How did this happen?

[RodT]

Came back four days ago from a short local ride ( to choir practice, if you want to know) with everything working perfectly. Dismounted, pushed the bike into its stable (my living room) and made tea. Today I set out on a long afternoon ride and within half-a-mile discovered that the rear brake had developed a loud squeal and the rear mech indexing was completely out. I could only use the top four cogs. Sorted everything out and continued my ride.
That bike had hardly been out of my sight. Nobody else had ridden it. So how could it develop such problems while leaning against the cupboard at the bottom of the stairs for four days?

[gaz]

It's not a natural state of being for a bicycle to be left indoors for days on end. They need regular exercise.

Little wonder it's cross with you and demanding attention .

[Cugel]

Came back four days ago from a short local ride ( to choir practice, if you want to know) with everything working perfectly. Dismounted, pushed the bike into its stable (my living room) and made tea. Today I set out on a long afternoon ride and within half-a-mile discovered that the rear brake had developed a loud squeal and the rear mech indexing was completely out. I could only use the top four cogs. Sorted everything out and continued my ride.
That bike had hardly been out of my sight. Nobody else had ridden it. So how could it develop such problems while leaning against the cupboard at the bottom of the stairs for four days?

You leant it agin' a radiator that then malfunctioned, heating the bicycle by an inordinate amount thus causing various parts to expand, buckle, warp, reconfigure and otherwise become problematical. Tha radiator then cooled down, as did the bike; but the contractions of it's parts did not put them once more aright. Small but significant warpage remained!

You retrieved the now reconfigured machine but didn't notice the subtle changes to it's innard until it became tired of being ridden whilst ill so made a complaint in your direction.

Neglect. Report made to the RSPCB.

Cugel

[PDQ Mobile]

You had a visit from a curious (gran?) child?

[peetee]

It's miffed cos you only made tea for yourself.

[Stradageek]

A guy at work loved his bike so much that he cleaned it thoroughly after every trip including removing all that nasty black stuff on the chain and cassette ready to re-oil (lightly) before the next ride.

He cycled to work in the drizzle one day and seeing heavier rain forecast for the journey home, left his bike in the nice warm office over the weekend.

Come Monday his entire transmission was a rigid lump of rusty metal.

My bikes prefer being well oiled, a little dirty and housed in a drafty cool garage

[Lance Dopestrong]

It's burglars. Been a spate of this type of goings on of late.

[rjb]

Choir practise, did you sing on the way home. Lamentations it's trying to join in with you.

[eileithyia]

Just loving these comments.

[charliepolecat]

Is it possible the bike was upset because you were riding something else ( ) in the living room?

[Grandad]

[charliepolecat]

Bikes are temperamental creatures at the best of times easily taken to snits, so no knowing why any part of one should take it into its head to disintegrate. I used to have a stationary bike - but admittedly not in the living room - and whenever I would ride it, any one of my bikes would take it into their heads to sulk the next time it became their turn.

[RodT]

Ok. There was no radiator involved. My bike doesn’t take tea, only Muc-Off dry lube. I didn’t sing on the way home on account of not wanting to swallow gnats and flies ( the farmers are muck-spreading round here). There is no evidence of a break-in ( the bike, being the most valuable object, would have been stolen). My grand- children are safe at home in Surrey. The bike is now feeling embarrassed by all the attention.
Thanks everybody for such inventive and entertaining suggestions.

[RodT]

Oh, and there has been no extra-curricular activity in my living room for I don’t know how long.

[reohn2]

What was in thencupboard you leant it against?