BIG guy crashes

[Franz Bestuchev]

I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
handle bar tape (big deal.)

It knocked the handlebars off center and scratched up the STI levers,
but they seem to be shifting OK now. I haven't checked the true on the
front wheel but I suspect it's alright. I have my concerns about the
carbon fiber fork's well being as it's not a material I've ridden a lot.

The rear rim is BENT. I can only assume it will have to be replaced. The
drive train components don't seem to have even gotten scratched, don't
know how...but I've got a lot more looking at it for tomorrow.

At this point I'm thinking I'd like to switch to more conventional rims
and hubs. These are gorgeous mechanical works but I don't think they're
practical for a guy as big as me and for riding on rougher areas.

So what should I look at as far as damage goes? I've crashed and burned
on bikes before but never on such a "thoroughbred" kind of bike. If that
makes sense.

I'm leaning towards replacing the beat up shifters with Ultegra gear,
using Ultegra hubs and...can I fit a 10 speed gear set back there? Some
form of Mavic rims...

Where/how do I go about making sure the frame is still true. I've got
everything down to all sorts of fancy measuring gear from an engineering
shop - I imagine a micrometer would be overkill though. I just don't
want to be up at night thinking I bent up my baby. :)

Thanks!

PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
was wearing a helmet.

[Lou D'Amelio]

If I recall correctly, the 2001 BA is a steel (853) bike. I'm not sure
what type of engineering equipment you have, but a quick trip to your
LBS to check frame alignment would be cheap and eliminate any
guesswork. Is your actual rim bent or is the wheel just out of true ?
Even if it's proprietary stuff, you may just have to retrue/retension
or maybe replace a bent spoke or two.
If your fork has a carbon steerer, be sure to take off the stem and
check that it isn't cracked. Probably not a bad idea to do this anyway
even if the steerer is alloy or steel.
If the shifters work, I wouldn't upgrade unless you're hell-bent on 10
speed - Ultegra have a lifespan of about 20,000 miles anyway, so just
wear them out and get new ones when their time is up. 10 speed will
fit, BTW.
Regarding wheels, handbuillts are generally always a great choice over
proprietary/boutique wheels, especially if you're not racing. Then, the
saved grams/aero aspect might be worth it and the disposable nature
becomes part of the game. Ultegra with Mavic CXP 33 would make a
beautiful wheelset for you - maybe 36 h with brass nipples on the back
, 14/15 and 32 h on the front, 14/15, alloy or brass nipples for a guy
your size. Peter from Vecchio's can give some other suggestions, but
I'm sure these are close to what he would recommend.

Get back on the road soon .............Lou D'Amelio

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
>crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right side
>and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my handle bar
>tape (big deal.)
>
> It knocked the handlebars off center and scratched up the STI levers, but
> they seem to be shifting OK now. I haven't checked the true on the front
> wheel but I suspect it's alright. I have my concerns about the carbon
> fiber fork's well being as it's not a material I've ridden a lot.

If you went sliding sideways, stayed with the bike and things didn't bounce
around, your fork probably didn't take much force in the crash. But you
really need to try and reconstruct things and make sure that's the case;
sometimes we don't remember everything that actually happened.

The problem with carbon forks is that damage is often very difficult to
find. Start by removing the front wheel; if you notice that the fork blades
either spring apart or are trying to squeeze the hub, it's toast. Look for
scratches that might indicate impact. Check for buzzing noises. Rotate the
bars and see if there's binding anywhere in the travel, which might indicate
a bent steer column. Trek (which produces LeMond) has a great deal of info
on taking care of carbon fiber, and telling you what to look for after a
crash, here-
http://www2.trekbikes.com/us/en/Inside_Trek/Misc/Safety_First_Carbon_Fiber_Crash_Replacement_and_Ca re_Information.php

> The rear rim is BENT. I can only assume it will have to be replaced. The
> drive train components don't seem to have even gotten scratched, don't
> know how...but I've got a lot more looking at it for tomorrow.

The drivetrain components didn't get scratched because something else took
the impact. You need to figure out how that happened, but sounds like
somehow it was the rear wheel that did more than just "slide." Did you stay
with the bike through the accident?

> At this point I'm thinking I'd like to switch to more conventional rims
> and hubs. These are gorgeous mechanical works but I don't think they're
> practical for a guy as big as me and for riding on rougher areas.

