More than that @Jules, accidental damage from dropping your bike at the coffee spot... more or less any blunt impact on the steer tube can cause your bars to fall off while riding. This just happened to Wojc recently.

I guess the idea is to build better forks. There has to be a way to prevent these micro cracks from forming. Saying that shipping or unintended use are the culprits passes the buck a bit too much for me to agree.

Design is what they're all about, so get to it boys. Think big.

I don't need any more broken bones.

@Vlad I totally agree - don't thing they are passing the buck though - the message I see is that shipping & handling are part of the bike's life cycle; not just riding.

@Yacks-Are your schadenfreude receptors buzzing?

Dodgy forks are nothing new though ... I had the forks on my Vitus 979 give way after 2 seasons. I went back to steel frames at that point.

To me, the thing is that for years people have been saying what Phil White just said.  Yes, we all know that if all a modern carbon-fiber-framed bike did was ride, it would last close to forever.  Unfortunately, few bikes do just that.  

My CAAD10 turns out to have a bent seat stay from the car ramming.  Dropouts are in alignment and the 3 wrenches I spoke to basically said "it's fine, it's aluminum, just don't try to re-bend it".  Hell yeah.

Might implode on a dump descent though.  Stay back!

So if I'm straight...If a carbon fork steerer tube, that has been packaged in cardboard for shipping, should be "dropped", it should not be ridden for fear of catastrophic failure...yet an aluminum frame that has been plowed by a 3,000 lb. car is ok to keep riding....To quote Dennis Hopper, "Now, if that's a fact, tell me, am I lying?"

twoyacks said:

So if I'm straight...If a carbon fork steerer tube, that has been packaged in cardboard for shipping, should be "dropped", it should not be ridden for fear of catastrophic failure...yet an aluminum frame that has been plowed by a 3,000 lb. car is ok to keep riding....To quote Dennis Hopper, "Now, if that's a fact, tell me, am I lying?"

3,000lb car?  that's a light subcompact these days.  

Gentlemen, ladies... Yes the steerer tube story is interesting. Lotsa risk and product warranties and whatnot. Very emotional. I am here to tell you that everything you thought you knew about bike maintenance is about to change. Everything. Tomorrow I will reveal a secret so powerful it will (yes) literally shake the pillars of the universe, Jack Burton style. Tuck yourselves in, sleep tight... For tomorrow EVERYTHING changes.

That message has triggered 1,000 different NSA algorithm alerts.  A black helicopter is in route to your brownstone.  I got dibs on your fancy new carbon wheels.

Meh...

While it is no doubt an achievement, it turns out that it's only a Cat 4/5 secret announcement

Anybody know how to get the back plate off a SRAM Red Cassette?

mugwump said:

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/12/07/hack-drop-6-grams-from-new-sram-red-cassette-and-why-you-shouldnt-do-this/

Thanks I saw that.  Doesn't explain how to remove the plate on a perfectly functional cassette.

If I figure out how to get that plate off my cassette....I'm going to hide my weed in it.

During...

After...

Jules,

Beautiful, Julian, beautiful!

Also, I don't know why but I clicked on ULTRASONIC CLEANING  

@Jules. What fluid did you use?

I used water with some dishsoap and a bit of degreaser.

hmm...so you guys are saying I should use my wife's jewelery cleaner?  interesting....

@Jules, what's the make and model of the ultrasonic machine?

can I put my dentures in it ?  Those gel packets and cytomax really stained them up....

photo of joaquin (second from left) after buying and using ultrasonic cleaning machine.  so shiny!

I'm in the process of purchasing pedals and shoes for cyclocross.