Replace the Carbon Bits

by KevinK on Jun 1, 2008 9:07 PM EDT

George Hincapie's crash in the 2006 Paris-Roubaix was something straight out of most cyclist's nightmares. Sudden failure of a critical component. A sudden loss of control. Nothing to do but crash.

This is my third season racing my Litespeed Sienna. It's got about 10,000 miles on it and has been through 30-40 races. I planned to replace the fork, stem, and bars sometime this season, but didn't think it too urgent.

I'm sure you can guess where this is going. I was racing today. I got up out of the saddle to crest a little rolling hill and the bars (Mantis ITM) snapped in half and down I went one instant later. Luckily it was a low speed crash and I am only a little bruised and banged up.

Consider this a PSA. If you're wondering about the age of some vital components on your bike, replace them!

Also, this was another instance where my helmet saved my brains from any damage. The rear of my helmet is bashed up and scuffed, but my head is fine.

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If I were racing.

I would be on a super strong fork like Reynolds, or Edge and not the lightest, or cheapest carbon forks in the world. I would probably change the fork out every 2-3 yrs.

I would be using alloy bars and stems; replacing the bars, and maybe the stem every year.
Unless I crashed a couple times on them where as I would change them earlier then that.

While it is true carbon has an extremely long fatigue life, it is very vulnerable to impact and most carbon parts have sacrificed the resistance to impacts in the name of weight savings and because the current international testing does not require it.

by Ryan_Liles on Jun 1, 2008 9:58 PM EDT reply actions

Hm

been wondering how many years my Aerus carbon bars will last. They’re, oh, 4? Low mileage though…

Glad you’re OK. I had a similar header last year, low speed but completely unforeseen and unstoppable. Helmets are 100% essential, and I’m constantly sneering at the UW kids flying around the trail w/o them.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 1, 2008 10:15 PM EDT reply actions

helmets, helmets, helmets

I’ve been wondering how I can better drum this lesson into the local cycling population. I try to guilt my family and friends into wearing one.

I walked away with bruises and scrapes, but no concussion or brain damage. I didn’t even notice I hit my head until I examined the helmet in the evening.

by KevinK on Jun 3, 2008 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions

If you need help with that

your first call should be to Dan Schmatz. He’ll help get them with the program!
A good sight to check out is The Safety is Sexy Campaign. Just don’t scroll too far down as the one phots is way worse than Dan’s borat posting earlier. Way worse.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 3, 2008 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions

AIEEE!!!

Why did I look. Please, someone tell me why I looked.

by johnw on Jun 4, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm sure it had to be

because we all want to believe that the Borat shot is as bad as it could get. Nope. Add in naked hairy man on bike.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 4, 2008 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I am on my second fork on my

Pinarello (a Reynolds Ouzo Pro), and will probably start thinking about one on my Cannondale after next season. The bar and stem are aluminum. My personal feeling is that carbon itself is pretty tough, but can become weakened when you swap stuff around too much (which unfortunately I do, although I’ve resisted the temptation a bit more on the Cannondale since it’s my crit bike and don’t need any surprises here). As far as replacement forks go, Reynolds is my brand. Classic good lucks, tough and excellent ride quality. I think I spent $100 on my last one, brand new. I never cared for Reynold’s bunge/compression plug design and currently I’m using a threaded alloy sleeve epoxied in there. Reynolds change the compression plug design though and it provides more support under the stem bolts. Also, I love Ritchey stems for their steerer friendly biased cut opposing bolt design. They seem to wrap around the stem instead of pinching it like other stems I’ve used.
Hincappie’s steerer tube was actually very light weight aluminum. Those can crack too after enough Roubaix abuse.

by Peter Fontecchio on Jun 2, 2008 6:29 AM EDT reply actions

Carbon broke?

Yeah, Hincapie was on an aluminum steerer. Aluminum snaps all the time. Just ask our friend Paul who snapped two Bianchi frames (and got brand new ones from the company for free) before he went carbon with a Look. So hearing about carbon bars snapping is not good news. Also hearing that my carbon forks might weaken with age is not nice news.

Can somebody offer any actually facts and figures on this news of carbon parts wearing out? Or is this all just speculation?

by Tiki on Jun 5, 2008 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Glad to hear that you are ok Kevin.

As I said after my dog encounter in Feb. Wear your helmet!!!

After that crash I replaced my Serotta F1 (out of production) with an Alpha Q CS carbon fork. Also replaced my bars and will replace the stem this fall.

"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race

by ELVISGOAT on Jun 2, 2008 10:11 AM EDT reply actions

Of couse

most importantly Kevin, is that you are ok. A downhill or finishing sprint crash could be quite scary.

by Peter Fontecchio on Jun 2, 2008 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

another nightmare during that race

The culprit behind the broken bars and another accident during the race was a set of rough train tracks at the base of a 30+ mph downhill.

My bars were probably on the ragged edge of failure for a while, but the shock and vibration over the tracks probably did them in. I crashed on the uphill after the tracks. I was lucky.

About one lap after my crash there was a far more serious wreck. One rider bunny hopped the tracks and his rear wheel locked up—it either slipped loose, or the chain somehow fouled it. He turned sideways at 30 mph, and the rider behind him (a buddy of mine) T-boned the bike. His Canondale broke at the junction of the head tube and the top and down tubes! Luckily he wasn’t seriously hurt. The bike is trashed, though.

by KevinK on Jun 3, 2008 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Ouch

Bar failure is one of those things that really scares the crap out of me. That and fork/steerer tube failure. A pal was riding next to me last August when he picked up a piece of 1x wood strapping. It came around and the force sheared off his forks at the base of the head tub. I saw him go down out of the corner of my eye. Fractured clavicle, of course.

BTW, Hincapie’s steerer tube was Aluminum, not Carbon. So, this is not just limited to Carbon. Aluminum has problems with repeated flexing.

by johnw on Jun 2, 2008 1:07 PM EDT reply actions

gack

fork failure would be worse.

When the bars failed, it was surprising, but I had a little time to react. I at least thought, “oh shit”, then just went limp and did my pavement surfing.

by KevinK on Jun 3, 2008 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions