike. I went out in the car but every time i was out i'd see someone riding a road bike and i'd think WTF am i doing in this thing? when i could be out there enjoying myself.


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## Fab Foodie (21 Oct 2015)

Starting cycling ....


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## swansonj (21 Oct 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> Starting cycling ....


Nah, starting cycling wasn't the problem, it was finding Cyclechat...


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## User32269 (21 Oct 2015)

Not pressing ignore button on SC&P section sooner.


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## mustang1 (21 Oct 2015)

Not taking cycling seriously enough to alter my diet for better gains. 

Spending a tad too much money, only a tad, on experimental stuff.

Throwing away my MTB and road bikes because they were old.


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## Mo1959 (21 Oct 2015)

Buying a mountain bike that I've hardly touched.


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## bpsmith (21 Oct 2015)

Paying full price for anything.


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## shouldbeinbed (21 Oct 2015)

A few bikes I've had and got rid of prematurely over minor fixable niggles when there was a pretty n+1 that I needed money or space for. A pretty nondescript Peugeot roadie that I converted to a flat bar flyer is my biggest regret.

Buying my 2nd hand Coppi roadie convincing myself I could make its 54 frame fit my min 56 body properly comfortably, just about but not for hours of riding.

Letting my lakadasical eldest son borrow a couple of bikes that he managed to have stolen while in his care. My Revolution Cross 10 being his most egregious loss.


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## mjr (21 Oct 2015)

Swerving side to side to clean mud off my road bike's front tyre before it flung off onto me, running off the left edge of the tarmac and sprawling back right across it.


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## Milkfloat (21 Oct 2015)

Aged 11, taking on the 'double woops' during a regional BMX race - probably a bit too early for me to attempt that one. Spending a shed load of money (for me) during the 90s on some downhill titanium bars - bike was for XC . Buying a Trek 1200 SL unseen, did not fit and was painful to ride. I keep making mistakes, it's fun.


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## clid61 (21 Oct 2015)

None . Made loads of mistakes but learned and still learning from all of them .


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## Globalti (21 Oct 2015)

Buying a chain cleaner bath thingy; what a waste of money..


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## Venod (21 Oct 2015)

After riding fixed for a mumber of years (so very used to it) I rode 10 mile into a terrific headwind, I turned right out of the wind into a sheltered lane and immediately relaxed, it threw me off, resulting in damaged knee, split finger nail & dented confidence in riding a fixie.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (21 Oct 2015)

Not going disc braked sooner (road)


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## Joffey (21 Oct 2015)

Getting mortal drunk the night before the Ride 100 Sportive this year. Ended up doing 112 miles with a belter of a hangover.


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## Markymark (21 Oct 2015)

Joining Cyclechat. You guys are dragging me down with your stupidity.


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## Drago (21 Oct 2015)

Buying a Spesh Carve 29 HT without riding it first.


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## Profpointy (21 Oct 2015)

slowmotion said:


> Drinking seven pints of Adnams, aged twenty, at the college bar, and taking a fast , gentle downhill bend at speed. The brick wall came out of nowhere, honest...



you just needed more practice


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## tyred (21 Oct 2015)

Last winter's project - building an old 501 framed mountain bike with a Shimano 8 speed hub and dynohub, racks back and front, expensive German lights. I wanted an all-rounder. Truth is it cost a lot of money and I've hardly ridden it.

Not a bad bike really but I have other bikes that do specific tasks better...


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## Smokin Joe (21 Oct 2015)

Globalti said:


> Buying a chain cleaner bath thingy; what a waste of money..


I've made that mistake twice. The most useless pile of bike related crap ever made.

And buying an MTB. Hated it with a passion and gave it away eventually.


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## Gixxerman (21 Oct 2015)

Spying a cheap Trek Madone 5.2 in the LBS window (about £1500 or so If I recall). Thought must be an old one that they can't get rid of or having a clearout. Too good to miss so in I went to buy it. Turns out the sticker price was just for the wheels. "Ah I see, thanks" (walks out with tail between legs and red face).


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## mustang1 (21 Oct 2015)

Globalti said:


> Buying a chain cleaner bath thingy; what a waste of money..


