Carbon Fork Fail (Trek)
09-09-15, 05:12 PM
#26
L-I-V-I-N
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That's a Bontrager fork.
__________________
"The older you do get, the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin', man, L-I-V-I-N." - Wooderson
'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur
"The older you do get, the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin', man, L-I-V-I-N." - Wooderson
'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur
09-09-15, 05:55 PM
#27
Advocatus Diaboli
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I don't see any reason why you'd be. I retired mine because my new frame had a 1-1/8" head tube and my old fork was a 1" steerer. I regularly ponder looking for an n+1 frame with a 1" head tube so I can reuse that fork (and the Chris King headset from the same bike).
The important thing is the life your fork has had. I knew someone who had his bike (on a rack) backed into in a parking lot, and it put a ding in his downtube. What if the car had backed into his CF fork and he never saw the crack? Regular inspections are important, just like any component.
The important thing is the life your fork has had. I knew someone who had his bike (on a rack) backed into in a parking lot, and it put a ding in his downtube. What if the car had backed into his CF fork and he never saw the crack? Regular inspections are important, just like any component.
09-09-15, 06:00 PM
#28
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More of the story is coming out. Apparently, he was in a wreck with a car a while back and still riding the same fork.
Here's the latest info:
"the stretch of road he was on had no berm, cars were crowding him and he hit a pothole, he flew over the handlebars, front tire went sideways and fork snapped."
Here's the latest info:
"the stretch of road he was on had no berm, cars were crowding him and he hit a pothole, he flew over the handlebars, front tire went sideways and fork snapped."
09-09-15, 06:05 PM
#29
cowboy, steel horse, etc
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09-09-15, 07:20 PM
#30
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Was something attached to the fork right above the break?
Looks like a speed sensor?
-Tim-
Looks like a speed sensor?
-Tim-
09-10-15, 12:33 AM
#32
Senior Member
This is why a simple visual inspection would not be adequate. And without proper equipment, such as but not limited to ultrasound, a true assessment can not be performed of the adequacy of the OP's fork....basically I was implying that all he would get from the shop "stress test" is a false sense of security...and a loss of money if he had to pay for the test (which he has not yet indicated).
Good question though.
-j
09-10-15, 12:57 AM
#33
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09-10-15, 05:22 AM
#37
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09-10-15, 05:42 AM
#38
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More of the story is coming out. Apparently, he was in a wreck with a car a while back and still riding the same fork.
Here's the latest info:
"the stretch of road he was on had no berm, cars were crowding him and he hit a pothole, he flew over the handlebars, front tire went sideways and fork snapped."
Here's the latest info:
"the stretch of road he was on had no berm, cars were crowding him and he hit a pothole, he flew over the handlebars, front tire went sideways and fork snapped."
Berm?! Were they planning to launch off it, as we all do, and clear the crowding traffic via air?!
The order of events seems wrong, too: pothole>over bars>wheel sideways>snap. It would make more sense like this: pothole>sideways>snap>over bars.
Anyway, the whole thing sounds fishy, and the only thing ai'm willing to believe at this point is that something extreme happened.
09-10-15, 06:35 AM
#39
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The order of events seems wrong, too: pothole>over bars>wheel sideways>snap. It would make more sense like this: pothole>sideways>snap>over bars.
Anyway, the whole thing sounds fishy, and the only thing ai'm willing to believe at this point is that something extreme happened.
Anyway, the whole thing sounds fishy, and the only thing ai'm willing to believe at this point is that something extreme happened.
This is at least a second hand, probably third or forth hand, account of an event that likely happened so quickly, it would be difficult for the person experiencing to know what actually happened to him anyway. I wouldn't get too hung up on the order of events as reported on a bike forum.
Front wheel suddenly stuck sideways in a pothole sounds reasonable for the type of damage pictured.
09-10-15, 06:50 AM
#41
LBKA (formerly punkncat)
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A buddy of mine rides that model Trek, bought it used though CL. A few months after riding his carbon fork broke about the same way. To be fair, he crashes lots and puts on huge miles with weird loads, etc. (work bag on handlebar, materials, books) as it's his only transpo. He ended up finding a steel fork and putting on.
09-10-15, 07:23 AM
#43
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Just to be clear, the quoted words I posted above are from the owner's mother's mouth as to what happened. So I guess it is second hand.
09-10-15, 07:27 AM
#44
I'm doing it wrong.
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I saw something similar happen to someone when some road debris (rather large metal spike) kicked up, got into the spokes and took out the fork. These things can happen.
That seems like a lot of load for that bike...was the trek 1000 a touring bike?
That seems like a lot of load for that bike...was the trek 1000 a touring bike?
