Worst ride

[BroDeal]

It looks like someone p!ssed in everyone's Cheerios this morning, so now for something completely different. What was your worst experience on a bike?

 

[Anonymous]

It looks like someone p!ssed in everyone's Cheerios this morning, so now for something completely different. What was your worst experience on a bike?

I went out one day, probably early March. It was cold, but not overly so, and I thought I'd go put in 20 miles just for fun. Didn't take a bottle or anything to eat because I was only going to ride an hour or so. I got out of town and was cruising along feeling really good, one of those times where it seemed effortless to turn the cranks. So I decided to do a longer loop around 45-50 miles at one of the turns; I continued heading in the same basic direction I had been going. About 20 miles out you took a left and that brought you about 180 from the direction I had generally been going. It was there that I really noticed the wind for the first time. Didn't have anemometer, but I am sure it was in the 13-18 mph range, with gusts over 20. I still felt OK so I didn't backtrack.....bad choice. About 35 miles in I felt like everything in my body drained out. Blood, organs, energy, oxygen, you name it. I have blown up before, but this was something else. This was the days before cellphones, so no help there. I wasn't going to stop a car, though a truck did pass by and I very seriously considered flagging him down. Around 40 miles, another cyclist I knew passed me going the other direction. I did flag him down, but all he had was water. He shared some, and while I was very grateful, it wasn't enough. There were honestly points where I was riding 5 mph on the flats. I had never before felt anything close to that. I did make it home obviously, but I can promise you that I have never left for a ride without a credit card, something to eat, and at least one full bottle again.

That was my worst day. I know it is kind of tame, but I promise you that I was not sure at the time that I was going to live through it.

 

[benpounder]

What was your worst experience on a bike?

Getting smeared under a car driven by a fellow high school mate.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Besides a horrific crash (still have asphalt embedded in my elbows under the skin), I'd say every year when I go on my first serious ride usually in late March. This problem is "worse" ever year. I get a little heavier, go slower, feel worse, and it takes longer to get into shape again.

So, this year, which was pretty damn cold and snowy over the winter, where I rode about 15 miles and suffered up the 200' 5% gradient local hill, and it felt worse than a few mountainous centuries I'd ridden in the past, this ride qualifies as the worst ever.

 

[180mmCrank]

Total coincidence - but it was on the same route they rode today in the Dauphine. It was the Etape Du Tour 2006 - I made it up the Col d'Izoard out of Gap - felty pretty good until the last km of the climb. Stopped at the top - it was July and really stinking hot - really hot - had some water but felt rough. Dropped down the decent ok but that climb out of Briancon nearly killed me...and then I died in the valley on the way to Alpe D'Huez. Nearly got carted off in a ambulance - but I refused to in it I am told - barely remember any of it!

I was so p!ssed at myself I went back a week later and rode the whole stage again on my own - well I had my wife following in the car (true love!). This was the best ride of my life ... Col d'Izoard, Lautaret and then Alpe D'Huez - fvkking fantastic!

Best and the worst!

 

[elapid]

Today's ride was pretty close to my worst. I recently bought a new bike (Cervelo R3) and had soreness issues after longer rides. After some sleuthing, I had a fitting yesterday and was hoping this would solve my problems. After 60 km, I felt like I had gone through the gentle cycle in a washing machine. After 120 km, it felt like that I had been chewed up and spat out. There was nothing that wasn't sore. My hammies are screaming, quads are contracting, and I even have soreness in places I have not before experienced (lower back, shoulders, neck). Guess the fitting didn't do the trick.

 

[whiteboytrash]

I even have soreness in places I have not before experienced (lower back, shoulders, neck, rectum). Guess the fitting didn't do the trick.

Perhaps you could try using a saddle. Seat posts can be uncomfortable.

