crashed bike, replace or not replace?

07-15-2004, 02:17 PM

I crashed my beloved Ti bike (3/2) because some jerk in an ambulance
decided to freak me out with the siren as he passed me (no I guess he
couldn't have it on all the way down and only turned it on as he
passed me on a narrow bridge).

Anyway, I'm ok and the bike wasn't in bad shape. It was on hard
concrete and there's a tiny dent (~1mm in diameter, not that deep) in
the back triangle fork about have way down.

My carbon front fork also had a small scratch. Doesn't seem to be
dented that much and hardly noticable. I was able to sand both down
until I could hardly feel them. I know this now was a bad idea since
I'm just losing more material but seemed like a good idea at the time
and gives you an idea that it wasn't very deep at all.

I got some scrapes on the rear derailleur, shifters and crank but
nothing so hard that it needed replacement or even real readjustment.
Kind of an eye sore but manageable.

How concerned should I be about the frame or the fork breaking
suddenly while on a ride? I went for a 20mile ride and didn't notice
any problems. Should I see an eventual crack form if it does break or
will the whole thing explode and leave me in the hospital?

Just post your replies here for everyone's benefit. Thanks.