Advice please - assessing crash damage

Stevo C

Hi all

I need to get my frame and forks "professionally" assessed for damage after being taken out a few weeks ago by an Addisson Lee cab. At first glance, the bike was relatively unscathed, with the main issue being the levers have moved on the bars (they were deliberately not too tight). However I'm slightly twitchy about the forks (carbon with alloy steerer) as it was the front wheel that hit the car first, at about 45°and probably 10mph at the time of impact. The front wheel is fine and still true.

I'm now beginning a claim against the driver through BC (my helmet and glasses were destroyed in the accident) and BC have asked me to send an assessment of damage to the bike. Can anyone recommend somewhere I can take the frame and forks to for this? I'm assuming/hoping that the result is a letter saying that although there is no outward signs of damage to the forks, this could not be verified unless x-rayed/ct scanned. As the forks are at the cheap end of what's available, replacement would be cheaper than inspection.

I went to a branch of Evans closest to my office and was told that all they could do was a full service with a report on road worthiness!

thanks

Steve

dhope

Stevo C wrote:

no outward signs of damage to the forks, this could not be verified unless x-rayed/ct scanned. As the forks are at the cheap end of what's available, replacement would be cheaper than inspection.

This is what I claimed when a car hit me a few years back. It was 'On Your Bike' in London Bridge who wrote that they could not guarantee that the frame wasn't damaged without the CT.

That was enough to get their insurance to offer 90% of the cost of replacing the entire bike.

Turned out the frame was actually damaged - it cracked around the bottom bracket.

keyser__soze

Any decent independent LBS should be able to do this, cost around £25 when I've had to have it done.

Ben6899

Steve, where abouts in North London are you? I might have a couple of good suggestions.

Stevo C

Ben6899 wrote:

Steve, where abouts in North London are you? I might have a couple of good suggestions.

N22 - Wood Green

thanks

Steve

EKE_38BPM

Stevo C wrote:

...the levers have moved on the bars (they were deliberately not too tight)...

What does that mean? Not tight enough (not tightened to the correct torque) so that they move around on the bars if you put any force on them (sprinting) or not tightened so much that you deform the bar (too tight).

redvee

Stevo C wrote:

As the forks are at the cheap end of what's available, replacement would be cheaper than inspection.

As mentioned previously, a LBS would be able to give a written inspection of bike. Given the low speed the front wheel might escape unscathed but the forks should be checked but if you're going through the insurance and making a claim against AL, firstly good luck and secondly any expenses for the claim you should get receipts for so that you can add it to the claim. That can include PT for the days you couldn't ride the bike cause of the bike being damaged or you injured, any costs in getting the bike inspected though I doubt the insurance company will pay out for a CT scan etc of the forks. The solicitor should advise you better on this.

Ben6899

Steve, give a call to Mosquito (Essex Road) or Lunar Cycles (Kentish Town) - not far from you and I am sure they could help you out.

Stevo C

cyd190468 wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Stevo C wrote:

...the levers have moved on the bars (they were deliberately not too tight)...

What does that mean? Not tight enough (not tightened to the correct torque) so that they move around on the bars if you put any force on them (sprinting) or not tightened so much that you deform the bar (too tight).

Tight enough so you can use them normally but not so tight that in a crash the bar is damaged or levers broken rather than the lever rotating on the bar.

Exactly that - I was braking with my hands on the hoods, my right hand hit the side of the car, I don't know what my left hand hit - but I finished with cuts and bruises to the knuckles on both hands. I like to think that the levers moving on the bars dissipated some of the energy of impact, that would otherwise have gone through my hands and the levers.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwthcvkplm4m1 ... 7.JPG?dl=0

Stevo C

Ben6899 wrote:

Steve, give a call to Mosquito (Essex Road) or Lunar Cycles (Kentish Town) - not far from you and I am sure they could help you out.

Thanks - I'll call in over the weekend

EKE_38BPM

cyd190468 wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Stevo C wrote:

...the levers have moved on the bars (they were deliberately not too tight)...

What does that mean? Not tight enough (not tightened to the correct torque) so that they move around on the bars if you put any force on them (sprinting) or not tightened so much that you deform the bar (too tight).

Tight enough so you can use them normally but not so tight that in a crash the bar is damaged or levers broken rather than the lever rotating on the bar.

So, tightened to the correct torque.

Stevo C wrote:

Exactly that - I was braking with my hands on the hoods, my right hand hit the side of the car, I don't know what my left hand hit - but I finished with cuts and bruises to the knuckles on both hands. I like to think that the levers moving on the bars dissipated some of the energy of impact, that would otherwise have gone through my hands and the levers.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwthcvkplm4m1 ... 7.JPG?dl=0

MrsEKE had an off the other day and fell off to her left but somehow injured her right hand badly enough to warrant a trip to hospital. I still don't get it.
Looks like we have the same bike shed.

Stevo C

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Looks like we have the same bike shed.

The Trimetals one? Don't know how old yours is (ours is around 6-7 years old), but last year we returned from holiday to discover someone had cropped through all the locks/hasps whilst we were away and took all the bikes. The Police officer who attended said that it there had been a spate of thefts from these bike sheds in the area (North London) and that if the locks were of a good quality, then the thieves were cutting the hasps to gain access. I called Trimetals up to ask about the options for increasing the security and they told me they had recently introduced new hasps that protected against cropping and would send me some free of charge - which they did, which I though was good of them considering the age of the bike shed.

Maybe something worth considering if you've got the older style hasps - the new ones seem to work very well, especially when combined with a shutter lock



S

il_principe

If you haven't got this sorted then heck your PM, might be able to get you sorted FOC.

EKE_38BPM

Stevo C wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Looks like we have the same bike shed.

The Trimetals one? Don't know how old yours is (ours is around 6-7 years old), but last year we returned from holiday to discover someone had cropped through all the locks/hasps whilst we were away and took all the bikes. The Police officer who attended said that it there had been a spate of thefts from these bike sheds in the area (North London) and that if the locks were of a good quality, then the thieves were cutting the hasps to gain access. I called Trimetals up to ask about the options for increasing the security and they told me they had recently introduced new hasps that protected against cropping and would send me some free of charge - which they did, which I though was good of them considering the age of the bike shed.

Maybe something worth considering if you've got the older style hasps - the new ones seem to work very well, especially when combined with a shutter lock



S

Yeah, Trimetals. Ours is less than a year old and came with new hasps. I've only put one on so far as it is an absolute git to drill the fixing holes - I wore out three bits dilling two holes. After reading your tale of woe, I think I should get the other one done too.
Did yours come with an internal anchor point too? Mine came ith an amchor point and an alarmed cable lock.