09-10-15, 07:47 AM
#45
wears long socks
Are you saying I'm too fat to ride a Trek? lol
09-10-15, 08:39 AM
#47
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When I crashed my Mooney in its 4th year, I had a framebuilder straighten the forkblades and placed an order with Peter Mooney for a new fork, A year later, the framebuilder painted the frame and new fork. To me. that is one of the joys of steel forks. Being able to straighten and ride them, while knowing that the fork is no longer a "keeper". Yes, passing that fork off to someone else as a good fork would be very unethical to say the least. But I still have it in the garage and would use it tomorrow if I had to ride and couldn't use the new one. (For a short time.) And it is likely that if it did start to fail, there would be cracks to be seen or loss of stiffness to be felt BEFORE the fork actually snapped.
I say this but put out as a caution: There is one thing you should NEVER do with a quality steel fork! Never, never nickle plate it and not do the approved heat treat afterwards. (Nickle plating drives hydrogen molecules into the grain of high strength steels. The correct heat treat drives off those molecules.) I learned this when I had the fork of my ti fix gear nickle plated to look close to the ti finish. The plater skipped the heat treat and did not mention it. Three years later, cracks developed around the edge of the fork crown. Very fortunately, I decided to back off and ride 2000' of descents that ride very gently (for an entirely unrelated mechanical issue). Down on flat ground, the bike started shuddering violently ever time I touched the front brake. Got home and bent the fork tip out 8" with about 4 ounces of force. Someone was looking after me.
So, with that caution thrown in, I will close by saying I love steel forks. I love that they give second chances and tell you when they have been compromised. Plus, done right, they have a beauty that isn't there with CF. And good steel forks have such a sweet ride.
Ben
09-10-15, 11:23 AM
#50
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But there is one very significant difference had this been a steel fork. Virtually certainly, the rider would have noticed a bend in the fork after that first crash. Would have needed to straighten it. And therefore been fully aware the fork had been stressed.
When I crashed my Mooney in its 4th year, I had a framebuilder straighten the forkblades and placed an order with Peter Mooney for a new fork, A year later, the framebuilder painted the frame and new fork. To me. that is one of the joys of steel forks. Being able to straighten and ride them, while knowing that the fork is no longer a "keeper". Yes, passing that fork off to someone else as a good fork would be very unethical to say the least. But I still have it in the garage and would use it tomorrow if I had to ride and couldn't use the new one. (For a short time.) And it is likely that if it did start to fail, there would be cracks to be seen or loss of stiffness to be felt BEFORE the fork actually snapped.
I say this but put out as a caution: There is one thing you should NEVER do with a quality steel fork! Never, never nickle plate it and not do the approved heat treat afterwards. (Nickle plating drives hydrogen molecules into the grain of high strength steels. The correct heat treat drives off those molecules.) I learned this when I had the fork of my ti fix gear nickle plated to look close to the ti finish. The plater skipped the heat treat and did not mention it. Three years later, cracks developed around the edge of the fork crown. Very fortunately, I decided to back off and ride 2000' of descents that ride very gently (for an entirely unrelated mechanical issue). Down on flat ground, the bike started shuddering violently ever time I touched the front brake. Got home and bent the fork tip out 8" with about 4 ounces of force. Someone was looking after me.
So, with that caution thrown in, I will close by saying I love steel forks. I love that they give second chances and tell you when they have been compromised. Plus, done right, they have a beauty that isn't there with CF. And good steel forks have such a sweet ride.
Ben
When I crashed my Mooney in its 4th year, I had a framebuilder straighten the forkblades and placed an order with Peter Mooney for a new fork, A year later, the framebuilder painted the frame and new fork. To me. that is one of the joys of steel forks. Being able to straighten and ride them, while knowing that the fork is no longer a "keeper". Yes, passing that fork off to someone else as a good fork would be very unethical to say the least. But I still have it in the garage and would use it tomorrow if I had to ride and couldn't use the new one. (For a short time.) And it is likely that if it did start to fail, there would be cracks to be seen or loss of stiffness to be felt BEFORE the fork actually snapped.
I say this but put out as a caution: There is one thing you should NEVER do with a quality steel fork! Never, never nickle plate it and not do the approved heat treat afterwards. (Nickle plating drives hydrogen molecules into the grain of high strength steels. The correct heat treat drives off those molecules.) I learned this when I had the fork of my ti fix gear nickle plated to look close to the ti finish. The plater skipped the heat treat and did not mention it. Three years later, cracks developed around the edge of the fork crown. Very fortunately, I decided to back off and ride 2000' of descents that ride very gently (for an entirely unrelated mechanical issue). Down on flat ground, the bike started shuddering violently ever time I touched the front brake. Got home and bent the fork tip out 8" with about 4 ounces of force. Someone was looking after me.
So, with that caution thrown in, I will close by saying I love steel forks. I love that they give second chances and tell you when they have been compromised. Plus, done right, they have a beauty that isn't there with CF. And good steel forks have such a sweet ride.
Ben