This Could've Ended Bad

[NickR]

I don’t ride that often with a group on Saturday morning due to my wife’s work schedule. I made the exception this past Saturday for a Breast Cancer awareness ride. On the return trip on the bike path, the pace line was forming about 30 riders. I was somewhere in the middle of the pack, when my handlebars drop and steering got hairy. I keep the bike under control and was able to move to the side of the path with out injury.

[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/15200838230_6b78caafcc_o.jpg

[thirdgenbird]

Props to keeping it up and keeping others safe.

Threaded to threadless adaptor broken at the shoulder?

[illuminaught]

Wow. Glad you're okay. Scary!
I snapped a carbon fork and didn't notice until I got home... Makes you a bit nervous...

[Louis]

Threaded to threadless adaptor broken at the shoulder?

That's also what I was thinking.

Nick, what's (or should I say what was :( ) your setup?

[NickR]

Yes broke at the shoulder where the size transitions. My previous ride had a 15 mile decent avg 30+ mph :eek:

[Louis]

Picking up on the Zipp front hub failure thread, IMO the single most important safety characteristic of failure-critical bike components is that they have graceful failure properties. Stuff that goes "BAM" and is gone is bad. Stuff that gives you enough time to slow down and get off to the side is good. You can't always design for that, but when you can it's always nice to have.

[fogrider]

I don’t ride that often with a group on Saturday morning due to my wife’s work schedule. I made the exception this past Saturday for a Breast Cancer awareness ride. On the return trip on the bike path, the pace line was forming about 30 riders. I was somewhere in the middle of the pack, when my handlebars drop and steering got hairy. I keep the bike under control and was able to move to the side of the path with out injury.

[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/15200838230_6b78caafcc_o.jpg

Wow, why all the little spacers?

[DRietz]

Wow, why all the little spacers?

It's an easy way to deal with a steerer that's too long. Rather than cut down the threaded steerer and then deal with refinishing what would then be the leading thread, just add spacers beneath the nut and above the preloading race.

[BLD 25]

Whoa scary!

[Peter P.]

So the threaded steerer didn't fail, the threadless adapter did, am I right?

[oldpotatoe]

Yes broke at the shoulder where the size transitions. My previous ride had a 15 mile decent avg 30+ mph :eek:

Brand of threadless adapter?

[NickR]

That's also what I was thinking.

Nick, what's (or should I say what was :( ) your setup? This was on my Serotta, running Thomson stem with Ritchey Classic bars

Picking up on the Zipp front hub failure thread, IMO the single most important safety characteristic of failure-critical bike components is that they have graceful failure properties. Stuff that goes "BAM" and is gone is bad. Stuff that gives you enough time to slow down and get off to the side is good. You can't always design for that, but when you can it's always nice to have. I agree, you should be able to walk away from a part failure, instead of a trip to the hospital.

It's an easy way to deal with a steerer that's too long. Rather than cut down the threaded steerer and then deal with refinishing what would then be the leading thread, just add spacers beneath the nut and above the preloading race. What he said.

So the threaded steerer didn't fail, the threadless adapter did, am I right? Yes the threadless adapter failed.

Brand of threadless adapter? Can't tell, the markings are Taiwan 22.2 JC

[img]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2950/15205177430_9357e652fe_c.jpg

[ultraman6970]

I used a cheappo adapter once and are way too flimsy... you have to go to a good one like a nitto, those weight a lot but wont go nowhere.

Good you are ok.

[rwsaunders]

Back to a quill stem for you, sir. Just go for one of the Nitto units that can extend if you're worried about height, such as the Technomic Deluxe.

https://www.benscycle.com/p-2499-nitto-ntc-dx-technomic-deluxe-long-quill-stem.aspx

[DRietz]

Back to a quill stem for you, sir. Just go for one of the Nitto units that can extend if you're worried about height, such as the Technomic Deluxe.

https://www.benscycle.com/p-2499-nitto-ntc-dx-technomic-deluxe-long-quill-stem.aspx

He's probably more worried about using a modern, OS bar.

[buldogge]

That's a crappy machining transition...also, is that chromed steel?

-Mark in St. Louis

[F150]

back to a quill stem for you, sir. Just go for one of the nitto units that can extend if you're worried about height, such as the technomic deluxe.

https://www.benscycle.com/p-2499-nitto-ntc-dx-technomic-deluxe-long-quill-stem.aspx

+1

[NickR]

That's a crappy machining transition...also, is that chromed steel?

-Mark in St. Louis
Yes the transition is crappy, the bolt sits on it. Instead like the other designs on top of it and it's aluminum.

[torquer]

On the return trip on the bike path, the pace line was forming about 30 riders.
This could have ended bad(ly) too, ATMO.
Glad both worked out OK, in any case.

[bobswire]

I had a nitto adapter that was pretty neat. https://www.benscycle.com/p-2509-nitto-mtc-02-quill-stem-to-theadless-adapter-286254mm.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwzK6hBRCbzLz_r_f-3tkBEiQA-zyWsMmhTrxptpuFgMfuHIhNsgSe6LWUTHOjCdYaRgPRH3UaAq9 x8P8HAQ

[Black Dog]

Well, the fixing bolt saved the day by preventing the steerer from separating from the bars.

[p nut]

Wonder how long it had been cracked? Time for a thorough inspection on all of my bikes...