Checklist after a bike accident

When you go out biking there's always a small risk of falling, crashing or getting involved in an accident, if you are well protected and you are lucky probably will be nothing but you should always be cautious because some bike malfunctions could be easily overlooked.

First of all you should be very cautious, only ride back very carefully by taking the shortest possible way, if your bike went through the following check without any doubt. Do not accelerate or brake hard and do not ride your bike out of the saddle.

1. Check whether the wheels are still firmly fixed in the drop-outs and whether the rims are still centered with respect to the frame or fork. Spin the wheels and watch the clearance between brake pads and rims. If the width of the clearance changes markedly and you have no way to true the rim where you are, you will need to open the brakes a little, if necessary, so that the rim can run between the brake pads without touching them. In this case remember that the brakes will not act as powerfully as you are used to.
2. Check whether the handlebars and stem are neither bent nor ruptured and whether they are level and upright. Check whether the stem is firmly fixed in the fork by trying to twist the handlebars relative to the front wheel. Also, briefly lean on the brake levers to make sure the handlebars are firmly fixed in the stem.
3. See whether the chain still runs on the chain-ring and sprockets. If your bike fell over to the chain side, check that the gears still function properly. Ask somebody to lift the bicycle by the saddle and gently shift through all the gears. Pay particular attention when switching to the small gears, making sure the rear derailleur does not get too close to the spokes as the chain climbs onto the larger sprockets. If the derailleur or the drop-outs have been bent, this can cause the rear derailleur to collide with the spokes – risk of accident! This in turn can destroy the rear derailleur, the rear wheel or the frame. Check the front derailleur, as a damaged front derailleur can throw off the chain, thus interrupting the power train of the bicycle.
4. Make sure the saddle is not twisted using the top tube or the bottom bracket shell as a reference.
5. Lift your bike up a few centimeters and let it bounce onto the ground, if this causes any sort of noise, search for loosened bolts.
6. Finally, take a good look at the whole bike to detect any deformation, discoloration or cracks.

This is a small checklist to find any malfunctions, on any doubt you should also check with a bike specialist. Also if you are starting to get interested in biking you should get a gps to track your rides, here is a comparison of the best entry point Garmin GPS and the top biking GPS from Garmin.