I got flattened by a Taxi

[observer]

Hi All,

I had a somewhat lucky escape when a taxi with his right indicator on decided to do a sharp left turn in front of me. Sent me catapulting over my handlebars and into a tree. Lucky for me the impact was mainly on by shoulder and missed my head by a few centimetres.

No broken bones either, so I would say that is lucky, albeit very sore today. I just wanted to ask the forum a couple of things, firstly, how would I be able to tell if my bike will be okay or not? It is a carbon fibre bike, and looks okay at a glance, but I've heard cracks may not be visible, so is there any way to check it? The police on the scene seem to think that it wouldn't be smart to ride it again.

Also, I am in Melbourne, Australia. So has anyone else had to deal with insurance to get a claim happening. I don't really have an idea on where to start. I have a police number and a witness.

 

[Jspear]

Here is a quote from an article I have found to be helpful in the past.

"Myth: After a crash, you should have your frame inspected by a professional.
Reality: Most cracks that would compromise your bike’s integrity are easy to 
spot. You can also run a soft cloth over the tubes—snags indicate potential 
problems. If you encounter any issues, or want a second opinion, contact your 
manufacturer or a reputable carbon-repair shop. The resident experts can check 
for damage with an ultrasonic wave reflector or infrared camera. "

A vid that covers the basics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYdqtKP7Cug

 

[observer]

thanks Jspear

 

[Jspear]

No prob.
whoops...I had meant to post the link to what I quoted. Talks about carbon fiber in general. IMO a pretty good read.

http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/bikes-and-gear-features/carbon-fiber-peeling-back-layers