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Frame Damage - Should i be concerned?

Mark CardinaleMark Cardinale
in General Training Discussions

After a recent bike crash I’m wondering if I should be concerned for the integrity of my carbon bike frame.  I went down doing between 16-18 mph after hitting a patch of gravel. I over corrected by turning too far to the left and that threw me immediately down on my right side.  My right hip took the brunt of the impact(but that’s another thread….), and my right handlebar also came in contact with the ground and needs to be replaced.  The frame doesn’t have so much as a scratch.  I took my bike to my LBS and after evaluating they said everything looked ok with the exception of the handlebar.  This is my first carbon bike and I have heard the stories of potential catastrophic failures even when there is no visible damage.  At the same time every carbon bike that has hit the ground can’t be automatically unsafe.  I’m just concerned that based on how I went down there might have been excessive “torqueing” forces between the frame and the fork that might have caused underlying damage even though there is nothing visible.  Am I right to be concerned or am I being paranoid?  Also, any suggestions on how to have my bike further evaluated?  Thanks!

Comments

  • richmianirichmiani
    Mark - I had this same thing happen twice last year, roughly same speed and same wipeout, very interested in the replies as I was not smart enough to be concerned at the time!
  • tim cronktim cronk
    Glad your OK relatively speaking... Have the fork removed and inspected closely ..... I had a crash a few years ago, rode the bike for another month or so, during a tune up I told LBS to make sure to tighten up the headset/fork since it felt a little loose. There was a horizontal crack in the fork headset that was invisible since its inside the frame. We grabbed a hold of the bars and one good yank broke it(a complete catastrophic break). I dont even wanna think about all those descending compressions ??? BTW the bike was a Quintanna Roo Caliente and the company would do absolutely nothing for me. I had purchased the bike thru bonktown and was still under 2 year warranty. I always like an opportunity like this to bad mouth a bad company . Still have the bike with a nice bright orange road bike fork on it now LOL.... Quintanna Roo is owned by ABG. Good luck with your bike and heal up well!
  • Dino SartiDino Sarti
    Hey Mark - Good to se you are already thinking about your bike! Sadly I went down three times last year on three separate carbon bikes. On one, I broke the frame and it obvious. The broken tube was just smashed. I would recommend a detailed inspection using you hands to apply pressure to the frame looking for weak point, movement or softness. Then I would just continue to inspect the bike before and after your next few rides.
  • Coach RichCoach Rich
    Posted By Dino Sarti on 11 Jan 2013 10:28 AM

    Sadly I went down three times last year on three separate carbon bikes. 



    Note to self -- never ride behind Dino. Dino + Haroon side by side at the front the peleton = EJECT!!

      

    Not sure if there would be any way to tell other then very, very close visible inspection but, in my experience, when carbon cracks you an see the crack. Maybe find a chiro friend with an xray machine and flip him some dough to take some pictures? 

  • Dino SartiDino Sarti
    I kew I was starting to get a "reputation"...
  • Coach RichCoach Rich
    Posted By Dino Sarti on 11 Jan 2013 11:09 AM

    I kew I was starting to get a "reputation"...



    You're already the club president. You need to learn to delegate the Gravity Tester job as well. 

  • Dino SartiDino Sarti
    I lead from the front.... image
  • moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    Went down pretty hard on a road race 4 years ago, still riding my Kuota Kalibur (only got a torn handle bar). I guess bike frames are not created equal and we all have are unique way of going down image . Check for cracks, ride slow with a big gear on a hill to check if the frame is not responding as usual (like a soft rear triangle feeling) and if u have any unusual noise. If everything looks ok, the chances are your frame is ok. FYI, i saw 2 carbonframes give out during a ride (one broke just over where the rear derailleur is attached, the second one where the seattube meets the bottombraket), none of them "exploded", they both cracked slowly over a few kilometers and both gave a few hints that they were breaking (rear triangle was mushy, frame was squeaking, etc..). Good luck with yours.
  • Mark CardinaleMark Cardinale

    @Tim - Wow!  That's scarry stuff.  Glad you caught it when you did.

    @Dino & Rich - I was thinking exactly the same thing.  Note to self.......Never ride behind DIno.  Dumping it 3 times in one year is truly impressive

    I'm trying to use my downtime to get everything in order for once i can get back on the bike.  I have been over every inch of the frame/fork and i can't detect anything.  I tried the quarter trick, but not sure how effective that is.  Today I contacted calfee design and they offered to inspect it, but in order to ship it, i need to tear the bike apart and send in only the frame and fork.  I think before i go down that path i will take it to another shop and have them pull apart the fork and the headset and see if there are any signs of damage internally.

    @David - Thanks.  That's reassuring there was at least some warning. 

     

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