On Sun, 2006-02-26 at 01:19 +0000, Eric Griffith wrote:
> My problem is that I don't know what happened. My front wheel is bent
> about 30% in a smooth curve for 1/2 of the wheel, with the spokes all
> mangled. I don't think I hit anything like debris or a pothole. I am
> thinking that the wheel collapsed and that is what caused the accident
> (as opposed to the accident causing the wheel to collapse). But I am
> really not sure. The people in the car behind me saw me, and said that
> I just suddenly went flying...nothing else was observed.
>
> The questions that are in my head:
>
> 1. Was I too big of a guy for this bike?
> 2. Could the wheel have been defective?
> 3. Do wheels sometimes just collapse without warning?
> 4. Is this perhaps a poor quality bike in the first place?
> 5. Is there any recourse with the manufacturer?

Eric,

A hybrid wheel should be strong enough for someone your size (I am 6'4"
and 250lbs, BTW). A 19" frame sounds small to me for someone your size,
but I don't know what the geometry of your bike is and this shouldn't
have anything to do with your accident anyway. I had a similar accident
some 20 odd years ago when I was a teenager. The wheel just "tacoed"
while riding straight on level ground on a neighborhood street. I went
over the handlebars and scraped up my hands pretty good, but I was
otherwise not injured. So yes, this type of accident can happen without
warning. The spokes of your front wheel were probably not tensioned
properly. The wheel was probably not 'defective' exactly. All of the
parts of the wheel were probably just fine, but were assembled badly. I
don't think that you will have any recourse with Diamondback considering
when you bought the bike and you rode it for 500 miles. If you haven't
done it yet, I think that you should call Sport Chalet and ask if they
will replace or repair your wheel. My guess is that your hybrid is not
of the greatest quality, but a $300 hybrid should not have that kind of
a failure after only 500 miles (it isn't a $80 Walmart bike, after all).
Much of what I have written is just speculation, so take it as friendly
advice and nothing more. I am glad to hear that you were not injured
very badly, and I hope that your collarbone heals well. I am glad to
hear that you want to keep riding. Just be sure that you are always
riding on good wheels, as you now know how important they can be for
your safety.