Not sure why... assuming you've had the bike for a while and the wheels have
served you well. A bent rim, even on a low-spoke-count wheel, indicates
forces at work that can only be resisted from something much heavier. It's
not spoke count that will save you, but a deep-dish rim will be stronger.
But, at the expense of weight (a fair amount of weight if you go to a
Velocity Deep-V, but the trade-off is that it will be exceptionally strong).
But again, if your present wheel served you well, it can be rebuilt;
contrary to popular opinion, the rims are available.

> So what should I look at as far as damage goes? I've crashed and burned on
> bikes before but never on such a "thoroughbred" kind of bike. If that
> makes sense.

Again, reconstruct the accident and try to figure out what actually took the
force. Sometimes that will expose things you weren't looking for originally.
But in general, there's nothing about a "thoroughbred" bike that inherently
makes it weaker in a crash. After you think you've got things figured out,
it would be a good idea to bring it into the bike shop, since they get the
opportunity to see *many* crashed bikes, and may find things you didn't.

I should also emphasize that, if your bars and shifters are mangled, you
should consider replacing the bar & perhaps even the stem, or at the very
least, the stem bolts. Failures of those components are as dangerous as any
on a bike (in general, you don't want a fork, bar or stem failure, if you
desire to stay among the living). Please don't replace a
scratched-but-functional STI lever and not replace a potentially-dangerous
but looks not-so-bad handlebar! Put your money where it counts, not so much
where it shows.

> I'm leaning towards replacing the beat up shifters with Ultegra gear,
> using Ultegra hubs and...can I fit a 10 speed gear set back there? Some
> form of Mavic rims...

No problem using 10-speed gear on your bike. Everything's standard. However,
by the time you're talking complete components set, plus rebulding the rear
wheel, plus perhaps a fork and bar... you're getting close to where an
entire new bike could make sense.

> Where/how do I go about making sure the frame is still true. I've got
> everything down to all sorts of fancy measuring gear from an engineering
> shop - I imagine a micrometer would be overkill though. I just don't want
> to be up at night thinking I bent up my baby. :)

The shop should be able to check this out, although generally it's difficult
to mangle a frame, alignment wise, and not have it show when you put in a
known-good rear wheel and sight down everything from behind. Forks are easy;
if they're out of alignment, the bike will drift to one side or the other
when riding with no hands.

> Thanks!
>
> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
> was wearing a helmet.

Someone went down on a descent on our ride yesterday morning. He didn't
impact the helmet hard, but slid on it quite a ways. It didn't save his
life, but it sure was better losing the side of the helmet rather than a
bunch of skin!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[[email protected]]

Franz Bestuchev wrote:
> I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
> crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
> side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
> handle bar tape (big deal.)
>
>> Thanks!
>
> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
> was wearing a helmet.

Did you hit your head?

[Franz Bestuchev]

Lou D'Amelio wrote:
> If I recall correctly, the 2001 BA is a steel (853) bike.

It most certainly is.

> I'm not sure
> what type of engineering equipment you have, but a quick trip to your
> LBS to check frame alignment would be cheap and eliminate any
> guesswork.

Can any bike shop do this? I'm actually in the middle of trying to get
Trek to evaluate the frame. I hadn't noted it myself, but a friend of
mine who was looking at the bike found a little hole in the weld just
below the seatpost clamp where the top tube joins in. I'm going to be
taking the bike in to the local trek dealer....so with any luck I'll get
a new frame and won't have any anxiety about having bent things up.

http://www.userealsugar.com/lemond_weld/

> Is your actual rim bent or is the wheel just out of true ?

It's *really* out of true. I figure with those Rolf rims that would
spell death. Trouble is it doesn't look like they'd be easy to match.

> Even if it's proprietary stuff, you may just have to retrue/retension
> or maybe replace a bent spoke or two.

Would this take a highly skilled shop. You mention Vecchio's...is that
the Boulder, Colorado shop you're talking about? If so, then I'll take
it there...I got my mtn bike's rear rim/hub from there on a discount
because they assembled the wrong combo of pieces or the buyer didn't
show, something like that. They gave me a good deal and it's been a good
wheel.

> If your fork has a carbon steerer, be sure to take off the stem and
> check that it isn't cracked. Probably not a bad idea to do this anyway
> even if the steerer is alloy or steel.

It does have a carbon steerer. I noticed this morning that the wheel
felt "loose". As though the cones hadn't been tightened down properly
but I didn't have the time to really isolate it. I imagine that if this
same loose feeling were present with the wheel removed then we're
talking fork damage.

