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Today I crashed. I had to slam the brakes hard downhill as to avoid a worse crash. Split second decision, it's the way I explain it. As a consequence I went over the handlebars. Landed not too poorly, my body will be over it in a few days. I am now trying to assess how is the bike. The front hit the ground which was rough pavements with some stones sticking out. I have spotted:

  • two (new) dents on one side of the brake track of my front wheel,
  • superficial scratch on the hook of my carbon fork. I did the coin tap test and it sounded the same as the other side.

Beyond that, the front wheel needs truing, its spokes show no damage, and the stem needs a new alignment.

Here are some additional pictures to make your own judgment: https://i.sstatic.net/Lzp20.jpg

I had to cycle 30km home after the crash and the bike felt trustworthy. I made it slow and sage as I could see the wobbliness from the out of true wheel. But I prefer to err on the cautious side. Should I not descend on this fork? Should I take the bike to a workshop of an advised inspect?

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    Does this answer your question? What do I do when I am unsure if a carbon fiber component is safe to use or needs replacing or repairing?
    – mattnz
    Commented May 31, 2021 at 21:58
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    I believe that by “hook”, you mean the dropout - the u-shaped formation that you put the wheel’s axle into.
    – Weiwen Ng
    Commented May 31, 2021 at 23:32
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    Just based off the pictures, the fork is perfectly good. That area sees virtually zero stress. Heck, on metal forks, some people even file off those little protrusions to make wheel changes faster.
    – MaplePanda
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 7:29
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    Oh, so with gravel on the ground it was probably just “normal” loss of traction? Maybe caused by locking up the (front) wheel (in which case shifting weight to the rear would actually be bad). Are your tyres Vittoria Zaffiro Pro? They are not too bad as far as I’m aware. Lower pressure helps a bit with gravel or rough ground and doesn’t increase rolling resistance too much (if at all).
    – Michael
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 11:45
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    @Learningisamess No, the tabs are not necessary if your QR is secured properly. They will help in the event that it isn't though.
    – MaplePanda
    Commented Jun 3, 2021 at 2:19

2 Answers 2

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I can't see the marks on the fork to which you are referring. They may not show up well in photos.

The rim brake track appears to have some road-rash damage. I would remove the tyre/tube, and gently stone or file the rim to remove high spots without removing any more metal than absolutely necessary. Then true the wheel before reinstalling.

This may wear out your brake pad on this side slightly faster, but its mostly above where the brake pad would touch. I would still ride that wheel.

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    I will look into the wheel after removing the tyre+tube. The dent has a rough edge, and it does look like it could use a filling. I only have sandpaper at disposal for this job atm though.
    – Learning is a mess
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 9:41
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    @Learningisamess sandpaper probably won't be accurate enough - it will tend to take metal off around the high spots too. Consider buying a small set of cheap needle files to add to your tool kit. Sharpening stones would be overkill unless you already had some.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 11:36
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The wheel may well be ok and is not too expensive to replace in any case.

The fork could be ok, but it's asking alot of this format to get a good answer. if the steerer tube is carbon, i would be cautious and consider replacement. If the steerer tube is alu, i would carefully check for cracks in the paint finish at stress points in the fork blades but may never feel so comfortable using it as before. A very bad crash can also damage the head tube of the frame, so check that too.

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  • I cannot find the information on the fork, is it full carbon or hybrid. The bike was sold in 2015 for £800, could that give a hint? I have never removed the fork for service, might be about time.
    – Learning is a mess
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 9:40
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    If you remove the stem, hopefully it will be obvious whether it is carbon or alu. That should be straightforward!
    – Noise
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 16:39
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    Had a look today. The fork is full carbon and there are no signs of any cracks. I ended up doing a service of the head tube, cleanup and re-grease. I also removed the tyre and tube for an inside inspect of the wheel. I do not have pictures to share but the dents are really superficial. There is a lot of material on the wheel rim, almost all of it, so I will keep this one. Only thing left to do is truing, I am postponing for a day with more free time. Cheers!
    – Learning is a mess
    Commented Jun 2, 2021 at 21:38

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