Accident
 

I was hit by a car earlier this month and I'm worried about the safety of my frame. The car wasn't going very fast, maybe 15mph? I was going around 12. My front wheel made contact in between the headlight and the car wheel, so basically on the side of his front bumper. My frame is double butted aluminum and there seems to be no visible damage, but the inside could be. The front wheel was bent and I took it to my LBS to get it trued. Aside from that all other components seem fine, the headset, handlebar, and saddle slipped out of place but that's pretty much it.

I'd be worried if it was a carbon frame. Being aluminium, if there's no visible damage (nothing bent, no cracks, no significant dents), I would trust it.

Clean the frame, and look closely for cracks, especially on the welded joints of the different tubes that make up the frame. If everything is ok, It should be safe.

Its aluminum. The only things you have to worry about is if there is any visible cracks, and whether the frame is still true. If it has carbon wheels I would look at getting their insurance company to replace those with new ones. Other than a visual inspection by an authorised bike repair team for your manufacturer is all you need. Get them to give it a once over. Its most likely (other than a few scratches and scrapes) there is nothing structurally wrong with your bike frame.

My advice would be to get it looked over but I would not worry about it too much.

You should have taken the whole bike there. Besides that, if you had damages you needed to file an insurance claim, their insurance should cover some of this, if they were at fault.

If they have insurance it's even better provided you weren't hurt. It likely means free bike time. Ring YOUR insurance assessor and get them to tell you where to send it. They will have a preferred assessor.

I had an accident last year with my carbon bike - different situation as it was on a trunk rack and I was hit from behind while at a red light at a fairly low speed. On the surface, it just looked like the front wheel was damaged. I brought it to my LBS and the mechanic recommended replacing the fork, too, just to be sure as it can be difficult to discern underlying damage. I submitted the claim to the other party's insurance company for both the wheel and the fork and they paid the claim. Best to have a full assessment of your bike done without letting time pass from the accident.

If the fork and headtube are okay, then it's probably fine.

Even if it is, free bike upgrade... say it with me.

That's not exactly how it works, unless you are talking about a generic suing for "pain and suffering" or such. Even worse, if you find someone to lie to the insurance saying the bike is wrecked when it isn't, now you're the one in trouble for fraud.

Yep, we need to keep in mind that insurance fraud is a felony in most places.


-Tim-

My only concern would be possible damage to the fork/steerer which wouldn't be visible while in the head tube. So I'd remove the fork and give it a good visual inspection for any bend or crack.

I'm not promoting insurance fraud, I'm saying that if your bike is damaged you should get a new for old replacement. That's a fair practice in a lot of countries including Australia.

Sorry, I read that as even if the bike was OK, you should be getting a brand new one. I'm not sure how laws work in Australia, perhaps you could explain that? At least here, if you want money from an insurance company, you're going to need to submit proof of damages, and they will pay out for a comparable replacement or repair.

I'd be much more concerned about your front wheel and front fork, then I would the frame.

If your front wheel or fork breaks while riding you will go down faster than you can think. All your remember is a tiny sensation that something was going wrong then you'll be on the ground.

If your rear wheel goes out it happens slower you usually have a chance to get a foot down.

If your frame breaks it's a triangle, so you're still kinda supported by the rest of the frame. I've had a bottom bracket rust out while I was riding and other than making scary noises it was fine, I was able to coast to a stop, then coast on the frame part of the way back home.

I'd replace the front wheel and maybeish the front fork before I'd worry about the frame.

Here in Australia you have your bike assessed depending on the damage it can be considered a total write off at more than twice the cost to repair the bike as it would cost just to replace it. If your insurance is comprehensive then you can get a shiny new bike out of it.

Ally frames are very brittle, and cracks can have low visibility, but they do bend first. Any area that is bent will be localised, so around joints, and a crack in the paint is the first indication of notable failure.

You had a "collision"?

^ Yes, it was a "collision"

Since the wheels and fork were still under warranty I went ahead and replaced them. I'll go visit my local bike shop later and ask their opinion on the frame. Nothing seems to be bent or cracked. The front wheel was bent and the back one just slipped out of place. We are in the process of getting the guys insurance to pay for the damages. I suffered some scrapes on my arms, legs, chin, my upper lip got busted, thankfully I didn't need stitches. My wrist hurts when I try to twist caps and my left knee still hurts a little.

Actually, not necessarily true. No fault laws are different depending on where you are but for the price of an aluminum bike the adjuster is probably not going to want to take a chance on turning down a claim without being sure the frame is undamaged. You would have to release them so make sure you are not hurt. It is not lying if you don't have the technical ability to tell if the frame is damaged. You are rightfully concerned about it.

...the bike is assumed to be in a 100% safe undamaged working order prior to the incident...

If it were my bike, I'd not have the same trust after the event. No matter how or whom does the repairs & services to try & make it right. It will no longer be what it was prior to that unfortunate event. Driver responsibility has to be taken in to account for situations like these, & if the frame has endured damages that can impact it's usability & functionality; not aesthetics, then the suspect frame should be replaced. Should the frame not be available, then the next comparable solution is a new bicycle.

Had you ended up in the ICU for 2 weeks, insurance could have paid out upwards of a million bucks in hospital bills.

Replacing an aluminum bike is peanuts in comparison.

You're now worried about your bike being unsafe to ride, which means you haven't been made whole.

You should get completely compensated for the original purchase price of your bike, helmet, glasses, and kit, and call it day. It will be a relief to both the driver and the insurance company.

True. And from the adjuster's point of view, the OP may still present them with medical bills at some point. As noted above, this is why some companies go out of their way to settle a property claim generously in exchange for a waiver of bodily injury.

I agree with all of this. :)

I'd be surprised if an adjuster even looks at the bike