Would you cycle with my Carbon Forks?

[krakatoa]

Hello,
A while back I had an accident on my carbon road bike (which has full carbon forks and an allow stem/bars).
I was knocked off when almost stationary by another cyclist and fell on my side (broke my collar bone, but that's not the point)
The front wheel was buckled slightly (nothing major, but it needed to be replaced) - in doing so, it was pulled out of the forks a bit (i.e. directly after the accident, the front wheel was a few millimetres out of the eyelets)
I've checked the rest of the bike and it looks/rides fine. I'm totally confident that's ok.
I've taken the forks out of the frame and had a look and they *look* 100% fine.
.... but I am now feeling a bit worried about the forks. I suppose that if I wanted to be totally safe, I'd throw them away and get new ones - but that going to be expensive and tedious (they match the frame and not sure if I can get a direct replacement).
I mean, worst case scenario.... the forks have some damage that I can't see and they collapse underneath me down a hill @ 30mph :/ - should I be worried??? Any thoughts?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Any thoughts?

Would you trust the opinion of someone online whose knowledge about your forks is just what you described?

I mean, worst case scenario.... the forks have some damage that I can't see and they collapse underneath me down a hill @ 30mph :/ - should I be worried???

I think you know the answer to that!

 

[buggi]

take it to a reputable* bike shop and ask them. They will probably have a keener eye than you for hairline cracks etc. Some places can scan but I'm not sure how much it is and new forks might be cheaper.

*not somewhere like Halfords... A proper bike shop.

 

[400bhp]

You often cannot tell if carbon has been damaged. The way to tell is the resonant frequency of the fork, i.e. give it a flick with your fingers and there should be a pingy sound. If the sound is dull anywhere then it could be a dead spot in the carbon.

Take it to a shop and ask them to check, I had a knock in December, borked my front wheel but fortunately the forks checked out ok.

 

[Globalti]

Set the forks up firmly, either in a vice or in the frame, and push and pull each blade hard in every direction while listening for creaks. No creaks and you should be OK.

 

[vickster]

You can get them x rayed, I wouldn't risk it . You can't tell if there's a hairline crack under the paint

 

[krakatoa]

Would you trust the opinion of someone online whose knowledge about your forks is just what you described?



I think you know the answer to that!

Yeah I know it's a pretty objective sort of question.... but yes, if somone says "YES FOR SURE" and then I go nobble myself, they're probably feel pretty guilty and I'll feel pretty stupid (if I feel anything at all!) - but I guess I was after sort of similar stories from people or random bits of advice without anyone actually giving me the answer - after all, your carbon forks could potentially fail at any time right... maybe... who know

 

[krakatoa]

take it to a reputable* bike shop and ask them. They will probably have a keener eye than you for hairline cracks etc. Some places can scan but I'm not sure how much it is and new forks might be cheaper.

*not somewhere like Halfords... A proper bike shop.

Ok. Good advice. Although, I live in Cambridge, UK and we're awash with cycle shops that are absolutely shite. Unless you want to pay £8.99 to have you brakes serviced, in which case you're in luck. Guess I've gotta dig somewhere up in London.

 

[krakatoa]

You can get them x rayed, I wouldn't risk it . You can't tell if there's a hairline crack under the paint

Jeesh that sounds like better treatment than the NHS gave me for my collarbone! Any recommendations where to go for that kinda treatment?

oh...and they're bare carbon, so no paint. but I still wouldn't trust my distinctly mediocre eyesight!

 

[KneesUp]

Ok. Good advice. Although, I live in Cambridge, UK and we're awash with cycle shops that are absolutely ****e. Unless you want to pay £8.99 to have you brakes serviced, in which case you're in luck. Guess I've gotta dig somewhere up in London.

Blimey - when your option for good value is to go to London you really are in trouble!
Surely there must be some good bike shops in another direction if you don't trust the Cambridge ones?

 

[vickster]

Any recommendations where to go for that kinda treatment?

oh...and they're bare carbon, so no paint. but I still wouldn't trust my distinctly mediocre eyesight!

A bike shop, preferably one that stocks that brand of bike

 

[02GF74]

what make you think a bicucle shop will see something that you can't? For peace of mind, x-ray is the only way.

It may be cheaper to buy replacement fork - if they are bare carbon should be no problem to match them - you could try manufacturer of the bik.e.

How fast was the other cyclist going when he/she hit you? Sounds like side impact at fairly low speed so *probably* the forks are ok .... but who knows for sure?

 

[vickster]

It'll be the bike shop that organises the x ray presumably, you can't just rock up to your local A&E

Who was the other cyclist, do you know? They may have British cycling or CTC membership, if so you could look into claiming against them on their third party liability cover

 

[krakatoa]

It'll be the bike shop that organises the x ray presumably, you can't just rock up to your local A&E

Who was the other cyclist, do you know? They may have British cycling or CTC membership, if so you could look into claiming against them on their third party liability cover

It was three years ago! I've just not had the chance to go out on the bike much and it's always been on the back of my mind when I do.
I have been out on it a few times though and it seems fine - but I could have just been lucky...

The impact wasn't very fast - just enough to push me over on my shoulder and then I think the rider (big pillock he was, but that's not the point) rode over my front wheel, bending it and pulling it out of the eyelets - to my non-technical mind, very unlikely to have damaged the forks.

It's weird, I've got a steel tourer too and that's had quite a few bashes - never even given it a second thought.
In fact, went on a bike building course with Dave Yates one time and was amazed to see how he put the rake into straight steel forks by leaning heavily on the steerer whilst it was resting on a curved piece of wood.

Thing is, carbon's got this name for sudden failure, right? Well I don't even know how applicable that is anymore???

Overall, I think the advice is right that a good mechanic and a vice and a bit of suitable force would be the best option.

 

[krakatoa]

Blimey - when your option for good value is to go to London you really are in trouble!
Surely there must be some good bike shops in another direction if you don't trust the Cambridge ones?

Oh, not good value..... just good. Someone that really knows their stuff (if anyone *really* does when it comes to Carbon?)

Cambridge Bike shops are genuinely terrible. They're mostly set up for the students/tourists, of which we have plenty - this is lucrative, so why bother with the complicated stuff??? I guess, like me, we're near enough (40 mins on the train) so that if you want a proper bike/service, you go to London.