Unnecessary risks you've taken on a bike?

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Unnecessary risks you've taken on a bike?

55 posts & 46 voices | Started 5 months ago by jhw | Latest reply from belugabob

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jhw - Member

Post them here

Mine, yesterday

- I was descending Pentonville Road at speed (over 20mph);
- The road was split by a narrow traffic island, two feet wide and about ten inches high
- My side of the road was blocked by a bus which I got around by bunnyhopping onto the narrow traffic island at speed, from an awkward angle more or less parallel with the kerb, while a cement mixer was approaching in the opposite lane, precisely timed to smash me if I'd messed up the awkward bunnyhop and going too fast to stop if I had

Work's very bad at the moment and I'm taking more and more unnecessary risks like this on my commute every day!

Yours?

Posted 5 months ago #
Rob Hilton - Member

Crossing the white line separating the cyclepath from the footpath.

Extreme!!!

Posted 5 months ago #
jhw - Member

Heh

or riding on...A FOOTPATH?

Come on, this is a post for shameless willy waving. More interested in tales of stupidity (in my case)/cojones (in your case) than technical skill

Posted 5 months ago #
hilldodger - Member

I regularly ride without performing a risk assessment
I use disc brakes and Hope QR
I have several items of Superstar produce on my bike

by stw :Facts: I reckon I'm lucky to be alive

Posted 5 months ago #
njee20 - Member

I use aluminium rotor bolts with lightweight rotors and titanium QR skewers; like Hilldodger, I consider myself lucky to be alive.

Personally I say the biggest risk I take is riding it. Unlikely to fall off if you never ride it.

Posted 5 months ago #
Stoner - Member

29er wheels.
nuff said. Dicing with explosive death, everyday.
Boom!

Posted 5 months ago #
Rob Hilton - Member

Yeah ok I like riding on footpaths.
Once though I was so drunk I couldn't control the bike and kept wandering into the road so I pushed/stumbled home instead.

Maybe if I'd tried riding on the road I'd have stuck perfectly to the footpath? Or died?

Realised that night why drink driving is illegal.
And drink cycling

Posted 5 months ago #
Junkyard - Member

large lakeland descent with no front brake - once started there was no stopping and only limited amount of slowing down - thanks god the walkers scattered as i screamed i cant stop at them [ it was a bridleway]

Posted 5 months ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

Last one was getting leathered with friends in the Deaf Institute in Manchester, then hopping on my fixie and riding home through Rusholme/Curry Mile.

To this day I don't know how I made it home alive....

Posted 5 months ago #
sugdenr - Member

In my foolish youth I once escapted the attention of the rossers on my bike - riding without lights I was. Just didnt want to do the time.

Once rode with mate, so drunk that I looked back to see him gently arc across the road right into the front of a mk1 Golf (funny how you rememeber the most banal detail when drunk), ended up sprawled right across the front then in hospital for 3 days

Posted 5 months ago #
bencooper - Member

Cycling home late from the pub, I was doing pretty well I thought - had my lights on, wasn't wobbling too much, was the correct distance from the kerb.

It was only the rapidly approaching headlights that alerted me to the fact that I was on the wrong side of a dual carriageway...

Posted 5 months ago #
jhw - Member

recurring theme here

Posted 5 months ago #
richmtb - Member

Snapped a handlebar in a crash at Mabie Forest.

Rode back down a short section of single track followed by the fireroad back to the car park with half a handlebar at speeds that probably weren't very sensible considering the very pointy bits of carbon fibre protruding from the broken end of the handlebar

Posted 5 months ago #
allthegear - Member

I bought a Brompton - that's fairly risky to my reputation...

I think I can carry it off now that the frame has been wrapped in Christmas tree led lights for the winter commutes.

Rachel

Posted 5 months ago #
lunge - Member

I did the step down at Stile Cop on a hardtail having never attmepted anything even slighty similar. Which is not that interesting but I did at at 8pm in the fading light when there was no one around. And I had left my phone in the car. And I had told no one where I was riding.

Not my smartest move looking back...

Posted 5 months ago #
geordiemick00 - Member

spending £15K in a year behind the wife's back. She thinks each bike cost about £400

Posted 5 months ago #
Ecky-Thump - Member

I sometimes let tirider (of this parish) show me around his local stuff

Posted 5 months ago #
justatheory - Member

Tried a tail whip once and landed sideways, I had an audience as well. Physical recovery 2 weeks, mental recovery 2 months.

Posted 5 months ago #
Pieface - Member

Went riding without a helmet or mobile phone

Posted 5 months ago #
ti_pin_man - Member

riding to work in london, lethal every day and I could get the train... way too many little things to mention could kill/hurt me every day.