Dude, I bought three of them! They were all rubbish. Buuuuut that could be coz I was using muc off expandable degreaser/cleaner thingie, instead of the proper stuff. I was adamant I didn't want to waste money in a degreaser, but instead wasted it on more chain baths!

Its a bit like buying various gasoline cars, putting diesel in them, then wondering why all these modern cars suck.


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## mustang1 (21 Oct 2015)

Gixxerman said:


> Spying a cheap Trek Madone 5.2 in the LBS window (about £1500 or so If I recall). Thought must be an old one that they can't get rid of or having a clearout. Too good to miss so in I went to buy it. Turns out the sticker price was just for the wheels. "Ah I see, thanks" (walks out with tail between legs and red face).


Haha. Mrs Mustang caught me eyeing some wheels a few years ago. They were £3000 but she read it as £30.00 and said I should get them as they'll make my bike look real good. I told her for three grand theyll make my bike go like a bat outta hell. 

Three grand? For wheels? Who the hell pays that for wheels! The car costs less than that!

Then I introduced her to cyclechat explaining at least half of the weridos here would happily pay for those wheels!


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## gavintc (21 Oct 2015)

User32269 said:


> Not pressing ignore button on SC&P section sooner.


That is so true.


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## gavintc (21 Oct 2015)

I was new into road cycling and spotted a pair of cheap, light and aero wheels. After riding them for a couple of months, I realised that you can't get; cheap, light and aero. They flexed horribly and were nota good purchase.


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## TheJDog (21 Oct 2015)

Trying to hop the back wheel up a kerb with the front brake on


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## ianrauk (21 Oct 2015)

Smokin Joe said:


> I've made that mistake twice. The most useless pile of bike related crap ever made.



I think most of us have made that mistake.
Useless crap they are,


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## MrGrumpy (21 Oct 2015)

Dismantling a pair of 105 shifters as I could not feed the new cables through. Needless to say they were scrap, lesson learned!


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## ianrauk (21 Oct 2015)

MrGrumpy said:


> Dismantling a pair of 105 shifters as I could not feed the new cables through. Needless to say they were scrap, lesson learned!




I did this with a broken one just to see how they worked.
Buggered if I could get it back together.


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## ianrauk (21 Oct 2015)

User14044mountain said:


> Getting seduced by @vernon
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You too?


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## Lonestar (21 Oct 2015)

Probably buying the Brompton in 2014 but no I ain't selling.

On the flip side,buying the fixies (2010 and 2013) have been my biggest successes.


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## Joffey (21 Oct 2015)

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


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## bpsmith (21 Oct 2015)

Not buying a Chain Cleaner earlier.


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## GrumpyGregry (21 Oct 2015)

Buying a full-boinger that I've ridden twice and which takes up valuable shed space.
Buying an ali-framed ss/fixed because it was £99 cheaper than the steel framed one. It was £1000 more uncomfortable but I didn't find that out until I bought a steel one.
Buying a steel ss/fixed in cph when I should have got a three speed sit-up-and-beg mobile more in keeping with the style of cycling here.


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## Moodyman (21 Oct 2015)

Buying the wrong size bike ( on the advice of an unscrupulous seller) when I first took up cycling.


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## WelshJon (21 Oct 2015)

-Building a high spec mountain bike without realizing the effort it takes to actually go mountain biking, compared to riding straight out the door with the road bike. Have been thinking of buying a small van to make, and convince myself to go, surely another mistake waiting to happen.

-Buying a racy geometry bike
-Buying lots of cheap gear, instead of investing in 1-2 bits of higher quality kit.

-Thinking that all groups are 20mph avg. race heads
-Not taking advantage of great cycle routes I have locally, eg the gower peninsular and the brecon beacons.


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## contadino (21 Oct 2015)

I reckon I've made my biggest mistake but don't know about it yet...and I've made some big'uns that I know of over the years.


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## galaxy (21 Oct 2015)

Giving up for 20 years and missing all those rides.


