# Bike fell to the floor - Think any damage possible?



## ChrisBK (Aug 24, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out here hoping someone can put my mind at ease…

I've kept my pretty much brand-new Cannondale CAAD10 stored in my living room leaning against a wall (NYC apartment-not many storage options). While home alone one night, it somehow fell over on its own, onto the hardwood floor. The sound woke me up and upon first inspection I didn’t see any damage at all - I had the drive-side against the wall, so thankfully it was the non drive-side that hit the floor. Looks like the first thing to hit the ground and take most of the weight was the pedal. Ran through the gears and everything seems fine. Question is, is there anything else that could have been damaged I should look into?  I’m pretty anal about the bike and baby it like crazy (my first road bike), so while I would imagine it’s fine, I’d like to be sure.

Thanks!

PS: Although I really can’t imagine what would have caused it to fall on its own, I’ve since found a better spot for it.


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## orlowskij (Aug 5, 2012)

It's junk. If it's a 54cm, send it my way to be disposed of properly.






Look it over for cracks/dents/etc. If you don't see anything, go ride.


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## matfam (Jul 13, 2012)

It is very unlikely that there is any damage. I do know how you feel though. Go ride it and get it dirty.


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## ChrisBK (Aug 24, 2012)

orlowskij said:


> It's junk. If it's a 54cm, send it my way to be disposed of properly.


Haha.. don't misinterpret my caution for naivete!






orlowskij said:


> Look it over for cracks/dents/etc. If you don't see anything, go ride.


Didn't see a thing, thanks


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## testpilot (Aug 20, 2010)

Set some rat traps. Bait them with pieces of Powerbar.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

I can say with 95% certainty your bike falling over is perfectly fine. If it landed on the pedal first, I'm 99.9% certain it's fine.



ChrisBK said:


> Question is, is there anything else that could have been damaged I should look into?


Check your handlebar alignment. After landing on the pedal, the next thing to contact the floor would be the handlebar. It's possible your stem got twisted.


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## ExChefinMA (May 9, 2012)

The Important question is, were you hurt when you fell down with your bike? 

Better call in the SVU team from Law & Order, your bike was victimized.



Just kidding, I have a CAAD 10 5 and know how you feel about it.

EEC


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

You need to go out and get some dirt and scratches on that thing. It's a vehicle and a tool, not a baby.

Seriously, the chances of a fall like that doing any harm at all are practically nil. bikes fall down all the time, often with riders on them who outweigh the bike by a factor of 8 or more. Most of the time, no harm is done, and if there is damage it is to components and is easily fixable.

Someone else mentioned the possibility of the handlebar twisting. Brake levers also sometimes get twisted out of place by a fall like that. But you'd probably notice that.

If you see nothing amiss, and everything seems to work, no worries.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*simple rule of thumb*



ChrisBK said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm reaching out here hoping someone can put my mind at ease…
> 
> ...


If it's steel, it's fine
If it's Al, check it over for dents
If it's carbon, its completely and utterly destroyed

Unless one of the tubes contacted something hard on the way down, just falling over should not cause any damage


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

The bike is probably fine, maybe just a slightly shifted handlebar or shifter/brake lever. I think I'd be more worried about the hardwood floor if it's nice.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Your bike is fine, go and get yourself one of these. It's the best fifteen bucks you've ever spent...
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_170404_-1___


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## bahueh (May 11, 2004)

Its' fine. It's tougher than you think. It's not a delicate thing. go ride it.


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## ChrisBK (Aug 24, 2012)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the replies everyone-

Long story short - Just took another look and everything seems fine. No dents, handlebars straight, brake/shifters not moved. I appreciate the advice to not baby it and just enjoy riding. I probably shouldn't have used the phrase "babying" before - it's more that I'm pretty unfamiliar with road bikes in general and wanted to err on the side of caution. Point taken that they're tougher than I imagined


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## TheGroovekIng (Oct 17, 2012)

Obviously you didn't know that a ghost was taking your CAAD10 out for spin while you were sleeping, now you need to catch that spirit and make them understand that there is a proper way to store a bike.

TheGrooveking

PS, 

Do you sleepwalk, I mean sleepride?


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

burgrat said:


> The bike is probably fine, maybe just a slightly shifted handlebar or shifter/brake lever. I think I'd be more worried about the hardwood floor if it's nice.


I think it's worth checking the RD, too. If the hanger is bent, then there is risk that the RD runs into the spoke on the next ride :-D.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

orange_julius said:


> I think it's worth checking the RD, too. If the hanger is bent, then there is risk that the RD runs into the spoke on the next ride :-D.


