Advice please - assessing crash damage

Stevo C
Stevo C Posts: 132
edited September 2014 in Commuting chat
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
cheers

Steve

Comments

  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    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.
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  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    Any decent independent LBS should be able to do this, cost around £25 when I've had to have it done.
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
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  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Steve, where abouts in North London are you? I might have a couple of good suggestions.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • Stevo C
    Stevo C Posts: 132
    Ben6899 wrote:
    Steve, where abouts in North London are you? I might have a couple of good suggestions.

    N22 - Wood Green

    thanks

    Steve
    cheers

    Steve
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    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).
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
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  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    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.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    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.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
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  • Stevo C
    Stevo C Posts: 132
    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
    cheers

    Steve
  • Stevo C
    Stevo C Posts: 132
    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
    cheers

    Steve
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    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.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • Stevo C
    Stevo C Posts: 132
    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
    cheers

    Steve
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    If you haven't got this sorted then heck your PM, might be able to get you sorted FOC.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    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.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!

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