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## Easytigers (21 Oct 2015)

Sillyoldman said:


> mine is going from SPD cleats/pedals to SPD-SL. I have been trying to love my Look pedals all summer (and about 1500 miles) but for some reason I just can't get the hang of them. I just can't clip in quickly and accurately and have had a few little twitchy botty moments.
> 
> Have decided to give up on them. Might give Speedplays a go next summer, but on the winter steed it is back to SPD.


Went through exactly the same thing - back to SPDs


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## Padraig (21 Oct 2015)

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.


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## Smokin Joe (21 Oct 2015)

I wish I had every pound back that I spent on utterly useless mini pumps over the years. Modern offerings are pretty good, but up to fairly recent years 99% of the offerings would have had trouble inflating a balloon.


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## jonny jeez (21 Oct 2015)

Throwing my first road bike into a skip when I moved out of my parents. I knew nowt about bike then and just wanted to clear out "clutter"

it was a beautiful Peugeot touring ad bike....which looked a lot like this. Almost identical in fact


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## Justinslow (21 Oct 2015)

Joffey said:


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


Yeah I can relate to that,


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## Sillyoldman (21 Oct 2015)

Sharky said:


> 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.


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## alecstilleyedye (21 Oct 2015)

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


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## steve50 (22 Oct 2015)

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


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## Arjimlad (22 Oct 2015)

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


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## Profpointy (22 Oct 2015)

Padraig said:


> 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


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## mjr (22 Oct 2015)

Profpointy said:


> 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.


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## Sharky (22 Oct 2015)

mjray said:


> 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.


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## Padraig (22 Oct 2015)

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.


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## snorri (22 Oct 2015)

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.


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## mjr (22 Oct 2015)

Padraig said:


> 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.


snorri said:


> 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!


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## bonsaibilly (22 Oct 2015)

Joining Cyclechat.


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## raleighnut (22 Oct 2015)

Padraig said:


> 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.


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## Lonestar (22 Oct 2015)

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.


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## Wolf616 (22 Oct 2015)

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...


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## pawl (22 Oct 2015)

Sillyoldman said:


> mine is going from SPD cleats/pedals to SPD-SL. I have been trying to love my Look pedals all summer (and about 1500 miles) but for some reason I just can't get the hang of them. I just can't clip in quickly and accurately and have had a few little twitchy botty moments.
> 
> Have decided to give up on them. Might give Speedplays a go next summer, but on the winter steed it is back to SPD.


Falling off and breaking my collar bone.Still not healed properly,as I have 90% movement back surgeon is reluctant to operate


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## Tin Pot (22 Oct 2015)

Sillyoldman said:


> mine is going from SPD cleats/pedals to SPD-SL. I have been trying to love my Look pedals all summer (and about 1500 miles) but for some reason I just can't get the hang of them. I just can't clip in quickly and accurately and have had a few little twitchy botty moments.
> 
> Have decided to give up on them. Might give Speedplays a go next summer, but on the winter steed it is back to SPD.




Joining cyclechat.

I thought cyclists were quite a nice bunch up til then.


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## GrumpyGregry (22 Oct 2015)

mjray said:


> 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.
> 
> 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!


Confession time: I recently did the opposite. Last time I was back in the UK I went to the pub. Cycled the whole way home, it isn't far, on the right hand i.e. wrong side of the road. No cars thank goodness.


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## Padraig (22 Oct 2015)

Of course I didn't fill the AW with oil. I injected whatever amount was recommended, either by Sheldon or some Sturmey Archer site, of which there seem to be plenty. I recall that, when I stripped down the AW originally, it only contained grease, although its date (1982, from memory) suggested it had originally been an oil hub. In fact, it had the oil cap, so it must have been. Possibly an earlier owner had had trouble with it shedding oil. They're very ingenious things, but I don't see myself having another. I quite like the idea of single-speed. I planned to build the Bob Jackson as a single-speed, but I couldn't get the chain tension quite right.


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## Profpointy (22 Oct 2015)

mjray said:


> 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.



well apart from only have 3 gears, alipping out of gear if you put any welly down, and being left for dead by anyone with a 5 speed never mind 10


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## Profpointy (22 Oct 2015)

Wolf616 said:


> 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...




selling mine was a good decision.

