C5ALIVE Forum

C5Alive General Category => C5 Chatroom => Topic started by: mhurt on 08, September, 2012 - 15:43:24

Title: Squeaky bum moment
Post by: mhurt on 08, September, 2012 - 15:43:24
Heading downhill for a 5 mile ride and I start braking for the busy roundabout ahead (it's quite a slope), and I hear a thud, and the C5 is no longer slowing down - the rear cable had snapped!
I pulled the front brake are hard as possible, but there was no way I was going to stop, the momentum gained in those few seconds between the snap, me registering the fact and pulling the front even harder, was just too much.
I started waving frantically with my left hand to try and warn the traffic ahead, and amazingly, someone noticed and stopped just in time as I overran the lines.
Managed to stop the C5 about 10m after the line, and was totally amazed I was still alive.

So, the moral to this story? When you first buy a C5, check, double check and triple check the brakes and the cables. If in doubt, get new cables -I'm Off to pick up two new cables, as I'm also replacing the front one for good measure.
Title: Re: Squeaky bum moment
Post by: kamilb1998 on 08, September, 2012 - 15:54:18
You're lucky your front brake didn't fail when you pulled it really hard, it's not unusual for the front wheel to, and this is not a word of a lie, melt under hard braking using the front brake. Your inner tube would then burst, thankfully I've never had the misfortune of experiencing this and hope I never will.
Title: Re: Squeaky bum moment
Post by: mhurt on 08, September, 2012 - 16:00:47
It has a steel wheel luckily.
Title: Re: Squeaky bum moment
Post by: mhurt on 15, September, 2012 - 18:26:16
Hah! today, one of the front brake blocks decided to say goodbye to the metal it was attached to. Luckily, this time I was on the flat AND less than 100yards from a bike shop.
I'd replaced the cables, but not the blocks. typical :)
Title: Re: Squeaky bum moment
Post by: Lancealot on 16, September, 2012 - 13:07:47
You are lucky.

I have always replace the cable and the front block as you are only taking £10-£15 for all items.

Lance