Kill me now, please (a rant about my own stupidity)

[kenyonchris]

So I played hooky from work today to go for a 100k organized ride in Cleburne, but in the end wound up sleeping a few extra hours and then loading up my lovely "new" Colnago and driving to Dallas to ride White Rock Lake...which is always fun. It is mostly flat, very little traffic, people sell gatorade and powerade in little lemonade stands along the way, and lots of cyclists in all different shapes and sizes. I rode 4 loops around (about 36 miles, plus the four or so to and from my car...about 40 miles) and was enjoying the flat, the tailwind (mostly) and the people.

I got back to the car, changed my clothes, loaded the bike on my fork mount roof rack, and left. 200 ft. out of the lot there was a thud, and yes, I had not tightened the fork thingie enough and the damn thing had tipped over...and BENT THE DROPOUT OF MY CARBON FORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST built this THING up!!!!! I about drove my key into my heart.

So I drove over to the very busy bike shop near the lake. A cycling pair of ladies (and I say ladies, because they were clutching their coach wallets, round Paris Hilton glasses pushed up on their heads, unsweaty and clean with a pretty new Giant) were complaining to the mechanic about the "noise" the new triple on the new bike was making. The mechanic was trying to explain about cross chaining and trimming...and I stomp in, hair gone wild, in my sweaty Hammer nutrition t-shirt over my sweaty bike shorts, dirty glasses hanging off my nose, Colnago slung over my shoulder. Everyone in there looks up at me and I put the non-Colnago clutching hand on my hip and say, "Yeah, I'm a dumba$$." The "ladies" looked offended and one said to the mechanic, "well, just make that noise stop, I'm going to go look around." In passing I got *THAT* look from them, not about my less than ladylike behavior, it was the head to toe up down examination of me. I tried not to show my fangs at them and handed over the wilted Colnago to the bike guy, who shakes his head at me and puts it on the stand, where he examined it for a moment before proclaiming, "Yeah, your fork is toast." To which I said, "Fu*k"...I am sure those ladies heard me. I don't care. My tolerance for lipstick wearing rude women was not at its highest. I guess saying Fu*k in a public place was hardly polite, but whatever.

So now I am just seething, this derails (so to speak) my current training program (I will have to fill the gaps with running (ugh), mountain biking, and lifiting) and I have no clue how much a Colnago carbon fork is going to cost me to replace, IF I can find one....the newer ones are 1 1/8 and I need a 1 steerer tube....AGH....and no one to blame but myself. I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT!!!!

Sorry for the rant.

[redrhodie]

Oh, man! Rant on--that really, really bites.

[Tri Girl]

I probably would have said a LOT more than just F*#K! I'm sooooooo sorry. You rant all you need to, girl. When you said you heard a thud- my mind immediately thought the bike fell off the roof and you ran over it.
That bites it- big time. I'm sorry.

[lunacycles]

Happy to build you a 1" steel fork whose dropouts can be bent back into straightness.

No, sorry, that is salt in the wound.
By the way, I do feel your pain, as I've done the same thing.

As far as 1" carbon forks, you may have a hard time with that one. If you can't find a replacement Colnago version, give Wound Up a call in Oregon (parent company is Advanced Composites, I believe). I do believe they still offer a 1" steerer carbon fork, or may be able to make you one. Alpha Q (True Temper) may also still offer a 1" steerer carbon fork.

You may also consider contacting Colnago or your Colnago dealer to see if your fork is indeed repairable. If it is merely the dropout that got bent, and the fork didn't suffer any impact, then they might be able to glue in another one for you. It's definitely worth getting the proverbial "second opinion."

Good luck...and sorry.

[Blueberry]

Ugh That really bites

Good luck and crossing fingers that you can find a not-too-expensive fork...

CA

[Trek420]

Sorry about that. When you said you heard a "clunk" I thought you did what I did, the stupidest move in the world:

Forgot that the full custom hand built by the man who's name is signed on the frame bike is on the roof rack when you pull into the garage!

Luckily it's steel (sorry, you can just rinse the salt from the wound) and a visit to the village smithy and full repainting fixed it like new. But not before choice words were said, and tears shed.

Sorry about that.

[spindizzy]

+1 to what everyone else said. Ouch!!!
And Kudos for the gutter mouth - my line of expletives (and subsequent rant) would have been a lot longer. You didn't need to be non-verbally berated for your looks or your behaviour - you had every right to be angry.

[kermit]

That sucks! I guess the good news is it's only the fork. I was waiting for the "oops I forgot the front tire". ANY chance it's usable? Are both dropouts bent or can one be broken off? I know stupid questions.

[kenyonchris]

That sucks! I guess the good news is it's only the fork. I was waiting for the "oops I forgot the front tire". ANY chance it's usable? Are both dropouts bent or can one be broken off? I know stupid questions.

If it were steel, it would be repairable. But carbon, not so much.
The bike shop is going to contact Colnago for me on Monday. Colnago offers some sort of crash replacement they say....but I am not so sure about replacing a 1" steerer tube fork.
I love, love, love the carbon bike but good grief. I will have to be a little more disciplined in the future.
I will keep my eye on ebay and craigslist and hope maybe Colnago can help.
Thanks to the offers of the steel forks... ... yes, indeed, salt in the wound. But probably realistic salt.
I really want to keep the bike total Colnago if possible. It might mean putting it in the garage and riding my specialized for a while till I find it. AGH!
Thanks yall!

[OakLeaf]

Aw, f@#%.

Hope you can get it back on the road before too much longer.

Hope you learn to love running in the meantime.

[sfa]

I'm so sorry about the fork! That completely sucks.

And you'll be happy to know that new research says that swearing helps ease the sensation of pain--and I think that extends to mental anguish as well as physical pain!

Sarah

[lunacycles]

if in the unlikely event you are riding 650c's, give me a holler, as I do have a few full carbon forks in 650c with 1" steerer (Reynolds Ouzo Pros)...

[kenyonchris]

Drat, no. 700s. I think I can order one from Colnago and a few places that carry the 1" steerer.
I sent my boyfriend a text telling him to come take my gun (he's a cop too). By the time he got back to me I had moved on to a wet/dry vac. He told me to put the vacuum down and step slowly away. Such a negotiator.
I accidently sucked Mouse the mastiff's tail into the vac in my fury. I was trying to goose him into moving.
I'm off the ledge now and am trying to be philosophical about it...

[lunacycles]

poor Mouse!! You have a mastiff named Mouse. That's hilarious.

[Zen]

Just make that noise stop. I'm going to go look around