Realising you didn't actually need to clean chains with solvents was an ecer better on


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## Sara_H (22 Oct 2015)

Smokin Joe said:


> I've made that mistake twice. The most useless pile of bike related crap ever made.
> 
> And buying an MTB. Hated it with a passion and gave it away eventually.


Me too! I've bought two! They rubbish!


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## Sara_H (22 Oct 2015)

Smokin Joe said:


> I've made that mistake twice. The most useless pile of bike related crap ever made.
> 
> And buying an MTB. Hated it with a passion and gave it away eventually.


Me too! I've bought two! They rubbish!


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## Saluki (22 Oct 2015)

Biggest bike related mistake was locking my Tri bike up, with 2 D locks to rings cemented into the wall. The rings were in a galvanised bike box that was bolted to the wall and floor and was padlocked with 3 good quality, insurance company approved locks.
This was not the mistake bit. The mistake was going on holiday with a pal for a week. When I came back, the bike, and the galvy bike box were gone. Vanished into thin air. The ex said that he had no idea where they had gone.

As there were no signs of a break in, the concrete shed door mortice lock and deadbolts had not been forced or damaged, the insurance company were not interested (I worked there and ran it past my pal in the claims department and they don't pay out for having a deadbeat husband). I lost over £1000 of bike and a very expensive bike box as well.

My next bike mistake was a Apollo XC-26. It was free and I overpaid at that! Bloody thing.


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## Hip Priest (22 Oct 2015)

Sillyoldman said:


> 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.



Funnily enough, it might be worth swapping for SPD-SL. I've been using Look Keo for the last few months as my new bike came with them, and I'm still finding them a bit tricky to clip into first time. Whereas previously I'd used SPD-SL with nowhere near as much difficulty.


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## mickle (22 Oct 2015)

I wrecked the internals of a three speed Torpedo hub by failing to check the dropouts. And then, having replaced the entire guts, replaced the wheel and took it for a spin. I applied the brake to discover that Id forgotten to afix the coaster brake's torque arm and the whole thing promptly wound itself around the axle and ground to a halt. Seized solid. Ouch. Doh.


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## mickle (22 Oct 2015)

Leaving a whole bike's worth of stupidly expensive gold anodized SRP bolts in a bowl of Muck-Off to soak.


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## mickle (22 Oct 2015)

Trying to squeeze a too wide Sante hub into Richard Ballantine's brand new hand-made Dursley Pedersen. It broke at the seat stay bridge.


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## Bollo (22 Oct 2015)

mickle said:


> I wrecked the internals of a three speed Torpedo hub by failing to check the dropouts. And then, having replaced the entire guts, replaced the wheel and took it for a spin. I applied the brake to discover that Id forgotten to afix the coaster brake's torque arm and the whole thing promptly wound itself around the axle and ground to a halt. Seized solid. Ouch. Doh.





mickle said:


> Leaving a whole bike's worth of stupidly expensive gold anodized SRP bolts in a bowl of Muck-Off to soak.





mickle said:


> Trying to squeeze a too wide Sante hub into Richard Ballantine's brand new hand-made Dursley Pedersen. It broke at the seat stay bridge.


There's a bit of me that wants to book a service just to see what the feck happens.


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## mjr (22 Oct 2015)

Profpointy said:


> well apart from only have 3 gears, alipping out of gear if you put any welly down, and being left for dead by anyone with a 5 speed never mind 10


Its gears are wider spaced than on a derailleur (that's what the W in AW is) and it only slips out of gear if you've got the cable tension wrong (or broken the hub) but if you can't maintain and don't understand what you're riding, of course you'll get left for dead by those who do...


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## mjr (22 Oct 2015)

Bollo said:


> There's a bit of me that wants to book a service just to see what the feck happens.


Service? Last rites, perhaps!


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## AndyRM (23 Oct 2015)

[QUOTE 3967030, member: 45"]Agreeing to try to assemble an old friend's mail-order Jorvik trike.[/QUOTE]

Oh dear. I take it you've not got very far with them then?

In a foolish act of bravado, I attempted a fairly serious downhill course on a Raleigh Activator, demolishing the front of the bike, my left clavicle and several small trees when it all went inevitably wrong...


