Fatality due to carbon fork failure

dvntie

Same thing happened to a guy in cork about 6 months ago
He would up in the national rehab clinic
Not sure what equipment he was using tho

cantalach

dvntie wrote: »

Same thing happened to a guy in cork about 6 months ago
He would up in the national rehab clinic

Yes, and has died since from complications arising from his complete paralysis (which, I think, usually means pneumonia). I didn't know him but my mother-in-law did. A very nice fellow apparently. RIP.

Plastik

It was cardiac arrest, in the end. RIP.

blorg

doozerie wrote: »

Tell that to the rear dropout on my steel-framed Kona MTB, which snapped at the chainstay join while I was riding it home from work one day. The join to the seat stay remained intact so I was able to ride it (carefully!) the rest of the way home. I'm not sure there is a bike frame/parts material that won't snap in some set of circumstances.

I've also seen steel snap. Steel and titanium have a fatigue limit, while aluminium does not, which does mean that old aluminium is more prone to snapping from repeated stress over its lifetime, but most certainly steel can snap.

el tel

Iron can also snap due to its carbon content. That's why no one really rides iron bikes anymore. Can you imagine what would happen in a bunch sprint, everyone barrelling along at 2 km/h and iron frames snapping all over the show?!

ROK ON

This thread is making me slightly paranoid.

One of my bikes (the one on the turbo) has a what looks like a slight crack in the frame just under the seat tube.

Now I cannot get a finger nail into it, as it appears there is a crack rather than there definitively being one.

I have tried triggermortis solution of the coin tap, but tbh I dont know what I am listening for. There is no ringing sound, from any of my carbon bikes.

Are there people or bike shops that inspect carbon frames and can judge whether a frame should be scrapped or not?

AstraMonti

Rok On, hairline cracks on white carbon frames are very common and not an actual sign of something is wrong. The white paint is heavy and can crack easily at points where the frame gets some stress.

ROK ON

AstraMonti wrote: »

Rok On, hairline cracks on white carbon frames are very common and not an actual sign of something is wrong. The white paint is heavy and can crack easily at points where the frame gets some stress.

Thats what I figure, but I want to be as sure as I can. The paint is definitely heavier/thicker than on my other carbon bike (which is a simple black carbon weave.

AstraMonti

The only way to be 150% sure is to x-ray it, but that might be a bit difficult unless you have someone in a hospital.

My first PX has developed 3 of them after lots and lots of kms and because I am bit anal on such matters I emailed 15 photos from different angles to the company and they clearly and easily stated that the frame is fine and they have seen it before on heavily used white frames.

Maybe we can all chip in and do a group order of an x-ray machine.. how much can it cost?

ROK ON

AstraMonti wrote: »

The only way to be 150% sure is to x-ray it, but that might be a bit difficult unless you have someone in a hospital.

My first PX has developed 3 of them after lots and lots of kms and because I am bit anal on such matters I emailed 15 photos from different angles to the company and they clearly and easily stated that the frame is fine and they have seen it before on heavily used white frames.

Maybe we can all chip in and do a group order of an x-ray machine.. how much can it cost?

There is a person on this forum who works as a radiologist, correct?

el tel

A proper crack will Usually have hair growing around it

Ryath

ROK ON wrote: »

There is a person on this forum who works as a radiologist, correct?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74163525&postcount=9351

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

There is a person on this forum who works as a radiologist, correct?

Radiographer. More "hands on" I believe.

el tel

Radiographers do the imaging, radiologist do the interpretation and reporting.

Vets will have x-ray machines too, and big MRI and CT machines for horses and for people that are too fat to fit in regular hospital ones!

lennymc

el tel wrote: »

for people that are too fat to fit in regular hospital ones!

i know ROK ON is trying to loose a few lbs, but come, thats harsh!

(sorry ROK ON)

Mosiki

I'm replacing hte headset bearings in my Pinarello, has anyone ever tried it? They are so tight they need to be hammered into place or (the more subtle approach) using a compressor which I do not have.

My option is to hope the fork slots fully into the headset cartridge or hammer it in using and insulator between hammer and fork such as a block of wood or small thick bookend. Would this fracture the carbon fork easily? Paranoia reigns.

cdaly_

Mosiki wrote: »

I'm replacing hte headset bearings in my Pinarello, has anyone ever tried it? They are so tight they need to be hammered into place or (the more subtle approach) using a compressor which I do not have.

You can very easily make a 'compressor' with a long bolt (or length of threaded rod) a couple of nuts and a few large washers. I wouldn't hammer the fork...