Am I lucky or what?

Burghley
Burghley Posts: 412
edited March 2008 in Workshop
Hi All

Feeling rather lucky at the moment after my weekend in France.

Whilst cycling, I noticed that the headset had become loose. It was not a good time to make the necessary adjustment, as the snow had just started and it was falling (?) horizontally in the strong wind! I did what I could and returned to the hotel asap to recover.

Next morning, the weather had improved, so I went out on a twenty miler before breakfast.

When I got home I tried to effect a proper adjustment of the headset, but it was either too loose or too tight. Took the bike to my trusty LBS (Two Wheels in Stourbridge) to seek their advice.

Imagine my shock when I was told that the fork column was cracked! They could not believe that I had ridden the bike in that state for about thirty miles.

I couldn't help thinking about George Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix a couple of years ago...

Anyone else had a similar (out-of-bike) experience?

Rgds

Pete
www.bikesetup.co.uk
miles more cycling comfort

Comments

  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    What type of fork? There seems to be a lot of this about with cheaper carbon forks / ally steerer combinations.
  • Burghley
    Burghley Posts: 412
    Cheap carbon with carbon steerer, and about four years old.
    www.bikesetup.co.uk
    miles more cycling comfort
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    Where was it broken? I'm guessing just below the stem?

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • Burghley
    Burghley Posts: 412
    It appears to have cracked just above the bottom race.
    www.bikesetup.co.uk
    miles more cycling comfort
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I had a fork steerer go a couple of weeks ago - it was fine one minute and the next it was almost unrideable! Fortunately I wasn't far from home - dropped the forks out to find a crack about 2/3 around the steerer. Mind you the forks were about 15 years old!
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Burghley
    Burghley Posts: 412
    Hi Monty

    To change the topic slightly onto XACD (the cracked forks were supplied by XACD originally) - I seem to remember that you have a XACD cyclo-cross bike with titanium forks.

    If so, what comments can you make about their suitability for use on the road?

    I am considering a Ti cyclo-cross type frame with disc brakes, and wondered about getting Ti forks as well.

    Rgds

    Pete
    www.bikesetup.co.uk
    miles more cycling comfort

Categories