So Embarrassing

I went for a ride this morning with Simon, one of the guys from the NE31 Tri  Club. It was a long-ish, slow ride along some pretty grotty roads, which allowed us time to try and figure out what’s the most embarrassing thing to do on a bike . . .

  • Fall off during a race, in a slow section, in front of lots and lots of witnesses? Yep, done that.
  • Fall off in the (thankfully barely moving) traffic on your ever-so-nice tri bike? We all know someone who’s done that, don’t we?
  •  Forget you’re clipped in, and almost fall off when you stop, only being saved by a handy wall to grab? Oh, Simon did that this morning.
  • Coast slowly to a halt at a set of lights, and have Simon overtake on the pavement, causing such surprise that you just pull on the brakes, forgetting that you haven’t yet unclipped, and fall off right there and then. In front of a queue of traffic. Oh, and right outside a bike shop.

Yep, I think I collected the Muppet of The Week award for that last one. But at least I didn’t rip my tights open at the crotch when I fell (you know who you are!)

Workout:

  • Type: Cycle
  • Date: 03/16/2008
  • Time: 11:30:28
  • Total Time: 2:40:00.00
  • Distance: 36 miles
  • Average Speed: 13.5 mph
  • Muppet Awards: One

Filed under: Cycle, Friends, Injury, NE31 Tri Club, Silly Stuff

5 Responses to “ So Embarrassing ”

  1. Lisa Sabin on March 16, 2008 at 8:29 pm

    When I first got my bike I rode up to the neighbor, an 20 year old kid and said “Hey Ryan, check out my new bike.” I braked and fell down right in front of him. Ironically, I was Ryan’s mentor for his senior project a couple years prior, which was to do a triathlon. Some mentor huh?

  2. Karl McCracken on March 16, 2008 at 11:35 pm

    Thank you - knowing that pro’s like you make the same sort of mistakes as the rest of us makes me fell a whole lot better!

  3. Bill Anders on March 17, 2008 at 12:26 am

    ROFL!

    Been there, got those t-shirts as well.

    For the slow-motion ones, I jump up and take a bow . What else can you do at that point? Get mad?

    Hardly.

  4. Brad Hefta-Gaub on March 17, 2008 at 6:34 am

    LOL!

    I fell on top of Jeff a couple weeks ago when I couldn’t get unclipped at the end of the Chilly Hilly ride… It was about 2 minutes after telling him that I had almost fallen over because I couldn’t get unclipped about 20 minutes earlier…

    That’s not supposed to happen to “experienced” riders now is it?

  5. riddenwords on March 17, 2008 at 6:47 am

    I used fall over clipped in on an annual basis in the early season. It’s easy to do. It’s generally a slow motion event for me. Buck up. I bet even Lance has done it…yeah, I bet even Lance has done it.