Good news on the crash forensics.

[Altema]

The mechanical analysis is complete, and the good news for Rad owners is that my crash was not cause by a component failure. The front skewer assembly consists of 9 parts, and an analysis was made of the possible results of potential failure points. I won't put the whole study here, but the physical damage and the noise made by the front axle indicates that the skewer was loose, and eventually unscrewed itself due to axle rotation over the next 2.5 miles. The brakes were used heavily during this time, but the wheel did not come off because the raised metal safety lip around the ends of the fork prevented it due to the clamp and nut still being in place on the axle. The safety lip does not work with either the clamp or the nut missing, and the brakes would have dislodged the axle on the first use.

The conclusion is that the turning of the axle in the fork slots unscrewed the nut enough for it to fall off, the fork separated enough for the 5mm nubs of the axle to move upward, the brake caliper jammed and bent the rotor, and the fork caught the spokes of the wheel. This whole sequence can be confirmed from the damage, even the path of the axle ends as the threads cut a pattern into the fork paint.

The bad news means that someone simply flipped the lever open (it was tight when I arrived at work, loose when I left), and I sincerely hope it was just a prank and they're afraid to come out about it because of how it ended. The police have been involved in the matter, but the only way to get a positive ID is to fingerprint the lever, and that part went flying and has not been located. I have not ridden my bike to work since then, and probably will not until I replace the front axle with a solid bolt-on axle, but the reason for doing that is to make it harder to tamper with.

[Hehateme]

Interesting, did you hire a private accident investigator?  Were you exploring evidence for possible litigation?


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[Muskie1]

Interesting, did you hire a private accident investigator?  Were you exploring evidence for possible litigation?


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I zip tie mine after reading what happened to you. I use two different color ties.  Not foolproof.

[jbfoster]

How much did the mechanical analysis cost?

[Altema]

Interesting, did you hire a private accident investigator?  Were you exploring evidence for possible litigation?


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I wasn't interested in litigation, just wanted answers and assurance that it was not due to design. Actually thankful for the way Rad made it, as the first part of my commute is on the road between the cars, and the wheel stayed on despite being released. Without the lever, there's no fingerprints to go by.

[Altema]

How much did the mechanical analysis cost?

Everyone involved were friends or acquaintances. We are friends with several officers (my wife is a police chaplain), so no shortage of helping hands and minds.