{.}

what got me

The end of a strut that holds the fender on wrapped around a spoke.

totalled

The bend of the front tube is obvious, but of course you can’t bend just one side of a triangle. Toward the left you can see that the top tube is actually somewhat flattened — its cross section changed.

From above you can see how the top tube curved and started to shear away from the head tube.

I still don’t understand the physics of the accident. If it happened where I think it did, I wouldn’t have been going very fast at all — under 10 mph — and the eyewitnesses say that neither I nor the bike were struck by other vehicles. So as far as I can tell, the bike crumpled under an impact that I don’t think should have crumpled it. (So much for spending extra for a steel frame.)

Days until I’m allowed to ride a bike again: 75.

Posted in bicycle safety, too much information. You may comment on this entry.