Your record for destroying new bike gear?

[Likes2ridefar]

35 minutes is all my new giro aeries spherical helmet lasted before saving my head and earning its retirement yesterday.

What is yours? I remember a story about an engineer of the Aethos who had a custom model made and crashed it first ride….

[EB]

I feel like you have to disallow tire stories or this whole thread will be tire stories.

One good one I have involves forgetting that you have to remove the NDS endcap from a Chris King centerlock hub *before* attempting to remove the rotor lockring.

[bigbill]

New tire curse. Last year, I put new tires on my Fulcrum Zero wheels for a trip to the Tucson area. On the way down the front tire was rubbing on something and wrecked the sidewall before the tire ever saw mileage.

In 1991, on the second ride on my Raleigh 753 with 8S DuraAce SIS, a nipple broke on the rear wheel while I was hammering on a false flat. The spoke and broken nipple went through the rear derailleur, splitting it in half, and bending the hanger into the cassette. I saw the pulleys bouncing down the road in front of me.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by EB

I feel like you have to disallow tire stories or this whole thread will be tire stories.

One good one I have involves forgetting that you have to remove the NDS endcap from a Chris King centerlock hub *before* attempting to remove the rotor lockring.

Good point on tires. I’ve had a number of those! I think big bills counts since he didn’t ride them.

[kppolich]

30 mins in to a ride on back to back days a pothole killed a brand new GP5000S TR. 1 hour to light $120 on fire.

[Robot870]

2 min into a ride I double flatted a brand new set of Veloflex tubulars....... Had to activate calm mode quickly! lol

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

Good point on tires. I’ve had a number of those! I think big bills counts since he didn’t ride them.

I had my "bike box" with me which had some tools, tubes, and a GP3000 of indeterminate age. I mounted the GP in the parking lot at Saguaro NP East. I'm guessing the tire is 13-14 years old but will last forever because I have newer and nicer tires in the garage to eventually replace it.

[AngryScientist]

destroyed gear aside, glad to hear your helmet did the job. hope you're otherwise OK!

[Jaybee]

Does it have to be on a ride? I stripped the hell out of a thread-together Wheels Mfg bottom bracket on install. Didn't realize that my T47 tool wasn't quite the right spline pattern.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

destroyed gear aside, glad to hear your helmet did the job. hope you're otherwise OK!

Thanks! I will survive but have my first black eye and a now-glued 3cm laceration plus the standard road rash and bruising at random.

[Mark McM]

I once installed a brand new rear derailleur on my MTB after the pivots in the previous derailleur had gotten worn and sloppy. Just after installing and adjusting the new derailleur, I went on a quick spin in the woods behind my house to make sure everything was working correctly. Within the first 10 minutes, I picked up a branch in the rear spokes, which then snagged the brand new rear derailleur and snapped it in half at the top knuckle.

[C40_guy]

I cut a fork too short before I ever installed it on the target frame.

Now my fork cutting tool box has a warning: "Add space for the stem, dummy!"

[pdonk]

First time ever installing a chain with a quick link, quick link got mangled, and had to cut the chain with a chain tool, making chain too short to use.

[sparky33]

measure thrice and drill once.
aluminum fenders goofed during installation.

[rrudoff]

Put a brand new Vittoria Pave 27mm green tires on my IF about 15 years ago, was taking a long route to the train station i used to commute to SF from the South Bay area to get some miles in, and flatted about a 2 miles from the train station. Was like okay, I will put a new tube in, I haven't had a flat in ages. Remove the old tube, put in the new one, start blowing it up with my mini pump and the valve stem literally falls off, rotten. Check my patch kit and glue has dried out solid. This is about 8 am, and I realize there is one LBS about a mile back where service opens at 8 am. So i walk the bike back a mile, buy a tube and the mechanic even changes the tube for me at no extra charge, which was kind and unnecessary. I had to retire the tire after that days commute, as it had flatted due to a sheet metal screw and I was not comfortable using it long term. So that one tire had about 15 miles on it at best.