I'm going to die, but will it be tonight? carbon fork stupidity

I’ve cracked the carbon steerer on the forks on my track bike by stupidly over tightening the bung. Crack is about 10mm long from the top. Cutting them down is not an option as the stem is already slammed.

Rode in this morning, but what are the chances of them snapping on the way home tonight and me riding through London traffic with a set of bars separated from my forks?

new forks will be ordered this afternoon.

I say crack on and ride the thing 😉

This is not advice, just a statement of what I would do – you’re entirely at blame if you do similar and die horribly as a result…

I’d ride it. If I was feeling particularly paranoid, I’d stop half way and check that the crack hadn’t got any worse. I’d ride very gently though.

Personally? Not a chance, esp not on busy roads. You could be pulling away from some lights next thing you’re falling over to your right under the wheels of a borismaster.

You can get it fixed.. A stepped insert bonded into the steerer works fine. Contact Mike burrows.. Burrows engineering

Personally I’d ride it home very very very carefully.

How much are new teeth? Surely it’s cheaper and safer to go out and buy a new bike right now.

Why commute on a track bike with no brakes?

Why commute on a track bike with no brakes?

It has brakes (a brake). If I wanted to ride it without brakes I would whack the other track forks on, unfortunately they are not drilled for a brake so they only get used on the velodrome.

I can’t advise anyone to ride a bike that is cracked, but I’d get some epoxy 2-pack from Maplin or similar, and liberally coat the inside of the steerer tube before pressing the plug back in. It won’t ever come out again, but should hold the steerer together to get you home, or even further along…

New forks ordered!

For now I’ve wedged the bung at the same level as the stem and clamped it all up tight and will ride home slowly while putting as little pressure on the bars as possible.

I’ll update with photos of my injuries later.

My creaking stem over a few weeks turned into a very weird feeling that the bike was fighting me when I applied the front brake. Got home and took the stem off. Looked OK. Then I took the spacers off and there was a horizontal crack across the front of the carbon steerer just where the bottom of the stem was resting. I could bend it with my fingers and it was just like a mouth opening and closing! 😯

Moral: Don’t ignore the creaks!

Got a new fork with an aluminium steerer for the bike now.

Good job because we all know that aluminium steerers never break 😆

So, OP, did you die?

So, OP, did you die?

This is one of those ‘are you awake?’ questions that only has one possible answer, isn’t it 🙂

You’re a smart cookie, wwaswas, and no mistake 😉

I’ve only had 2 pints of tea so far today and no coffee, too.

I’m on fire! (and sloshing a bit when I walk).

I’M ALIVE!

Even got a PR along The Avenue at Clapham Common, but that had more to do with the lights and traffic being kind to me than my massive leg power and lack of respect for my teeth.

See, how boring was that?! You’ll probably die from carbon fibre barbs making their way to your heart though…

The thought of getting the train to work means I cycled in again today, so there’s still time.

potential death > sweaty train

Oh, Russian Roulette via the medium of carbon!

PLACE BETS NOW!

I had an old purple Ringle front hub on my commuter around 2000 and the flange sheared around the left side that held about a quarter of the spokes. I was on a busy roundabout with 4 lanes of traffic, all cranked over dicing with the traffic and then just veered hard to the left, somehow avoiding cars and stopped at the kerb. No idea how I didn’t die but I’ve really enjoyed the last 15 bonus years!

Watching the ITV4 city centre cycling the other week and it looked like one of the riders crashed when his steerer parted company with the folk – was he on your bike? 😉

Hincapie and his reliable aluminium steerer

I also have a similar “will I die?” dilemma that’s probably not worth starting a new thread for. Noticed this on my tyre today, looks the same after todays 30 miles but not sure if I should keep risking it this week? Not entirely sure how or when it happened, probably has something to do with the fact I never use my front brake as its a bit seized and needs to be manually pulled away from the rim..

Now I have THE FEAR!

I have an old road bike out the back of the office. It’s been out there all winter. I might see if I can resurrect it this evening.

New forks are on their way thankfully.

I survived the week of danger commuting. New forks arrived today and have been fitted. No ham fisted breakages this time.

Gratuitous new bike bits photo.

I wouldn’t have ridden it, but then I’m not a fixie riding hipster ponce and I have a proper bike 🙂

Liking your library there.

1. Cultish literary fiction: Pynchon, DBC Pierre, Salinger.
2. Sensation exhibition catalogue.
3. Popular liberal non-fiction: God Delusion, No Logo.
4. Design & architecture books. Pre-2008 crash property p0rn.
5. That collection with the coloured picture spines. TSP edition? Help me out.
6. Inadequate vinyl collection.
7. Passing interests in art & design.
8. Leni Riefenstahl? OK…

I call 30-something liberal arts graduate, now working outside their field of study?

I’ll have you know I’m a track bike riding hipster ponce.

I call 30-something liberal arts graduate, now working outside their field of study?

Almost bang on. 39, Furniture design graduate but working in architecture which is just big chairs. So I’m claiming that as at least a similar field.

The collection with the coloured spines (by the rear wheel?) is some of the river cottage handbooks.

I have a track bike. It’s for the track 🙂

I see you have a grey carpet.

Hmm, your fathers name was Wolfgang and he was a swift spittle nest collector, you used to have a wart on your dingle dangle however it was removed by a slovakian altar boy with a glass eye. Your favourite colour is aubergine because it reminds you of a bruise you once inflicted on the thigh of Ted Rogers and you only ever listen to taylor swift in a lift, if you get my drift?

Close?

Mine is normally for the track (herne hill is just over there. points to the west) but needs must when you’ve leant your road bike to your nephew to train with while he’s here on holiday.

Ok I’ll accept that excuse. It has brakes though.

It has brakes though.

I’m not going to ride 30km a day through London without a brake. That would be more dangerous than the exploding forks. I have another set of bars for the track.