A funny thing happened on the way home tonight!

[goneriding]

So there I was riding along not far from home and as I turn a corner I get a funny feeling through the handlebars. It felt like the wheel was grabbing and the steering started to feel a bit wonky. "Most strange!" thinks I. Off the bike I get and spin the front wheel and the back wheels checking for alignment, flatness etc. Nothing interesting here.

On I hop again and take a couple of pedals twisting the handlebars back and forth. Same grabbing feeling.

Off I hop again. twist the handlebars back and forth a few times. Nothing interesting. Wheel the bike down the road leaning on the handlebars twisting them back and forth. Same grabbing. "Perhaps something is stuck" thinks I. Apparently not is the feedback I get from the bike as I bounce the front wheel a couple of times. What does happen is that the front wheel and the forks drop out of the headset and I was left with a pair of handlebars in my hands!

Basically, the steering tube has sheared through and I am up for a new set of forks.

Lucky for me one more right turn and another left and I would have been on a very fast downhill (60+ kph). Could have been a bad one!

That's 2 wheels and one set of forks in 12 months. Methinks this is getting to TLL territory!

On the upside I get to buy a new set of forks!

[xavdav]

Carbon fork? carbon/aluminium fork/steerer? steel fork? If threadless, did it snap near the stem or near the fork?

[Nobody]

I'm just here to tag this interesting thread with an e-mail notification to see what the steerer was made of.
At a guess I'm going to say it was aluminium alloy. I don't think there are many carbon steerers anymore, are there?

[goneriding]

Carbon forks, alloy steerer. The shear was at the bottom near the forks.

Before anyone gets to it. Here are the pics (apologies for the poor quality - camera phone!) as proof it did happen.

This is a shot looking down towards the forks. You can see the shear is almost at the top of the forks.



This one is of the steerer end.




An interesting question is whether this part is considered part of the frame or not. Going for the warranty angle on this one although I am guessing not!

[Mulger bill]

I bet that walk home felt like the best excercise you've done in a long while.

So glad all yer copped was a fright, good luck with the fix.

D'yer mind if I ask what brand/model?

Shaun

Methinks I'll pull Deni's fork tomorrow...

[rustguard]

I'm just here to tag this interesting thread with an e-mail notification to see what the steerer was made of.
At a guess I'm going to say it was aluminium alloy. I don't think there are many carbon steerers anymore, are there?

I thought more steerers were now carbon than before, my old carbon forks were composite new ones are carbon. I havnt been checking out muchh new stuff though.
I am interested in what brand it is too

[toolonglegs]

Lucky man!...that would have been a big ouch ...I would be enquiring about warranty...can't hurt.

[goneriding]

The poor old beastie is a 2007 Cell Blade. It is the model that had the CF forks. I've been using it as a commuter and the occasional weekend ride and I've ridden about 15,000 km on it. It was a very sad sight this morning seeing it sitting in three pieces held together only by cables.

Up until last night I've been more than happy with it.

I'll be giving the gents at Cell a call this morning to see what they have to say and report back. Their website says 5 years warranty on the frame and 1 year on all the other bits. I've generally found them to be pretty good.

[m@]

First thought on reading the thread title was maybe you were this bloke

Second spontaneous failure of a Cell bike mentioned on this forum today... not good. I'd say you have a very strong case regardless of what they say - see Christopher's advice in the other thread. Even if it were outside the five-year frame warranty period, a reasonable person would not expect a bike to spontaneously break!

Glad you didn't come a cropper!

[goneriding]

Just got off the phone to Cell. It appears that it may well be covered under warranty (fingers crossed). Otherwise they seem keen to "do the right thing" ASAP.

Phew! I thought I might have more than two days off the bike! Is there a methodone treatment for bikes?

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Just got off the phone to Cell. It appears that it may well be covered under warranty (fingers crossed). Otherwise they seem keen to "do the right thing" ASAP.

Phew! I thought I might have more than two days off the bike! Is there a methodone treatment for bikes?

Get more bikes.

[goneriding]

Problem solved!

I took the beastie (all 3 parts of it) into the shop this morning and showed it to the Boss. Apparently, not covered by warranty but replaced on the spot!

No ifs, no buts. AKA Customer Service. Further this is the level of service I've always got from these guys.

Can't complain about that!

[toolonglegs]

Yes..and you can bet they are going thank god it didn't happen while he was riding it...then we might have a recall on our hands!.

[goneriding]

Cynic!

I'm looking on the bright side!

[Nobody]

Cynic!

I'm looking on the bright side!

What's the bright side? Is it that you didn't die the last time, or that you have another 15,000Km (2 years) before you have to worry about it again?

[Pushy]

Cynic!

I'm looking on the bright side!

What's the bright side? Is it that you didn't die the last time, or that you have another 15,000Km (2 years) before you have to worry about it again?

The pessimist in me say the new one may not last as long