No spare, OTOH, I could not even fix the flat even if I had a spare. I watch vids of a biker that forgot his shoes and rode from Nordkapp to Helsinki, about 1400 kilometers, with just ordinary sneakers.
In the US, we call that greasy chainring mess the "Cat 4 Tattoo" (or, at least in my neck of the woods) and this is why it's a good idea to carry a few alcohol wipes in your pocket or saddle bad. They're real small and barely take up any room at all.
I've never had a chainring tattoo, I was wondering how that was possible but I'm left footed so I keep my right foot clipped in. I'll give myself one tomorrow on purpose when I'm cleaning my chain tomorrow.
When first getting used to clipless pedals, forgetting to clip out when coming to a stop, and then collapsing in a pile. I've done it myself, but recently I saw someone else do it, and their reaction was the same as mine was, they jumped up, and first thing they checked for was to see if anyone else had seen them.😂
My chain came off after I had badly adjusted my deraileur when I was dropping gears and going up a hill! Over I go because I was cleated in. So I get up put the chain back and tried to clip in but I couldn't get speed to get balance and fell over again. I just lay there laughing as another cyclist went by. What can you do!!
BikeTopTips hmm yeah haven't done that one yet.. but now that I'm moving my power pedals between two bikes for the first time this coming season it has a much better chance of happening! Lol
I grew up with cycling when I was 6. Got my first bike when I was 8! And the only mistake I made in my whole life was the fact I got some pain on the inside of my upper thigh bone. So I put some Tiger Balm on it. Never realised it would go up while cycling and the sweat made burn all of my private parts. It was the worst ride ever! 25km untill I felt it and I was like 12 years old. Pouring my drinking bottle over my private parts where for a brief moment a relief. The 25km back without water where the most terrible ever! At 16 uears old I did a 60km a day with my dad! Never made any mistake by not eating before or during, mostly had a double drinking bottle. One with just water and one with just lemonade. few bananas on my back. And a spare drinking bottle on my back. Too bad my dad is not here anymore. I'm 39 now and miss the rides with him. I now ride mostly alone. Not to hit the 50km/h anymore but to see what I missed as a kid in the lovely country I live in. My dad taught me everything in riding a bike! And still love it today! He's propably still enjoying it with me. Or watching me!
I know a guy who did that with an Audi TT, totaling the frame, which ALSO damaged the car's roof. And then while freaking out and hastily taking his pro golf clubs out of the trunk, he backed over them. Now THAT'S a bad day out!
I almost did that back in 91 at a public garage. My bike and a friends bike atop my car. The morning of the STP (Seattle to Portland) bike classic. Noticed it just in time. I slam on the brakes, and my buddy gives me this “What’s up?” I point to the roof. “That’s what’s up!” “Oh, right.” You had to be there.
Hubby did it with two of our bikes on the roof rack - crunch on the height restriction barrier entrance to a flipping park and ride carpark. "It'll clear it", he said. "No it won't." I said. ARRGHHH!!!
@@erdbeeren3241 if the hill is steep enough you might win without a bike. I mean why spend thousands on a 4 kg bike when you can have a 0 kg bike for free?
It's because clipless pedals are hella unintuitive. The first thing you learn in any martial arts classes (or even, let's say, PE lessons in basketball) regarding falling and balance is that you ALWAYS point your toes outward when catching balance with one leg. Then you mount SPDs or SPD-SLs and as soon as you start leaning in one direction, you intuitively pull your foot down, trying to turn your toes outward. BANG. After mounting SPDs, I fell hard 6 times. I later discovered that a good way to train safe unclipping in an emergency is getting used to jumping off the bike ass-first, so that you automatically move your heel outward and unclip.
@@juliuszkowalczyk3479 Why are you comparing training of other sports to cycling? If cycling was your first serious sport then the opposite point can be made.
Personally I love a high gear ratio start but in a city it can be annoying to others I guess, and some long crossings you might not finish crossing while you still have the green light haha
@@prosyarceno6607 it just makes it a bit harder to get going again from a standing start. It's easier to start in a low gear and then shift back up. Same as starting a can in first gear rather than fifth
@@mickfanning93 yeah i've accidentally done that a few times on hot days when the mind is foggy. You just move your leading pedal into a power position and start off by standing up on it to lift yourself in the saddle and that jolts you forward.
