I had the unfortunate experience of having a car run a Red light at an intersection, which I T-boned. I got away with a very cutup lip/mouth and lots of bruises and aches. I was probably going about 15mph and the car I hit was doing about 25. Suprisingly my 8 year old Merlin XL (with aprox. 40K miles) looks to have survived better than me. The wheels are messed up, there are lots of scrapes and scratches to the components, but surprisingly the frame appears straight. My concern is that the structural integrity has been compromised and I really question about how safe this frame would be to ride. Any input on whether the frame should be scrapped would be appreciated.....thanks!

I had the unfortunate experience of having a car run a Red light at an intersection, which I T-boned. I got away with a very cutup lip/mouth and lots of bruises and aches. I was probably going about 15mph and the car I hit was doing about 25. Suprisingly my 8 year old Merlin XL (with aprox. 40K miles) looks to have survived better than me. The wheels are messed up, there are lots of scrapes and scratches to the components, but surprisingly the frame appears straight. My concern is that the structural integrity has been compromised and I really question about how safe this frame would be to ride. Any input on whether the frame should be scrapped would be appreciated.....thanks!
I lost my 6 month old (pre-litespeed) Merlin XL to a car/bike accident. Excel sports put it on an alignment table and it was tweaked beyond spec. Frame is probably safe if there are no cracks, but I'd get it checked out. Insurance should pick it up if it's damaged.

Very sorry to hear about your accident. Regarding your frame, if you do not see any damage it is most likely fine. Check the frame though for any cracks and have a shop check the alignment. If you are really not sure or the shop is not sure have them get an RA# from us and we'll have a look at it and check it out.
Hope this finds you well.
Herbert

Merlin

Glad to hear you're alive and kicking! Before you take a ride on the bike, check everything, especially if you've got carbon components.

Replace them if you've got the slightest doubt about structural integrity.

Replace them if you've got the slightest doubt about structural integrity.

Ask the idiot drivers insurance adjuster if their company would like to inspect and guarantee the integrity of the frame. That guarantee would include your future medical bills as well as anyone else you took down in the pack because they were too cheap to compensate you for damage caused by their driver. When you compare it to the damages they would be paying for a car they should be happy to write the check.