Our very own humiliation/embarassment thread

[bcipam]

OK this didn't happen while riding but did happen on a bike ride.

About 10 years ago I did a Backroads ride through coastal Oregon. The ride was tough plus, well, the Backroads food was not suiting my delicate tastes. On the second to last day, they served Oatmeal for breakfast. I hate Oatmeal and to make it worse, there was no sugar or milk. Ugh, "dry" Oatmeal!

This was a camping trip so I got my Oatmeal and was *****ing all the way to the picnic table. 3 people were seated on one side. 2 on the other. I sat between the two. As soon as I sat, the 3 on the other side got up. No one realized the table was on an angle, pointing down on my side. The table started to flip. The two on either end where able to bail, but since I was in the middle, I got stuck. The table flipped over, I landed on my back - legs straight up. The bowl of oatmeal flipped into the air and came straight down on my crotch. I am not making this up! Of course, it was the fuinniest thing anyone had ever seen before. Most got sick from laughing. I just remember having to sit under a faucet trying to clean the crotch of my shorts (my only other pair had been washed the night before and were wet).

To finish out my beautiful day, I got a flat and found out I had the wrong tube (Shrader v presta) and later that day, trying to catch the group, I hit some rail road tracks wrong, flipped over the bike, landed on my head and shoulder and was unconcious a few moments. I got to spend my last day in Oregon in the hospital. Will never forget that trip that's for sure! And t this day, I won't eat Oatmeal!

[Trekhawk]

bcipam - sorry but I am laughing thats so funny.....not the bit about the fall and hospital though thats just scary.

[MomOnBike]

bcipam -

I'll take your oatmeal (comfort food for me) & you can have ALL my bananas.

Note to parents: Do not pour your daughter cornflakes, slice bananas on top,liberally douse it all with milk, and only then call said daughter to breakfast, and insist she sit there until the entire disgusting mess is eaten. You know, the daughter who hates sogginess in any food. You'll put her off bananas and cornflakes for life. Really. {shudder}

[SadieKate]

Mom, I carefully stage everyting so I can put add milk at just the last minute and no delays while eating. Soggy! Yuck!

[Melody]

So things that have happened to me...

When I was young (before my teen years) I was riding and talking to my sister. I was not paying attention to the road. I remember suddenly looking up and seeing a parked car in front of me. Before I could react I hit the car and went flying and landed spread eagle on its hood.

When picking up Silver and getting saddle height, etc. all setup while on the trainer at the LBS, I leaned a little too far on the right and started tipping. Since I was clipped in the bike went with me... since the bike was locked in the trainer, the trainer did too... Merilee from the shop is just looking in horror as I'm just laughing my butt off.

I can't count the number of times I've attempted to dismount and my shorts end up getting caught on the nose of the saddle. Unfortunately my balance sucks so typically I end up in the bushes in my front yard. I did this once as a car was passing by the house. The woman hit her brakes and shouted out to me "are you ok?!" Laughing I responded that I was fine.

Mel

[Eden]

hmmm lets see
falling over at least twice in one day at stop signs during a tour in Spain, because I over balanced my panniers with a paper back book and couldn't clip out in time.

being driven into a curb by a fellow rider on my first STP (Seattle to Portland Classic) and going down dramatically (though I was unhurt thankfully) right in front of the quadripalegic (yes quadripalegic, with use of his arms but not full use of his hands - I used to work at a hospital and we sent a disabled team every year) rider that we were all riding with. It really was a great crash- me flying one way, the bike going the other with the plus that it didn't even draw any blood.

[Dianyla]

falling over at least twice in one day at stop signs during a tour in Spain, because I over balanced my panniers with a paper back book and couldn't clip out in time.

Was that the Camino de Santiago, by any chance?

[jobob]

When I was young (before my teen years) I was riding and talking to my sister. I was not paying attention to the road. I remember suddenly looking up and seeing a parked car in front of me. Before I could react I hit the car and went flying and landed spread eagle on its hood.

Oooh, ooh, mee too ! Except in my case I was about 13 and did an over the handlebars el-face-o into the rear door of a station wagon. Teeth first. I had a funny little inverted V chipped out of my two front top teeth, until my dentist ground down the bottoms so the V is pretty much gone now.

