Bent forks?!

Discussion in 'The Workshop' started by insterno, May 13, 2014.

  1. insterno

    insterno New Member

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    So I was riding Lower San Juan today (ain't that sweet!) and I didn't see a rock with a vert face that was obscured by some overgrowth. I plowed into it at fairly low speed probably a little over 5 miles an hour and didn't roll over it. I rammed it so hard that my bike bounced backwards, and I went OTB onto the rock. Dumb.

    Anyhow, I don't know if I was just tired, or just seeing things but it looked like my hub which is normally obscured from view by the handlebars was now clearly visible behind the handlebars which suggests I may have bent my fork backwards. The bike felt twitchy and unstable, and I took it very easy going down the rest of the trail.

    The stanchions don't look obviously bent, I'm going to take the lowers off tomorrow to check them with a machinist's straight edge. The Steer tube checked out okay... Is it possible that the crown could have bent or would the stanchions bend before the crown? Is it even possible or likely to have bent a fork by riding into an object at such a moderate speed?

    Thanks for the help.
     
  2. evdog

    evdog Member

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    Wow hub now behind the handlebars eh? With the lowers and stanchions being different widths it is very possibly just an optical illusion they still look straight. I definitely wouldn't ride that fork anymore it definitely sounds bent. Not safe at all....
     
  3. emejay

    emejay most annoying avatar

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    Bent frame???
     
  4. bing!

    bing! Active Member

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    Get an iphone and use the compass app to measure the actual head angle vs the factory ha. That'll be a good start.

    More likely, that little mishap temporarily changed the way you sit on your bike. I've hit the opposite ramp on double jumps with my front wheel and went otb with no real damage on the bike. As for myself, that's a different story :)
     
  5. Rossage

    Rossage Active Member

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    Try riding it no hands-that will tell the tale....
     
  6. zman

    zman WTF ?

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    Thats what i was thinking
     
  7. insterno

    insterno New Member

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    Well, I pulled off the lowers, they look fine. Held up my machinist's strait edge against both stanchions they look straight too. Things are looking good, I'm going to put it back together tomorrow and take another look. It could be that it wasn't my bike that felt weird, but my wobbly legs after that big climb. Let's hope for that... Thanks for the ideas, they helped.
     

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