Cycling along on my Dutch town bike today and coming up to a junction I started to brake only to find myself on the floor and being helped up by concerned passers by. Fortunately a quiet street with no traffic.
Looked at the bike and couldn't understand it as the handlebars were pulled round, the brake lever was broken and the brake cable to the rear hub brake was pulled free and stretched tight to the handlebars. I couldn't work out what had happened as the brake cable had been long enough a few seconds earlier. Eventually twigged that the reaction arm bolt to the chain stay was missing, and when I braked the housing had rotated with the wheel winding in the brake cable as it went and pulling the handlebars round. I've had the bike for four years now so the bolt must just have worked itself free over time.. First time I've ever seen a failure like that so a warning if you have hub brakes to check the reaction arm bolt is done up properly.
I wasn't expecting that!
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Sorry to here about you 'off',hope you're OK.
I tend to go down each side of the bike and check every bolt on it about once a month or two depending on how much riding I've been doing.
I'd definitely do the same check very regularly if I used the bike daily,and left it parked up where other people had access to it.
I tend to go down each side of the bike and check every bolt on it about once a month or two depending on how much riding I've been doing.
I'd definitely do the same check very regularly if I used the bike daily,and left it parked up where other people had access to it.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Wow - bonkers failure mode!
Heal fast...
Heal fast...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Yes I should have but the only maintenance I've had to do in the past four years is pump the tyres up (enclosed chain, hub brakes, dynamo lights) so you get lulled into a false sense of security. I'm OK thank you and bike shop says £20 will make the bike OK so only a pride issue.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
get well soon!
FWIW you should always use a locking mechanism of some kind (eg a nyloc) on that bolt, else it will work loose and then drop off. All the bike manufacturers who are not obviously cowboys/idiots use a nyloc on that bolt.
BTW if the front reaction arm comes loose similarly, you can go over the bars.
A rear brake problem is fairly benign by comparison, all it does is lock the rear wheel; you might fall off but it isn't so likely to kill you.
cheers
FWIW you should always use a locking mechanism of some kind (eg a nyloc) on that bolt, else it will work loose and then drop off. All the bike manufacturers who are not obviously cowboys/idiots use a nyloc on that bolt.
BTW if the front reaction arm comes loose similarly, you can go over the bars.
A rear brake problem is fairly benign by comparison, all it does is lock the rear wheel; you might fall off but it isn't so likely to kill you.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
NATURAL ANKLING
- Posts: 13780
- Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
- Location: English Riviera
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Hi,
Cars and motor cycles and up have fail safe fastener applications on important parts using one fastener.
The only time important parts drop off is when they were never done up, for above.
Nylocs, as said then theres threadlock, I would of thought that important bolts (does it have a nut
) would have a mechanical thread locking mechanism from new
Don't reuse nylocs for the important stuff and make sure the thread pokes thru, degrease threads always.
Hope you are OK get well soon.
Cars and motor cycles and up have fail safe fastener applications on important parts using one fastener.
The only time important parts drop off is when they were never done up, for above.
Nylocs, as said then theres threadlock, I would of thought that important bolts (does it have a nut
) would have a mechanical thread locking mechanism from new Don't reuse nylocs for the important stuff and make sure the thread pokes thru, degrease threads always.
Hope you are OK get well soon.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Brucey wrote:A rear brake problem is fairly benign by comparison, all it does is lock the rear wheel; you might fall off but it isn't so likely to kill you.
Less benign in this case because by winding in the brake cable it suddenly wrenched the bars round on me.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
good point, a full housing brake can do that if the housing moves, of course....
owww...!
cheers
owww...!
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Would attaching the rear reaction arm to its bracket with a lynch pin (or similar QR) not be better than a nyloc nut etc?
------------You may not use this post in Cycle or other magazine ------ 
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Yikes! A timely reminder to us all to check bolts (and cables and so on) from time to time.
Heal well.
Heal well.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
SA_SA_SA wrote:Would attaching the rear reaction arm to its bracket with a lynch pin (or similar QR) not be better than a nyloc nut etc?
better...? ...in what way?
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Because it couldn't unscrew but is easy to attach/release without needing threadlock/nyloc nuts?
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MikeF
- Posts: 4347
- Joined: 11 Nov 2012, 9:24am
- Location: On the borders of the four South East Counties
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
Linchpins can flip undone. R clip might be better but perhaps better still would be a castellated nut.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
I don't peddle bikes.
Re: I wasn't expecting that!
I meant this: is it not a lynch pin?http://shop.planet-used.com/shop/en/carry-freedom-safety-pin.html
This can flick undone?
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Re: I wasn't expecting that!
terminology aside (there are many different names for the same thing and the same name can apply to different things too), you are usually better off with a nut and bolt. The reason for this is that the fitting needs to be pretty snug in most drum brakes; a loose fitting may just rattle and drive you nuts, but if it doesn't do that it may well cause a cup and cone hub adjustment to work loose, because the brake plate is usually trapped between the cone and locknut.
Coaster brakes are often different BTW; the reaction arm is often a loose sliding fit on the axle; if so it matters less if it can move a little bit.
cheers
Coaster brakes are often different BTW; the reaction arm is often a loose sliding fit on the axle; if so it matters less if it can move a little bit.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~