Hit by a car!

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last night I had the good luck to walk away from being rear-ended by a
car on St. Georges Rd. in Thornbury. My bike was not so lucky but I
think it's fixable with a bit of brazing.

Picture this...

-----| |-----------| |
| raised | | St. G's |
CarA | bike | Me Taxi | road |
| path | | |
-----| |-----------| |

For those not familiar with the area St. Georges road is split lane road
with
a share pathway, tram tracks and large green areas between the lanes.
The bike path is raised like an elongated speed-bump, and the road I'm on
is a small crossing road which connect the opposite side.

We're all stopped for almost a minute waiting for a break in the traffic
to enter the main strip. Off we go, the lady in CarA loses control of
the car at the raised bike path hits me from behind, I get thrown to the
left away from the impact and she goes on to rear end the taxi!

Fortunately neither myself or the bike ended up getting crushed between
the vehicles. And the driver has accepted the accident as her fault and
will be make recompense.

So my main question with the repair is what to use to braze a nickel
plated frame? I'm guessing 95% silver brazing rod should stick but if
anyone here has experience I'd love to hear an opinion.

Photo's for the curious

http://www.humanpowered.com.au/tiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=5

Joel "reaping the benefits of good karma" Mayes

Unless there's good reason otherwise, I'd say the best method of repair
would be to buy a new frame. You've found the obvious damage so far, how
about the hairline cracks that aren't big enough yet to make themselves
known?

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last night I had the good luck to walk away from being rear-ended by a
car on St. Georges Rd. in Thornbury. My bike was not so lucky but I
think it's fixable with a bit of brazing.

Photo's for the curious

http://www.humanpowered.com.au/tiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=5

I also recommend getting some photos of the intersection,
showing where the accident happened. Include the relevant
traffic signs that are there at the moment (in case they change).

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last night I had the good luck to walk away from being rear-ended by a
car on St. Georges Rd. in Thornbury. My bike was not so lucky but I
think it's fixable with a bit of brazing.

Picture this...

-----| |-----------| |
| raised | | St. G's |
CarA | bike | Me Taxi | road |
| path | | |
-----| |-----------| |

I hope you had on a pair of knicks with a brown chamois!!!!

I would suggest asking for a new frame.......if insurance won't pay for a
new frame on this one then I doubt they ever would!!! If you do get a new
frame you could probably hang onto the old one anyway and then you could
look at getting it repaired if you really wanted to. Personally I would be
worried about other smaller cracks that may be hidden beneath the paintwork
somewhere.

Make sure that if you start feeling a bit sore on Monday then go and get it
checked out.....I have had stacks before off the bike and walked away fine
but two days later I have had soreness in my neck and back.

Glad that you are still around to write about the crash - from the sounds of
it things could have been a lot nastier for you!!

Gags

Gags said:

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last night I had the good luck to walk away from being rear-ended by a
car on St. Georges Rd. in Thornbury. My bike was not so lucky but I
think it's fixable with a bit of brazing.

Picture this...

-----| |-----------| |
| raised | | St. G's |
CarA | bike | Me Taxi | road |
| path | | |
-----| |-----------| |

I hope you had on a pair of knicks with a brown chamois!!!!

Nope, blue quick dry hiking pants (surprisingly nice to ride in) and
fortunately not all there properties were require on the night :-)

Some major rips in the left leg though...

Had the pleasure today of soaking the scabs soft and shaving around the
leg grazes so I don't end up with nasty hair grown under skin type
infections. And my partners in Qld. at a Geography conference so I've no
one to whinge to (except all of Usenet, of course)

Quoted message said:

I would suggest asking for a new frame.......if insurance won't pay for a
new frame on this one then I doubt they ever would!!!

This is true, but unfortunately the driver doesn't have third party
property...

Quoted message said:

If you do get a new frame you could probably hang onto the old one
anyway and then you could look at getting it repaired if you really
wanted to. Personally I would be worried about other smaller cracks
that may be hidden beneath the paintwork somewhere.

