Credit Where Credit Is Due

This video has just started making the rounds. Impressive trials riding on a carbon road bike. While I'm impressed the bike survives all the abuse, I don't recommend it unless somebody else is paying for your bikes.

Origin 8

From Chuck:

[Here is] a picture of my broken Origin 8 frame. It broke during this year's Lake Sunapee road race in NH. There was a huge crash in the Cat 4 race and I was in the middle of it. My friend, who was right next to me, ended up with 8 broken ribs! I was fine as I just landed on somebody else but my bike didn't do so well.

It sucks to break a bike, but breaking the body always sucks more.

JRA: Broken Raleigh Frame

A scary story from Brian:

I recently had an accident on my Raleigh in which my carbon frame broke, which caused my crash. I was going about 30mph down a hill and there was a sharp transition going uphill at the bottom. As soon as I started braking at the uphill my frame snapped and I went flying into the woods. I was fortunate I didn't hit the concrete, but still came out with several head injuries. There were no stress cracks, no dents, nothing wrong with the frame as I had just had it fully serviced and picked it up three hours prior to the accident.

These are the type of failures that made me start this blog. You can't tell me steel, aluminum or titanium fails like this.

Waller Cup Bohermeen

Huge crash at the Waller Cup Bohermeen, check out Irish Cycling for more photos.

More Shipping Problems

This time it happened to Rick:

Specialized broken in shipping.. whatever happened, the box wasn't even damaged

The result of a 50+ km/h crash

From the Australian Cycling Forums, Joel sent me this photo. I'm not sure how the rider is OK when I keep hurting myself in 5km/h crashes.

Look 486

From Bryan:

A mini van made an illegal left turn directly in front of me, I was going 26mph when I hit the windshield with my head.

Yikes!

Non Catastrophic Failure

Sometimes carbon frames fail in less dramatic ways. Robert sent me this photo of his 2006 Time Edge First. The frame developed a small crack between the headtube and the downtube. Time had a new frame to him six days later.

Caloso and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Check out this thread on bikeforums for more photos and the story of how Caloso broke his bike in half.

Trashed Cervelo

Tim sent me this trashed Cervelo. I'm not sure where the front of the bike went, into the trash bin perhaps.

Twice Busted Madone

Mark send me these photos of his Trek Madone. First the seat tube cracked and was repaired. Then 10,000 miles later Mark hit a pothole at 30mph and it broke again. The 2nd time Trek gave him a new frame.

Giant TCR

This one is from Carol. "This is what carbon looks like after hitting the side of a car." No other details.

Bicyclist hit by vehicle

Here's a story from The OC Register that Nhat alerted me too. A Jeep Cherokee hit a cyclist and the cyclist only has moderate injuries while the driver is in critical condition. That's an odd reversal of roles. Hopefully they both recover.

No Carbon Wednesday: Stump > Steel

Reid sent me these photos of his steel cross bike.

This just doesn't seem right, but I did indeed have to pay to have the downtube replaced.

How bizarre is that?

Mountain Bike vs Truck

Here is a crazy story from Jeremy. I have no idea how he is still alive. I've suffered some pretty serious accidents, and even I can't imagine how much this hurt.

This happend a long time ago. In may of 94 or 95 I was trying to hit 60 mph. I had hit 59 but couldnt break the 60 barrier so I got road tires and a bigger front chain ring. I was young and dumb and tried it at night with no lights. A truck made a left in front of me this is the aftermath. It took a year and seven surgeries (two bone graphs) to get me back on my feet. Obviously this is no fault of the carbon, but 15 yrs later I still have visible shards in my leg to remember my first mountain bike. Now 15 yrs later I am still a bicycle messenger, and I love it.

Army Spring Classic 2009

Thanks to Tony for some pictures of the carnage at the Army Spring Classic.

Descending the Guaramiranga

Leandro from Brazil sent me these photos of his friends bike. He crashed descending the Guaramiranga for the first time. Luckily he only received minor scuffs. His "Pinarello Style" bike however did not survive.

Treck 5500 vs Parking Meter

Another great photo from Rick from the 2000 Snake Alley Criterium in Burlington, Iowa. Unfortunately the rider was seriously hurt and required hospitalization.

Special thanks to Rick for scanning the photos and sending them to me. Great to have some pictures from before the era of the digital camera.

Calfee vs Garage

Once again the garage wins. Thanks to Rick for another photo, this one is from the 1999 Quad Cities Criteirum in Rock Island, Illinois. Calfee repaired the bike, I wonder what that cost in 1999.

Giant TCR 2 Composite

Jay sent me this photo of his bike.

This happened when a Volkswagon Jetta suddenly appeared in front of me on my 2004 Giant TCR 2 Composite. I was going about 15mph when it pulled out from a driveway into the bike lane. There were bushes blocking the driveway, so I had zero time (five feet) to hit the brakes. I struck the front fender straight on at 90 degrees and CRUNCH the bike snapped in three places, one on the top tube, two on the bottom. I spidered the windshield, rolled off the hood and walked away unharmed.

Amazingly lucky to walk away.