Knocked off, possible broken frame

thaines

This is my first post and hoping for some advice.

A pedestrian stepped out in front of me without looking so close that I had no chance to avoid him. The impact buckled my front wheel which I have had trued. However my bike has developed a creaking noise most noticeable when I get out of the saddle. I have inspected the bike and I can see no damage (the bike is a Ridley Orion).

I am worried that I have a crack in my frame which is not showing on the surface. On the advice of the LBS I have stripped the bike down cleaned everything, regressed and put back together, which hasn’t helped. I have also contacted Ridley to see what their advice is.

Questions
1. Is it worth getting it inspected/ X-rayed?
2. Would I be a fool to carry on riding it (the guy in the LBS said he would be happy to carry on riding his bike in the same situation)
3. What should I replace the frame with (can get a Orion frame for <£500 from chain reaction)? Is there a better option I should consider?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

NITR8s

1) Did you get the pedestrians details?

2) A local bike shop should be able to check your frame over for damage for a relatively low price. My LBS checked my frame for free, after I was knocked off. Phone around and find one that will check it for you.

3)Contact the pedestrian if you havent done so already and advise them there may be damage to your bike and that should there be damage you will be claiming agaisnt them for the repair/replacement bill.

4) Contact a solicitor and advise them of the details of your claim and get the ball rolling.

getprg

Just a thought - if you hit said pedestrian with front wheel then perhaps most likely damage is to front fork/steerer/stem/handlebar -certainly need to isolate possibility before changing frame. It's possible that riding out of saddle places more weight/stress on front end and so exaggerates creak/squeak.

Presume you dismantled/reassembled front end? Also worth experimenting riding out of saddle with front brake applied to see if this affects said creak - it may suggest that some part of front assembly is source of problem.

thaines

I have completely dismantled, cleaned and inspected the front end. No obvisous signs of damage. I am also investigating the cost of a new fork.

goonz

How fast were you going to buckle your front wheel by hitting a pedestrian????

I have hit pedestrians and been doored but so far luckily no buckle.

thaines

I was traveling at 37Kph, was in the middle of a interval.

Anonymous

This is gonna sound stupid:

have you checked pedals?
A friend of mine went through 2 bottom brackets before he just tightened his pedal tensioner. Silence.

slowbike

goonz wrote:

I have hit pedestrians and been doored but so far luckily no buckle.

First/Last time I was Doored (a good few years ago) the front wheel was a complete writeoff ... and I wasn't going very fast ...

But it was a heavy touring bike ...

thaines

I had checked the pedals but will be double checking this evening. Thanks for the tip

Slo Mo Jones

It probably creaked before you hit the pedestrian.

Was the pedestrian ok?

ooermissus

coriordan wrote:

This is gonna sound stupid:

have you checked pedals?
A friend of mine went through 2 bottom brackets before he just tightened his pedal tensioner. Silence.

Had exactly the same thing (though just one bottom bracket before I worked out it was the pedals).

thaines

Not 100% sure about the pedestrian, he was pretty shaken up and his arm was obvisouly hurt. A policeman who was wondering past was looking after him, we all spoke briefly then I loaded myself and mangled bike into a taxi.

Just had a thought about the pedals, last night I tried the bike out on my turbo and I couldnt hear the creaking noise... Thinking there is a possibilty it could be the front wheel/hub?

Slo Mo Jones

Where did it happen?

term1te

Similar thing happened to me at the end of last year. A pedestrian, ran into the road in the dark and just clipped my handlebar. This swung the front wheel at 90 degrees where all my momentum buckled it, as we hit the ground. I was unable to true the wheel and had to get a new rim. No creaking now its fixed though. Seatposts can make creaking noises when you're in or out of the saddle. I had to ride my bike with the saddle and seatpost removed (100 yards standing on the peddals) to convince myself it was that making the noise. There was a shim on the seatpost, which once I'd replaced it (with a cut up beer can), fixed the creaking.

bazzer2

Check your seat post. Seriously this should be the first thing that pops up in peoples heads when the bike makes a creaking noise. Doesn't matter if it only makes it when you're out of the saddle etc...

Mark the position, take the post out, clean it, clean inside the seat tube, relube (or carbon paste etc) and replace.