So I was having a fantastic ride…solid Z2, great speed, beautiful weather…and some @$$hole tractor trailer on a country road buzzed me. The gust of wind scared the out of me and I was probably too close to the edge of the road, hit the rough pavement, and flew over the bars. I was in shock for maybe 5 mins but walked away so it really could have been worse!!! Oh, and I broke my saddle too so that’s fun!
Quick shout out…the Garmin incident detection worked flawlessly!!!
My shifters look terrible…do they need replaced?
My carbon bars are scratched…how do I know if they’re safe?
I hit my front wheel hard enough to unseat my tire. Should I scrap the tire? The wheel seems true, is it ok?
These are the questions running though my head as the adrenaline has worn off. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!
Cheer man thanks! I’ve heard people talking about xrays for carbon damage…do I have to go that far? Or would an otherwise good shop be up to the inspection?
Start with a trip to your favorite local bike shop, they’ll be able to tell you what needs replaced. Frame should be carefully looked over while cleaning.
I was gonna give you a thumbs up on your post as a show of support, but then reconsidered. So
First of all, I am glad that you are ok. I‘m sorry that some d-bag got you into this through no fault of your own.
Just going off the pictures: I‘d definitely replace the hoods (which is cheap). The damage on the Di2 STI levers looks cosmetic, so if you can live with the scratches, they might be ok. Judging from the photo alone, the tire looks as if it is in good nick, probably it just burped and deflated during the (massive) impact.
I would not trust the frame, the handlebars and the wheel without an LBS you trust(*) giving them a clean bill of health. Have it checked out by a professional. Tell them what happened so that they have an idea what to look for. And make use of the crash replacement policies that many bike and wheel manufacturers have. Typically, you will get a substantial discount.
(*) A good LBS is worth its weight in gold. Last weekend, I ordered new brakes for my mountain bike at my LBS and the owner eagle eyed a crack in my (carbon) handlebars that was hidden behind my Wahoo. I have no idea what magical powers this man has, but he was spot on. Did the screwdriver test. (The fault was in all likelihood mine, even though I technically did not do anything wrong — I used a torque wrench and torqued it to spec.) I‘m saying that a good LBS will likely be able to help you out.
Part of me was thinking “hey you walked away with a scraped/bumped up knee, how bad could if be” so I’m really glad folks are talking sense to a thick headed guy like me
I’m 6’5" and 200+ lbs…it’s no small feat to get thrown like I did so I really need someone good to look the bike over. I’m sure you’re right about not trusting anything carbon until it’s checked out.
That reminds me: get a crash replacement for your helmet. I totally believe you when you say you are quite thick-headed, but probably you have better uses for that than kissing tarmac.
It is just smart. Perhaps other stuff got banged up, too, e. g. your rear derailleur hanger might be bent, etc. Giving it to a good shop is the best bet.
Hey man, glad you’re ok!!! I swear, the higher fuel prices get, the more drivers mess with cyclists. What road were you on?
I think your levers are fine, I’d get a hood for the left side. I’d recommend scrapping those bars, though. I’ve never broken handlebars but imo, I’d rather have a frame break than bars. Like others said, have someone take a look at the frame, too.
Thanks Kris!! I was on Rt. 75 just over the border in Suffield. I’ve ridden that section of road probably 200 times…it’s usually quiet! The levers still work thank goodness.
The bars are Enve so I’m going to see if there’s anything they can do.
This is a good reason why one must always have multiple bikes
Slightly off-topic but, if you have any money left over after get your bike back in shape, I would strongly suggest getting a Garman Varia radar light if you don’t already have one. Knowing that truck was back there sooner would have allowed you more time to prepare for the pass and given you more time to make sure you weren’t pinned to the edge of the pavement at the key moment with no margin for error. An added benefit to the radar is for the other 98% of your ride, you’ll be able to relax because you’ll know a vehicle is not about to go wizzing past you.
Seconded! Glad your okay as well. The Varia is something I will NOT ride without. If you have a Garmin watch, it will pair with that as well as our bike computer. In that setup, it will beep in your headphones when cars are approaching as well as the visuals on your bike computer. I use the aftershokz so my ears aren’t covered.
