"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Cervelo P3 aerodynamics at 70 mph

..are not so good, at least when it's mounted sideways and flies off the rack. :cry:

All that talking about how I hate the TT bike? Karma...I dropped it off the back of the car this morning at ~70 mph. One of the wheel tray bolts came out (this has happened once previously without a bike on it; crappy design) and it flew off. I happened to be looking in the rear view mirror and got a great view of parts bouncing in the air, bike pinwheeling on the pavement, and the truck behind me trying to avoid it all.

Luckily nobody was hit and the bike wasn't run over. The damage is surprisingly light; it landed on the non-drive side and ground a nice parallel edge on the basebar, left pedal, seat, and rear skewer. The basebar's usable, the other parts are toast but it could've been worse. My Powertap rear wheel is leading a charmed life; it has now survived a frame breaking crash on one bike and a 70 mph asphalt spin on the P3 without damage.

The weirdest part was that I had just passed a local rider who happens to be the wife of a shop owner. I honked at her..and about a second later watched the bike fly off. She was undoubtedly thinking, "WTF?!". She helped me get the bike out of the road and told me I should come in and buy a different rack. :lol:

I am writing a nasty email to the rack manufacturer. The wheel trays are held on by carriage bolts that go in from the bottom and knobs up top. No retention system for the knob or the bolt..when the knob vibrates loose and comes off, the bolt drops out the bottom and ...weeee're flyyyiiinnnggg. I'm going to change the tray retention system to bolts inserted from the top with nylock nuts. Screw tool-free adjustability.. I should've done so previously.

Glad to hear it's alright!

:eek:

will there be a youtube video?

glad the frame is ok!

I had a mtb fly off a trunk rack at 70mph on the way to a ride once. I was also amazed at the lack of damage - scratched bar end and torn seat was basically all. We straightened the handlebars and kept driving to the ride; the bike rode fine, and has to this day.

Mac

Don't squeeze the top tube.


Seriously that's terrible and I know hit feels. Freshman year of college after my 2nd semester in my photo major my parents bought me a Nikon F100 and I had a 35-70 f/2.8 lens on it ($2k worth of gear full price). I had had the F100 for a day and I was super stressed trying to get to a shoot and was arguing with someone and left the F100 on top of my car. Started driving and suddenly I heard something roll off the top of my car and then watched as a Ford F-150 drove over my baby.

Okay, so what rack is it?

Okay, so what rack is it?

It's a Hollywood (http://www.bikemania.biz/Hollywood_Racks_Sport_Rider_p/hwd_hr1000.htm).

I like the rack other than the stupid knobs. I found all of the pieces for the wheel tray so I'll be visiting the hardware store to "upgrade" mine tonight. :rolleyes:

You could view this as a sign to quit doing time trials.

You could view this as a sign to quit doing time trials.

(and sell you time trial bike to a cash-strapped recent college graduate)

(and sell you time trial bike to a cash-strapped recent college graduate)

Everybody's a comic.. :p

You're too tall for it anyway, I think. I was bringing the stupid thing to work because I was planning my new-found dedication to riding it once a week, getting faster, and kicking your ass at the next TT. Wait, did I say that out loud? :innocent:

...I wish I could use the "he's half my age" excuse but 58 year old Dave Viney pretty much shot that to hell when he turned a 50:46 last weekend...

Small update: I rode the damn thing last night, as-is. I remember seeing a picture of some "extreme weight weenie" Speedplays with the entire composite body removed, just the bowties remaining. I'm about halfway there on the left side but the pedal works fine. :)

I seriously think I would vomit if I lost my P2 off the roof...

I seriously think I would vomit if I lost my P2 off the roof...

the only rack i trust is a thule, and even those leave me a little squeamish.

the only rack i trust is a thule, and even those leave me a little squeamish.

Yakima has never let me down...

Yakima has never let me down...

i prefer the back of a forerunner. ;)

You're too tall for it anyway, I think. I was bringing the stupid thing to work because I was planning my new-found dedication to riding it once a week, getting faster, and kicking your ass at the next TT. Wait, did I say that out loud? :innocent:

...I wish I could use the "he's half my age" excuse but 58 year old Dave Viney pretty much shot that to hell when he turned a 50:46 last weekend...

Ha! I'll take a 54 or 56 please. Tall and lanky leads to oddly small-sized bikes.

You're going to have to hurry up for that rematch though -- looks like I'll be heading out of the state come August.

Funny though, I always use the "he's twice my age" excuse. Gotta get more miles in the legs...

the only rack i trust is a thule, and even those leave me a little squeamish.

Which is why bicycles go inside the car.

congrats on just barely causing a fatal car accident.

I have rocky mounts and love em. But also have a compact car so cant fit multiple bikes in it (hyundai elantra). I am still nervous as can be when driving down the highway with bikes ontop of the car.

Glad the bike's alright. Hell, if I were you I'd be looking for a different rack altogether.

Aren't you the least bit hesitant to ride a CF bike that hit the pavement at that speed?

Aren't you the least bit hesitant to ride a CF bike that hit the pavement at that speed?
No, not really.

...but my P3 is aluminum, anyway.

No, not really.

...but my P3 is aluminum, anyway.

Ah. A shame they don't make those anymore.

I was looking at 51cm P3 on ebay - would have bought it if it had 700 wheels and not 650s.

the only rack i trust is a thule, and even those leave me a little squeamish.

The only rack I trust is the trunk of my car.

Which is why bicycles go inside the car.


The only rack I trust is the trunk of my car.

pay attention (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=9041098&postcount=16). :innocent:

quick question. did you have aero wheels on your bike when it was on the rack? they dramatically add to the force on the rack when the bike is mounted horizontally.

i have a saris bones rs rack. of course i mounted it without reading the instructions. didn't lose the bike, but a stabilizing support broke. went back to read the instructions and saw that the rack has a speed limit, 65mph if i recall.

when i'm forced to travel with the bike on the rack instead of inside the car, i put on the shallow rims, better mileage and less stress on the rack.