> If the shifters work, I wouldn't upgrade unless you're hell-bent on 10
> speed - Ultegra have a lifespan of about 20,000 miles anyway, so just
> wear them out and get new ones when their time is up. 10 speed will
> fit, BTW.

I'm not hell-bent on Ultegra, the bike is fitted with 105 all around.
Going to 10 speed would be nice and I've heard the Ultegra shifters have
a better feel than the 105s.

The brake/shifters got a pretty good beating and are looking pretty
sorry. Are 9 speed parts still no problem getting? I'm looking for
suggestions as I think I'm going to have to replace them. I'd like
something durable and smoother (never really did like the feel of those
levers) and I'm really trying not to break the bank.

I just don't know what's compatible/available/reasonable/feasible.

> Regarding wheels, handbuillts are generally always a great choice over
> proprietary/boutique wheels, especially if you're not racing. Then, the
> saved grams/aero aspect might be worth it and the disposable nature
> becomes part of the game. Ultegra with Mavic CXP 33 would make a
> beautiful wheelset for you - maybe 36 h with brass nipples on the back
> , 14/15 and 32 h on the front, 14/15, alloy or brass nipples for a guy
> your size. Peter from Vecchio's can give some other suggestions, but
> I'm sure these are close to what he would recommend.
>
> Get back on the road soon .............Lou D'Amelio
>

Or 105's with the same rim/spoke combo? 6'4" @ 215 lbs. tends to break a
lot of stuff when it comes crashing down.

[dvt]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> The problem with carbon forks is that damage is often very difficult to
> find. Start by removing the front wheel; if you notice that the fork blades
> either spring apart or are trying to squeeze the hub, it's toast. Look for
> scratches that might indicate impact. Check for buzzing noises. Rotate the
> bars and see if there's binding anywhere in the travel, which might indicate
> a bent steer column.

Sounds like solid advice.

> Trek (which produces LeMond) has a great deal of info
> on taking care of carbon fiber, and telling you what to look for after a
> crash, here-
> http://www2.trekbikes.com/us/en/Inside_Trek/Misc/Safety_First_Carbon_Fiber_Crash_Replacement_and_Ca re_Information.php

"Note: You MUST have cookies enabled to use this web site." Do you know
any way around this? If not, can you pass the message to Trek that we
don't like cookies? I see the Gary Fisher site is the same.

>> At this point I'm thinking I'd like to switch to more conventional rims
>> and hubs. These are gorgeous mechanical works but I don't think they're
>> practical for a guy as big as me and for riding on rougher areas.
>
> Not sure why... assuming you've had the bike for a while and the wheels have
> served you well. A bent rim, even on a low-spoke-count wheel, indicates
> forces at work that can only be resisted from something much heavier.

OK, I'm with you here. A stronger wheel may not have resisted the impact
of a crash. I don't think it's sensible to use a wheel strong enough to
withstand any crash you might encounter.

> It's
> not spoke count that will save you, but a deep-dish rim will be stronger.

But I'm not with you here. I think you're saying that two wheels that
are identical with the exception of spoke count will be equally strong.
In other words, a Deep V rim on an Ultegra hub will have the same
strength if you use 24 spokes or 32. With this I don't agree.

I think you *meant* to say that a 24 spoke wheel can be just as strong
as a 32 spoke wheel if the 24 spoke wheel has a beefier rim.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

[Franz Bestuchev]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>> I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
>> crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right side
>> and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my handle bar
>> tape (big deal.)
>>
>> It knocked the handlebars off center and scratched up the STI levers, but
>> they seem to be shifting OK now. I haven't checked the true on the front
>> wheel but I suspect it's alright. I have my concerns about the carbon
>> fiber fork's well being as it's not a material I've ridden a lot.
>
> If you went sliding sideways, stayed with the bike and things didn't bounce
> around, your fork probably didn't take much force in the crash. But you
> really need to try and reconstruct things and make sure that's the case;
> sometimes we don't remember everything that actually happened.

It was a right turn, but I think the back end slid out on me. The handle
bar tape shows scratches to both side sections on the outside below the
lever. The right side being much more shredded than the scraping on the
left.

The back of my right hand is extensively road rashed on the point and
middle finger, , along the back of the hand and a large central deep
burn centrally on my wrist. The fabric along the right side of my body
was dragged along but did not tear. My right shoulder took a heavy blow.

My right cheek received a slight abrasion just under the eye and my
helmet was destroyed. It suffered an extensive scraping of the shell
from approx. parallel to the nose just up to about my side burns. About
4" in length and 3" in height. A Giro havoc, 2006 model. Initial
helmet split at the beginning of the lowest vent hole, second from
center Second helmet split vertical to the Giro logo.