Chainring tats are cool. Coming from MTB to road I think if you’re worried about the tattoo of dirt and lube then you spend too much time cleaning and not enough riding. 😘
Chainring tattoos for MTB is something from the past. Most bikes wont even have a 2x System and with chain on top of the chainring the tattoos are not really a thing. Most people I know also dont ride with a dirty chain. Most have heard the word of chainwax as the most useful thing to get the freaking muck of your drivetrain forever even without cleaning it.
@@ericstenglein4661 try chain wax and be surprised. Sure mud will stick to it but not for long and you never ever see a black drivetrain. If you touch your chain you only get the dust and other debris but no oil if you never clean it but if you just rinse it there is nothing left. Chain lube suck really hard against the wax
I had an accident two years ago and my chainring teeth sinked deeply into my calf. I now have like a permanent tattoo. A reminder I'll always be a beginner
What about mistiming sundown and getting caught out without a light (or, alternatively, riding the last hour home at an all-out TT pace to beat the sunset)?
Part of my commute to work back in the day involve traveling over a bridge with a toll booth at one end. One day I completely forgot about the barrier at the far end. Travelling at 30 miles an hour in the middle of the road the barrier suddenly came down right in front of me. There is now a segment called Timmy Mallett and is marked as hazardous which I had the joy of seeing every time I uploaded my commute to Strava
My normal forgotten-shoes problem is slightly different... it's doing a cycle commute and realising I've left my normal shoes behind. It's then a choice between teetering about in cycle shoes all day or going stocking feet. Thankfully I've yet to forget both my shoes and a change of socks on the same day.
My first century ever... In the dark ages before even Gatorade was widely available, rode my first century with a very experienced (but low metabolism) cycling buddy. Followed his lead - an egg and slice of toast for breakfast, a hot dog at mile 50. No on-bike food. Around mile 80, I bonked to the point of insulin shock - tunnel vision, slurred speech, weaving back and forth on the road. My buddy coaxed me up one last hill to a gas station/store. Drank 2 cokes, ate 2 chocolate bars, and literally felt the sugar flowing through my veins. Got serious about learning to fuel properly after that.
The chainring tattoo isn’t necessarily a “noob” mistake. If you’re a lefty, you’re inclined to unclip your right shoe. That will make you susceptible to the dreaded tattoo. Just be sure to bring along some tissues and maybe a very small tube of hand sanitizer. Works like a charm! 😁
I had one of my first punctures, filled the new inner-tube with some air and I guess I was a bit overambitious, it was too full, quite blown and didn't fit into the tyre. I was frustrated and went back to my beloved local bike-shop the next day, fuming: "you sold me the wrong size!" and he was like "the what?!" :-) he then taught me to only put a little bit of air in before installing my, oh my ... was I ashamed :-)
My most recent list of mistakes, all in a single ride, 54 miles on hills: 1) Going for a ride like that assuming you are physically ready while you are not; 2) Pushing to much at the beginning of a long ride just because you feel fine at that moment; and 3) Hoping your bike is working just fine. Because I did all 3 mistakes I had to go off the bike on stepper hills because I didn't had enough "juice" and my bike didn't shift on the smaller chain ring. Then after hills have passed, I had to stop because I was exhausted, I pushed to much at the beginning of this 4.5hrs ride.
I'm fairly new to regular cycling, currently going through a bunch of these videos and learning, but perhaps even more importantly, laughing a lot! Thanks!
In my region, it's very, VERY popular to carry some guava sweets packed in small blocks with dry leaves. They are not only great to refuel, but also convenient to avoid carrying rubbish, as the packaging is obviously biodegradable and can go back to nature with no problems
@@gcn they are. In fact, in some competitions they are given away in hydration checkpoints. Just make sure you have some water because they are reeeeally sweet
New one for me the other day, too short valve length on a spare inner tube after switching to deeper section wheels! To be fair I hadn't punctured in over a year and 10k km, thanks to the training tyres, and thankfully I did have a patch kit 😌
Worst mistake...Not watching your videos on how to properly ride a tri bike and slowly adjusting to use aero bars for the 1st time. I learned AFTER I crashed, blacked out, rode in the ambulance to hospital, got xrays and a CT scan, and went home with a concussion and serious road rash. Thank God, nothing broken except a crack in my helmet which I've since discarded. What ha-happened was I adjusted my helmet in the aero bar position after 4 miles and don't remember anything except losing control. I decided to go back to the road bike for a time and build my confidence.I'm obviously new to cycling. Your videos have helped tremendously. Thanks much.
