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Replace carbon fork after a crash?

I had a nasty crash about 18 months ago on my 2010 Giant with enough impact to completely buckle my front wheel (and rip bits of my shoulder apart...). I replaced the wheel but the fork looked OK so I carried on using it, but since then I've heard that carbon forks can hide damage and fail suddenly. The fork has had a reasonably hard life commuting through London potholes and has a few chips in the paintwork too. Should I be worried and look for a replacement?

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Canyon48 | 6 years ago
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My guess would be that if the front wheel buckled, it probably saved the rest of the bike from damage.

Given that you've been riding it for as long as you have, I'd suggest it is fine.

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VeloUSA | 6 years ago
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What you heard is correct "carbon forks can hide damage and fail suddenly." This is due to unseen stress and/or fractures with the underlying carbon layup. However, after 18 months why are you worrying about it now?

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mike the bike | 6 years ago
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If it's been in a crash and you've continued to ride it for 18 months it owes you nothing.  I would turn it into a table lamp and buy a new one. 

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