some equipment problems-carbon forks

[Ken Robb]

Riding home yesterday I met a guy carrying his bike on his shoulder. He was riding his new Ksyriums and was surprised by a cross wind as he was trying to adjust his jacket and went down. Besides a bruised butt he was ok but his wheel was bent a little. It wasn't obvious to me but it was too much to clear the stays of his new Scott Carbon something frame. I didn't get the model. Luckily we met within 1/3 mile of a shop where he hoped to borrow a wheel to get home. I gather they told him that they didn't try to true Ksyriums themselves. My good LBS does.

If we had been far away from home or shop I could have swapped wheels with him and we both could have ridden home as I was on the Hampsten w/ clearance for 38mm tires.

I just heard a worrying story from my pal at work who rides a lot more and faster tan me. He and a pal were driving east to our mountains for a ride with bikes on roof rack. One of the bkesfolded over against the side of the car when the Easton EC 90 fork broke just above the dropout. They put it inside the car and headed home. A few mles later the other bike (same fork) folded too. Owner of the first bike had this happen once before.

The day was windy and it seems the sideloads generated were too much. The lucky thing is that they failed in the rack not on the road. We can't help wondering how often forks are weakened in these racks and fail while being ridden. We had a very experienced San Diego rider die in a solo crash a week or two back when his fork broke. The rumor I heard was that he had suffered some kind of crash or fall a short time ago and hadn't really analyzed his fork/frame for hidden damage.

I did the same after a head-on collision with a skateboarder last year. It broke my computer mount. I rode the bike home and pulled the fork to find no apparent damage but what do I know? I guess after a few hundred miles of riding since it must be fine but I was lucky.

This not a flame against any kind of fork but just a heads-up for my pals--especially if you are hauling bikes secured by the dropouts.

[e-RICHIE]

what would the coach think?
hmmm...

[Ken Robb]

who's the coach? about what?

[Big Dan]

Ken, saw the same thing with a Giant carbon bike....fork gave up the ghost..

:eek:

and yes listen to the coach...

[e-RICHIE]

who's the coach? about what?


http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=142980&postcount=13

[Fixed]

bro I always listen to the coach cheers :beer:

[Ken Robb]

oh just tell us what you really think.

[cpg]

I'm curious if any carbon fiber fork manufacturers have a warrranty clause about roof racks? Anyone read their warranties? I'm not starting a flame just curious. It seems it would be prudent of them. Moral of the story- routinely inspect your equipment even if it's made of steel.

Curt

[Ken Lehner]

The day was windy and it seems the sideloads generated were too much. The lucky thing is that they failed in the rack not on the road. We can't help wondering how often forks are weakened in these racks and fail while being ridden.

This not a flame against any kind of fork but just a heads-up for my pals--especially if you are hauling bikes secured by the dropouts.

I find it hard to believe that a bicycle fork experiences more stress while attached to a roof rack than it does while being ridden, say, up a steep incline.

[OldDog]

Carbon sucks.
Steel rules.

Campy is better than Shimano.

Tubi's have it all over clinchers.

Wool beats plastic jersery/shorts.

Blonds are sexier than brunets.

Dogs make the best pets.

All sarcasim aside, carbon, as a structual component of a bike, scares me. Brifters, derailluers, if they fail no big deal. Seatposts, cranks, frame forks, bars and stems. Not for me. I'll leave them to the lighter guys or the younger ones who may heal faster than me!

[e-RICHIE]

where does sinatra fit in?

[bluesea]

I find it hard to believe that a bicycle fork experiences more stress while attached to a roof rack than it does while being ridden, say, up a steep incline.


The racks stationary dropout mount exerts all kinds of torque (the kind the fork was not designed to handle) directly to the dropout. The bike becomes a lever arm acting directly upon the dropout. The forces on the dropout are jerky and abrupt. With the wheel in place and the bike on the road, the forces are more linear. When the bike leans over, so do the wheels. Something like that...

[Kevan]

between the blonde and brunette Olddog mentioned.


I've seen folks clamp bikes w/o strapping the rear wheel. Can't be good.

[SoCalSteve]

Actually, after experiencing a rear mounted bike rack accident with my wife's Merlin and my Fondriest (a couple grand's worth of damage)...I have never put a bike in or on a bike rack since.

My wife has a Honda CRV and I have a VW Touerag...We can fit 2 bikes, bike boxes and all the luggage we need for a long weekend of riding.

Its an incredible piece of mind for so many reasons....

Just one mans opinion (and it comes from experience).

Steve

[vandeda]

SoCalSteve,

I highly considered a minivan for the ability to mount bikes inside. OK, so minivans don't have a cool image, but I really don't care (even though I'm only in my 20s) because it's such an incredible recreation vehicle. I just couldn't justify trading my car in for a minivan though ... so still got the car.

