Embarassing things to do at the races ....

[LuckyPierre]

What's the most embarassing thing that you've ever done at a club event (or a charity ride or a .... anything I suppose)?
I capped off my Australia Day weekend by arriving at Orroral Valley for today's ACT Vets ride without my shoes!
To make it worse, I'd realised before I got there, but I was still way too far from home to recover - and the riding conditions were wonderful.
Still, every event needs marshalls, so the morning wasn't wasted.

[moosterbounce]

Nice one Peter.

Apart from occasionally leaving home without my helmet on (and I always realise when I'm at the bottom of the hill we live on!!), I've not done anything really embarressing - yet!!

The best one I saw though was at lat year's Freeway Bike Hike in Perth (they close off 30km of the freeway for a fund raising ride). You left in groups depending on how fast you can do the ride. The first group left - these are people who can do it in under 55mins. Then the second group left - under 70 mins. I was in this group.

Got literally 100m down the road and there was someone from the 55min group sitting at the side of the road with a puncture and no spare tube or fix kit!! Couldn't believe it. What a great way to start the day. Swore I would always carry a spare to avoid looking like this!!

Moo...

[Mr888]

Don't know if this is the most embarrasing, but it sure is the the most stupid thing I've done....I bought a new pair of Gaerne riding shoes and thought I'd try them at the next triathlon meet. Usually, after the swim, I'd put them on first - run out of the compound - then hop onto the bike and clip in.

For some dumb reason, I decided to leave the shoes clipped onto the pedal with the theory of slipping my feet into them whilst riding.

The result=I scraped/scratched the tops off my new shoes (because they refused to flip up right) and dropped from 4th to last

[mikesbytes]

Left my shoes and helmet at the track and couldn't ride for a couple of days until I recovered them.

[tuco]

Headed of to the meeting point for a ride without my helmet. Got there and someone said lets head that way then Michael can stop at home and get his helmet.

After my first race I left my helmet at the race location. Luckily someone found it and took it back to the club house.

Mikesbytes, your avatar haunts my. Everytime I hang my gloves up on the line to dry I have visions of your avatar.

[mikesbytes]

Mikesbytes, your avatar haunts my. Everytime I hang my gloves up on the line to dry I have visions of your avatar.

I should of been a member of the Addams family.

[monty scott]

this is more funny than anything else on my vey first ride with a faster group it was raining off and on so we did some work in the local park after about 5 lap (3km leach) we were starting to increase the speed and get moving when from nowhere one of the lead riders yells out DUCK so here is me all this training all the way from a little fella in cadets to the real deal and this bloke yells duck so i do what come natural down go's the head as close to the bars as i can get now i am second in line i do not want to make any sudden moves but i can get no closer to the top tube or the handle bars when all of a sudden i run it over yes you got a duck ran across the road the handle bars hit my helmet the top tube hit ...... well it hit me too not that hard but when we got back for coffee we did have a good laugh at my expense so i think you lot should too.

[europa]

Ruddy ducks. Had a flock of them in front of me on Sunday, all over the path. One, of course, starts waddling off down the path, then running, then flapping. When it finally took off, it took off straight and went straight over my head - I could feel the wind off its wings on my face.

But embarressing things on a bike? Do you things we don't normally do that we feel extra embarressed about or just the normal embarressing things you do every day to keep our kids amused?

Richard

[sogood]

So what happened to the "duck"?

[monty scott]

ok did i mention that it was wet we were at about 35kmp/h in a group the went from right to left and then i watched him keep going left
i do not know what happend after that

[mikesbytes]

Wild ducks are a bit tough to eat.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
training log

[moosterbounce]

We were riding along, as you do, with my husband in front. This pigeon was sitting at the side of the road minding its own business, when it suddenly launched itself into the air and straight into the oncoming husband Got him fair in the side of the helmet.

He still doesn't like wearing a helmet, but he hasn't ridden in front since - that's my job.

Maybe it thought it was a duck?!

Moo...

[europa]

No, ducks miss. Only pigeons are stupid enough to make contact. Couldn't been worse, I took out a galah at 140km/hr on the motorbike one day - the blokes behind me reckoned I disappeared in a cloud of pink feathers (it hit the fairing thank goodness).

I remember a few years back at the TDU, standing by the criterium track, yelling out to Stuart O'Grady every time he came past ... only to discover halfway through the race that I was looking at someone from a different team

Richard

[tuco]

Not cycling related but I went to a brisbane roar Vs Townsville soccer game (this was just before the A league started up) and it wasn't until half way through the second half when the first goal was scored that I realised I had the teams around the wrong way.

I wasn't really that interested, we were only there because we got free tickets because my daughter was a ball girl or what ever they call them.

Back to cycling, I rode past a kookaburra sitting on the ground then it decided to fly off but went straight into the side of the front wheel. It seemed uninjured.
About 2 weeks back an ibis just missed us in a pack ride. It'd hate to be hit by their long thin beaks. They're not small birds.

[moosterbounce]

I that one of those "unfortunate ways to die"? Speared with an ibis beak?!

Moo...

[rider06]

Don't know about ducks or ibis, but magpies are bloody dangerous - one missed me on the first swoop, but came close enough to feel it, then came back for more and got me flush on the helmet. I stayed upright and used the adrenaline boost to take off whilst the stunned maggie lay in the road... first time i had ever needed my helmet

[sogood]

About 2 weeks back an ibis just missed us in a pack ride. It'd hate to be hit by their long thin beaks. They're not small birds.

The risk is if the beak gets jammed b/n the spokes and front fork.

I understand that possums are such a risk to cyclists there in N America. They have a liking for trying to run through the front wheel. More often than not, it's splash!

[Mulger bill]

Know what you mean about magpies rider06, have you tried the eyes on the back of the head trick? They usually give up during the first swoop.

Oddly enough, since we started feeding the ones nesting near the house, none of us gets swooped for a fair distance around the house

[europa]

I don't have to make an effort to feed the magpies at Reynella - the buggers feed off ME

Richard

[key]

have you tryed some zip ties on the helmet ?