Heart Gulping Ride

[Owen]

Reassembled the bike but forgot the brakes.

My ride to the shops is a slight rise followed by a beaut downhill, I
can hit 40 Km/hr.

Half way down I applied my non existent brakes, the bicycle
immediately accelerated to a million miles an hour and the adrenalin
started pumping.

Took off through the parkland for a wild ride, and eventually came to
a stop.

Wonder if I will learn anything!

Used to have a check list attached to a post, puncture kit, spare
tube, pump, money, etc. but I never read it.

Ah well, looks like I am going to see 2010, but at this rate, not much
of it :-)

Owen

[Peter]

I hope you are intact if not the bike. Sounds a bit like Mulga Bill's
first ride.

Peter

[BT Humble]

But what a rush! :-)

My dad told me that on his first ride of a bike with brakes (a spoon
brake - this was 70 years ago) he intentionally went down a big hill
and was rewarded with a *sproing* and various brake parts flying in
the air when he tried to apply them. Fortunately he was familiar with
the backup technique of shoe-sole-against-back-tyre used by most kids
back then.

BTH

[ray]

These things happen. About three years ago, screaming down a large hill at
65 k/mh with a 15 kg touring load on board, and a sharp right turn before
the creek at the bottom. Approaching the bend, hit the brakes to then
discover the front brake had quick-released itself. Speed (thankfully)
reduced to about 20 k/mh, I sailed off the road to land, still upright, in
the scrub. Extricating myself, I figured it could have been much worse,
broken the bike or just me, or for that matter ended up in the creek.
Wouldn't have been the first time either!
Cheers, Ray

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