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05-09-03, 01:21 PM
There is a group of kids that play/ride in my neighborhood. I had noticed that several of their bicycles needed an adjustment or two, mainly things like misaligned handlebars and seats. So I helped them out a little. As much as anything, I was hoping for a little PR. And that worked reasonably well.
I had a problem yesterday that I couldn't fix. The young man brought his bike over complaining that he "couldn't steer". When I looked at the bike I had to suppress a gasp. I had to take a closer look at him to make sure that nothing was broken on him, no less the bicycle.
He was riding an all aluminum, 24" wheel, discount store Mongoose, and the front fork was bent backwards about 5 inches, far enough so that there was now a significant overlap between the front tire and the downtube. No wonder that he "couldn't steer". The front wheel was still reasonably true, even though one spoke had broken off at the nipple. I was amazed. He had to be going at least 20 miles an hour into something pretty substantial. He had to go flying through the air.
Fortunately, he does always where a helmet, but if there was ever a formula for a couple of broken wrists, that had to be it.
I took the front wheel off of the bike and removed the broken spoke and nipple. I could have levered the forks close enough to the the original angle to make the bike ridable, but the fork tubes were creased and they had to have lost over 75% of their original rigidity. I handed the wheel and the bike back to the kid and told him that I couldn't fix it.
Time for dad to spend another $75 bucks for a new bike.
I had a problem yesterday that I couldn't fix. The young man brought his bike over complaining that he "couldn't steer". When I looked at the bike I had to suppress a gasp. I had to take a closer look at him to make sure that nothing was broken on him, no less the bicycle.
He was riding an all aluminum, 24" wheel, discount store Mongoose, and the front fork was bent backwards about 5 inches, far enough so that there was now a significant overlap between the front tire and the downtube. No wonder that he "couldn't steer". The front wheel was still reasonably true, even though one spoke had broken off at the nipple. I was amazed. He had to be going at least 20 miles an hour into something pretty substantial. He had to go flying through the air.
Fortunately, he does always where a helmet, but if there was ever a formula for a couple of broken wrists, that had to be it.
I took the front wheel off of the bike and removed the broken spoke and nipple. I could have levered the forks close enough to the the original angle to make the bike ridable, but the fork tubes were creased and they had to have lost over 75% of their original rigidity. I handed the wheel and the bike back to the kid and told him that I couldn't fix it.
Time for dad to spend another $75 bucks for a new bike.