Why did this happen to my bike? What wrong with it?

Question

My bike ( a city bike) been acting kind of weird. So I was riding it and it seem to keep on leaning to the wrong side making me feel unstable. So I decided to lower the saddle. Just until I can touch the floor with my feet. Then I started riding and immediately my bike slipped and made me fall when I passed a pile of leafs. I fell so hard the side of my hand bleed.

Answer 1

If the bike pulls to one side, then something is bent or mis-adjusted. Are the wheels centered between the fork/rear dropouts? Are the handlebars straight? You should be able to see something non-symmetrical. Leaves are slippery? I'm shocked!

Answer 2

OK.  assuming that it is not just leaves.  Look at your wheels.  I had something similar when I broke the through axel on the rear wheel.  Cost me a new hub.  You might also make sure that everything is tight on your steering as well.  The thing you should check first is your tires, notably tyre pressure and if there are any issues with the tire itself.  Bald spots etc.

Answer 3

Wet leaves of any surface isnt good for traction .

Answer 4

Well, now you know what many of us learned when we were five: wet leaves are slippery and you should beware of them.

Answer 5

So if your car started pulling to the side, you’d try to fix that by adjusting the seat?

Bicycles are very dependent on the friction between the ground and tires to operate safely. The easiest explanation to why you fell near a pile of leaves is that one or both tires slipped on some leaves.

You’ve been complaining about feeling unsteady and out of balance for weeks. Time to call it quits. Buy a trike and stop trolling.

Answer 6

City Bike, as in a 20" wheeled, 7 speed folding bike? Yes Christine, we know it's you asking the same question again. Riding on a frame which is way to large or small for you can be down right dangerous. Riding near the edge of the road where debris has piled up is also dangerous. One should ride in the center of the lane. If you truly have balance issues then get a recumbent tricycle. 

https://youtu.be/5YlHcY3REsw

Source(s): Motorized bicycle owner and builder.

Answer 7

Just like your grammar, your bicycle riding skills are sadly lacking. There’s no such word as "leafs". The plural of leaf is leaves. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/leaves

The past tense of bleed is bled. Sentence should read, “I fell so hard the side of my hand bled." https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bled

There's probably nothing wrong with your bike. It's your riding knowledge & skills - or lack thereof. If you ride over or through a pile of leaves, they could be damp or wet underneath. You know what that causes? Hydroplaning! "...pressure in the front of the wheel pushes water under the tire, and the tire is then separated from the road surface by a thin film of water and loses traction. The result is loss of steering, braking and power control." https://www.safemotorist.com/Articles/Hydroplaning...

The same thing can happen if you ride through sand or gravel on a bike with slick or semi-slick tread tires. It's called loss of traction, causing the operator/driver/cyclist to lose control.

Answer 8

Sounds like user error