I'm tempted to have a go at the repair myself, I'm a reasonable hand at
brazing and have been wanting to try my hand at this sort of repair for
a while, and have a couple of experienced hands to aid and guide me.
(not sounding to keen I hope)

I may come to my senses and decide otherwise but the prognosis from two
people who've seen the damage first hand is 'should be repairable', and
I'm choosing to see this as the upside of the affair :-)

Quoted message said:

Make sure that if you start feeling a bit sore on Monday then go and get it
checked out.....I have had stacks before off the bike and walked away fine
but two days later I have had soreness in my neck and back.

Will do, my left knee was quite stiff this morning but had loosened up
by lunch, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that.

Quoted message said:

Glad that you are still around to write about the crash - from the sounds of
it things could have been a lot nastier for you!!

Yeah, there was a wedding reception across the road and at least 4
witnesses all of whom where amazed when I got up and yanked my bike out
from under the bonnet of the car. Even the ambo looked a bit shocked at
my survival.

Quoted message said:

Gags

Cheers

Joel "memo to self, buy lottery ticket" Mayes

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

Joel Mayes said:

For those not familiar with the area St. Georges road is split lane road with
a share pathway, tram tracks and large green areas between the lanes.
The bike path is raised like an elongated speed-bump, and the road I'm on
is a small crossing road which connect the opposite side.

Fcuksticks you're lucky, which crossing did this happen, ie: obviously north of Arthurton Rd? Even though the driver has accepted fault, do you think there was any problems with sightlines (vegetation/that bloody agapanthus?) or she just simply fked up?

cfsmtb said:

Joel Mayes said:

For those not familiar with the area St. Georges road is split lane
road with
a share pathway, tram tracks and large green areas between the lanes.
The bike path is raised like an elongated speed-bump, and the road I'm
on
is a small crossing road which connect the opposite side.

Fcuksticks you're lucky, which crossing did this happen, ie: obviously
north of Arthurton Rd?

All happened at the corner of Woolton and St. Georges.

Quoted message said:

Even though the driver has accepted fault, do
you think there was any problems with sightlines (vegetation/that
bloody agapanthus?) or she just simply fked up?

She simple fked up, e were all stopped in the positions shown for almost
a minute before the accident, straight road with no sight obstructions
at all.

What I think happened is from a standing start she applied power to mount
to hump before the bike path but over did it or had a foot slip off the
brake and POW! Her car is almost certainly going to be written off, and
the taxi in front of me had some major damage too.

A different story if I'd been heading on the bike path. That section is
a fatality waiting to happen. I don't think the main problem is the
agapanthus though but the thick copses of palm trees on all fours
corners of each crossing. Not only do they obscure the path from the
road and visa-versa, particularly at night. they have sharp fronds at
eye height.

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

"Resound" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last night I had the good luck to walk away from being rear-ended by a
car on St. Georges Rd. in Thornbury. My bike was not so lucky but I
think it's fixable with a bit of brazing.

Picture this...

-----| |-----------| |
| raised | | St. G's |
CarA | bike | Me Taxi | road |
| path | | |
-----| |-----------| |

For those not familiar with the area St. Georges road is split lane road
with
a share pathway, tram tracks and large green areas between the lanes.
The bike path is raised like an elongated speed-bump, and the road I'm on
is a small crossing road which connect the opposite side.

We're all stopped for almost a minute waiting for a break in the traffic
to enter the main strip. Off we go, the lady in CarA loses control of
the car at the raised bike path hits me from behind, I get thrown to the
left away from the impact and she goes on to rear end the taxi!

Fortunately neither myself or the bike ended up getting crushed between
the vehicles. And the driver has accepted the accident as her fault and
will be make recompense.

So my main question with the repair is what to use to braze a nickel
plated frame? I'm guessing 95% silver brazing rod should stick but if
anyone here has experience I'd love to hear an opinion.

Photo's for the curious

http://www.humanpowered.com.au/tiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=5

Joel "reaping the benefits of good karma" Mayes

Unless there's good reason otherwise, I'd say the best method of repair
would be to buy a new frame. You've found the obvious damage so far, how
about the hairline cracks that aren't big enough yet to make themselves
known?