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## AndyRM (23 Oct 2015)

[QUOTE 3967171, member: 45"]All I will say is, this is the front light that came in the box. That's a front light. A simple battery light...





[/QUOTE]

Oh...

Oh dear.


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## sidevalve (23 Oct 2015)

[QUOTE 3964476, member: 45"]Thinking that a Brooks saddle was a good idea.[/QUOTE]
BLASPHEMY !!!!!!! 
My mistake was giving up riding for 30 years.


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## jefmcg (23 Oct 2015)

AndyRM said:


> clavicle


Yup, that's the key word in my biggest mistake.


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## Smokin Joe (23 Oct 2015)

Spending an evening trying to force a reluctant rim tape onto a Campag Vento wheel. After it eventually snapped, slapping me in the face as it did so. I then read the legend on the tape - 650B.


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## RegG (23 Oct 2015)

Unclipping my left foot then trying to put my right foot (still clipped in) to the ground......... Ouch!


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## tobykenobi (23 Oct 2015)

Easytigers said:


> Went through exactly the same thing - back to SPDs



Got some new shoes this summer and went from SPDs to SPD-SL at the same time. The shoes are great (the old pair were heavy and falling apart) but still not getting on with the SPD-SLs. It's not getting out of them (been using SPDs for years) but getting into them. 

My old pedals were double-sided so just had to stamp down and click in. With the SLs have to flip the pedal with your toe and make sure it's the right way up. 

As soon as I have checked that the new shoes will do SPDs, I think I'll switch back.


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## Scot on a bike (26 Oct 2015)

Taking bike fit advice from a Halfords employee


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## Buck (26 Oct 2015)

Not starting cycling sooner


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## Psycolist (27 Oct 2015)

Getting suckered into taking a trip through what I thought was surface mud churned by farm machinery, to find it so deep in places, my rear derailleur went under. The good thing was that with my very wide ratio gearing I was able to continue riding instead of putting feet down. Had to throw the chain away and replace the jockies.. Lucky to save the derailleur I suppose.


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## Postmanhat (30 Oct 2015)

Trying to use The Force to kerb-hop at 20mph on Tuesday. Next time I'll just take my rain-soaked glasses off so I can see properly.

Christ, bruised ribs are debilitating


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## midlife (30 Oct 2015)

Grass track racing 

Shaun


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## Haydena (22 Oct 2016)

[QUOTE 3967171, member: 45"]All I will say is, this is the front light that came in the box. That's a front light. A simple battery light...




[/QUOTE]
I have read a none Jorvik trike article about a trike kit that came from china with the same unit,mmmm makes me think, and yes I have become a victim of Jorvik!


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## shouldbeinbed (23 Oct 2016)

Sturmey Archer X-RD5w

Even in the fetid murk of SA 5 speeds being generally poor in comparison to their other offerings, this thing stunk the place out.


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## Shut Up Legs (23 Oct 2016)

Being born in a country that hates cyclists.


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## Justinslow (23 Oct 2016)

Shut Up Legs said:


> Being born in a country that hates cyclists.


Could be worse.....


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## rideswithmoobs (23 Oct 2016)

How very apt this thread is. Recently bought an MTB. Should have got a cheap one and tried it but oh no I had to get an expensive one and now I wish I'd bought an adventure bike instead. A lot of money wasted/lost that could have purchased a very nice bike I would enjoy a lot more


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## Sandra6 (23 Oct 2016)

Letting son no2 borrow my bike!


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## 400bhp (23 Oct 2016)

Currently, it's trying to help a fledgling cycle club run itself properly.


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## fossyant (23 Oct 2016)

Years ago. Moved from clips and straps to clipless, but it was before 'float'. Mistake. Bought Dura Ace 7400 Looks and my knees hated them. Sold the pedals on, went back to clips and straps, then moved to Look with float once they came out. Bought Campag Record Carbon and my knees liked them. Stuck with Look Delta since.

It's like saddles !!


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## Will Spin (23 Oct 2016)

Riding my Mavic Ksyrsium wheels in all weathers, though the muddiest lanes in West Sussex and Hampshire and finding that the rear wheel rim had worn out in less than 1 year.


