This morning I backed over my front race wheel. Yeah, that’s right. I was heading out for an early morning swim and bike. Put the frame in the back of my suv and remembered that I had forgotten something inside. I had the front race wheel leaned up against my back bumper. After I went inside I threw the stuff in the back seat, reached around the side of the car and closed the back door. I was in a hurry (late of course) and totally forgot to put the other wheel in the car. Got in the car, threw it in reverse and crunch. My front tri spoke was smashed. I can’t believe it…I know, why did you have your race wheels on for a training day (well I will never do it again)?? I had just raced yesterday and they had led me to victory in my division (by 6 minutes nonetheless)…so I was tired yesterday…this morning was not going to be a long ride so I thought I would change the tires when I got done today…not so lucky…damn
I think that the only thing (other than a sympathetic soul out there parting with some race wheels for a ridiculous price) that could help ease the pain is some other good stories…so, what is the worst bike gear tragedy that you have had to endure??
Sorry to hear about your race wheel. You are among friends though. I did the roof rack/bikes on top/entered garage trick. The bikes were fine, the car and the bike rack? Not so much.
I lost a couple helmets that way. I never ever put anything on the ground behind the car or on the roof over the drivers door anymore, Experience will make you wise if you learn from it and don’t keep repeating the same lessons … Sorry about the wheel dude.Hard lesson that one.
< moment of silence… bows head in reverential prayer >
Man, that sucks.
I’ve got 3 tales of woe, the one most similar to yours was, we were going for a family bike ride, load bikes on roof, trailer in back, kid in car, lots of commotion, etc.
Back up, hear horrible noise - I had backed over my brand new front wheel (thankfully “only” a training wheel), that had maybe 60 miles on it.
A visit to the LBS and a lighter wallet later, we were able to go do our ride. Still felt bad that I did that, since I had, waaaay back in the day, done something similar to my mtb front wheel (which miraculously survived the ordeal) and SWORE I’d never make that mistake again.
The wife drove into the garage w/ both of our F/S mtb’s on the roof one time. Man, was I steamed.
But, another miraculous result, they were unharmed, as was the car - the roof rack slid back on the factory rails and absorbed the impact. WHEW.
Last one was, 2 days before IMLP '06, driving up the Northway, my bike blows off the roof, slams the side of the car.
Easton EC90 Aero fork is TOAST, one dropout bent and the other looked like it was gnawed off.
1" steerer, almost nobody makes those anymore.
Got to scramble around for the next day and a half, until Ken (my HERO) at Placid Planet literally took the fork off his bike and put it on mine (and I paid for him to order himself a new one).
Sorry to hear that. If you need a feel good story, here is one:
Sunday before my first IM years ago. Group ride with my club mates. Somebody calls for a puncture at the back, guy in front of me decides it was a good idea to turn back to help. Smashed into him, bent my aluminium fork (back in the day!), front wheel pretty much unusable, road rash for me and a good dose of adrenaline. My club mate was more devastated than me. No time to find a replacement before travelling, I had to borrow a friend’s bike (too big for me).
Hope you feel better, eventually you will tell your story to some poor sad bloke on a forum
I feel your pain. I drove from Denver to Lubbock for the 2007 Buffalo Spgs race. Drove my wife’s Saab because she was at home with the babies and needed the big car. At the time, I wasn’t used to driving the car, so, I just put on the bike rack and strapped the bike to the car. When I got to Lubbock, I took the bike off and discovered the exhaust had melted my 404s. Never even occurred to me that I should take them off. A very expensive lesson learned. On the plus side, it was the perfect opportunity to buy the 808s I now possess. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Seems by your profile you are an attorney, I’m sure you can sue someone and recover the costs of the wheels and then some. They way I see it, your SUV manufacture was negligent in designing the car, and there probably was a design defect in the reverse mechanism as there should have been a sensor there to detect any obstacle or other obstruction. I’m sure there is a class of victims who have suffered a similar if not greater loss at the hands of poorly designed vehicles that you can get some major money.
Oh boy… Two summers ago, I decided to see what the battery life on my new Garmin was. Went out and did two laps of the Res and some on Eagle Trail… well over 12 miles, according to the Garmin! Decided to go to the store, but realized that I only had half an hour before my mom wanted her car back. Booked it to the store, and decided to hide the Garmin. It wasn’t in the car… anywhere.
I’d left it on the roof.
Went back and retraced my steps, to find it next to the second turn, in 8 or 9 different (and oddly slender) pieces.
Late 1980’s I was about 18 and driving my father and I to a race. Both our bikes on top. McDonalds drive through. Crunch. Bikes ok but my dad just about exploded in a red hot ball of furious fire. Did the race…came home. He was driving the last stretch and pulled into the garage. With both bikes on top. Crunch. Silence. I was 18 but still knew better than to say ANYTHING.
He had these little folded plastic thingys made up that said “Bikes on Top”. Neither of us has made that mistake again.
I put a pair of little used Sidi shoes–the real expensive ones with the carbon soles–on the roof of my car as I was loading the bike into the back. I was getting fitted on my new road bike. Got distracted and closed the car door leaving the shoes on top. I drove to the bike shop and unloaded the bike but couldn’t find the shoes. I thought I might have left them in the garage so I’m driving home to get them when suddenly, there they are in the oncoming lane in the middle of traffic, sitting there unscathed. I almost caused an accident stopping the car, putting on the flashers when tragedy struck. A soccer mom in a suburban ran them over. The sound of the carbon soles breaking was like an explosion.
So, it turned out to be a bike fitting and a new shoe and cleat fitting.