I think the reason nobody mentioned that before is that he said it fell on the left side ;-)


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## ChrisBK (Aug 24, 2012)

JCavilia said:


> I think the reason nobody mentioned that before is that he said it fell on the left side ;-)


Yup - fell on the non-drive side. Thanks again for the responses everyone!


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## Sasquatch (Feb 3, 2004)

I'd be more concerned about what caused it to fall over in the first place.


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## ChrisBK (Aug 24, 2012)

Sasquatch said:


> I'd be more concerned about what caused it to fall over in the first place.


That remains mysterious... it really makes no sense. It was propped up against a wall in a way that was (or at least seemed) plenty secure. To test it out I even tried bumping into it slightly to make sure that an accidental nudge wouldn't cause it to fall, and it didn't. Just made made it rock against the wall slightly, then come it a standstill a second or two later. I was home alone, no pets, no open windows, no outside forces of any kind, so no idea what caused it. As annoying as it is that I couldn't figure it, I just bought a stand for it and moved on


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## cpj38 (Nov 21, 2012)

*Tlc*

maybe cuddle it a bit and a nice polish and you will both feel better. I give me bike lots of affection and feel better for it.


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## timeless (Jun 2, 2007)

I would go with it is fine. Lets face it many of us have had crashes from speed and our bikes minus a few scratches are completely fine.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

After this, buy a stand for it. Plenty out there, I have a couple of these and they've been fine.


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## powbob (Jun 10, 2008)

Bikes are actually pretty tough. Unless it falls just right onto the RD or something the most that usually happens is cosmetic damage. Look what cyclocross bikes go through.


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

my all time favorite stand;
keeps the shifters off the walls and the walls off the shifters.
the bike is very difficult to knock off this stand.
My wife continually knocks / hits my daily ride as she passes by to get in her truck and this stand has never failed me. 

Feedback Sports Ultimate/Rakk Bicycle Storage Stand from Bike Bling


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

metoou2 said:


> my all time favorite stand;
> keeps the shifters off the walls and the walls off the shifters.
> the bike is very difficult to knock off this stand.
> *My wife continually knocks / hits my daily ride as she passes by* to get in her truck and this stand has never failed me.


Hmmm . . . sounds like there may be some unexpressed hostility/jealousy working there ;-)


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

Don't worry. My Pedal Force RS2 and my brother's Pinarello both hit the dirt on a Houston bike path last weekend. Funny slow speed tip-overs on a steep hill we did not downshift in time for. I'd a settled for a hardwood floor myself. Just be glad you weren't on it in your room - you weren't sitting on it were you?


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

JCavilia said:


> Hmmm . . . sounds like there may be some unexpressed hostility/jealousy working there ;-)


she claims to have none.
But I'm ever vigilant!


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## VKW (Jul 26, 2009)

metoou2 said:


> my all time favorite stand;
> keeps the shifters off the walls and the walls off the shifters.
> the bike is very difficult to knock off this stand.
> My wife continually knocks / hits my daily ride as she passes by to get in her truck and this stand has never failed me.
> ...


:thumbsup: I've got three of these! Works great!


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

testpilot said:


> Set some rat traps. Bait them with pieces of Power bar.


Please ignore this advice. It's completely ineffective because even rats won't eat power bars.


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## Beast6of6the6east (Dec 17, 2021)

ChrisBK said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm reaching out here hoping someone can put my mind at ease…
> 
> ...





ChrisBK said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm reaching out here hoping someone can put my mind at ease…
> 
> ...


I know this is an old thread but the majority of the comments I read are uninformative and not helpful whatsoever. So here's my story. Today I was cycling in the Appalachian mountains and leaned my bike on a railing when the wind decided that wasn't ok. My derailleur has some scratches, my frame is nicked and the derailleur hanger is bent. Lessons were learned the hard way but thankfully I have a torque wrench and a new hanger is on it's way.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Beast6of6the6east said:


> I know this is an old thread but the majority of the comments I read are uninformative and not helpful whatsoever. So here's my story. Today I was cycling in the Appalachian mountains and leaned my bike on a railing when the wind decided that wasn't ok. My derailleur has some scratches, my frame is nicked and the derailleur hanger is bent. Lessons were learned the hard way but thankfully I have a torque wrench and a new hanger is on it's way.


Your post is information free too. And 9 years too late.


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## Beast6of6the6east (Dec 17, 2021)

cxwrench said:


> Your post is information free too. And 9 years too late.





cxwrench said:


> Your post is information free too. And 9 years too late.


Sounds like you just want to argue. Have fun with that buddy.


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