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Bike Crash

Specialized studying road.cc reader's disc brake injury video

Brand's head office in California contacted Peter Curtis-Brown after our story yesterday...
by Simon_MacMichael
Thu, May 04, 2017 12:14
35

Specialized are studying footage of a crash involving a road.cc reader who says he was injured by a disc brake rotor on one of the California-based brand’s bikes when he was riding with friends last month.

As we reported yesterday, Peter Curtis-Brown from Nantwich in Cheshire needed hospital treatment for a deep cut to his leg after the incident, which happened when he was on a café ride with friends on Sunday 23 April.

> Video: road.cc reader films moment he says his leg was cut by disc brake rotor

Peter had initially provided photos of his injury and the disc brake on a friend’s bike, still with traces of blood on it, to Specialized UK.

He said in a comment to our story yesterday that after it was published, he had received a call from the company’s head office in California “and we had a good chat.”

He said that he was “very happy with them and I remain a big fan of the brand.”

He added: “On reflection, yes this really is a freak incident but Specialized are grateful for the footage.

“To date they have never had coverage of an incident involving disc brakes so I am sure this will be useful to them and can benefit rider safety in the future.”

Mark Cote, head of global marketing at Specialized, told road.cc: “We wish Peter the fastest recovery from his injury. 

“We had a very good conversation and thank him for documenting and passing along all of the info from the incident.

“Our product and engineering team are reviewing the details,” he added.

In January, Lotto-Soudal rider Adam Hansen claimed the brand was trying to force the technology on the peloton while there were still concerns over the safety of the technology.

> Lotto-Soudal pro Adam Hansen says Specialized is trying to force disc brakes on peloton

However, last month, Specialized founder and CEO, Mike Sinyard, insisted disc brakes were “adding to safety, not danger, and if anything, the chainring on the front is a bit more dangerous.”

He added that he believed all road bikes in future will be equipped with disc brakes, and predicted their universal use in professional races within two years.

> Specialized boss Mike Sinyard says in future, all road bikes will have disc brakes

Specialized
Disc Brake
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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35 comments

Avatar
srchar replied to usedtobefaster | 7 years ago
2 likes

usedtobefaster wrote:

What this does highlight is the problem of having mixed braking technologies terrible riding skills in a group

FTFY

The guy who crashed first hadn't even squeezed his brake lever when the impact occurred. It wouldn't have mattered whether he had disc brakes, rim brakes or no brakes. And the rider of the red bike inexplicably changed his line and headed straight for the crash as it happened.

Avatar
earth replied to usedtobefaster | 7 years ago
1 like

usedtobefaster wrote:

What this does highlight is the problem of having mixed braking technologies in a group, the bike that the camera footage is from stopped alot quicker than the one behind (I'm assuming this is the disc braked equiped one and the rider behind started braking at the same time)

 

The problem with this argument is that the bike with the proposed better, more powerful and easier to modulate brake system is the bike that crashed into the back of the one with the proposed lesser brake system.

The disc brake user should have been able to stop quicker that the rim brake rider infront.  But he didn't and the disc gashed the rim brake riders leg.

Avatar
madcarew replied to usedtobefaster | 7 years ago
0 likes

usedtobefaster wrote:

What this does highlight is the problem of having mixed braking technologies in a group, the bike that the camera footage is from stopped alot quicker than the one behind (I'm assuming this is the disc braked equiped one and the rider behind started braking at the same time)

Unless I've really missed something, it's the disc brake equipped bike that failed to stop in time. No mention of whether the rider of the video bike was on discs or not. I dont' think this supports your notion that there is a danger in differently equipped bikes in the sam bunch at all. The speed of braking in a bunch is, IMHO far more affected by the rider ability than the technology they're sporting. 

Avatar
atlaz | 7 years ago
1 like

Yep; a friend of mine ended up in hospital with a brake lever stuck into his leg. Pissed blood everywhere but, sadly, no brake lever covers to prevent accidents like those 3

Avatar
Simmo72 | 7 years ago
8 likes

I don't support disc brakes on road bikes at all but falling on bike parts can cause injury, everyone get over it.  It is not a media story.  Once, in a pile up I got impayled in the calf by a brake lever but it didn't cause a media outcry  the dangers or citing the need to wear safety goggles.

 

 

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