Bike-Breaker Hill

Bicycle parts break. It happens. Most vulnerable are the moving parts. On my ride home this week, a part broke that I never expected. The crank arm. Snapped clean off at the middle. I one-leg pedaled the rest of the way home.

The arm snapped off during a power stroke and sent me wobbling. At first I thought it was the pedal. When I spotted the broken crank arm on the pavement, I paused a moment to stare at it making sure it was real. I couldn’t believe the arm snapped in half.

The bike has never taken damage from a crash. I have a bad habit of accelerating hard, and maybe it doesn’t help that I live on a steep hill. It’s good exercise. Two years ago, I snapped a chain on the hill. Since then I only use the same high quality chains I use on my mountain bike. The crank lasted five years and about 30,000 miles. The sad thing is I just replaced the chain rings (teeth.) I’m replacing the crank with a stronger model from a different brand.

I have broken spokes, wheels, chains (one on my hill,) a brake, and a frame (crash.) Now a crank arm while pedaling. Crazy.

Leg power? Maybe it’s just Bike-Breaker Hill.