Posted 5 months ago #
Thurman Merman - Member

Riding home from the pub one night (I wasn't wobbly at all but my 'concentration' was affected) I unnecessarily and momentarily glanced across at a pretty girl walking on the other side of the road.

As punishment for my infidelity, the bend I was fast approaching reared up in anger and threw its kerb at my front wheel.

Cue sprawling mess, torn (new) jacket, torn jeans, torn gloves and a pile of twisted, bloodied metal and flesh. Not too mentioned a badly bruised ego.

That'll learn me.

Posted 5 months ago #
GlitterGary - Member

riding to work in london, lethal every day and I could get the train... way too many little things to mention could kill/hurt me every day.

Same as this, except spent 4 years doing the same in Manchester. Glad I no longer have to do so, battling with taxi drivers, mad school run mothers and the 42 bus wasn't pleasant.

Had plenty of near misses.

Posted 5 months ago #
Kevevs - Member

I read a magazine once and it said people should have special "winter bikes". I'm riding my best expensive bike as a commuter, in the Winter OMG! I know it's a stupid risk and it will probably dissolve at any moment.

Posted 5 months ago #
rocketman - Member

Played chicken with a large group of remedials/teenagers who were on a nature ramble with their guards/teachers.

Despite frequent alerts from the adults in charge the group refused to move over an inch they were right across a 15-foot wide fireroad. Yours truly was well and truly fired up having just destroyed my local loop at warp speed and I had gravity on my side.

Aimed for the left-hand side of the group, gripped the bars and went for it. At literally the last moment one of them moved aside but it was too late my handlebar caught in the strap of his rucksack and we went down, skittling some of the others in the process.

I've never fallen off my bike so quickly it was carnage.

Posted 5 months ago #
justatheory - Member

I've ridden a bike assembled by Halfords.

Posted 5 months ago #
jhw - Member

Riding home from the pub one night (I wasn't wobbly at all but my 'concentration' was affected) I unnecessarily and momentarily glanced across at a pretty girl walking on the other side of the road.

But it can work both ways, man - the only time I've ever pulled a 360 was when a pretty girl I knew from school (this was way back) was walking right by. Off a natural feature too. OK it was more like a...300...but still.

Posted 5 months ago #
bikebouy - Member

I chased down a lead group near Sienna on the white gravel roads after it rained during a race a few years back. It's one of the only times I've almost sh*t myself, there were 50 or so hairy ar*ed italian roadies up my chuff just waitng for me to bounce down the road on my rather sexy bottom.. just like hair bating it was..
All good in the cafe afterwards but I did need a few snifters to calm me down.

Posted 5 months ago #
Roblilly - Member

I'm taking too many chances on my commute at the moment, going down the middle of 2 way traffic etc..

In my defence I lost my job a couple of months ago and am working my notice...each day is so painful that I can't wait to get home.

Finish at Christmas if I last that long!

Posted 5 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

hilldodger - Member

I regularly ride without performing a risk assessment
I use disc brakes and Hope QR
I have several items of Superstar produce on my bike

by stw :Facts: I reckon I'm lucky to be alive

ah - but I bet you had your helmet on and the other STW :fact: is that your helmet will protect you from certain death

Posted 5 months ago #
justatheory - Member

Same as this, except spent 4 years doing the same in Manchester. Glad I no longer have to do so, battling with taxi drivers, mad school run mothers and the 42 bus wasn't pleasant.

That'd be Oxford Rd/Wilmslow Rd then. Those 42's travel in packs as well.

Posted 5 months ago #
stevepitch - Member

I joined this sodding forum......

Posted 5 months ago #
PMK2060 - Member

leaving it unlocked next to a group of teen hoodies while i went into the shop

Posted 5 months ago #
seosamh77 - Member

River crossing in full spate up at lochan fada. I'm sure it's fine on drier days, but in late august after weeks of heavy rain, i was a little concerned when i was almost up to my waste and could barely hold on to the bike mid way through. It was a long rocky way down from 400m in the river if i slipped.

Posted 5 months ago #
thegman67 - Member

Coming round to the road gap jump at Forest Ae their was about 15 downhillers all watching so after clearing it the first time i decided to jazz it up a bit i landed on the fire road snapping my Achilles Tendon and was sick in my helmet because i couldnt get it off in time

Posted 5 months ago #
pickle - Member

both brakes went on the first decent on the north downes.......just thought 'bugger this, i've come all the way here so i'm going to ride!' and did just that, wore through the whole sole of my shoe by the end of the day

Posted 5 months ago #