CuttersRidge

Read it for oneself, read the last paragraph if one wants to get to the heart of the article. The Trek 2000 is not real vintage per standards here but it had some years on it.

So, I gather the issues here are a bit different with a steel bike but the possibilities remain of this happening still I would surmise. Sad story.

3alarmer 

.
...aluminum alloy steerer tubes in front forks have been failing catastrophically in small numbers every year since they were first introduced. A lot of them got official recalls, but many owners never get the word because they are not the original owner.

Yes, if for some strange reason you decide to run an aluminum steerer fork in your steel bike, it's subject to the same failure. Most people don't do that. I suppose there must be a few.

repechage

Sad tale. Aluminum steerers have always made me nervous. Carbon too. The later designs where the top is 1 1/8" and the crown race region 1 1/2" is a bit better as the material is not turning 90 degrees.

RoadGuy

You have to take technical descriptions from non-technical writers with a grain of salt.

Did the 2006 Trek 2000 come with an aluminum steering tube? I can find articles that describe the carbon fork legs, and aluminum frame, but can find anything that talks about material that the steering tube is made of.

A 2006 Trek aluminum bike falls in the range of bikes from Trek that used SL tubing, which I have written remarks before about cracking on the down tube on Trek road and mountain bikes, and on the head tube of Felts of the same period. Is it possible that the Writer of the news article mis-spoke or mis-identified the location of the failed parts that caused the fatal crash? Or maybe the part broke as a result of the crash, and not the cause of the crash?

Martin_12

Here's the coroner's report.

https://www.courts.act.gov.au/__data/...90/Stanton.pdf

Two experts examined the bike. An engineer appointed by the coroner found that "failure of the fork was caused by a fatigue fracture", and that "The cause of the crack initiation was an inclusion flaw from the manufacturing process". The expert appointed by Trek found no evidence that "that the cause of the
fatigue crack initiation was an inclusion from the manufacturing process".

rhm

Death fork. Unsafe when new, unsafe ten years later. Too bad.

I don't know how trek got away with this when Viscount didn't, but if this was a known thing, someone should have mentioned it to the guy.

Bad Lag

Keep the government OUT!, way out of our business.

mstateglfr 

Smh

crank_addict

Sad story. One we don't like to read about, but good for awareness. I think today manufacturers are pretty good on warning's and self regulated in recalls. Lots of them by Trek. How you receive them and stay on top of such notices is the problem.

I just looked at a brand new Felt and noticed it had two of the identical safety warnings directly on the top tube - placed both front and rear topside.

Overall, the percentage of a bad accident due to conditions or other means FAR surpasses due a bike failure. Also consider the millions of bikes and with zero failure. Odd's are extremely small. Though of course the chance of failure is always higher with ultralight race bikes intended design for a limited life and intended purpose.

Lastly, LBS tech recently told me of having three different bikes / brands with head tube failures last year. Aluminum and carbon fiber. I have no clue if these were from hard hits or simply fatigue.

JohnDThompson 

Maybe it's time to resurrect the old French trick of inserting a wooden dowel in the steer tube?

John E

Agreed, as long as we somehow get truth in advertising and full disclosure of any defects or manufacturing or materials shortcuts or questionable practices. I am somewhat on your side, in the sense that government regulations too often are either misdirected, irrelevant, or counterproductive.

DMC707

I do that to seatposts on mountain bikes --- I'm a Clydesdale class rider, so all it takes is one bad bounce to bend a post backwards otherwise if its got 8" of exposed seatpost (which is common on a MTB )

FBinNY 

IMO - I can't imagine a poorer material choice for a steerer tube. (yes, that includes CF).

I agree that it's possible to properly engineer an aluminum steerer, but I don't rust the bike makers oversea to do so. More important, I don't trust that any maintenance or life cycle protocols will be adhered to.

If anyone reading this has a fork with an aluminum steerer, I suggest you replace it NOW. Failing that, consider installing a 3-4" wooden or tubular steel pin up from the bottom as a safety net.

Spoonrobot 

When was the last time a carbon threadless fork was made with a steel steerer? Has this combo ever been available?

I've only ever seen carbon/aluminum or carbon/carbon combinations. Am I missing something? I thought carbon/aluminum was the most common fork combo produced in modern bikes?

DiabloScott

My Klein road bike has carbon fork with aluminum steerer and it's bonded to the headset bearings; proprietary and I can't replace it. I think about it once in a while but I don't worry about it.

How does your wooden pin help though? If the steerer breaks your handlebars are going sideways even if they don't fall off... the resulting crash is going to be the same.

Darth Lefty 

Yknow, I have a Cannondale with an aluminum "Pepperoni" fork. I'll have to check it. There was a recall in the early 90's but my bike is from the late 90's and I understand they changed it to steel
https://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro...ni-495226.html

Reynolds 

If the wooden pin is a snug fit friction inside the steerer it should let you keep the handlebar straight while stopping, and probably the steerer wouldn't break in the first place.

speedy25

Typically a failure like this results in a crash with minor injuries or road rash.

Sadly this guy lost his life from the fall.

For a government to go bonkers over one strange crash is irresponsible.

Thread title should have indicated this happened in Australia.

-SP

Bad Lag

I wouldn't want lawyers involved, either, but this resulted in a death. <-- THAT's BAD!


There is always the option of a product liability law suit.


If it was a product problem, sue.


If it was a defect caused by a poor mechanic, sue.


If it was poor maintenance by the bike's owner, don't sue.


These latter two might be grossly over-tightening a bolt causing yield or cracking of the aluminum.

ThermionicScott 

Got any evidence that the government went bonkers over this crash? You anti-government folks need to take a chill pill and reread the article.

FBinNY 

There's a big difference between losing steering, if you do, and having the front wheel disappear from under you.

The second is a 100% absolutely positive faceplant. There's also the possibility that there might be enough friction in the safety pin to help steering enough to either stop or lay the bike over. I'll take road rash or even a broken collarbone over a face plane anytime.

In thinking about risk, I factor both likelihood and consequences. The likelihood of a steerer failure, even with aluminum is very low, but the consequences can be extreme. Of all possible catastrophic failures, I rate steerer failure at the top, and consider even low risk unacceptable.

dweenk

Now take all of your aluminum bicycles to the recycle center before they kill you? I think we need some more details.

FBinNY 

I ride a bonded aluminum frame and have a high confidence level. However, it does have a steel steerer on the aluminum bladed fork,

It's never about the material, it's about how and where it's used.

Darth Lefty 

BTW, researching the Pepperoni fork recall, I came across this ****** thread.

https://www.******.com/r/bicycling/c...ty_cannondale/

At this point it isn't even really the same company any more, right? Does Dorel have an obligation to recall and service bikes from legacy-Cannondale?

Edit: Well, that's a word I had no idea would be censored

Chrome Molly

When they get tired of being sued regulation starts to look pretty good to those businesses left standing. 12 lb bikes for the common rider will have a long legacy supporting attorneys if I were to speculate.