I keep shoes in my office and change when I get up there, but have once left my keys at home. So a ward round in cleats. Fortunately I have mtb pedals so it's a bit less awkward.
I would add that if you are announcing a road issue or some group movement, car on the left or braking , say this with enough volume to others can hear...not just so you can hear. 👍. Always enjoy the ride.
I've been watching a C race starting line and all the riders were clipped in with their left foot, right on the ground, one guy on the end fell on his left and the whole line went down.
The other day we decided to do a 3 day bike tour, I'm 14, the max I had ever ridden before was 78km all three days were 90-100 and 1000-1200m up... I was HYPERBONKED
you guys should do a longer vid on group etiquette. A how to for riding in packs with hand signals and fartleks and such. The group I ride with can mostly communicate without speaking at this point other than to warn about vehicle traffic.
6:20 Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't ride in a group before. Speaking of which, I nearly rubbed a person's wheel getting trapped in a club's paceline while trying to overtake them, It's similar to getting blocked by people who didn't even realize you're there
Well, I got all of the above so many times I couldn't count them. The best one, for which my brother still laughs today? I once rode 180k ALONE, with 3 alpine passes (San Gottardo, Oberalp, Lucomagno) taking with me litterally only 5 dried figs. I thought It would have been easy to find food at petrol stations, etc. Water was not a Problem The problem was, there were very few and it was Sunday, and on Sunday all shops and many restaurants are closed. I hit the wall on the third ascent, but it was gradual and not so bad. At the end of the last descent then I still decided to get home by bike and not by train as planned, which meant other 30k on the flat. Well. There I definitively hit the wall.... I managed to finally find an Ice cream shop after 25k, where I think I ate like 1kg of ice cream. Needless to say i was completely exhausted. :)
definitely done the shoe one and I can't believe you actually blew on your mate. Talk about taking one for the team. Riding with trainers is more frustrating than dry chain noise
I’m a roady and I always carry a spare inner tube, some tyre levers, a multitool, and a pump. If you have mechanical issues or a flat without any of those (except the levers if your fingers are strong enough) you probably aren’t getting home by yourself
Nice shot, rocket scientist! Not getting a bike fit for me led to months of suffering. After the fit which compensated for a short leg, thigh pain disappeared.
Hold your swerve! A whole video on how to learn to ride in a straight line with a consistent cadence - a big deal for group rides. Plus, tips on how to ride in a group such as rotating methods, knowing to push your bike forward when sitting back down, where to focus your eyes when riding in a back position.
When I first started cycling to work I regularly wore too many clothes. It took me a while to work out I needed to go out cold. In fact if I didn't feel cold in the winter I knew I was overdressed.
Forgetting your shoes on a bike isn’t bad…. I forgot my shoes on a training run 😳 but ended up running barefoot cos it was a grass track session. It was winter though so my feet were numb by the end !
Where do I keep my angle grinder on a ride, I hear no one ask? Well right next to my ice cream, tucked behind the olive oil beside the hair gel of course! :P
Freezing water bottles/ camel backs solid. Didn’t thaw out like I thought they would. Following to close. Going out with the wind. I’ve made all the mistakes you’ve mentioned and more.🚵♀️
*Ahhhh, the flat.* Every unlucky cyclist when through the experience of a flat and being 9years away from home. But every time i standed strong, i walked back home. Or i just said screw it and i'll drive on my flat because this tire is end-of-life anyway.
I love GNC. There is nothing better than hearing cyclists describe the idiosyncrasies of our beloved sport. I have experienced each of these “whatnots”. Especially the chain tattoo. I love my Roubaix like a child but I do not keep my chain looking brand new. Since a sign of a novice is chain tattoos I scrub it off immediately upon detection.