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## vickster (23 Oct 2016)

Probably coming off in Sept 2009 and doing irreparable damage to my left knee


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## Haydena (26 Oct 2016)

Haydena said:


> I have read a none Jorvik trike article about a trike kit that came from china with the same unit,mmmm makes me think, and yes I have become a victim of Jorvik!


My Jorvik Trike came with this front light that describes its self as a lock.


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## Oldbloke (26 Oct 2016)

Riding my MTB in my 50's under the misconception that I was 15 years old


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## Mad Doug Biker (26 Oct 2016)

Selling my 1967 Claude Butler Saphire (that I bought from @biggs682 ages ago) to my brother - The powers that be said I needed to get rid of a bike, and I need the money, but he has just sent me this picture after doing a bit of work on it, although it isn't quite finished yet (admittedly I never did enough work on it due to various reasons - I have had a depression of sorts and have not done anything much in a long time, so the bike is going to where it will be appreciated, but.... Still....).

I want it back, and I have told him that if he doesn't want it any more, to let me know! :


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## Salar (26 Oct 2016)

Two mistakes,

1. Letting my son borrow my lovely 1993 rigid Kona Cinder Cone in the later 90's and having it returned with the forks pointing the wrong way and the head tube ripped following his mad downhill exploits.

2. During a house move throwing away my old Raleigh Flyer, the purple one from the 70's, not a special or quality bike, but all I could afford in the mid 70's.

I was supposed to be buying the ex wifes engagement ring with the money I'd saved but the Flyer was too much of a temptation and made much more sense.
Lots of memories and many miles spent on that 5 speed bike.


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## MrGrumpy (26 Oct 2016)

Made a lot of bicycle related mistakes :-) however worst one was clearing the table top jump back in 83 on a borrowed BMX. Didn't end well , hospital job to get stitches put in , bike was ok and it was one hell of a jump cleared lots of air !


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## Mad Doug Biker (26 Oct 2016)

Oh and getting rid of the first bike I ever got brand new, a 1996 Raleigh Max Ogre MTB (which I got for Christmas in 1996 aged 14). It was nothing special, and it was a wreck after years of use and abuse (I never cleaned it properly so it rusted eventually, a lesson I have now learned), but, still.
I was wanting to get it done up and had taken it all apart, but the frame was thrown out during one of my Dad's mad 'lets get rid of everything' moods.

I still have various pieces for future use if I ever buy another, but it just isn't the same.

It was one of these, but only in Silver, a (probably) bigger frame and without the twist gear change grips, mine had the normal gear changers:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=112178406379&globalID=EBAY-GB


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## Mad Doug Biker (26 Oct 2016)

MrGrumpy said:


> Made a lot of bicycle related mistakes :-) however worst one was clearing the table top jump back in 83 on a borrowed BMX. Didn't end well , hospital job to get stitches put in , bike was ok and it was one hell of a jump cleared lots of air !



So THAT is why you now sound like a woman??


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## marknotgeorge (26 Oct 2016)

As a small boy in the early 80s, I convinced my dad that the Raleigh Chopper I'd seen in a local junk shop was just like my Tomahawk, but with gears. He bought it, stripped it down, got his mate in the body shop to spray it a lurid shade of orange, and fixed it up.

It was really too big. He had to take the springs off the sissy car and chop down the seat post. The gears never worked properly either.


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## palinurus (26 Oct 2016)

Riding through a puddle.


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## johnnyb47 (26 Oct 2016)

When I was a youngster my dad spent most of waking days in the pub and it was left to me to try and keep my bike in a serviceable condition. At the age of ten my mechanical knowledge was very limited but I still have a go and try and fix my old Raleigh Arena with disastrous effects. Punctures were the first challenge ..I remember repairing the tube ,fitting it back together only for the tyre to go down again. After about ten attempts I realised I should of pulled the thorn out of the tyre to stop it re puncturing the tyre dohhhh ! Another stupid mistake I learnt not to do was to take my bike to the local petrol station and pump up the tyres with the air line. When your a kid you learn the hard way and i blew a great big hole in the tyre. It was one hell of of bang when it let go. Buying crappy lights back in the 80s was another big mistake and waste of money. As a teenager I would get sucked into all the hype on the packaging stating how fantastic they were and was easily parted with my pocket money. Its amazing though by how much you learn by your mistakes. After many years of trial and errors in now quite competent at bike and car repairs :-))


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## Haydena (27 Oct 2016)

Haydena said:


> I have read a none Jorvik trike article about a trike kit that came from china with the same unit,mmmm makes me think, and yes I have become a victim of Jorvik!


