..if I should ride this frame again?

[ChrisF]

Following on from briansnail's comment in my thread about my sprained ankle (viewtopic.php?p=1810400#p1810400), I'm beginning to think I won't trust my frame / forks again on the road.

There's no visible damage on the (carbon) frame, (my lower leg took all the force ) but I don't want the forks to break when I next hit a pothole. I have no idea what trauma the bike went though; evidently a witness saw me bounce off the bonnet although I have no recollection of those few seconds.
The frame is about 10 years old. Should I claim for a new one on the driver's insurance? Problem is that all new frames seem to be set up for discs now, so I'd need a whole new bike.....

[ANTONISH]

Following on from briansnail's comment in my thread about my sprained ankle (viewtopic.php?p=1810400#p1810400), I'm beginning to think I won't trust my frame / forks again on the road.

There's no visible damage on the (carbon) frame, (my lower leg took all the force ) but I don't want the forks to break when I next hit a pothole. I have no idea what trauma the bike went though; evidently a witness saw me bounce off the bonnet although I have no recollection of those few seconds.
The frame is about 10 years old. Should I claim for a new one on the driver's insurance? Problem is that all new frames seem to be set up for discs now, so I'd need a whole new bike.....

I think you would need expert opinion probably backed by X-ray evidence to prove that your apparently undamaged bike is in fact not safe to ride.

[slowster]

I have no idea what trauma the bike went though; evidently a witness saw me bounce off the bonnet although I have no recollection of those few seconds.

I would not ride the bike again unless and until it had been properly inspected by a competent person. There are a number of companies in the UK offering an inpection service for carbon fibre frames and forks, usually in addition to a repair service. However, I am not convinced that the inspection service offered by many (most?) is adequate. They seem typically to use endoscopes to inspect the interior of a frame, but as I understand it that would not be reliably effective in detecting de-lamination within the layup. I think such inspections should be undertaken instead using ultrasonic testing (as well as other techniques). Raoul Luescher has published a large number of videos about carbon fibre bikes on YouTube, including this one on ultrasound inspections - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfiQYmtyccc.

Target Composites might be worth approaching - https://www.targetcomposites.co.uk/. I suspect the cost of a good inspection will be high, because presumably the whole frame and fork will need to be checked.

I think the issue of getting the frame inspected needs to be part of your claim aganst the motor insurer. In other words, I think that they MUST pay for the inspection. They cannot simply say that it is up to you to pay for it, and that only if it proves there is damage will they pay for the inspection and repairs.

Given the age of the bike, it might be that the insurer (and maybe you as well) would prefer to simply assume that the frame is written off, because getting it inspected would be expensive and it would make financial sense just to make you an offer based on that assumption.

This is a scenario which the solicitors used by BC and CUK for their members should be familiar with, and should be able to tell you what you should expect in terms of offers to repair, replace or make a cash settlement.

[rareposter]

The frame is about 10 years old. Should I claim for a new one on the driver's insurance? Problem is that all new frames seem to be set up for discs now, so I'd need a whole new bike.....

Unless it is very obviously only one broken part, most insurers simply deal with the most pain-free process which is to sort you out a whole new bike. The whole bike has been involved in a collision therefore the whole bike is potentially damaged / bent / broken and it's easier and cheaper to provide you with a new bike (or a payout for one) rather than start quibbling individual costs and "oh well X is fine, we'll just give you Y".

Most bike shops should just write the bike off as beyond economic repair / cannot be guaranteed structurally sound. It *shouldn't* require a full ultrasound although if the insurers want that then they should pay for it, it's not your responsibility to provide it.

And as you've noted, if you get a new frame, you'll then need a host of new parts anyway so immediately the cost and convenience is tipping towards "new bike".

If you're with British Cycling or Cycling UK, their lawyers know this kind of stuff very well. Most of the no-win, no-fee accident solicitors should also be aware of it, especially if they deal with cycle incidents routinely.

Best of luck and I hope your recovery progresses well too.
Keep notes on that - times you've had to get public transport / taxi instead of riding, time off work due to pain etc because it will all form part of your case. I'm not for a second suggesting lying or profiteering from it but it is a consequence of the driver's actions.

[tim-b]

The frame is about 10 years old. Should I claim for a new one on the driver's insurance?

Yes, if their insured caused it

Problem is that all new frames seem to be set up for discs now, so I'd need a whole new bike.....

That isn't your problem, unless you prefer rim brakes

[mattsccm]

I would give the whole thing a damn good shake then ride it on some grass to test it.
And if it survived ride it normally.
I would also try to screw the insurance company for every penny possible.

[Brucey]

re UT inspection of CF; delamination is not the only thing you need to worry about but it is the thing that is seen most easily using UT inspection. A good number of joint designs and layups used in bike frames would be regarded as 'uninspectable' if they appeared in airframes.

[ChrisF]

Thank you all for responses.

Target Composites might be worth approaching - https://www.targetcomposites.co.uk/. I suspect the cost of a good inspection will be high, because presumably the whole frame and fork will need to be checked.

I have now received a quote from Target: inspection only is £165 but including stripping, rebuild and shipping totals nearly £400. So I should be able to claim at least that.

This is a scenario which the solicitors used by BC and CUK for their members should be familiar with, and should be able to tell you what you should expect in terms of offers to repair, replace or make a cash settlement.

Yes, thanks, I am using the CyclingUK solicitors (Fletchers) for my claim.

[gxaustin]

I would definitely not trust the forks but a bike shop might be able to assess your frame or advise who can.
in a similar crash I used the CUK solicitors and they were excellent.