Our very own humiliation/embarassment thread

[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?

[DebW]

This story was only potentially embarassing, but I could have gotten in big trouble with my parents as I was only 16 at the time (in 1972). I planned a weekend bike tour-camping trip with 2 friends, a guy and a girl. Not sure how I got away with this except that my parents were out of town and my grandmother let me go. Anyway, the 3 of us were meeting at a street corner at 6 am. I showed up, and the guy showed up, but we waited and waited for the girl. All the while I'm sitting there thinking "How am I going to explain to my parents that I went on a weekend bike tour with a guy?" The guy and I had no interest in each other, just lots of interest in biking. But my parents might not have seen it that way. Luckily the girl finally showed up 45 minutes late and I was spared the embarassing parental explanation. But I think my grandmother got in trouble for letting me go. I was such a wayward teen with a bike, always off riding.

[Eden]

Was that the Camino de Santiago, by any chance?

No - my husband and I did a 2 week self supported (hotels -no camping) / planned tour of Andalucia (Sevilla - Palma del Rio - Cordoba - Zuheros - Alcala la Real - Granada - Antequerra -Carmona - Sevilla) My husband was inspired by watching the Vuelta

[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.