Integrity of Frame

mardybumbum

Hello all,

Just over a week ago I was knocked off my bike by a taxi driver.
It was quite a high impact head on collision ( I came out of the saddle, was thrown up in the air and landed on his windscreen which I smashed to smithereens, before rolling off the bonnet and landing on my back ).

I suffered quite bad injuries to my knees/elbow/lower back which I received the appropriate medical treatment for.

My bike was also damaged (rear derailleur, buckled front wheel, some cables gone also ). I have brought it into my LBS and they have quoted a price for repair.

The one concern I have is regarding the structural integrity of the frame. Its an aluminium frame and took quite a lot of force during the impact. I asked the mechanic in the LBS about this and he didn't really have an answer for me. Said the only way to find out is to cycle it.

With all due respect to the guy I don't want to be descending at 30/40kmph when I find out that the frame was not as sound as I would have liked. Is it reasonable to assume that the frame is now no longer safe for use after such an accident?

Regards,
Mardybumbum

nak

The mechanic should inspect the frame for damage, should be easy enough to tell as aluminium tends to dent/bend. On close inspection cracks could be visible. I would not risk riding a frame if I thought it could fail.

Try another bike shop?

com1

As a matter of course after the head on impact you described I would be writing off the whole bike. I certainly would not be comfortable riding it again. A hard impact on the frames stress points will severely weaken the metal which could cause a catastrophic failure in the future

zinzan

There can be tell tale indicators of frame stress/damage - I was cycling along when a parked scooter fell in front of me, throwing me over the handlebars.No apparent cracks or bends, but when I got the bike assessed, they pointed out what was like a bubble in the paint on the lower/down tube - the frame had stressed and flaked the paint off (like what can happen when you pop a dent out of a car - the paint flakes off). Had to scrap the frame.

disco1

Frame should be discarded and cost of a new bike added into any pending insurance claim..including replacment helmet and any clothes that where damaged or cut off by medical or emergency staff.
This includes claim for injury, time missed off work and any pain or discomfort caused by the accident.

If there is no claim or such at the very least get rid of frame and forks and replace your helmet.

Ken.

Statler

No bike shop is going to tell you the frame is safe to ride because they'll be leaving themselves wide open to the obvious if it then snaps in half underneath you.
As others have said from the sound of the impact I'd bin the frame and forks, or at least relegate them to turbo/ roller duties, regardless of whether an insurance company is picking up the tab or not.

magicbastarder

i suspect the cost of replacing an aluminium frame will be considerably less than the medical costs, so it's not going to affect your claim significantly to write off the bike and claim it.

2 Wheels Good

I got hit by a car from the side on the way to college, i'd an old steel framed bike. Somehow not a scratch on me and just a bent pedal/back wheel on the bike. Fixed and back on the road until just over a year later I was cycling home from college and the bike split in two under me!
The crossbar cracked at the saddle and the downtube at the headtube. Luckily the bike just sunk under me but as i'd gone above 30mph regularly on it that could have been a very different outcome.

Not worth the risk really on something that could be replaced for ~€300

el tel

Dude unless this bike is your only transport at the minute and you are stuck without it, why are you even thinking about repairs or replacements for bits? You need/deserve/will be getting a new bike so don't waste time thinking about this.

In your claim for damages, amongst the medical claims, just account for what a replacement bike would cost. At the least you are going to be talking €1500-2000, right?

mardybumbum

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies.
Yes, the claims process is in the hands of trusty solicitor now. I was just wondering if I was perhaps a little overcautious in my concern that the bike may not be safe any longer.
I'm glad to see that there is a consensus here too that the frame is unsafe.
I will claim for the cost of a replacement bike then rather than just the repairs.

Mardybumbum

mardybumbum

el tel wrote: »

In your claim for damages, amongst the medical claims, just account for what a replacement bike would cost. At the least you are going to be talking €1500-2000, right?

The claim for injury to myself is going to be substantially more than 1500. The bike itself cost me in the region of 1200 about a year ago. Hopefully in a number of months I will be able to put all of this behind me while cycling a shiny new steed.

Stay safe out there folks.

Eamonnator

In November 2013, I was knocked from my bike. There was no question about liability. Car driver was 100% in the wrong.I was injured. My bike was about 4 months old and had cost me about 1,500euro.
There was a tiny paint crack in the carbon frame and some cosmetic damage to brake levers, pedals and rear mech.
I contacted insurance company, who agreed to pay for cost of replacement frame and parts. This money was paid out immediately and was paid without conditions.
In other words, because I accepted the money for bike, I was under no obligation to accept any other offer, made by them.
So you might be able to do something similar, it might help you get back on the road more quickly.

mardybumbum

Eamonnator wrote: »

In November 2013, I was knocked from my bike. There was no question about liability. Car driver was 100% in the wrong.I was injured. My bike was about 4 months old and had cost me about 1,500euro.
There was a tiny paint crack in the carbon frame and some cosmetic damage to brake levers, pedals and rear mech.
I contacted insurance company, who agreed to pay for cost of replacement frame and parts. This money was paid out immediately and was paid without conditions.
In other words, because I accepted the money for bike, I was under no obligation to accept any other offer, made by them.
So you might be able to do something similar, it might help you get back on the road more quickly.

Thanks,

Thats a brilliant idea. I will contact my solicitor now about that.

Mardybumbum

Wishbone Ash

I was also involved in an accident where me and the bike was damaged. Motorist's insurance company asked me to leave the bike into a bike shop where an assessor would check it, When he heard the cost of checking a CF frame he wrote it off immediately. The insurance company paid out for 'material damages' within a week or two (bike, clothes, Garmin, helmet, lights etc.

(Interestingly, after a few weeks I got a call from them asking if I was interested in buying back the bike (for €50) It's done another 10,000k since the accident!)

el tel

mardybumbum wrote: »

The claim for injury to myself is going to be substantially more than 1500. The bike itself cost me in the region of 1200 about a year ago. Hopefully in a number of months I will be able to put all of this behind me while cycling a shiny new steed.

Stay safe out there folks.

I mean't that you'd expect €1500-€2000 to replace the bike. Which was a good guess.