An unexpected end to my ride today

[Lotus]

Went for an easy 70km ride through the Cradle via Muldersdrift today. Right at the Protech truck yard, on the incline going up to the stop street, I stood to keep my momentum going at about 30km/h, when suddenly something felt very wrong. As I hit the road I thought the fork had snapped, but then it got a bit painful so I decided to just lie still and stop thinking about that for a while, before I lifted the bike off me.

 

I called my wife (she hates these calls from the bike phone) to come and pick me up. Lots of roasties and a badly cut elbow, but nothing that Tegaderm can't handle. My main concern, after the bike, was keeping the interior of the car clean!

 

The cause of the crash - the aluminium handlebar had snapped clean off next to the stem clamp, without warning. I suspect the clamp may have been at fault, as one of the screws wasn't quite tight. I've always been wary of carbon handlebars which (it is claimed) can snap without warning. It seems aluminium can do the same.

 

Thanks to all the roadies and MTBers who stopped and offered assistance. You folks were all very considerate, and I thank you. There was even a guy in a black Merc 4X4 who stopped (and I'm pretty sure it was Raymond Hack, formerly of SAFA. As he drove off I noticed a MTB on the back of the car. Good on you Raymond, I hope your break from football will give you more time for riding.).

 

Now, what kind of handlebar to replace this with, carbon or aluminium again? I wonder if I need a new stem....

 

 

[EigerSA]

You got too put up a picture of the handlebar! Glad you not too badly injured!

[Milleskie]

Hectic! Good News you are not badly hurt!! My Ally handlebar snapped at the same spot about 5cm from stem... First time bike shop heard of it... they replaced it it though, but, i was rather happy it happened on a turn at about 2km/h!!!!

 

Good Luck mate!!!

 

[Mudsimus]

Happend to me as well. Thats probably the weirdest feeling.

[Guest Big H]

Raymond Hack will be doing the 2010 Cape Epic for the first time this year. His partner will be Tanya van der Merwe.

Does anybody know where Raymond grew up? A Hack faimly staed close to us in Menlo Park. 

[gummibear]

Show us a pic of the roasties and the bars.

[Lotus]

 

 

 

 

Roasties - nah, I bet you guys have much better ones in your collections! Besides, once it's under Tegaderm there's not much to see (until the plasma builds up - bwahaha).

 

Here's a pics of the bars

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1059_2.jpg

 

Mud Dee - you're right. You know there's something wrong as you see the road change it's angle towards you (and your one hand can now touch the front skewer quite easily), but for a moment it doesn't make sense.

 

Big H - that figures. He had a really good looking bike hanging off the back there (I must have been a bit dopey though, because I can't tell you what kind it was!).

 

 

Lotus2010-01-10 07:22:26

[Capricorn]

Lotus: can you give another angle of that break, so from the front or the top, and a close up/macro shot of the the break itself. I'm into failure analysis, so humor me if you able to

[Johan Bornman]

That bar didn't brak from any fault at the clamp. It seems to have broken a few mills from the clamp. But, the picture doesn't show it clearly. Another pic, as requested will be nice.

 

I vouch for a stress riser of some sort - a scratch or nic. It is in fact very common on aluminium bars, especially where the bar tape is trimmed off by knife. This doesn't seem to be the case on your bars, but a riser of sorts nevertheless.

 

Aluminium also fails through fatigue but then it gives you ample warning when it starts to sag towards the bottom.

 

 

[Lotus]

 

Show us a pic of the roasties and the bars.

 

Okay' date=' here's an interesting one. You've all had a chain-ring tattoo by now, but how about a chainring snakebite?

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1069v2.jpg

I'm still trying to figure out how that one got there.

 

Lotus: can you give another angle of that break, so

from the front or the top, and a close up/macro shot of the the break

itself. I'm into failure analysis, so humor me if you able to

 

 

Sure - hope these help.

Below the stem, from the side

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1064v2.jpg

 

Behind and slightly above the stem, looking forward

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1067v2.jpg

 

Straight ahead

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1066v2.jpg

 

The broken off bar

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/grahamr_photo/F430/IMG_1065v2.jpg

 

 

[mikkelz]

Wow!  That must've been a really nasty experience!

[Capricorn]

 

 

Thanks for those excellent photos!

 

How long have you had that bar for? and how long since it was installed did it break? The rust on the inside of your stem bolts suggests it's been a while since that bar has been removed.

Capricorn2010-01-10 09:46:10

[Johan Bornman]

Here's the problem I think.

 

 

The circled area shows what I think could be a scratch, it is the grey area between the black anodising and while aluminium.

 

Have a look and see if it is indeed a scratch?

 

[Capricorn]

yep, i was just looking at that scoring mark as well JB. The first pic after the leg chain snake bite pic, looks like rubbing. I wonder if the stem doesnt have some sort of ridge there that's scoring the bars.

[Cassie]

Farking hell....you guys are observant!!! All I saw was a broken handle bar!!! May that never happen to me...

[idrive]

Another potentially nasty injury awaits those who engrave a nice mark around their seatpost .........