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RadMarkt 10/2004
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Lethal carbon

Letter to the editor: breakage of carbon fork steerer tube on both sides

On September, 18, 2004, my son, the experienced cyclist Michael S. (46), had a serious accident with his roadbike (year of construction: 2004) in the area around Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen. He died on September, 19, 2004. The accident was caused by the breakage of the carbon fork steerer tube on both sides approximately ten centimetres underneath the fork crown. Before the accident happened, my son had to brake hard and avoid an obstruction. Verifiably, he did not bump into an obstacle.

Probably, my son would still be alive if he had read the article about the dangers of carbon parts by graduate engineer Dirk Zedler published in RadMarkt-magazine. The most important statement of Dirk Zedler: "Carbon does not bend, it breaks!"
At the moment, the prosecutor is investigating the case. It won't bring back my son, but by writing this letter, I want to warn other cyclists against using carbon forks uncritically.

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