2011-07-09 - Rider Down (me), Hampstead Road

Riding back from my girlfriend's, pulling off at the lights at Hampstead Road x Drummond street heading South, when crash, I'm suddenly scraping along the tarmac. Fucking handlebars had broken in half.

After picking myself up some friendly pedestrians pointed me in the direction of UCH, but thankfully I'd only sustained a bit of a graze.

Was rescued by my mum who gave me a much needed lift home. I now don't have a usable bike for next weekend's Dun Run, only other ride is a MTB that I can't make suitable. The bike that broke is less than a year old and purchased from a big name chain bike store. Any suggestions on how I should proceed with this?

Sorry to hear that glad you are ok. You wouldn't expect the bars to do that

Bugger. I hate it when that happens. Good that your ok.
Were you wearing clipless pedel shoes. Done that the otherday. Oww

Shit Tom, bad luck - at leastt its not another broken leg though.
Surely you can just get another set of bars no??
I have none spare at the moment but there are plenty about.
Heal up mate

Yeah I probably can just replace the bars, but TBH I've kinda lost confidence in a bike that's done that to me. Also if I take it in to the shop they're presumably going to send the whole bike back to the manafacturers which will have a more than one week turnaround.

shit tom, sorry to hear you had another accident! glad you're okay though.

If something you've purchased fails within 12 months you can take it back to the store and get it replaced or refunded, or they'll get you to get the manufacturer to replace it. Certainly, it should be guaranteed.

Whether or not you'll get a new bike in time for the Dun Run is a different matter.

It's pretty shocking that the handle bars should fail like that. Glad it wasn't more serious!

Exact same thing happened to me.

I'd just done 60 miles and the bars went snap as I pulled up outside my parents house.
Pretty lucky considering I had been haring down a dual carriage way only moments before...

maybe you should rename yourself tom a&e
sorry to hear about the crash by the way

that sort of breakage should never happen in a one year old bike, or even a five year old bike. Has the bike been in crash already? Who was the last person to tighten up the handlebar clamp? If the bike hasn't been crashed before or interfered with then the bike shop should replace the handle bars and fix any other damage, if they want to send the bars away to the manufacturers that is their problem. Their duty to you is to sell a bike that is fit for purpose, and replace the faulty one immediately.
What shop was it?
If they give you grief, let us know.

Charlie is spot on Tom, any retailer should sort this asap.

I really hope you make the Dun Run mate, I cant due to a stag do so hope you're there.

that's some serious upper body power, right there. shit luck man!

Ouch. Is that a Ridgeback solo? if so I may have the same bike. Maybe my bars and stem are due an upgrade.

Ouch. Is that a Ridgeback solo? if so I may have the same bike. Maybe my bars and stem are due an upgrade.

It is indeed.

Thanks for the advice chaps. Indications are that it will be fixed in time for the DD.

Dicki, the tom a&e joke has been made once or twice before. DJ was first I think after an incident filled afternoon's MTBing.

Went and picked it up last night, and whilst they have indeed replaced the bars and stem, I had various problems.

The bar tape, which had been the posh leather Brooks stuff, had been replaced with some naff foam stuff. It took a surprising amount of arguing to get them to agree to order some in. The replacement air horn hadn't turned up either.

Then we get on to the mechanical fuckups. The brake cable casing cap wasn't on. The front brakes had been adjusted with the QR lever off, so the front wheel wouldn't come out without undoing the cable. The front wheel wasn't in straight and was way overtightened. The chain tension was set too high. When I adjusted the handlebar position I discovered two of the bolts were barely finger tight; owenreed will be glad to hear I used my torque wrench to do them back up. The mudguards weren't on straight.

Time to start doing all my own maintenance I think.

Then we get on to the mechanical fuckups. The brake cable casing cap wasn't on. The front brakes had been adjusted with the QR lever off, so the front wheel wouldn't come out without undoing the cable. The front wheel wasn't in straight and was way overtightened. The chain tension was set too high. When I adjusted the handlebar position I discovered two of the bolts were barely finger tight; owenreed will be glad to hear I used my torque wrench to do them back up. The mudguards weren't on straight.

Time to start doing all my own maintenance I think.
Sounds like you aready are!

...

...Time to start doing all my own maintenance I think.

glad you'e well!
Speak to "Digger" who does maintenance courses at Bike Works.

Hope you sort it Tom, good luck if you start the DD

got to say that is the most naff looking torque wrench I've ever clapped eyes on, would not trust, purely based on its cheap looks.

Nice to hear you got some fresh bars sorted out, but the mechanical errors make me think the fresh monkey got given the task; I've never been able to fathom why people can't adjust brakes with QR levers properly, they are the simplest things in t3h world.

The latest addition to the "tom k&e's many crashes" thread

Slippery adverse camber corner that I take every day, lowsided. I usually take that corner really slowly, because I've had some hairy moments getting loose at the back around it before. I'm not sure if I was just going too fast today, or if it was just more slippery

My knee feels worse than my face. Helmet probably needs to be replaced, front wheel's slightly out of true.

Ouch. Heal up soon, Tom, and don't lean. :|

Hahah should've guessed I'd get "don't lean"

^^^I'm sorry, but your furtive grazed expression and wonky gegs really makes me giggle.

Heal up soon, fella!