[bcipam]

bcipam -

I'll take your oatmeal (comfort food for me) & you can have ALL my bananas.

Note to parents: Do not pour your daughter cornflakes, slice bananas on top,liberally douse it all with milk, and only then call said daughter to breakfast, and insist she sit there until the entire disgusting mess is eaten. You know, the daughter who hates sogginess in any food. You'll put her off bananas and cornflakes for life. Really. {shudder}

Well that won't work cause I also dislike bananas but strangely and yes I admit this makes no sense, the only way I will eat bananas is cut up and on Cherrios with lots of milk.

Speaking of making kids eat icky things... in my day (a hundred years ago) my Mom used to make us sit at the table and not only eat adult size porportions (no wonder I battle my weight) but also things like liver and lamb both of which to this day I won't come near. I can remember sitting slumped over at the dinner table, it's about 11 o'clock at night, I'm tired and hungry (been crying since 6 so all snotty and sick) and so stubborn I just refused to eat just one bite of liver. My mother also stubborn, is mad at me cause I won't let her go to bed and she's gonna torture me until I eat that liver. As an adult I had to go into therapy because of those liver dinners (and uh well yes, maybe because of my Mom).

Yes parents don't make your kids eat something icky. Sad thing is how would my life have been improved if I ate the liver? Vegatables I can understand but liver.... Yuck!!!!

[Dianyla]

Sad thing is how would my life have been improved if I ate the liver? Vegatables I can understand but liver.... Yuck!!!!

Well, it is extremely rich in iron. But plain liver is a bit much to stomach. I much prefer it in the pate/foie gras format alongside a nice wine.

[CyclaSutra]

... in my day (a hundred years ago) my Mom used to make us sit at the table and ... she's gonna torture me until I eat that liver. As an adult I had to go into therapy because of those liver dinners (and uh well yes, maybe because of my Mom).

Um, my dad would turn on the 12-inch black-and-white television in the kitchen and make us watch PBS specials about starving Ethiopians until we'd eat our vegetables.

"Those starvin' little kids in Africa would LOVE to have your green beans!" Daddy would shout.

"Send them over there!" I'd tearfully and defiantly say.

Yes, parental issues... whole new thread for that one?

[bikerchick68]

OMG... this is SUCH a great thread... at some level I can relate to every single thread... you have me cracking up here...

hey Dianyla... that sign you posted... THAT'S IT! That is exactly what I did... what a riot... I don't feel quite so bad now that I know enough people do it to warrant a sign!

[Melody]

This is where I feel lucky. There's only a few foods that I won't eat and typically I'll try anything a couple of times.

Of course *other* people think I'm just odd for eating some of things I do eat. I just point out cultural differences.

However, I will _not_ eat fish eyes. My parents did. I just could not deal with the fish staring back at me. They were taunting me. Taunting I tell you.

Mel

[bentforlife]

but on a greenbroke horse as a teenager(eons ago) We're weaving through the rows of pecan trees when she decides she's tired of being ridden. She takes me right at a branch that's about chest level. We were cantering pretty fast, so the only choice I have is to grab the branch and hang on.

I looked pretty funny hanging about 4.5 feet from the ground in this pecan tree. My sisters finally turned their horses around to help me down AFTER they were through laughing!!

She actually turned out to be one of the best riding horses we owned, after she bucked me off bareback, scraped me off on the side of the barn and rabbit hopped me a couple of times also. I miss having a horse at times, but my knees don't Have to really enjoy my bike now. At least I'm in control(most of the time).

Donna

[DrBee]

My most embarrassing moment was in October, when I was chased by that big scary dog. I kept riding away from where the dog was. I rode 10 miles until I ran out of road - it turned into big chunky white gravel. Now, I was thinking to myself - how am I going to get home??? I didn't have the phone with me (duh) and was in the middle of nowhere. I just couldn't go back towards that dog - I knew he and his buddy would be waiting for me. Well - my only choice was to ask for help. I went up to a farmer (a young gentleman) and asked him to throw me and my bike in the back of his truck and drive me past that dog. As my husband put it, "how could a guy turn down a woman in cycling clothes". The farmer didn't laugh too mcuh and even put my bike in the back of his truck and let me ride in the front. He grinned the entire way back. I felt so inept. BUT - the dog was waiting for me, so it was a good move.