:17:
It started out innocent enough: loose cleats. I do remember in the LeWedge manuals saying something about re-tightening the cleat bolts after the first couple rides. Guess I put it off one ride too many. So I pull over at the State house, and take care of business.

2 miles later, I am spinning up a hill and hear a rythmic hiss. Flat number 1: Rear tire. I notice it now is the proud owner of a couple small splits. Insert new tube, think about returning home b/c of the split, but talk myself out of it and decide to finish my ride. I mean, they weren't bad, and it couldn't possibly happen twice.

3 miles later, I am regretting my decision. Same tire, same rythmic hiss. No more replacement tubes. I am lucky enough to be within walking distance to a bike shop. 2 miles later, find out they closed 30 minutes ago.

Get flagged down by a couple, telling me to go back to the shop cause the owner is there. $62 later, I'm rolling again! Decide to double back and finish my ride.

Fast forward to the the cherry on top: I am spinning uphill again, 5 miles from home, and somehow my chain lodges itself between my small chainring and the frame (~500 total miles on bike & drivetrain/no sharkfins). Refuses to budge. I appear to have entered the bizarro dimension for bike luck. The next fix? Take off my chainrings. Not difficult at all, but put that on top of everything else today and it's the straw that broke the camel's back.

I swear I spent more time walking/repairing the bike on the sidewalk than riding on the road today. So Murphy, I've done my time. Leave me alone! (Of course this means I will be screwed on my next ride)

That's amazing. I'm happy to say I've never had a ride like that. Hope I never do (knock wood, rub rabbit foot, cross fingers, etc.)

That sounds like a typical mountain bike ride. Flats, Chain Suck, Shoe/Cleat problems. That should not happen to you on the road again for a decade or so.

Yes, and as you shake your fists in the air and curse the bike gods you hear a voice, "This is the twilight zone." You close your eyes and when you open them you realize that you've been sleeping for the past year.

Either that, or there were several mole people that you angered at some point and they were following you around popping your tires and screwing with your chain.

Im leaning a bit toward the mole people, how about you?

And no, FatTireFred, im not tryin to sell Twilight Zone DVDS . . .

Worst i ever had was a few years ago i was running cheapy tires and tubes, hit a bump in the road and flatted both tires. Was not until i repaired #1 that i discovered #2 was also flat. Broke a chain once about 1/8 mile from home, thats the worst in 17years or so.

That istough luck. Everybody has days like that. It'll pass.

One of my favorite sayings is, "My mother told me I'd have days like this. She just didn't say they'd all come in a row, though." :-)

Hey, at least it wasn't a night ride, in January, in Wisconsin! That's when changing a flat really, really sucks.

I've had the chain jam in so hard it seems like I need to take the cranks off. However, I wiggled it enough in the right direction and it popped out.

Get flagged down by a couple, telling me to go back to the shop cause the owner is there. $62 later, I'm rolling again! Decide to double back and finish my ride.

What cost you $62? For the shop owner to fix a flat tire???

What cost you $62? For the shop owner to fix a flat tire???

Negative... that would have been 1st degree rape. New tire (old tire was split in a couple places; 1 to the cords), tube (spare was KIA), and install (didn't think it would cost what they charged me, but I let it slide since they helped me out big time).

Look at it this way -- you got all of your bad luck out of the way for the next 12 months (unless you are truly cursed).