Agree. I've had a hairline crack eventually circumnavigate the downtube. It was
under the paint and not visible (or known about) until it was almost all the way
around. Yes it was my fault for running into the car...

Apart from the risk of hairline crack (which grow) the cost of repair vs new frame
probably favours a new frame. Repair includes: dissembling the bike, assessing
the damage properly, replacing all lugs and bridges and maybe tubes that are
in any way doubtful, full paint job, AND time off the road. The front forks should
also be checked (depending on how you stopped).

T.

Joel Mayes said:

.....but unfortunately the driver doesn't have third party
property...Cheers

Joel "memo to self, buy lottery ticket" Mayes

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

If you can't claim against the driver's insurance, claim against the driver. A well worded letter might just get you some $s. Then again it might not, but you will only be out of pocket for the price of a postage stamp.

Like most of these things, it's not worth getting lawyers involved unless you have a brother/sister/cousin in the law and it will only cost you the price of a postage stamp.

And it's good to hear that you survived without too much personal injury which is the main thing.

SteveA

Joel Mayes said:

So my main question with the repair is what to use to braze a nickel
plated frame? I'm guessing 95% silver brazing rod should stick but if
anyone here has experience I'd love to hear an opinion.

I've looked at the photos you posted, and from what I can see, the only actual damage is where the chainstay brace has popped away from the chainstay.

The bit that you circle on the left hand chainstay socket looks like a simple void, that didn't get completely filled with brass when it was originally brazed.

That doesn't mean it isn't bent though. It would be a good idea to run a piece of string from a dropout, round the headtube, and back to the other dropout, and then measure the distance from the seat tube to the string on each side. That'll indicate if it's been bent.

Now, as for fixing it... If it's nickle plated, you'll have to remove the plating around the chainstay brace. Then simply heat the brace and remove it, clean all the filler from all the pieces, and braze it back in.

I'd use 56% silver for the repair. You could also use nickel-silver or bronze. Be sure to clean all the old filler off first though, and to use the appropriate flux.

Simply heating the join where it's sprung and adding filler (of any sort) won't be terribly helpful, as the metal inside will have oxidised, so it won't wet.

Best of luck.

"SteveA" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Joel Mayes said:

.....but unfortunately the driver doesn't have third party
property...Cheers

Joel "memo to self, buy lottery ticket" Mayes

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
'www.humanpowered.com.au' (http://www.humanpowered.com.au/) |
Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

If you can't claim against the driver's insurance, claim against the
driver. A well worded letter might just get you some $s. Then again
it might not, but you will only be out of pocket for the price of a
postage stamp.

Like most of these things, it's not worth getting lawyers involved
unless you have a brother/sister/cousin in the law and it will only
cost you the price of a postage stamp.

And it's good to hear that you survived without too much personal
injury which is the main thing.

SteveA

--
SteveA

Hey dude. Are you a member of bicycle vic? Supposedly their supplied
insurance is whiz bang so if it actually is I'd be interested to know.

suzyj said:

Joel Mayes said:

So my main question with the repair is what to use to braze a nickel
plated frame? I'm guessing 95% silver brazing rod should stick but if
anyone here has experience I'd love to hear an opinion.

I've looked at the photos you posted, and from what I can see, the only
actual damage is where the chainstay brace has popped away from the
chainstay.

<SNIP good advice>

Hi Suzy!, I was sorta hoping you would reply :-)

That's my assesment of the damage too, I limped off to Abbotsford Cycles
on Monday and Peter thought the damage was so minimal that repairing it
wouldn't be worth damaging the paint (It is a /very/ nice paint job)

I know it's a bit hard to give advice without seeing the frame but...

1) The chainstay brace is still firmly attached and the paint is intact
at all the sharp pointy ends of the lugs, the only damage is the tiny
black spots in the photos.

2) No wrinkles or paint cracks anywhere else.

3) The dropout are very slightly mis-aligned but the frame its self is
perfectly true.

Whatda think?

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction