Pummeled by a Car Door

[laupsi]

Coming back from a training ride yesterday I crashed head on into a swung open car door. According to the bike computer I was at nearly 20 mph when the accident occurred.

Took the bike, custom for me Ottrott, to my local shop and had them do a one over. Premliminary findings show no bent or cracked steerer tube, just a toasted front wheel and handle bar. According to them not even the head set was damaged.

Bike couldn't be ridden after the accident due to the front wheel but the head set was very loose. Any experts out there think I should get a second opinion before moving forward on a claim repair?

[Seramount]

your first priority should be to establish any medical claims. property damages come second.

[Mr. Pink]

Wait. So how are you feeling?

[MattTuck]

Very sorry to hear this.

On the topic of the bike, you know you should get a second opinion. crashing at 20 mph is no joke.

I agree though, you should be more concerned with medical issues than the bike at this point. Any witnesses? did you get the driver's info? police report?

hope you and the bike are ok! but make sure to protect yourself.

[kramnnim]

How did the headset get loose without the stem sliding up the steerer tube?

[laupsi]

Thanks very much for all's concern. A bit bruised & battered, actually had my incisor on right side penetrate my lip, but no broken bones & all joints are working as expected. Had a police report taken & EMT did a thorough check up, I'm in good shape despite everything. Driver has good insurance, already spoke to them.

So yes moving beyond me I am now concerned about the bike. Any method to analyzing the head tube, head set & steerer tube oter than simply putting a visual on it?

Again, many thanks!

[eddief]

a crash like that with a carbon fork would nullify the fork for further use. Lots of questions about being able to "certify" integrity by visual inspection. I am mostly not in that camp, but your crash and damage cause me to pause. If an insurance company got involved I bet they'd not allow the fork back on the road...maybe the frame too.

A few years ago I went over the hood of a left turning car on my carbon Giant OCR. The front wheel was a taco, but there no visual indication of damage to frame or fork. Insurance made local bike shop use a hack saw to cut the frame in half.

[rwsaunders]

Maybe shipping it off to folks like Calfee or Ruckus for a look would give you some peace of mind. Maybe your insurance will cover it as well.

http://calfeedesign.com/repair

http://www.ruckuscomp.com/services/repair

[laupsi]

Originally Posted by rwsaunders

Maybe shipping it off to folks like Calfee or Ruckus for a look would give you some peace of mind. Maybe your insurance will cover it as well.

http://calfeedesign.com/repair

http://www.ruckuscomp.com/services/repair

I think your advice is solid, thanks!

[druptight]

Originally Posted by rwsaunders

Maybe shipping it off to folks like Calfee or Ruckus for a look would give you some peace of mind. Maybe your insurance will cover it as well.

http://calfeedesign.com/repair

http://www.ruckuscomp.com/services/repair

2nd-ed, I would certainly have this looked over by a framebuilder who is knowledgeable w/r/t to the material the frame is made of.

[dbh]

Definitely get a second opinion. Consider the fork junked and make a claim on the OP's insurance for a new one (painted to match). Anything with the faintest scratch should be replaced and paid for by the driver's insurance. Also, did you get a police report from the accident? Hugely helpful with the claim process.

[thwart]

Good to hear only relatively minor injuries.

20 mph impact with car door… I don't think I could trust that fork on a twisty 40 mph descent.

[bcroslin]

Unless you absolutely love the bike and can't ride another I would total the bike out. File an insurance claim and buy a new bike. It's just not worth finding out at 25 mph that something in the front end has been compromised.

[djg21]

Originally Posted by bcroslin

Unless you absolutely love the bike and can't ride another I would total the bike out. File an insurance claim and buy a new bike. It's just not worth finding out at 25 mph that something in the front end has been compromised.

Have the insurer buy you a new bike.

[John H.]

Do a web search for hit by car threads.
Follow all steps.
1.) Police report
2.) See a doc. Pain and injuries can pop up after a violent impact like this. Don't assume you are ok.
3.) Get estimates for repair/replacement of everything. Technically anything carbon is out of warranty after an impact like that.
4.) Follow protocol with insurance company. Don't make a statement over the phone (they may record it and use it against you later). Keep records.