Curse you Biketreks! (expensive/disastrous bike ride yesterday)

Went out for a ride in the Lakes yesterday, set off from Ambleside up to Troutbeck on the road, all good, reasonably nice morning. Did the first little bit of downhill back towards Ambleside and my front brake pretty much seized up and started making horrible noises. I’d let the pads wear down far too much and I think one of the pistons had come out so far it got stuck (Hope M4s).

After much faffing and trying to push the pistons back in I decided to just do without a front brake, but I couldn’t put the wheel back on without the disk getting stuck in the caliper, so I just took the disc off, and minced my way down Jenkin Crag with only a back brake. Bit annoyed to somewhat spoil a really nice descent but hey ho – Biketreks will sort me out with some new brake pads and hopefully help me get the stuck piston back in if I still can’t do it – and then I can do some more riding. Get to Biketreks – ask for some M4 pads and just about to purchase, except……

I’d left my wallet in my car in Troutbeck Bridge. 👿

So I cycled back (spotting the crazy maverick renegade Simon of Barnes riding the wrong way down the main Windermere-Ambleside road), stuck the bike in the car and drove to Ambleside, bought some new pads – but the piston is still stuck. Went and asked if they could help in Biketreks, who then noticed that one of the other pistons was now missing, I must have grabbed the front brake by accident on the way down and popped it out. At that point I realised my biking was probably over for the day

So I’m now weighing up whether to get new pistons and overhaul the brake (which I got off ton on here for not much anyway) or just use it as an excuse to buy a shiny new set of brakes.

I bought shiny new brakes (Formula The One).

And then, just as I was leaving the shop it started REALLY lashing it down, I was riding round Ambleside back to the car with the bag with the brakes in a bag in on my handlebars, getting piss-wet through. It quickly rained so much that the bag collapsed, dropping my shiny new brakes into the road. Thankfully I picked them up and they were fine, but as this point I was pretty much shaking my fist at the sky and shouting WHY GOD WHY!

Thankfully I managed to get home with no further mishaps. But yes, curse you Biketreks and your friendly, knowledgable and helpful staff – and your shop full of shiny bike bling. In my muddled state I was powerless to resist your wallet-lightening powers.

(Yeah, I know tl;dr, boring story etc)

I’m sure some of you have some better stories of rides where everything just goes wrong though, let’s hear ’em.

Character building innit

was the bag made of paper or something??

forgot my lid once and ended up in there handing over full RRP for a new one. the lass in the shop was telling me they make so much money from people who forget stuff like maxles!

I was out on my giant reign that I just built, and I had to adjust and tighten the thomson seat post a little bit and also tune the front mech GGGRRRRRR!!!!!

8)

Saying that I just serviced a set of manitou black forks for my new hardtail, the rebound was a bit stiff and then it snapped off! I’m still able to adjust it but it is a bit of a pain 😀

I’d let the pads wear down far too much and I think one of the pistons had come out so far it got stuck (Hope M4s).

I to have just bought and fitted some of these brakes from a mate and whilst fitting a new set of pads came to the conclusion that you only get 1/2 the pad wear out of a set of pads before needing to replace them. The clue was/is in the bag of half worn pads that came with them 🙄 Thinking about making up some shims to get the full use out of the pads
Will be purchasing some SLX soon and re-selling the M4s 😉

crazy maverick renegade Simon of Barnes riding the wrong way

Done that as well a few times 😉

Will be down there myself next weekend. Will be leaving wallet in car 😉 Although Keith usually tempts me with something from his boutique 😀

did you get any riding done Grumm?

thats not expensive you didn’t leave with one of those shiney carbon Santa Cruz’s

Character building is a good phrase to remember in those situations. Yeah bag was one of those paper/card type ones like you get from posh clothes shops.

Trekster – they said stuck pistons are also not uncommon on the M4s. Just got a very little bit of riding in apart from a road climb (down Jenkin Crag with just a back brake).

mikewsmith – that’s what I told my girlfriend, I basically saved money by not doing that. 😉

I run my pads right down on M4s and x2s with no issues!

I’m not sure I have the right mount adapter on mine – the pads seemed to wear down only on about 3/4 of the pad, but it ended up with the rotor actually fouling the body of the caliper on one side I think. 😕

Grum = muppet! 🙂

Trekster – maybe you need to bleed them? Might be that there is not enough fluid in the system. I certainly manage to wear my M4s down to the metal.
Also whatever you do make sure you do not let Keith tempt you into his boutique/boudoir!

Also whatever you do make sure you do not let Keith tempt you into his boutique/boudoir!

Indeed!

Trekster – maybe you need to bleed them? Might be that there is not enough fluid in the system. I certainly manage to wear my M4s down to the metal.

Been thinking about doing that. Lever was pulling well back to bars but not spongy like having any air in the system so just put it down to pad wear.

Ah, think it was you then who we passed on the road heading around towards the rugby pitch in the p*****g rain yesterday afternoon?

(Yeah, I know tl;dr, boring story etc)

TIL STW should have more TL;DRs.

My one and only experience of biketreks; mates bearings exploded out of his eggbeaters half way round a ride, rode back into town, popped into the shop “Do you have bearing replacement kits for a pair of eggies?”
“yeah these” Shop assistant slaps a set of Deore spuds on the counter, haha, I think he left with some Time Attacks in the end.

Ah, think it was you then who we passed on the road heading around towards the rugby pitch in the p*****g rain yesterday afternoon?

Aye that would have been me, just before the bag collapse I think 🙂

Used to have it listed as “Bikedebts” in my mobile………….

well yeh, i wouldnt bother fixing them pedals nether as well lets face it, next to shimano they are C}~P