I once went out for an evening ride, but underestimated how quick it got dark. With dusk almost turning into night, I still had to cycle 10k in darkness, on my black bike in my black outfit without lights! Luckily not many cars on the roads, so I got home safely. So when you go out for an evening ride, make sure to get back before sunset, or bring some lights with you!
Regarding that point about forgetting the inner tube here in Germany the cycling governing body is called ADFC and they have a road side assistance service for their membership. Although I still carry a big bag of tools with me.
biggest mistake I've made was taking a corner badly and skidding across the road. blocked two lanes, damaged my brand new bike and needed about a year (combined) of rehab for my knee. Still, I've got a great story for best "off's" haha also I'm terrible for bonking on bigger rides! I'm sure I'll learn eventually!
Combined without any breakfast, I also over estimated my fitness on my first 33 miler. I killed the first 15 miles at a blistering pace, but because of exactly that, the next 18 miles took nearly 2 hours! Leaning too much in the corners and thinking I’m a motorcyclist is also another favourite of mine......
@@michaellynn9763 I did the same on my first 50 mile ride. Early and small lunch without much preparation or any nutrition along the way. Luckily we went to get Mexican food from the best place in town at the end 😋
4 года назад
Yeah, i remember when i was riding off road on dusty trails (sorry, i'm not a roadie), and for the last 30km i sprinkled water on my chain to get it lubed. Few minutes of ride, water, repeat. And it worked pretty well, apart from the sudden death when the chain dried off.
GCN - re the bonking, I just discovered a cool thing: traditionally-made Turkish delight is about fifteen to twenty grams of carbohydrates per cube - perfect cycling food. You just eat one square every fifteen to twenty minutes. Thought yous might like to know. Just one thing - if you make it yourself, make sure you let it rest long enough - e.g. overnight at room temperature, before applying the icing sugar and corn starch, or it will 'sweat' and look unappetisingly like raw chicken :D
I went out on old tires and blew a hole through a sidewall about 15 miles away from home. I didn’t have an emergency boot nor a dollar bill so I cut a square from my Rivendell Burrito bag (cotton duck) with my multi tool to use as a tire boot to make it home. I still use it to wrap my stuff and it still has a square chunk missing from one corner.
Four basic cycling mistakes I see all the time Riding in too high a gear Saddle too low Helmet on back of head Chain crossed, in top gear and in granny gear
Had a simultaneous double puncture with only on spare inner tube. And a puncture with a tubular without spare tire. In both cases with no mobile at hand, had to walk barefoot home for up to 9k. Good brick session ;-)
As a mountainbiker, number one mistake I see is stopping on a climb without holding the brakes. Put a foot down, it rolls back, pedal takes out your ankle, and you get a new scar and a fall.
The idea that you can just ‘ride a bit slower’ when bonking is incorrect. When truly in the midst of a severe bonk, you literally can not ride any slower without falling over.
i've found that you can ride approximately 8-10mph while dead. that's weaker than the energy needed to stand. i've fallen a few times at the end after getting off. later i just learned to pull over to the side and sleep for about 45 minutes. works magic and gets me home every time.
I'm not a racer so I've never forgotten my cycling shoes. I use whatever shoes I'm wearing that day. My lycra looks remarkably like denim jeans and a plaid shirt for a reason. My mistakes have mostly been all about buying the wrong bike for my needs. But bikes are made mostly for recreational sport, so it's hard to find a review that talks about daily commuting and picking up groceries.
My dumbest idea: Riding in a cotton shirt, even in summer not advisable. Nothing compares to a proper Jersey (preferably with a long zipper)!Olive oil: Maybe....., but only with a proper cleaning directly after the ride!
I once did a 100 mile sportive (in the rain) and it was only when I punctured with about 5km to that I realised my inner tubes had short valves. I'd recently upgraded to deep section wheels... Safe to say I was stuffed. Walked to the finish and ended in 6:05 when I was on for a 4:50
In the out takes, immediately afterwards one of the Italians rides up to James with a full-length frame pump, and introduces it to his front wheel, Cinzano style. (No, not really...)
not putting a qr/thru axel back in the frame straight away. Arrived at the destination 5h from home, walked to the back of my car to find the 5mm qr dangling from between my tailgate and rear bumper. Slightly bend but usable in the end, could have been a real bummer.
