Worst ride ever?!!

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Stradageek
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Stradageek »

Probably the day I checked the sky before cycling home from work, noticed a very large thundercloud decided to wait it out.

Colleagues at work baited me for wimping-out and anyway my impatience got the better of me.

The rain started immediately I left. I then discovered I hadn't packed my waterproof and had only a gilet.

What followed was an hours ride in torrential driving rain (I later saw that the thunderstorm had followed my progress) and arrival home with borderline hypothermia.

I've never left home without a waterproof since :D
Vorpal
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Vorpal »

Worst ride ever....

In the Cairngorms on an old gravel road, in the days before everyone carried mobile phones... cold rain & wind... my brother, who was carrying the map, got separated from us (me & a friend), followed shortly by me getting a puncture. I had to take everything off the bike to fix the puncture, find my tools, etc. (in the cold rain & wind). I either missed what caused the first puncture, or encountered more than one & the second one worked its way in after the repair. In any case puncture #1 was followed about 30 minutes later by puncture #2. I was freezing by the time I finished with the 2nd, but we couldn't just pound the pedals to warm up because we didn't know where we were going. We asked a few people for directions, and looked at the maps of a couple of long distance walkers, and managed to stay en route through a couple of splits & the gravel road becoming just a path (that made us question our directions). Then it started to get dark, and we had to decide what to do... we talked about just walking to keep warm because there wasn't any obvious shelter & we weren't carrying camping gear, though we did have some basic emergency stuff, foil blanket, waterproof matches, etc. We figured getting lost was better than hypothermia. But, with the last glimmer of light, we saw some trees up the hill, and headed up that way. There, we found ruins with walls safe enough to shelter against and wood to make a fire. Even better, it stopped raining. So, it was pretty uncomfortable, but we managed to keep warm enough & even doze a little. We set off again as soon as there was light enough to do so.

We'd had beds booked at a youth hostel. My brother got there early evening, thinking we were ahead of him all the time. When we didn't turn up by lights out, the warden wanted to call Mountain Rescue out, but my brother said we weren't at risk & could look after ourselves. So, we arrived at about 7:00 the next morning, tired, thirsty, and hungry, but otherwise no worse for the wear. The warden was kind & let us sleep for a few hours, even though the bunk rooms were supposed to be closed between 9:00 and 14:00. They later told us that some tourists had died of hypothermia in the area where we were overnight, just a couple weeks before.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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foxyrider
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by foxyrider »

How long have you got? :D

To single out any single ride as 'worst ever' would be impossible - there are just so many times when weather or other travais has negatively impacted a ride.

It could be the ride from Interlaken to Andermatt one August, about halfway up the Grimsel Pass it started to rain and by the top it was verging on snow coming out of the fog! It was a decidedly cold and fraught descent down to Gletsch where looking up the Furka road it was obvious i was in for another horrible wet and cold climb. Up to Belvedere it was okay but damp, after that it got foggy and ever colder, the descent and run off to Andermatt was excrutiating. I was certainly glad that i'd decided to book a hotel rather than camp - the heated floor in the bathroom eventually unfroze my feet.

It was a similar tale a few years later crossing the Obertauern in central Austria, only one shorter climb but i ended up with two waterproof jackets and a fleece over my bike gear for the sleety descent - of course at the bottom it was 30c and bright sunshine.

Those two spring to mind but there's stuff like descending the Timmelsjoch at the end of the Oetztaler Radmarathon (250km / 5500m climbing), the light failing as a thunderstorm hit, blinky lights not much use for seeing with as i rushed for the finish 20km away. Earlier in the day i'd been suffering from heat exhaustion but it was a good day - i finished which over half the starters didn't. Or the day the pedal came off halfway to my grandparents 100 miles away from home - i ended up riding with one leg for about 20 miles before being rescued.

There wasn't a lot of riding involved but going to watch the mens race at the Harrogate World champs has to rate as pretty horrible, hours spent in the freezing rain and i was camping that time!

So many tales but i wouldn't have missed any of them - well in hindsight i may have avoided some but thats by the by! :lol:
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Scottish.cyclist.lad
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Scottish.cyclist.lad »

Worst ride was in January, the first or second ride of 2021.

Went out for a 60km ride in East Lothian, just to get the legs spinning after a very food heavy Christmas break. It was pretty cold, around 2 degrees Celsius. On my way back I got a puncture in a small town, couldn't even get the tyre off my fingers were so frozen cold. The missus was away so couldn't come to pick me up. Had to go home in a taxi, which costed me 44 quid.

Converted my bike to tubeless the next week.
brianleach
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by brianleach »

A ride from Cherbourg to St Malo in 2010. I was camping and it rained every day (or seemed to at the time). Not much fun packing a wet tent and then erecting in the evening still wet.

I still remember a lunch stop near Mont St Michel with me steaming gently in the corner!!!
DaveGos
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by DaveGos »

90 miles into a 100 mile TT , on for a PB and puntured
ndmbike
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by ndmbike »

I know these things are what I have signed up for on a 'long' ride...