This is the description of a front light that came with my Jorvik Trike, here is my picture


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## Kajjal (28 Oct 2016)

in the days before safer forks riding at speed, pulling a wheelie, and watching the front wheel drop out as the qr wasn't done up ......

You only need to do that once.

Also down a steep rocky downhill on an early 1990's rigid mountain bike rapidly accelerating with the brakes full on due to the useless cantilever brakes. My mates thought I was a legend as I tore away from them at high speed, I thought I was going to die. Quickly got a replacement bike with v-brakes on which meant I could now stop.


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## rrarider (28 Oct 2016)

I wish I knew what mistake I made 2 years ago when out on my bike, so that I don't make the same mistake again. Whatever I did caused a traumatic brain injury and put me in intensive care for 4 days. Several days of post-traumatic amnesia wiped that whole day and several following from my memory. I have no ill-effects now and my bike had hardly a mark on it when I eventually recovered it from a police station some weeks later. There was no vehicle involved according to the police, so I can take comfort from the fact that there was no one to blame except myself.


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## raleighnut (28 Oct 2016)

rrarider said:


> I wish I knew what mistake I made 2 years ago when out on my bike, so that I don't make the same mistake again. Whatever I did caused a traumatic brain injury and put me in intensive care for 4 days. Several days of post-traumatic amnesia wiped that whole day and several following from my memory. I have no ill-effects now and my bike had hardly a mark on it when I eventually recovered it from a police station some weeks later. There was no vehicle involved according to the police, so I can take comfort from the fact that there was no one to blame except myself.


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## GuyBoden (28 Oct 2016)

Stopping cycling for years, due to work commitments.........


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## Eribiste (29 Oct 2016)

Taking the front wheel off my bike so as to be able to load the bike in the back of the car after a 100 mile sportive. 

Then driving off, leaving the front wheel behind.

The obvious mistake here was driving to the sportive start rather than riding there, had I done that, I wouldn't have finished up with a unicycle.


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## RichardB (29 Oct 2016)

Fast commuting through Hull city centre in about 1983. Filtering at speed on the left past a queue of cars, saw some roadworks on my left, but failed to give them enough clearance and hooked the left handlebar over the tape. Landed on my back in a muddy trench, after a triple somersault with pike and twist. No damage, nobody cared, so I put the bike upright and carried on.


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## Sunny Portrush (29 Oct 2016)

Forgetting to burn the receipt for the bike I bought last month.......


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## Slick (29 Oct 2016)

Sunny Portrush said:


> Forgetting to burn the receipt for the bike I bought last month.......


School boy error, shame on you.


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## iancity (29 Oct 2016)

Thinking "ROAD CLOSED" signs were only for the benefit of cars


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## RichK (30 Oct 2016)

Stopping cycling in my mid twenties & not starting again till my early forties


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## si_c (30 Oct 2016)

Letting a mate secure our MTBs to the back of his car before a days riding in North Wales. Watching them subsequently fall under an HGV was painful.

His bike was worse off but that was hardly a consolation given the top tube of mine was flat.


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## Shut Up Legs (30 Oct 2016)

RichK said:


> Stopping cycling in my mid twenties & not starting again till my early forties


I made a similar mistake and all but quit cycling for several years, drank too much, ate badly, etc. When I started cycling again my health improved drastically, my blood pressure lowered, my weight dropped about 20%, my cholesterol lowered, and overall things improved. I love cycling.


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## sarahale (30 Oct 2016)

Once on the way to LBS I went for a little extra ride. A guy was cleaning up a mountain of leaves and turns out the road was like sheet ice due to the gunky leaf residue left behind. I did not realise this, bike went one way and I went the other. 

Turned up to bike shop with a broken derailer, glass in my hand and covered in manky leaf slime. The guy in the shop fixed up my bike whilst I went to the walk in to get all the glass removed.


