Lesson learnt.

bluebarchetta
bluebarchetta Posts: 6
edited April 2016 in Road general
Okay, so I'm feeling rather embarrassed after a crash this morning.

I was bedding in some new pads on my discs - following the process of 20 quick stops from a reasonable speed on a quiet stretch of road.

I can only assume that I did not have quick release tight enough on the front. I'm normally paranoid about this have the QRs very tight, and I've change the standard ones to Ultegra as I am not keen in the external cams. Anyway without warning on the fourth stop the front wheel came off and I face planted.

A trip to A&E to be deal with the cuts, broken glasses, helmet, holed jersey, buckled wheel, damaged spokes, and various scratches on my GF01...

I still can't believe that the wheel came out of the dropouts quite easily on level ground.

Lessons learnt :roll:

Check the QRs each ride...

Comments

  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    Never understood why the caliper is located behind the fork, a clear design failure.....
    This fenomena of the "ejecting" front wheel was allready described by the first disc users (long distance riders).
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,007
    Yep, and that's why the sensible designs use a bolt through...
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Same goes regarding caution about QRs for rim braking. On a club ride a few months ago about 10 minutes in, the route went down a road with a few speed bumps. Cue most chaps doing some gentle bunny hops over them...except one chap hadn't tightened the QRs properly and promptly dropped out the front wheel and face planted. Ambulance job, I'm afraid :-(
  • bluebarchetta
    bluebarchetta Posts: 6
    Yes, I realise I was 'lucky''
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Ouch.

    Heal quickly.
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Not a design flaw. the caliper needs to be behind the fork legs for aerodynamic reasons. MTB's solved this problem a while back with forward facing dropouts as when you brake the axle gets pushed back up into the dropout. Many disc brake forks still have vertical/rearward facing dropouts. Also disc brakes can loosen the Q/R so it essential they are done up tighter than you would on a rim brake bike. I do mine so tight my palm hurts on closing. There is also some evidence that suggest the Q/R on the left side resist loosening more than the Q/R closed on the right side.

    Yes check the Q/R before you ride. Heal well and soon.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    You went to hospital when you only had cuts and bruises? Unless you received lots of stitches this seems a waste of everyone's time, effort and money.
  • bluebarchetta
    bluebarchetta Posts: 6
    Yes stitches for a deep cut over my eye.
  • DanTe1977
    DanTe1977 Posts: 46
    BrandonA wrote:
    You went to hospital when you only had cuts and bruises? Unless you received lots of stitches this seems a waste of everyone's time, effort and money.

    Bloke comes off bike, quite obviously bangs his head - moron wastes 5 seconds of everybody who reads his paragraph of drivel's time.

    I hope you don't ever come off your bike, if you ride one that is, decide not to get yourself checked out because you're well hard and there's actually something wrong.
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,861
    BrandonA wrote:
    You went to hospital when you only had cuts and bruises? Unless you received lots of stitches this seems a waste of everyone's time, effort and money.
    I've gone into A&E twice after what seemed fairly innocuous falls, and despite having just a slightly cracked radial head (no pain at all really) was I made to feel in the least that I'd wasted anyone's time.
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • Robert765
    Robert765 Posts: 4
    Ouch,I can only image the pain, wishing you quick recovery. And as you said indeed lesson learned!
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    edited April 2016
    At the cafe stop today I locked a club member's bike against mine with lock no 1.
    Lock no 2 could fit round both frames, so I locked it through my front wheel/forks.
    After tea and cake we were ready to set off. I unlocked club member's bike from mine,
    and when the group was ready to set off I put my leg over the crossbar and was about
    to clip in and set off when someone reminded me that there was a lock connected
    to my front wheel. Lesson learnt; check bike before setting off.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Thank god you were ok and wearing a Helmet
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Aren't the 'lawyer tabs' there to stop this? Surely the wheel cannot fall out unless the QR is really quite loose, and in that case, wouldn't you notice the wheel was loose straight away?
  • bluebarchetta
    bluebarchetta Posts: 6
    There was no sign of play beforehand. I keep my bike hung up at with the wheels at eye level - I find this good for checking tyres for cuts, lubing the chain etc. It didn't notice it loose getting it down or when riding. It must have been tight enough to avoid this but not tight enough to resist the braking force of bedding the pads in.

    The 'lawyers tab' aren't very big on the GF01 (certainly not compared with my Fox forks on MTB), but like you I'd assume I'd get a warning first.

    Overall, my helmet and glasses worked - I am very glad the scratches and dents were on them not me...
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    bernithebiker wrote:
    Aren't the 'lawyer tabs' there to stop this? Surely the wheel cannot fall out unless the QR is really quite loose, and in that case, wouldn't you notice the wheel was loose straight away?

    They can stop this , but were invented for idiots who do not get the function of QR skewers and try to use them as a wingnut.
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    homers double wrote:
    Yep, and that's why the sensible designs use a bolt through...

    Like a screwthread maxle on mountain bikes ?
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    I remember doing a reasonably long rides in the hills, got a PB on a downhill and then on the uphill I heard a repetitive noise coming from somewhere, the problem with bikes is trying to diagnose where a squeak or rattle is coming from, I thought it was my new shoes and cleats as I was standing up out the saddle. A few days later I had the bike on a bike-stand and found the front skewer was loose, very very lose. Tightened it back up and the noise went.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    Not a design flaw. the caliper needs to be behind the fork legs for aerodynamic reasons. MTB's solved this problem a while back with forward facing dropouts as when you brake the axle gets pushed back up into the dropout. ...

    I don't think this is actually the case.

    I think the only way the axle will get pushed/pulled back up into the dropout is if the calliper is on the leading edge of the fork.

    the 'forward' facing dropout is only a few degrees off vertical and the forces are still trying to pull the axle out.
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    OP are you definitely tightening up the Qr properly? Not just tightening it by turning it? I have known people who do this rather than use the lever.

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