Stupid Things We Have Done

[smurfalicious]

Oh my, good thing I don't possess a whole lot of pride. I got bucked off a spin bike. Uh huh. Over the handlebars on a spin bike.

Picture this, I've been mountain biking for a while, feeling pretty hot about myself. I've decided to try racing and since I lacked a road bike I figured spin class was perfect. I got myself some shorty shorts and a snug little basic jersey. I made a big show out of grabbing a bike with clipless pedals and adjusting my seat.

As the class progressed I was thinking I was quite hot stuff against these little soccer moms. 1/4 turn? P'shaw! I did full turns, and full turns, and full turns until all of a sudden I realized I was going to vomit if I didn't stop.

Naturally I just stopped pedaling forgetting all about the big red brake. With the force of an elephant that 40lb flywheel came around and shoved my legs another rotation, hurtling me into the bars. I probably would have gone over had my cleats not faithfully held me. I do believe I eventually went off the side, with a bang, of course. The whole class was staring at me. I started taking a class at a different time.

This is not my stupid but I became involved in it. While doing a "fall colors" photo shoot for work we approached a light behind our "team car." I don't think we were expecting it to turn red, but it did. As we stopped Staci apparently forgot about her pedals and started to topple towards me. She screamed, I looked and saw what was going down and as I was unclipping my left foot, tried to dive right. Fortunately I got my right foot out, but not until my bike had slid left with my foot attached and I was squatting quite awkwardly in the middle of the road. Impressive stuff right there.

[Zen]

though it's not bike related.

The instruction for black dye say to use gloves.
There is good reason for this.
I look like I just rebuilt a Chevy engine.

[Aiacha]

Fallen being unable to get my feet out of the clips. Standing perfectly still.

When I first started using the clipless petals, I quickly got the knack of taking my feet in and out. Then I went for my first (well it was supposed to be) longish ride with them. I was with a friend who just got on a bike and I had gotten to the top of a little rise, waiting for her. I was almost perfectly still, until something happened (lost my balance, wind blew hard, who knows) and I found myself going shoulder first into the grass.

Since then I've gone down three more times, all while standing perfectly still.

[bmccasland]

Ride 40 miles on an MS training ride with rubbing brake pads, not knowing my brake pads are rubbing, push hard, think I'm a wimp, or having a bad day, and, give myself an asthma attack. I was pretty used to having good days and bad days with my lungs, but refusing to give up. The wonderful SAG volunteers are trailing along trying to get me to stop. I finally stop, rest, and quit. And feel like a quitter, like I let someone down. SAG crew takes great care of me, loads bike, and hauls me back to the parking lot. When I load my bike in the car, I discover the brakes have been rubbing. Now I check them, twice, before every ride (have to take the
front tire off to get bike in the car).

Have also fallen over with my feet stuck in the clipless pedals, resulting in a minor break to my nose. My helmet probably saved me from having worse injuries from the face plant to the concrete steps.

[out_spokin']

some good ones...reading through just reminded me of pretty much my worst adult crash. going to meet a friend at the bagel shop, taking the uncool but hey it's early in the morning and no one's really out "shortcut" by riding the 1/4 block up the sidewalk instead of going two full blocks around to hit the one way streets correctly...huh, there's a guy power washing the sidewalk, better watch that hose across my route...yeah, wet hose, very slow moving tire = unbelievably quick trip to the ground! Road rash, sore hand for weeks, and SUPER grateful I wear a helmet! dumb....

[LilBolt]

Yesterday...packed the pannier with clothes for the office, including my suede boots. Grabbed a perfectly ripe pear and tossed it in on the way out. Yikes! Picking pear pulp out of the suede was a nice distraction during a particularly long staff meeting.

[bmccasland]

Yesterday...packed the pannier with clothes for the office, including my suede boots. Grabbed a perfectly ripe pear and tossed it in on the way out. Yikes! Picking pear pulp out of the suede was a nice distraction during a particularly long staff meeting.

At least the pear pulp was on the outside of your boots!

[Zen]

Fallen being unable to get my feet out of the clips. Standing perfectly still.

That's so not uncommon that I don't even count it at a stupid thing at all, just something that happens.
If I thought that was a qualifier to post in this thread i would have done so much sooner.
Said Zen, who fell at the corner of Connecticut and L street in downtown DC

[Selkie]

Said Zen, who fell at the corner of Connecticut and L street in downtown DC

That was you? :-)

I once got stuck in my pedals. New pedals, didn't test out the tension before I took out (a mistake made only once). Tried to unclip and both feet were firmly stuck. I stopped by a parked car, leaned against it, and took off was able to free myself.

[Zen]

That was you? :-)

Did you see me?

[deeaimond]

That was you? :-)

I once got stuck in my pedals. New pedals, didn't test out the tension before I took out (a mistake made only once). Tried to unclip and both feet were firmly stuck. I stopped by a parked car, leaned against it, and took off was able to free myself.

Cars that have stopped sometimes start moving.

I found out the hard way. Stopped at a red light that turned green (AFTER i began to stop), one foot unclipped, was beginning to lose balance but was next to a van, so stuck my arm out to regain balance by pushing against the van.

unfortunately, the van started to move off.. with my hand still resting on it .. I fell (slow motion) right into the path of the car behind me. fortunately he hadn't started moving off yet... extremely busy road, highly embarrassing...