- bonking but not realising that it was happening
- mechanicals that I can't fix and am too proud to ask for help so will walk home - even if it takes forever
- lost-ness in a strange land where I have to rely on the kindness of strangers

But the worst thing ever was the A82 where lorries ran inches from me and my bike at a speed difference of 50+ mph

I don't like cycling when it is a Russian roulette game of life or death/disability.
Ben@Forest
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Ben@Forest »

Doesn't compare to some of the accounts here - and indeed I've broken my pelvis falling when cycling so doesn't compare to that but I always consider my worst ride trying to get to and from a Northern Rock sportive.

1. Took train to Newcastle.
2. Out of station rode onto cycle path, immediately over glass, punctures in both tyres
3. Fixed punctures by using spare inners, rode back into city centre to bike shop, bought new inner tubes (I was in a hurry). Slight cut in rear tyre,
asked guy in shop if actually I should replace tyre, he said no.
4. Virtually at sportive start when rear inner explodes, shreds tyre.
5. Walk into Gosforth (home of Greggs) and get new inner tube/tyre replaced at LBS. Leave still with time to start sportive.
6. 500 yards after leaving shop chain breaks.
7. Walk back to shop, get link replaced (really had enough now) and can't get to sportive start in time.
8. Ride back to Newcastle, train home. 1.5 miles from home front punctures again.
9. Had enough, walk the rest of the way.

I've been wetter, colder, injured and more tired, but I still think of it as my worst ride.
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foxyrider
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by foxyrider »

DaveGos wrote:90 miles into a 100 mile TT , on for a PB and puntured


I can beat that - i got to 95 miles and punctured on my one and only 100 miler :x
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
foxyrider wrote:
DaveGos wrote:90 miles into a 100 mile TT , on for a PB and puntured


I can beat that - i got to 95 miles and punctured on my one and only 100 miler :x

Well I am assuming you both finished :)

Not the same sport but walked 53.5 miles self supporting over a weekend(ten tors), you could see the finish and all down hill at 55 miles, but was crashed out because we were deemed out of time to be off the moors by 16:00, it was 16:10 IIRC, then had to ride in back of army land rover to the finish, you were not allowed to walk :(
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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essexian
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by essexian »

I thought until yesterday it would have been that Sunday back in April 2002 when I cycled the mile or so to the newsagents three days after a car accident and in doing so, ripped my left calf muscle so badly that I could not cycle again for 7 years.

Or, the time I needed 11 stitches in my head after falling over walking back to my bike from a cafe stop.... my helmet was in my hand at the time (this might have been one time where it would have done some good but who knows.... I'm not willing to try the same incident again just to check).

But no, the worst ride ever was yesterday. A local ride (for local people) around the flat lands to the east of the town (a total of 240 foot climbing in 11 miles...hardly a hill in sight). Why was it so bad? Well, it was my first ride in six months and what fitness I had left has completely disappeared. I slept for three hours when I got back I was so tired and I hurt really badly this morning. And my average speed.... 9.9mph. I used to be able to walk faster!

I guess its my own fault for not trying harder but after four years of really working hard on my weight and fitness, my back went in 2019: I was in bed unable to move for nearly a month, so I guess I just gave in as the pain was too much. It turns out that I have 3 crumbling discs.

Sigh, I'm 60 this year and so wanted to do some of the epic trips most cyclists want to do, but I doubt I'll ever do and end to end at this rate....doubt I'll get 3 months off work if I do it at this rate!

Sorry for the whinge. The bike is in the car so I should go out again in the next few minutes but what's that.... another cup of tea.... and a bit of cake :oops:
Vorpal
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Vorpal »

Well done getting back on the bike. Maybe 11 miles was a bit much for the first time in six months.

Increase gradually, and enjoy the rides (and the cake!), and you'll soon feel better about it :D
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Jdsk
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Jdsk »

What Vorpal says.

Jonathan
ChrisP100
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by ChrisP100 »

When I was 19 I had a pretty heavy steel frame MTB with a fairly basic 21-speed group set and cheap front suspension forks. I set off on a road ride from Warrington to Manchester with a single water bottle, and a jam butty. I only had a couple of quid, so not very well prepared at all.

I got to Manchester feeling quite chirpy, but then realised I had to get back, and there was only about an hour of daylight left. I had no lights...

I was one sorry mess when I got home.

It didn't put me off riding though.
Vorpal
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Re: Worst ride ever?!!

Post by Vorpal »

ChrisP100 wrote:When I was 19 I had a pretty heavy steel frame MTB with a fairly basic 21-speed group set and cheap front suspension forks. I set off on a road ride from Warrington to Manchester with a single water bottle, and a jam butty. I only had a couple of quid, so not very well prepared at all.

I got to Manchester feeling quite chirpy, but then realised I had to get back, and there was only about an hour of daylight left. I had no lights...

I was one sorry mess when I got home.

It didn't put me off riding though.

I was a bit younger than you, when I did one of those, though I had the company of my younger brother viewtopic.php?f=7&t=123273&p=1250541#p1250541f=33&t=144718

I will say that we were fairly accustomed to longish distances & regularly rode a 38 mile route to visit family.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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