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## Slick (30 Oct 2016)

RichK said:


> Stopping cycling in my mid twenties & not starting again till my early forties



I think most of us will have a similar story to tell as our focus changed from enjoying life to trying to be successful in our work life, before finally realising life's way too short and we had the right idea the first time.

My wife has a great saying for dealing with niggling regret.

Don't go back as the person you are now.


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## mjr (30 Oct 2016)

Eribiste said:


> Then driving off, leaving the front wheel behind.
> 
> The obvious mistake here was driving to the sportive start rather than riding there, had I done that, I wouldn't have finished up with a unicycle.


Always always always lean the front wheel against the driver's door.


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## RichardB (30 Oct 2016)

Sunny Portrush said:


> Forgetting to burn the receipt for the bike I bought last month.......


Not my joke, but: "My greatest fear is that I die and my wife sells all my bikes for what I told her I had paid for them."


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## LincsBlue (30 Oct 2016)

Having a 25 plus year break from cycling...making up for it now.


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## Biff600 (1 Nov 2016)

Borrowing my mates 'brand new for Christmas' Raleigh Chopper in the 70's, riding on the pavement and straight into a car door that magically opened right in front of me. I went through the gap in the handlebars into the drivers window, resulting in a broken nose and collarbone. The bike was unrideable and I had to pay for the damage out of my hard-earned paper round. Hence from that day on, I've never ridden on a footpath


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## theFire (1 Nov 2016)

Not tightening the clamp properly on my Brompton before riding off on Friday...


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## Slick (1 Nov 2016)

Biff600 said:


> Borrowing my mates 'brand new for Christmas' Raleigh Chopper in the 70's, riding on the pavement and straight into a car door that magically opened right in front of me. I went through the gap in the handlebars into the drivers window, resulting in a broken nose and collarbone. The bike was unrideable and I had to pay for the damage out of my hard-earned paper round. Hence from that day on, I've never ridden on a footpath


I never broke any bones, but I do remember my feet slipping off those pedals and tearing the jewels on that gear stick. I think that's when my mum bought me my first racer.


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## Alan O (1 Nov 2016)

LincsBlue said:


> Having a 25 plus year break from cycling...making up for it now.


Similar here - 20 years


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## ayceejay (1 Nov 2016)

Buying a damaged frame from Velodrome Shop that took all summer to reconcile and get my money back.


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## RichardB (1 Nov 2016)

Slick said:


> I never broke any bones, but I do remember my feet slipping off those pedals and tearing the jewels on that gear stick.


When my mates and I were about 12, we had this crazy thing about mounting our bikes by running alongside and then vaulting into the saddle without touching the pedals (like the cowboys on the TV, I suppose). One misjudgement, and ... bloody hell, it hurt.


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## raleighnut (1 Nov 2016)

ayceejay said:


> Buying a damaged frame from Velodrome Shop that took all summer to reconcile and get my money back.


So you finally got your money back off that 'lemon' they foisted on you.


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## Alan O (1 Nov 2016)

Alan O said:


> Similar here - 20 years


Oh, and my other big mistake other than neglecting cycling for 20 years was when I gave away my old Falcon cycle when I got a new one. I don't mind having given the bike away - it went to a friend who couldn't afford a bike and I was happy to help him. But I neglected to swap saddles, and I gave away my lovely old worn-in Brooks B17!


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## ayceejay (1 Nov 2016)

raleighnut said:


> So you finally got your money back off that 'lemon' they foisted on you.



Visa got it back for me raleighnut otherwise Velodrome Shop wouldn't have


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## PaulSecteur (1 Nov 2016)

In 1986 i ourgrew my raliegh striker.


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## Theseus (1 Nov 2016)

Getting a bike with an ISIS bottom bracket.

Wore out in weeks and a pain to get out as the splines are shallow. ... now replaced with a proper square taper.


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## mjr (2 Nov 2016)

Alan O said:


> But I neglected to swap saddles, and I gave away my lovely old worn-in Brooks B17!


Amen! Forgetting to swap saddles when I donated my old bike to charity is probably second-placed to my tyre-cleaning debacle.


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