Pointless Prize: Roasted

[ceustis]

Happy New Year Saddleros! This is a pointless prize in the truest sense in that it does not carry points. I was reading the #singlespeed pointless prize (just booked my first miles today) but I’d like to see how much gear we as a collective group of dedicated bicyclists riding in crappy weather could roast over the course of Freezing Saddles 2024. I see this (equally) as an opportunity to measure our impact on landfills, and to record feats of mental fortitude for Freezing Saddles posterity.

If someone is notoriously hard on gear in the post, I’ll provide a pair of tubes in a requested size at the closing happy hour as a pointless prize. Bonus if you post a hack or repair job that got you through your ride. I’m making up the algorithm as I go along but the rules are this. 1 point per failure, extra point if you corrected that failure (e.g. patched a tube, plugged a tire). Honor system. Post your equipment fails here or on the Strava post here.

I’m hoping to use this thread to keep track of the number of consumed:

1) Tubes lost to flats (+1 bonus point if you patch it)
2) Tires rendered unusable (to wear or damage, bonus if you plug it/boot it)
3) Brake Pads/rotors/Cables (1 point/roast)
4) Spokes/Wheels (one post/wheel please, I’m not doing a point per spoke)
5) Chains/cassettes
6) Frames :crying face:
7) Contact points
8) Accessories (e.g. bottle cages, racks, fenders, just submit your story in a comment).

I’ll Start-> 1 Tube (Patched) – Cause: I poked it with a pick trying to get glass out of my tire.

Leaderboard is Here.

 

[Nadine]

1. 1/14/24

I roasted my shifter cable. You didn’t list shifter cables, but do you wanna? I roast one every 3-4 months I think. I hear it’s a problem with Shimano 105 shifters mass on a few particular years. Due wish I knew which ones….. It’s a problem on both my treks.

https://strava.app.link/Fa6U5Di7rGb

[Serdar]

@ceustis, thanks for sponsoring. I added your prize to the list of all pointless prizes.

[ceustis]

Nadine, this counts! I put your name on the leaderboard. And yes, there’s a tight bend inside the shifter on all Shimano 11-speed, as well as newer shimano shifters where the cable routes underneath the handlebar tape. As a high-mileage commuter, i’m not surprised you go through 2-3 cables/year.

[bikingjenn]

Just saw this pP tonight and entered three roadts in one post on your Strava link. Have another to add when I figure out the date I replaced a chain and cassette on one bike and wheels and brake pads on another.

[jlamb]

Broke a brifter (left side). Not sure how, just stopped working mid ride. Was too cheap to buy a new one, so I’m going with a microshift bar end shifter instead. Hooray for affordable friction shifting.

A bottom bracket cartridge. It started out as a barely noticeable creak a couple weeks ago. Slowly got louder and louder until I couldn’t take it anymore. Too much riding in wet, salty sludge.

Not sure if these count, but I had to replace a chainring, cassette and chain. Just normal wear and tear over time, mostly attributable to pre-FS miles. Was hoping to wait until spring, but skipping under load isn’t much fun.

Almost forgot the tube. I fell turning onto a slippery wooden bridge. The tire hit the bridge railing in such a way as to tear the tube. It all happened so fast in not exactly sure how it went down. But I know I went down though.

And the front tire. The discontinued schwalbe marathon supreme (RIP). Plenty of tread left, but a big nasty cut in the tire necessitated replacement. I don’t think it was bridge crash related, but who knows.

 

[ceustis]

Just a reminder to let me know if you repaired any tubes or tires before the closing HH. Please reference the original failure date so I don’t double count. I will cross-post in #Deflated as well.

[cvcalhoun]

2/29 – Brakes (because I’m a very timid rider and almost always use my brakes going downhill).

3/9 – Garmin (thrown off my bike and broke when I was hit by a car).

I also had two batteries for my e-bike die (refused to hold a charge any more).  And I had to repair the catch on the compartment for my e-bike’s battery, after it got to the point I was stranded on the CCT for 20 minutes struggling to change the battery.  Pliers and a lot of WD-40 were involved.  However, I don’t think these really count, since an e-bike has a lot more parts to break than a regular bike does.

[ceustis]

I’ll give that 5 points total Carol. Thanks! (2 pads, 1 computer, 2 batteries, no possible repair points.)

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