The risks you took as a young cyclist?

[Adrian_K]

In the early 70s when apehangers and monkeybars abounded, a couple of us took our bikes to the local smithy and got him to extend the front forks by about a foot. Bloody ridiculous when you think about it....but they never failed.

Also we used to have this competition. There were lots of large privet hedges around the houses. One had a hump of soil somewhere near it. Sprint like buggery, fly through the air on the bike and land 'somehow' in the hedge. Privet is soft'ish'..but the occasional handlebar in the groin isnt

oh yeah, apehangers with drop bar brake levers, so they had about 5mil travel. no-one seems to turn drop bars upside down any more.
fitting 16" rear wheel (result: no brakes again)

 

[jack the lad]

When I was 12 my best mate and I did an unaccompanied 10 day cycle tour from London to the Isle of Wight staying in youth hostels. I can't imagine anyone would let a 12 year old do that now!

 

[dan_bo]

I rode down a steep (ish) hill on a 50 lb butcher's bike with rod brakes. In traffic. In the rain. Couldn't stop- Full mudguards, so I couldn't put my foot on the tyre to slow down, and with both brakes full on was picking up speed. I had no option but to kick the front wheel in, So I did.

When I stood up the woman in the car behind me (Peugeot 405) had her nails embedded in the steering wheel. I waved her around me, dragged my now forked bike to the side of the road and gathered myself, and then carried the bike home with a smashed elbow.

I was a ninja back then.

 

[tyred]

I used to think brakes were just for cissies.

 

[Joe24]

Im young, and still taking risks.
Ive dived out on a mini round about before, with a car coming from the right, i had to flick left then right(i was going right) and the car just missed me.
Then, i was on the loop road, and there a round about, i couldnt be bothered to stop and 2 cars going around it coming from my right, i sort of went into it and followed them, before goig right. Car behind wasnt too impressed.
Went down Cheddar Gorge without touching my brakes, and on one tight bend, where the road goes down to one lane for both ways, pinch point between 2 big rocks, i ended up on the wrong side of the road, with a car coming towards me, i flicked back onto the correct side of the road and carried on, without touching my brakes.
Then in the Peak District i went up to a hair bend, locked up my back wheel to push that out and carried on going. Big steep drop if i missed the courner.
Filtered past some cars on the right with not much of a gap from the cars coming towards me, probably should have waited. Done that a few times.
Done a few other things where ive taken risks where i probably shouldnt have.

 

[Plax]

I had a bike and the brakes didn't work (a ladies shopper I think it was). It had a rear rack on it. Quite often one would be standing and pedalling, one would be sitting on the saddle and the person sitting on the rear rack would be the one that braked by using their feet. Ruined many a pair of trainers like that!

 

[gbb]

Im young, and still taking risks.
Ive dived out on a mini round about before, with a car coming from the right, i had to flick left then right(i was going right) and the car just missed me.
Then, i was on the loop road, and there a round about, i couldnt be bothered to stop and 2 cars going around it coming from my right, i sort of went into it and followed them, before goig right. Car behind wasnt too impressed.
Went down Cheddar Gorge without touching my brakes, and on one tight bend, where the road goes down to one lane for both ways, pinch point between 2 big rocks, i ended up on the wrong side of the road, with a car coming towards me, i flicked back onto the correct side of the road and carried on, without touching my brakes.
Then in the Peak District i went up to a hair bend, locked up my back wheel to push that out and carried on going. Big steep drop if i missed the courner.
Filtered past some cars on the right with not much of a gap from the cars coming towards me, probably should have waited. Done that a few times.
Done a few other things where ive taken risks where i probably shouldnt have.

I still do that now...at 51

 

[Joe24]

I had a bike and the brakes didn't work (a ladies shopper I think it was). It had a rear rack on it. Quite often one would be standing and pedalling, one would be sitting on the saddle and the person sitting on the rear rack would be the one that braked by using their feet. Ruined many a pair of trainers like that!

Ahhh yes.
That brings back memories of the time i fell off, well someone shoved there front wheel out from their drive way on purpose and i hit it
My bike just had the metal bits on the front brakes, and no pads in the back, and i was powering along the pavement(well, my legs were spinning fast but i probably wasnt actually going fast) and some other young kid shoved the front wheel out.
I bent his wheel abit, and twisted his forks around. I was crying(was only in year 3/4) after my arm took a pretty heavy hit, and he was crying and not happy because it was his brand new bike!
My bike wasnt damaged at all though mind, and my dad got me some new brake pads that night and i fitted them and was back on it the next day.
I live on a pretty steep hill aswell, had to use my feet

 

[Joe24]

I still do that now...at 51

51
My god, bus pass soon

 

[Riverman]

Got over the fear and did a 15 mile ride and arrived back in one peice.

I think what I wanted to draw attention to mainly is the need for more cycling education. I know barely anything myself and I consider myself a moderately experienced cyclist (although I don't drive).

 

[nigelnorris]

I used to regularly go fishing, with an old fashioned wicker fishing basket over one shoulder, a rod bag over the other, and wobble 4 miles on my bike like that to my mates house at 5 in the morning. Actually the journey home at tea time was probably the worst bit.

 

[PpPete]

I still do that now...at 51

Dang.... He's got me beat! I do that, but I'm only 50

 

[Mike Rudkin]

I never thought about risks,but 1953-1955 I used to commute from Hendon to Oxford Circus on a track bike-switching from lane to lane and doing Track Stands if I was forced into a stationary mode.Damn I was fit then :-)

 

[Bman]

Yep Im sure weve all done these things once We often did 15-20 mile trips to go fishing.

I remember giving "backies" or "saddles" (one pedals, the other sits on the saddle).
Using trainers as brakes, both on the wheel and the floor.
No lights an night
Poor maintanance, loose wheels/handlebars
Riding on pavements
Riding with headphones
the list goes on....

 

[Davidc]

Holding the vertical grab pole on open platformed busses! Not sure how fast a brand new Routemaster went on the roads around Croydon in the 1960s, whatever it was it was easier than pedalling and the clippies used to go berserk. Lethal!