My left knee received a mild abrasion but this was a "rug burn"

It's just so hard to remember, I think I just slid out and the bars went
to the side hard. I can't explain how the rear wheel got bent but I can
see where the bars went to perpendicular by the mark on the frame where
the front calipers collided with the down tube.

>
> The problem with carbon forks is that damage is often very difficult to
> find. Start by removing the front wheel; if you notice that the fork blades
> either spring apart or are trying to squeeze the hub, it's toast. Look for
> scratches that might indicate impact. Check for buzzing noises. Rotate the
> bars and see if there's binding anywhere in the travel, which might indicate
> a bent steer column. Trek (which produces LeMond) has a great deal of info
> on taking care of carbon fiber, and telling you what to look for after a
> crash, here-
> http://www2.trekbikes.com/us/en/Inside_Trek/Misc/Safety_First_Carbon_Fiber_Crash_Replacement_and_Ca re_Information.php

I'll be evaluating the front fork as soon as I get home. I did notice
this morning that the front wheel was still true, but felt loose as if
the cones hadn't been tightened properly.

>
>> The rear rim is BENT. I can only assume it will have to be replaced. The
>> drive train components don't seem to have even gotten scratched, don't
>> know how...but I've got a lot more looking at it for tomorrow.
>
> The drivetrain components didn't get scratched because something else took
> the impact. You need to figure out how that happened, but sounds like
> somehow it was the rear wheel that did more than just "slide." Did you stay
> with the bike through the accident?

My right foot never came unclipped from the pedal (Speedplay) and I
think this is the reason that there was no damage to the rear derailler.
The rear quarter of the seat did get extensively scraped. So I was "on"
the bike for the whole bucking ride.

>
>> At this point I'm thinking I'd like to switch to more conventional rims
>> and hubs. These are gorgeous mechanical works but I don't think they're
>> practical for a guy as big as me and for riding on rougher areas.
>
> Not sure why... assuming you've had the bike for a while and the wheels have
> served you well. A bent rim, even on a low-spoke-count wheel, indicates
> forces at work that can only be resisted from something much heavier. It's
> not spoke count that will save you, but a deep-dish rim will be stronger.
> But, at the expense of weight (a fair amount of weight if you go to a
> Velocity Deep-V, but the trade-off is that it will be exceptionally strong).
> But again, if your present wheel served you well, it can be rebuilt;
> contrary to popular opinion, the rims are available.

I'm just concerned about future availability and having a strong rim. I
figure that they obviously wouldn't sell low spoke count wheels if they
weren't a safe way to build a wheel. But I *haven't* spent a lot of time
on them. I was in a car wreck shortly after purchasing the bike and so
it just now is getting up to having around 500 miles on it.

>
>> So what should I look at as far as damage goes? I've crashed and burned on
>> bikes before but never on such a "thoroughbred" kind of bike. If that
>> makes sense.
>
> Again, reconstruct the accident and try to figure out what actually took the
> force. Sometimes that will expose things you weren't looking for originally.
> But in general, there's nothing about a "thoroughbred" bike that inherently
> makes it weaker in a crash. After you think you've got things figured out,
> it would be a good idea to bring it into the bike shop, since they get the
> opportunity to see *many* crashed bikes, and may find things you didn't.

By thoroughbred I'm just implying the delicate features. It's assuredly
stronger than it looks...but I'm used to the chunkiness of looking at
aluminum frames.

>
> I should also emphasize that, if your bars and shifters are mangled, you
> should consider replacing the bar & perhaps even the stem, or at the very
> least, the stem bolts. Failures of those components are as dangerous as any
> on a bike (in general, you don't want a fork, bar or stem failure, if you
> desire to stay among the living). Please don't replace a
> scratched-but-functional STI lever and not replace a potentially-dangerous
> but looks not-so-bad handlebar! Put your money where it counts, not so much
> where it shows.

The levers were having some glitches, but they were still operating the
brakes fine. It's hard to assess at the moment, the bars aren't bent.

>
>> I'm leaning towards replacing the beat up shifters with Ultegra gear,
>> using Ultegra hubs and...can I fit a 10 speed gear set back there? Some
>> form of Mavic rims...
>
> No problem using 10-speed gear on your bike. Everything's standard. However,
> by the time you're talking complete components set, plus rebulding the rear
> wheel, plus perhaps a fork and bar... you're getting close to where an
> entire new bike could make sense.