However, the stress on the fork is the reason I personally like the bike racks that have an arm that goes over the front tire. Pretty much eliminates that problem which is nice. Now ... if I only can get my bike rack unstuck from the receiver ...

Dan

[ergott]

SoCalSteve,

I highly considered a minivan for the ability to mount bikes inside. OK, so minivans don't have a cool image, but I really don't care (even though I'm only in my 20s) because it's such an incredible recreation vehicle. I just couldn't justify trading my car in for a minivan though ... so still got the car.

However, the stress on the fork is the reason I personally like the bike racks that have an arm that goes over the front tire. Pretty much eliminates that problem which is nice. Now ... if I only can get my bike rack unstuck from the receiver ...

Dan

If you want to really be impressed, maybe one of the good folks at Serotta can show you a pic of their loaded van for demo days. They fit an incredible amount of bikes in a way that keeps evey bike separated (if the van is a rockin', you don't want them a knockin'). Really professional!

[znfdl]

This is why I am switching over to the Saris Cycle On rack, as the rack only touches the front and rear wheels.

[Fixed]

bro do any of you guys think steel forks are damaged by roof rack? cheers :beer:

[jerk]

where does sinatra fit in?


sinatra was the buster poindexter of his time.

[Fixed]

bro ol blue eyes could sing. Autumn in new york I wished lady day and ol blue eyes could have gotten together for that, what could have been i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[taz-t]

sinatra was the buster poindexter of his time.

Really??? I didn't know the Chairman did drag...

- Taz in ATL

[jerk]

Really??? I didn't know the Chairman did drag...

- Taz in ATL

hey-
didnt come here, lookin for no fix (I know...)
I been haulin booty, all night long
Just lookin for a kiss

[bcm119]

I don't believe roof racks damage forks if used properly. The locked dropouts and the fork crown of a bike in a rack make a static triangle made of carbon with about 5 pounds resting on it.... a pretty strong system. Broken dropouts are usually caused by taking the bike off the rack without lifting it out of the quick release clamp first, or securing it too loosely so one dropout comes partially out, stressing the other one.

[jerk]

I don't believe roof racks damage forks if used properly. The locked dropouts and the fork crown of a bike in a rack make a static triangle made of carbon with about 5 pounds resting on it.... a pretty strong system. Broken dropouts are usually caused by taking the bike off the rack without lifting it out of the quick release clamp first, or securing it too loosely so one dropout comes partially out, stressing the other one.


hey-
don't change the subject. we're talking about transvestite glam rockers turned 1980s wedding music crooners here......
jerk

Wanted' Whizz kid guitarist Not older than 20 Not worse looking than Johnny Thunders'

Sex Pistols Melody Maker ad 1976

[taz-t]

hey-
didnt come here, lookin for no fix (I know...)
I been haulin booty, all night long
Just lookin for a kiss

the Jerk knows...

- Taz in ATL

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time

[jerk]

the Jerk knows...

- Taz in ATL

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time


bro- imho

Once I had my heroes

Once I had my dreams

But all of that is changed now

They've turned things inside out

The truth is not so comfortable, no

And mother taught us patience

The virtues of restraint

And father taught us boundaries

Beyond which we must go

To find the secrets promised us, yeah

That's when I reach for my revolver

That's when it all gets blown away

[manet]

where does sinatra fit in?

between sinead o'connor and the pope

[bluesea]

which pope?

[bcm119]

hey-
don't change the subject.

Sorry Hedwig.... don't get your angry inch in a twist.

[manet]

which pope?

not this one:
(alexander)
http://www.spanierman.com/artists/p/pope020376cf_b.jpg

[davids]

http://www.nytrash.com/images/bg2.gif or http://www.aceofheartsrecords.com/images/burma_pic.jpg?

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/acatalog/A8C.JPG or http://www.vanillabicycles.com/bikes/forks/front/forks.jpg?

[jerk]

http://www.nytrash.com/images/bg2.gif or http://www.aceofheartsrecords.com/images/burma_pic.jpg?

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/acatalog/A8C.JPG or http://www.vanillabicycles.com/bikes/forks/front/forks.jpg?


so ahhh..burma are the steel forks? and the dolls are carbon?

ok.

jerk

[bluesea]

I wonder if there are any strange meteoric events happening today...

http://www.scitechfestival.org/images/press/11.jpg

[Dude]

Sorry, i don't know any 80's glam rockers, but I can talk until we're all blue in the face about the fraggles.

Anyway, i have seen with my own two a carbon fork break from sidewinds while in a bike rack. It was a customer, who was driving around on a windy day and his dropout broke right off. He had ridden it once before loading it onto the care. The manufacturer wouldn't warranty it - it wasn't manufacturer defect, nor was it within the design of the fork to withstand loads like that.

We replaced the fork for him at cost because something like that sucks. Moral of the story, carbon dropouts can break and the manufacturer won't warranty them.

[e-RICHIE]

jerk-issimo...