Let us observe a moment of silence...



OK, I was driving in this morning with my Ridley Crosswind and my Fuji Cross bikes on the car. It was very, very windy this morning and I did not strap my Ridley down super-tight, just normal tight. Or in this case, normal tight, but not tight enough. On route 340 (or, "The 340" for my CA friends) I was hit by a good gust when something caught my eye in the rearview mirrow and, lo, it is my Ridley; doing cartwheels down the road. Fortunately, I was coming in late because I had to have my car's emissions tested and traffic was light. Amazingly, no one ran it over.

I picked it up and it seemed fine. The wheels turned, it shifted OK. Bar tape was ripped in one section and the seat was scuffed. I put it back on the car TIGHT and drove into work. In walking it into the building I noticed that the rear wheel was toast. Bent, but not quite hitting the brakes. In my office, Matt (aka Robokyaker) noticed that the top tube was dented bad on both sides from my handlebars whipping back and forth. Stick a fork in the frame: it is done. Rear wheel is done. The rest of the components seem fine. Not even scratched. Looks like the seat and bars took most of it. I will probably replace the bars because they obviously underwent some forces outside of the design spec.

The nice thing about working in an aerospace company is the place is crawing with structural engineers, all of them pronouncing the frame "done" and the fork "questionable". We send lots of carbon fiber spacecraft/rocket bits out for analysis, perhaps I should slip the fork into an order and see if anyone notices. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to have one of our designers "accidentally" make me some replicas of my Paul's brakes out of titanium.

So I guess you'll see me racing a different bike next year. And maybe a different rack on the car.

Thor

The nice thing about working in an aerospace company is the place is crawing with structural engineers, all of them pronouncing the frame "done" and the fork "questionable".

So I guess you'll see me racing a different bike next year. And maybe a different rack on the car.

Wow, really sorry to read that. At least w/ the engineer's advice, you have the closure that you're not throwing away something that could be repaired.

That is why, my friend, I rarely, if ever, put the bike on a rack. Toss it into the Subie. (Also, visions of the previously mentioned Ksyrium episode still haunt me). Well, on the bright side, you should be able to get a killer deal now in the off-season.:thumbsup:

Very sorry to hear about your loss. :( That would definitely suck to happen although it had to be interesting to witness to some extent. :eek:

Maybe you can score a killer deal on a new one now.

Yes, it was interesting watching it doing the solo concrete samba from 75 to 0. Briefly I thought "Please be my old Fuji". Nyet.

It sucks, but I am happy for the following:
- no one ran it over so I don't have to shell out for damage to someone's car
- the drivetrain/brifters were not damaged. I can salvage most of the parts
- it did not cause an accident. It is only a bike.
- I've got the capital to buy a new frame without denying my kids food/clothing. It stinks, but I'll live.

Thor

One other thing to be happy about:
-you have a good outlook on life!

Just curious, what kind of tray was it in? I spend a lot of time wondering if my trays would actually hold my bike on the car when I'm driving 75mph into a 40mph gust.

Colin - I have a Sarris 4 bike hitch rack. I had the Fuji closest to the car and the Ridley on the end. They were oriented such that the handlebars were touching and I had a velcro strap wrapped around the brifters to keep the front wheels straight. I have a Honda Prelude so I am not punching a very big hole in the air. I guess if a bike on the rack gets a little out of line, it gets out of the draft of the car and "thar she blows!".

It was a strong side gust that got it. Winds were gusting over 40mph yesterday in MD.

Now I have an anecdotal reason for not wanting to use my rack.

Edit- sorry, question was asked.

years ago heading back from a Mt bike ride girlfriends Hardrock flew off the roof rack.we didnt even stop just headed to bike shop (after a burrito) when back in town and got a new one. Now if it would have been my bike.......

i always lock my fork when i'm going any sort of distance or on the highway. i had a commuter bike with big platform pedals rattle its way loose on my fork mounted roof rack once when it was windy. it swung backwards and smacked my roof leaving nice dents and scrapes on the car but not falling off because the rear wheel was ratcheted down. luckily it did not shatter the rear windshield but my car is wounded and still holds a grudge for the mistreatment.

Yes, it was interesting watching it doing the solo concrete samba from 75 to 0. Briefly I thought "Please be my old Fuji". Nyet.

It sucks, but I am happy for the following:
- no one ran it over so I don't have to shell out for damage to someone's car
- the drivetrain/brifters were not damaged. I can salvage most of the parts
- it did not cause an accident. It is only a bike.
- I've got the capital to buy a new frame without denying my kids food/clothing. It stinks, but I'll live.

Thor

Shame it wasn't the Fuji, and you're right, the good thing is no accident resulted from the bike launch. You're due for some good juju for that alone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/merckx56/usa-miller-olde-english-800.jpg

Pour one out for a homie...

sorry about your bike.
Curious why you would want a Ti version of the Paul brakes. Aluminum works just fine and is lighter than the same thing in Titanium.