 

[BroDeal]

I went out one day, probably early March. It was cold, but not overly so, and I thought I'd go put in 20 miles just for fun. Didn't take a bottle or anything to eat because I was only going to ride an hour or so. I got out of town and was cruising along feeling really good, one of those times where it seemed effortless to turn the cranks. So I decided to do a longer loop around 45-50 miles at one of the turns; I continued heading in the same basic direction I had been going. About 20 miles out you took a left and that brought you about 180 from the direction I had generally been going. It was there that I really noticed the wind for the first time. Didn't have anemometer, but I am sure it was in the 13-18 mph range, with gusts over 20. I still felt OK so I didn't backtrack.....bad choice. About 35 miles in I felt like everything in my body drained out. Blood, organs, energy, oxygen, you name it. I have blown up before, but this was something else. This was the days before cellphones, so no help there. I wasn't going to stop a car, though a truck did pass by and I very seriously considered flagging him down. Around 40 miles, another cyclist I knew passed me going the other direction. I did flag him down, but all he had was water. He shared some, and while I was very grateful, it wasn't enough. There were honestly points where I was riding 5 mph on the flats. I had never before felt anything close to that. I did make it home obviously, but I can promise you that I have never left for a ride without a credit card, something to eat, and at least one full bottle again.

That was my worst day. I know it is kind of tame, but I promise you that I was not sure at the time that I was going to live through it.

That is funny because it is almost exactly like one of my worst rides.

It used to be a rite of Spring that I would misjudge my fitness level and die a horrible death while riding. The worst occurred late March or early April, I don't remember exactly. The valley I used to live in was like a wind trap. There were always a couple of months when it was miserable to ride, especially when I was not in shape. I started riding with a strong wind at my back, just cruising in a high gear and feeling great.

After about forty miles I turned around and quickly realized that I was in trouble. Hard bonk. To make matters worse the sky clouded over, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped. I must have spent hours battling a headwind. Sometimes I would stand up to get through gusts. It was a total death march.

I was a starving college student. I never used to carry money. I had nothing to eat. I spent a lot of the time planning what I would eat when I got back. The worst moment came on a slight downhill section. I coasted down it, head hanging over my stem and grateful for the rest. As I looked down at the road I watched a piece of red licorice pass under my bike. It was glued down to the road and looked like a few cars had run over it. Before my brain could register that it was food, I had rolled down the hill a bit. Honest to gawd, the only reason I did not stop, peel the licorice off the road, and eat it is because I could not stand the thought of turning around and climbing back up this very slight hill.

Top top things off, when I got into town a paperboy insisted on riding beside me and pretending he was racing me. He was a lot faster than me too, but I could not muster enough self esteem to care about it.

 

[elapid]

Perhaps you could try using a saddle. Seat posts can be uncomfortable.

Ha - took me a few reads to catch the edit. I believe Jens knows what it is like to ride without a saddle.

 

[craig1985]

That is funny because it is almost exactly like one of my worst rides.

It used to be a rite of Spring that I would misjudge my fitness level and die a horrible death while riding. The worst occurred late March or early April, I don't remember exactly. The valley I used to live in was like a wind trap. There were always a couple of months when it was miserable to ride, especially when I was not in shape. I started riding with a strong wind at my back, just cruising in a high gear and feeling great.

After about forty miles I turned around and quickly realized that I was in trouble. Hard bonk. To make matters worse the sky clouded over, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped. I must have spent hours battling a headwind. Sometimes I would stand up to get through gusts. It was a total death march.

I was a starving college student. I never used to carry money. I had nothing to eat. I spent a lot of the time planning what I would eat when I got back. The worst moment came on a slight downhill section. I coasted down it, head hanging over my stem and grateful for the rest. As I looked down at the road I watched a piece of red licorice pass under my bike. It was glued down to the road and looked like a few cars had run over it. Before my brain could register that it was food, I had rolled down the hill a bit. Honest to gawd, the only reason I did not stop, peel the licorice off the road, and eat it is because I could not stand the thought of turning around and climbing back up this very slight hill.

Top top things off, when I got into town a paperboy insisted on riding beside me and pretending he was racing me. He was a lot faster than me too, but I could not muster enough self esteem to care about it.

Yeah when I first started out I would go riding and not bring any food or money with me and just bonk completely to the point where it is a miracle that I am still able to pedal.

 

[Pietro]

It looks like someone p!ssed in everyone's Cheerios this morning, so now for something completely different. What was your worst experience on a bike?

Getting hit from behind by a pickup truck driven by a woman who fell asleep...at 10:30 on a Saturday morning.

 

[Snake8]

I used to do a lot of touring. Somewhere between Niagra Falls and Detroit in Ontario on a wide open plain. Wind was dead in my face and honking, I'd guess steady 30 with higher gusts. I was in my granny gear on dead flat road (touring bike has mountain gearing). I'd ride for an hour and look back at where I started. If the wind was not in my face I would have been blown over. Finally made it to some little town and thought about calling it a day but I have never met such hostile people in my life. I figured they must have recently been raped and pillaged by a gang of marauding bike tourers with the amount of attitude i got in that town, so I sadly remounted my steed and spent the rest of the day riding five miles.

 

[patricknd]

came home from work and had a little fever but didn't think much about it. went to ride and had no energy at all, just felt bad. i started back home, and was almost their, when i hit a little sand going up on the sidewalk. the bike slid out and i went down. i has so little energy i couldn't unclip and get up. i layed there and rested, until i finally was able to get out from under my bike and get home. turned out i had mono and strep throat. 40 years old and got mono.

 

[tifosa]

A 100k tandem ride with my ex. Pretty much says it all.

 

[Not Riding Enough]

That is funny because it is almost exactly like one of my worst rides..... Hard bonk.....

Yeah, it is strange that my worst ride was hitting the wall the hardest I ever have. Worse than the crashes I have had, even though it takes much longer to recover from them. I guess the adrenalin and endorphins kicking in after a crash (or at least shock).

 

[rhubroma]

Absolute worst, I really couldn't say. But I do remember on one occasion bonking the last 50k of a 250k ride with several major Apennine climbs in it. I thought I had seriously bonked before, but those last 50k were certainly among the worst, God aweful experiences I have ever gone through on a bike.

I even stopped in this bar with like 25k to go and ate a prosciutto and mozzarella panino and drank a pint of beer, to numb the exhaustion.

 

[rhubroma]

A 100k tandem ride with my ex. Pretty much says it all.

BEAUTIFUL!!! Now, that's the worst ride...

 

[tifosa]

Yep. Pretty much.

 

[hfer07]

It looks like someone p!ssed in everyone's Cheerios this morning, so now for something completely different. What was your worst experience on a bike?

Taking a ride in winter, I bonked 25 miles from home-somehow the weather switched to bitter cold (18 F) w/ snow showers--totally frozen, can't go faster with the roads so slippery,in the middle of the countryside- I'm in pain-my feet are iced & I feel I'm loosing my toes--The worst Situation that I've ever been on the bike

 

[Franklin]

I have a few to choose from.

1. When I was 21 I went to do a 100K with my brother in law. I was all day hammering the pedals but on 10k before home I got cramps. Really embarrassing to go from super to agonizing crawl. And to have my brother in law see it all.


2. At 24 I was racing and it went quite well. I'm a small guy (climber type) and that year consistently managed top ten in crit mass sprints (c cat^^). Everything here is pancake flat, so thats about as good as it gets. That day I end 7th in the mass sprint. Elated I cycle home and bonk about 5 minutes from home. It was a student house with a steep stairs and I had to carry the bike upstairs. Suffice to say I needed help

3. When I was 31 I started racing again. We had an omnium (TT, Points crit and Straight crit). I managed last in the TT, 2nd to last in the points and then dropped the first round of the crit. I was completely smashed to pieces.

4. Later that year I was in a lot better shape and managed some decent finishes. Then we had a memorable day, there weren't enough A cat riders, so they mixed them with us (B cat). The peleton splintered after three laps and I was in the second bunch. I had superb legs, so I jumped to the first group... minus 10 metres, 11 metres, 12 meters, 15 meters, 25 meters..... I stayed within eyesight 1 and a half lap (as I said, I had superb legs), then I broke down... got gobbled up by the second group, got spit out, third group, got spit out... then the first group doubled me.... it was to be a loooong day^^

 

[uphillstruggle]

yeah, being pretty new to the riding thing I thought to 'bonk' was just a case of the sore legs; but to experience it first hand was a shock to say the least. The last time I cried and I was doing 3mph up a 7% average climb being pushed by my brother.