Front Wheels

There are several bicycle parts that are very important on a bike, but the front wheel/tire is among the most important that are prone to failure.

I was reminded of this on Friday as I was riding in to work. It was early, enough light to ride without headlights but still dark enough to keep the safety lights on. As I headed up the hill on Wasatch that climbs from Draper onto the bench, I saw a rider in a full Canyon kit laying face down in the downhill lane of the road. There was a car stopped, and another rider on his cell phone calling 911.

The rider, about 55 or 60 years old, had been descending Wasatch (what would normally be right around 50 MPH for me on that hill) and crashed, going face down. He was unconscious, and remained so for probably 5 minutes. There was blood literally running down the road. It took about 10 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, and in the meantime he regained some consciousness, although he was wonky. Eventually he started responding to his name, but he could not understand why he was in pain or that he should not get up and move around.

When I first stopped, one of the two thought it was a speed wobble, which surprised me because I've never heard of anyone actually crashing from a wobble (although they are very scary). Then the other guy said he had heard a bang. I looked at his front tire and there were two shredded cuts in the sidewall right above the bead. One was right above where the rim had been scraped raw by the asphalt, obviously right after it went flat, and not what caused the blow out.

The other cut was what I guess caused the accident. At the time I thought it strange that a side wall would go like that since the tire did not look worn out, but in thinking about it since I believe his brake pad rubbed through the side wall: either the wheel was in crooked or the rim was out of round. He was probably braking as he coasted down, and when the side wall finally tore through of course the tube exploded. I wish I would have thought to check that when we were standing there.

Anyway, I left when the paramedics arrived and do not know what the final prognosis for him was. Hopefully he will be OK, but I think the recovery is going to be arduous.

A few minutes later I happened upon another rider who had a flat and he could not get it fixed. I have a policy of always giving a tube and/or C02 to anyone who needs it because years ago I double flatted above Squaw Peak and was walking the long walk home when a guy gave me a tube. He told me his name (it was Willy Holdeman or something like that) and I was supposed to send him a new one, but I forgot until much later, and then I could not find his address or phone number.

So anyway, now I soothe my conscience and we threw my extra tube and C02 at it, and he was up and running again in no time (he actually insisted on paying for my stuff there on the spot, so my conscience is no longer soothed). Then a few minutes later, another guy with a flat! Fortunately, he did not need my help, which was lucky because I could not help if he did (since I was now riding without a tube or gas).

Most rides to work are not this eventful!

Seriously though, I hope the guy that crashed is OK and all that blood was just a split forehead or something. It is a solemn reminder to pay attention to the front wheel, tire, QR, etc. because a failure up front almost never has a happy ending.