Advice Following Accident

[Yellow Saddle]

@Yellow Saddle - This sounds like BS to me, Can you confirm?

A Synapse could be carbon or alu. If it is carbon, the rear triangle cannot go out of alignment unless something is broken.
If it is aluminium, it is possible. However, this is unlikely since the OP would have noticed that the wheel rubs on the frame. There is so little frame clearance on those bikes that a 1mm alignment shows up as a 5mm error at the outer edge of the wheel. There isn't 5mm space to play with.
What the OP should do is:
1) Have someone ride the bike towards him/her. Have a look at wheel alignment as the bike approaches. You have to do this several times to get the right moment where the two wheels should be in alignment. It is easy to spot a crab-walk bike, especially if you compare with another in this experiment where the bike rides towards you. Road worthy testing stations use the same technique to check motorbikes. It is accurate.
2) If still in doubt (but you shouldn't), you could raise the bike onto a bike stand and remove the rear wheel, mudguards etc. Then use a long piece of string and start lacing it all over the rear triangle. Go though the two dropouts, over the brake anchor, to the bb and back, etc etc. Essentially the string creates a set of straight lines against which the various frame members can be compared. The way to compare is to find a gap and check if it is the same left and right. It quickly shows up misalignment.

 

[Banjo]

If stefan was going straight on at uncontrolled junction and the van turned right and hit him its van drivers fault despite the dodgy filtering.

Get details then deal with insurers your ride buddies are still witnesses .

Good luck and if this discourages you from filtering up the left then it may save your life one day.

 

[bozmandb9]

Are you a member of British Cycling? If so, call them and ask for advice, they'll put you through to their solicitors if appropriate, who will deal with it all for you.

 

[mjr]

And if not and you want legal support, there's plenty of no- cash- up- front alternatives like http://legal.wiggle.co.uk

 

[vickster]

I would think the no win no fee merchants will only be interested in case of personal injury, that's where the money is, not a new bike or frame. Do you have legal cover with car or home insurance to get advice on how to go through the drivers insurance?

 

[Stefan T]

Thanks so much everyone for all of your help!

Are you a member of British Cycling? If so, call them and ask for advice, they'll put you through to their solicitors if appropriate, who will deal with it all for you.

I'm afraid not. If I joined now would they still help me out even though the issue was from before I joined?

Good luck and if this discourages you from filtering up the left then it may save your life one day.

Yes I am certainly discouraged!

A Synapse could be carbon or alu. If it is carbon, the rear triangle cannot go out of alignment unless something is broken.
If it is aluminium, it is possible. However, this is unlikely since the OP would have noticed that the wheel rubs on the frame. There is so little frame clearance on those bikes that a 1mm alignment shows up as a 5mm error at the outer edge of the wheel. There isn't 5mm space to play with.
What the OP should do is:
1) Have someone ride the bike towards him/her. Have a look at wheel alignment as the bike approaches. You have to do this several times to get the right moment where the two wheels should be in alignment. It is easy to spot a crab-walk bike, especially if you compare with another in this experiment where the bike rides towards you. Road worthy testing stations use the same technique to check motorbikes. It is accurate.
2) If still in doubt (but you shouldn't), you could raise the bike onto a bike stand and remove the rear wheel, mudguards etc. Then use a long piece of string and start lacing it all over the rear triangle. Go though the two dropouts, over the brake anchor, to the bb and back, etc etc. Essentially the string creates a set of straight lines against which the various frame members can be compared. The way to compare is to find a gap and check if it is the same left and right. It quickly shows up misalignment.

It is an aluminium frame, whilst the wheel didn't rub on the frame it was certainly a lot less true than it was before, although this could also be due to the fact that a spoke was broken and several others are now loose. The mechanic at the shop told me that the dropouts no longer line up.

Thanks,
Stefan

 

[vickster]

You can't join BC retrospectively. You might be able to with CTC. Or you can contact their lawyers, slater & Gordon directly but they are injury lawyers. Do you have legal support with home or car insurance?

 

[mjr]

I would think the no win no fee merchants will only be interested in case of personal injury, that's where the money is, not a new bike or frame.

Maybe for some but is there any reason to think the Sustrans-Wiggle service is like that?

 

[TheJDog]

If there was a bike lane or any other lane, it's the driver's fault, if there was no lane I don't know how far you'd get in a claim. Maybe 50:50...

 

[Ed Phelan]

If I was you I would try and go through the driver's insurance but considering that it appears that the incident was a little bit of time ago, i'm not sure how far you'll get. Also, are you able to prove that the damage was done by the van?

I don't mean to be rude but it sounds as though we were partly responsible for what happened as well, so I really don't think you'll get very far.

Ed

 

[mjr]

If there was a bike lane or any other lane, it's the driver's fault, if there was no lane I don't know how far you'd get in a claim. Maybe 50:50...

I think turning across traffic is usually regarded as riskier than overtaking so more likely closer to 75:25 but I've not looked up civil cases on bailii.org to check.

 

[classic33]

@Stefan T, did you get the PM?

 

[Pope]

I read it as cars had stopped to let van turn across main road, bikes did not stop, bike got clattered. So technically vans fault, but p1ss poor riding. However, you are right the OP does not make it totally clear.

EDIT: Tim beat me too it.

That's how I read it too