Bicycle Mechanics - Someone please explain this:

I got a new Bianchi Pista a month or so ago, ride mostly for commuting and such does not have a ton of miles on it. I live in New England, so I have hit my share of potholes, though I try my best not too.

Yesturday Iam a 1/4 mile from from my house, returning from a 18 mile ride. I am going up a small steep hill, and 4 spokes give on my front tire, completely tacoed the wheel, and freezing it up. At the time I was out of the saddle and went over the handlebars, landing completely on my face. I am just trying to figure out WHY the spokes/wheel did this.

So more info, there was no debris sticks etc since it is a very quiet road and I was in the middle. No potholes within the last 100m(?) of riding. When I was accelerating up the hill, I was pulling hard and the back tire would skip a bit, meaning become unweighted and lose traction for a sec.

Anyone have any ideas?

I'm guessing that one or more spokes became loosened and that you did not notice. Enough to the point that all of them failed at the same time? The more I think about it the more unlikely it sounds to myself. Did you hear pinging noises from the front wheel anytime leading up to the crash?

This might be painful (no pun intended), but try and get us a picture of said taco'ed wheel, I'm thinking maybe rim failure as well.

. Did you hear pinging noises from the front wheel anytime leading up to the crash?

Hey, I hit a pothole the other week and since then have creaking pinging noises from my 16 spoke Mavic cosmos airo. Will spoke failure follow?

You should check the spokes on your wheel. Just lightly squeeze each pair, anything significantly loose would be readily apparent.

Hey, I hit a pothole the other week and since then have creaking pinging noises from my 16 spoke Mavic cosmos airo. Will spoke failure follow?
I don't know that it WILL follow but it certainly CAN follow. Creaking and pinging noises are not a good omen. I'd check for spoke tension and for possible damage very carefully. Boutique wheels give up a lot of durability in the interest of being light and/or aero.

and 4 spokes give on my front tire, completely tacoed the wheel, and freezing it up. At the time I was out of the saddle and went over the handlebars, landing completely on my face. I am just trying to figure out WHY the spokes/wheel did this.


Where did the spokes fail? At the nipple, the elbow, or somewhere else? All four in the same place? And is the hub or rim damaged? Look for cracks.

What kind of hub and what kind of rim is it?

Glad you're okay.