I have the Varia and it let me know the truck was coming…but he was fast enough that I didn’t really know what happened until I was upside down!
There’s not much of a shoulder where I went down and the pavement edge ends abruptly. In hindsight…I wonder if I were further to the left (I was probably just to the right of the white line) maybe the truck couldn’t have passed me so quickly. He might have had to think for 0.2 seconds instead of driving carelessly in autopilot
On my “real cyclist” bingo card, I have (in no particular order):
*Fall over clipping in/out
*Broken collar bone (not this ride)
*Too much lycra
*Cursed at by motorists
*and NOW crashing and busting up expensive parts
@Kevinsmithwfu Thanks! You guys are so right about the Varia too! When my wife came to get me, she was thrilled that the incident detection worked and knew I was at least doing what I could to stay safe.
Definitely agree that you should be further left. If they have to cross the yellow line to get by you then there is no need for them to buzz you and they usually give you ample room.
You might consider filing down the scratches on the brake levers. It may be cosmetic, but your fingers are going to be touching those scratches constantly and the scratches would really get on my nerves if I could feel them all the time. If you can smooth it out then you might forget about them.
Yeah–I think taking more of the lane is necessary. Especially with blinking lights and bright colors. Getting too far right encourages idiots to try to skirt by. If you’re further left, you may get the horn or the finger, but that’s a good trade.
Regarding the lever scratches…I already know that’s going to bug me. Going to try to file them a bit and maybe see if I can find a matching paint/nail polish to hide them a bit. Does the beauty counter at Walgreens have “Ultegra Metallic Gunmetal”
Often it is better to move the left instead of right and make them see you.
For what it’s worth, I came within a hairs breath of having a similar crash last weekend. Only there were no vehicles involved. I just wasn’t paying attention and suddenly found myself on gravel shoulder. Somehow I managed to save it and get back on the road. When you ride bikes, stuff just happens!
Let me know how this goes. Scratched mine up during a gravel tumble in April. They’re fine, but not as pretty. But I would pretty them up if it was easy.
Just really glad you’re ok, man. I lived up in Westhampton for a few years & rode a lot out my door. It was a quiet dirt road but I’d always end up in busier pavement. I like riding back roads & honestly 75 especially where you were wouldn’t frighten me but it’s just plain scary. I used to ride road motorcycles a lot but won’t anymore. A friend of mine got killed on his by a drunk driver down in Boone, NC back in April. Best guy ever & an avid mtber as well. Anyway, be safe out there man & if you ever decide to ride trails again, I’d be glad to ride with you again!
First thing, stop running the incident through your head, or the whole thing will be burned in and it will haunt you. If you start running it through your head, play tetris or something like that to refocus away from it.
For the wheel, I’d bet it is fine, I smacked a curb as a berm in a crit this year and the wheel is holding up just fine, save the yellow paint it picked up.
I’d replace the bars for sure.
Shifters look fine as others noted, just replace the rubber hood.
Awesome you’re relatively unscathed. IMO the shifters, wheel, and tire look fine. Bars I can’t tell form the pic but, I’d probably ride them unless an obvious weakness exists. I’ve been in many crashes with carbon everything and really the only damage was cosmetic to shifters, deraileurs, pedals, saddles. Everything always performed flawlessly post crash.
Just banged up.
Damage to the body in every crash was bad rash extending from legs, hip, back and shoulder to arms. Many broken bones as well. Point is the carbon bike and components held up really well compared to me. I’ve had more damage when the bike just falls over waiting for coffee.
Honest question about the radar devises…how do they change your riding so you avoid getting run over/into? Does the notification give you an idea of approach speed and trajectory? Or does it just know when something is approaching? edit: thinking of investing in one is why I ask…
out of me and I was probably too close to the edge of the road, hit the rough pavement, and flew over the bars. I was in shock for maybe 5 mins but walked away so it really could have been worse!!! Oh, and I broke my saddle too so that’s fun!
