Dear Eric,

Speaking as someone who has built hundreds of hybrids of the type you
describe, I will try to give you some possible explanations for what
happened. Without looking at the wheel, it is just speculation, but
informed speculation.

First off, hybrids in that price range are not designed for extensive
and/or serious daily riding. They are designed for those that would
like to get out on the weekends and tool around the neighborhood, with
no serious climbing or descending involved. For someone of your size
and weight, it is a very iffy proposition to be using such a low-end
bike. In your case, the wheels are the culprit, but a combination of
things may have occurred as you were descending that hill.

You state that you do trail rides. That could be one issue, because
hybrids are not suited for trail riding. I looked up your specific
bike, and other than for neighborhood rides, it might be ok for
commuting as long as you watch for potholes, but not for trails. This
may have weakened an already imperfect wheel. And the tires aren't
meaty enough to absorb any serious jolts, even with a front shock. Many
of the hybrids I have built, I've had to true the wheels before putting
them on the sales floor. The construction of the wheels and the alloy
used is not of the highest quality. The spokes may have been tensioned
wrong and with the force and friction of braking, on even a small hill,
it was enough to cause it to collapse. Many do not realize the heat
generated from braking on a downhill. It can warp the rim, and with
your weight, the stress put on the rim was way more that it was designed
to handle. Knowing how these mass-produced bikes are made, I would have
never receommended you to buy one, especially knowing what kind of
riding you were going to do. It is much better to purchase a bike from
a shop that specializes in bikes, and knows more than just the proper
seat height.

For someone your size that would be doing minor or even very little
trail riding, I would have recommended a mountain bike. That doesn't
mean you have to spend lots of money, because even the lower-end
mountain bikes are much stronger than hybrids. They have stronger
frames, forks, tires, stems, and especially rims. They also use smaller
diameter wheels, and not 700c or 27" that most hybrids use. This means
they can generally handle more weight and punishment, and can be
comfortably ridden on the road. If you wanna go faster, just switch to
slick tires. Most bikes, including lightweight road bikes, are designed
to be safe for riders upwards of 225lbs. Your 275lbs would definitely
be a serious concern of mine and would factor into whatever I would have
to tell about what kind of bike to purchase.

So, as to your questions, it's not a matter of yes or no, it's a matter
of combinations. Were you too big, or was the bike too cheap? Probably
both. Was the wheel defective, or was too much stress put on it? Maybe
both. If the tension of the spokes is wrong or out of balance, the
slightest pressure can cause them to collapse. Of course, more pressure
will increase the chances of that happening.

I certainly don't want to speculate on whether or not Sport Chalet or
Diamondback might be willing to replace the wheel and/or bike, but I
will say that if you did hit something, the signs of that kind of damage
are easy to spot. If it just folded like a taco, there should be no
marks from any type of impact other than from it landing on the ground
after you've gone over the handlebars.

Peter


>Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 01:19:05 -0000
> From: "Eric Griffith" <ehgriffith@...>
>Subject: Request for help and advice regarding accident
>
>I realize that this message is not an exact match for the purpose of
>this group, but since it is a group I have followed for a while, and
>have contributed to, I would appreciate the advice of fellow members.
>
>I have been riding casually for a couple of years, mainly for fitness
>to get into shape. Mostly neighborhood rides and trails close to the
>inland empire. I am a 43 year old male, about 6'2 275.
>
>Last year, as I was enjoying cycling very much, I decided to buy a new
>bike. I purchased a Diamondback Edgewood 19" from Sport Chalet. Apx
>$300, this was a hybrid bike that should have been well suited for the
>type of riding I was doing. In speaking to the salesman, he assured me
>that this was a properly sized bike for me. I had the pre-delivery
>checkout of the bike and started riding it last summer and fall. I
>have put about 500 miles on it.
>
>A couple of weeks ago, as the weather was warming up and getting nice,
>I decided to take a ride. I checked the bike, put air in the tires,
>made sure all was well and set out. I rode about 10 miles, and then
>headed about a mile up a moderate hill, and turned around to come
>down. On the way down, at about 22 mph, I suddenly lost control and
>went flying over the handlebars. Ended up with lots of road rash,
>cuts, scrapes, and a broken clavicle (one of the few that required an
>operation). I am recovering and will be okay and want to ride again.
>
>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?
>
>I know I am lucky I wasn't hurt worse, but it is important for me to
>understand why/how this happened (if not for any other reason, to
>avoid recurrence).
>
>I would really appreciate any advice or comments from other members.
>
>Thank you in advance.
>
>Eric
>
>