Brand new shiny frame, all other bits in boxes, all ready for build, open weekend to work on it. First job: Bottom bracket. 10 minutes later, stripped bb thread. *sigh*
Built up a new bike from frame plus parts, some old, some new - including a nice new set of cranks. Got everything assembled and took it out to the car park outside the house to check the gears and such-like. Hopped over a speed bump and discovered that I'd only done-up the pedals finger-tight... New cranks please!
Bought a set of Four4th lights. My first quality lights after years of Chinese specials.
Drove to the ride directly from picking them up from the Four4th chaps. Fitted on bike in anticipation of lighting up mid-ride. Went OTB just before dusk and slammed the light into a stump. Amazingly light was fine but the cables had been yanked out the battery connection.
I called Four4th and asked if i could come by and drop of the battery for repair and when i turned up they replaced it free of charge! Lovely people. I suggested they might want to employ me as a tester as i have a habit of knackering things.
Picked a resprayed frame from Argos Racing Cycles.
Hit the car boot door putting my frame in.
Chipped the chain stay - 1 min walking to my car from the shop door.
Swore.
Got a new bike about a year ago (mega TR) managed to mangle the rear mech 10 mins into its first ride. Burst a mech hanger 10 days previously in same woods (can't remember doing a mech or hanger in 25 years of riding prior to that).
A few years back i dropped a work college off at the Mercedes main dealer, where is was picking up his brand new car.
Arrived back at work some 20mins later, to find a missed call from said college. Called him back, turns out said car was upside down in a ditch after getting sideswiped by a truck on the A5. 7 miles from new to write off!!
To avoid the pain, every new bike I give it a little scratch on the frame, and then stop worrying too much.
Same here, a chip in the paint before it leaves the shop seems to be good karma for my bikes.
I didn't see it but my mate sent me a picture a few years ago of a guy who had just bought a new bike from my then LBS. He'd pulled the car up in front so he could load it on the towbar rack, got in the car and someone drove into the back of it! Snapped frame.
I had a Beetle (old type not the hairdresser one) the bonnet and new wings had been freshly painted and she looked lovely... On the way home from the painters a truck flicked a stone out (think the rolling ball out of Raiders of the lost ark) from between its rear tyres and it hit the bonnet... I nearly cried.
Many years ago there was a lad in st neots where I lived who wrote off two new rg 500s, total comined mileage, under 100