Sorry about the loss, it sucks

But on the upside... there's always one more day for the RS2 Group Buy! Considering your gruppo still works, time to resurrect!!!

At least it wasn't too graphic at the scene...if you had to put up with compound fractured seat tube or an amputated rear triangle it would have been a little more traumatic.

I used to always worry about my bikes coming off of the rack (a full standup Thule setup) but I don't any more; some a$$ stole the bike racks off of the roof bars so it's no longer an issue. The Kona rides nice and safe inside my Golf with me now! :mad:

Bummer! Sorry to hear it. I had a mountain bike come part-way off, last year - rear wheel wasn't strapped down. Rear was facing forward on the roof rack (in the wind) and it lifted off the rack, did a 90-degree "handstand" then flipped down the side of the truck. Luckily the "lawyer lips" on the fork kept it attached. Crank was bent.

I had six bikes on the roof rack and rear rack and this one's (mine) attachment was overlooked.

I hope you get a really nice fork and frame to replace it. I'm sure we can all recommend ten or twenty.

Morgan

I worked at a hotel in Whistler for a few years and every summer - without fail - a few guys would drive into the underground parking with $20k worth of downhill rigs strapped to the roof of the Escalade; never pretty.

If they're driving Escalades they deserve it:p

I know if I ever got a roof rack I would kill the bike, wreck the rack, damge my car and house.

While picking up my 'Lude at the dealer tonight I went and looked at a few Elements. The guy was trying to talk about all the great features and I said, "Yeah, nice. Say, can I stick my bike in one of these?". He looked puzzled and said "I guess so". So I grabbed my commuter bike and stuck it in. Fits nice. I didn't even have to remove the front wheel.

Maybe I'll just be drivin' my new bike rack to the races next year.

Thank you all for your condolences. I plan on outfitting the frame with an old 105 rear der, an old barcon shifter, a leftover Ultegra crank and turn it into my dedicated basement trainer bike. If the frame cracks, I'll just fall over.

Thor

Hey now you have a good exscuse to get a new bike

Contact your insurance rep.

A guy I used to work for (bike shop owner) lost a bike this way, his insurance rep wrote him a check for $5400 (He is/was a custom framebuilder) no questions asked.

In 02 we rolled an SUV down a mtn side and my buds car insurance paid up full retail on both bikes AND let us keep the bikes. Still ride that bike currently.

That day sucked.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d161/hipower90hipower/tsalitruck2.jpg

Where it stopped hanging on some trees.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d161/hipower90hipower/tsalitruck.jpg

Really. Worse that could happen is he'd say "no". Or laugh. In either case, you'd be where you are now, atmo.....

Bikes inside for safty.
I can get two bikes, four wheels in wheelbags,
gear for two for a weekend trip and a co-pilot
all nestled in the rear of my two door vw.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5754/img5973gh0.jpg

bikes worth more than car on top of said car equates poor risk management, imo.
sorry to hear about your accident/loss.

Bikes inside for safty.

It's a nice idea, good for people who don't bring their family to races.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/d/263663-2/IMG_6586.JPG (http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/lauren/cccx2_2007/IMG_6586.JPG.html)

All four of us raced that day.

Morgan

When I finally replace the 'Lude it will be with a vehicle I can throw the bikes in, but that day is probably a few years away. I'd replace it now, but I can't swallow the thought of dropping 20k to replace a perfectly good car. The car predates my 'return' to cycling.

When we go to the races as a family we take the van. Even then, the bikes go on the rack because, with three kids, we need the third row.

I did contact my insurance company and they said the bike is covered under my homeowners insurance. So, after sending Allstate checks for 15 years, I will be getting one from them.

Thor

All four of us raced that day.


Wish I had ps to place some unwieldy kids on the roof.
Kids are less expensive to replace than pro bikes....; )
I have giving some thought to a trailer also,
have a mini pro shop in tow. I have been disillusioned by an
incident regarding a seized wheel bearing and being forced to
abandon ship on the highway.

I did contact my insurance company and they said the bike is covered under my homeowners insurance. So, after sending Allstate checks for 15 years, I will be getting one from them.

Excellent!

All,
Update - Allstate has paid for the bike in full minus some minor depreciation.

It was a battle though, they initially denied my claim saying I could not prove it. I sent them piles of data from local weather stations showing gusts of up to 58 mph just two miles from where the bike came off.

Lesson - well, strap your bike on tight. But other than that, if you file a claim, make sure you can back it up. They used the classic tactic on me of first: deny claim, second: never return my phone calls. I used my local agent to hound the adjustor as well.

End of the day: a check. Good thing too, I already have started amassing parts and my new Redline Conquest Team frame is having its fork installed.

Thor

You know what they say....worthless without pictures:) (BTW-I am foregoing the 2nd set of hoops, fwiw,etc etc and like that)

I drive an old VW bus, and we looaded up two racks one on the front and one on the back, the front had three mtb, we were following this guy up this washed out road to the trail head when we nose dived, smashing the first two bikes pretty bad along with my bus!