That's what I've determined from calling around, it seems as though a
new set of these levers costs a small fortune! How ridiculous. Add to
that the fact that they can't be rebuilt has me rather ****ed off with
Shimano.

>
>> Where/how do I go about making sure the frame is still true. I've got
>> everything down to all sorts of fancy measuring gear from an engineering
>> shop - I imagine a micrometer would be overkill though. I just don't want
>> to be up at night thinking I bent up my baby. :)
>
> The shop should be able to check this out, although generally it's difficult
> to mangle a frame, alignment wise, and not have it show when you put in a
> known-good rear wheel and sight down everything from behind. Forks are easy;
> if they're out of alignment, the bike will drift to one side or the other
> when riding with no hands.
>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
>> was wearing a helmet.
>
> Someone went down on a descent on our ride yesterday morning. He didn't
> impact the helmet hard, but slid on it quite a ways. It didn't save his
> life, but it sure was better losing the side of the helmet rather than a
> bunch of skin!
>

I look at how much abrasion that helmet took and I'm *really* grateful
it wasn't the side of my head instead.

[Franz Bestuchev]

wrote:
> Franz Bestuchev wrote:
>> I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
>> crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
>> side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
>> handle bar tape (big deal.)
>>
>>> Thanks!
>> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
>> was wearing a helmet.
>
> Did you hit your head?
>

Yes, it fractured the helmet.

[[email protected]]

Franz Bestuchev wrote:
> wrote:
> > Franz Bestuchev wrote:
> >> I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
> >> crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
> >> side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
> >> handle bar tape (big deal.)
> >>
> >>> Thanks!
> >> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
> >> was wearing a helmet.
> >
> > Did you hit your head?
> >
>
> Yes, it fractured the helmet.

Well, it did it's job then. Glad you're okay.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Franz Bestuchev:
>I'm VERY, VERY glad I
>was wearing a helmet.

Maybe somebody should start a web page showing trashed helmets and the stories
behind them...
--
PeteCresswell

[Hank Wirtz]

Franz Bestuchev > wrote in
:

>
> That's what I've determined from calling around, it seems as though a
> new set of these levers costs a small fortune! How ridiculous. Add to
> that the fact that they can't be rebuilt has me rather ****ed off with
> Shimano.
>

Well, then Vecchio's is probably the place to go, so Peter Chisholm can
educate you on the joys of Campy Ergopower levers. Not necessarily for
crash-resistance (although they probably are), but many other things -
rebuildability, lower price, more elegant cable routing, the list goes
on...

Get some Veloce or Centaur kit instead of the Ultegra you mentioned, and
life will be good.

Hank

[Yabba]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:49:26 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)" >
wrote:

>Maybe somebody should start a web page showing trashed helmets and the stories
>behind them...

I have a small pile of them. And a story for each.

[Franz Bestuchev]

Hank Wirtz wrote:
> Franz Bestuchev > wrote in
> :
>
>> That's what I've determined from calling around, it seems as though a
>> new set of these levers costs a small fortune! How ridiculous. Add to
>> that the fact that they can't be rebuilt has me rather ****ed off with
>> Shimano.
>>
>
> Well, then Vecchio's is probably the place to go, so Peter Chisholm can
> educate you on the joys of Campy Ergopower levers. Not necessarily for
> crash-resistance (although they probably are), but many other things -
> rebuildability, lower price, more elegant cable routing, the list goes
> on...
>
> Get some Veloce or Centaur kit instead of the Ultegra you mentioned, and
> life will be good.
>
> Hank

He pretty much sold me on replacing with Veloce if things aren't well
when I try to put the pieces together again,

[Franz Bestuchev]

wrote:
> Franz Bestuchev wrote:
>> wrote:
>>> Franz Bestuchev wrote:
>>>> I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
>>>> crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
>>>> side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
>>>> handle bar tape (big deal.)
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>> PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
>>>> was wearing a helmet.
>>> Did you hit your head?
>>>
>> Yes, it fractured the helmet.
>
> Well, it did it's job then. Glad you're okay.
>

I'm also glad it took the huge abrasion rather than me. Giro's nice
enough to have another one on the way too - spoke with them earlier.

[Werehatrack]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:32:26 -0700, Franz Bestuchev
> wrote:

>I was riding my '01 Lemond Buenos Aires today when I had a pretty good
>crash going around a corner and hitting gravel. I landed on my right
>side and tore the back of my hand up. I'm going to have to replace my
>handle bar tape (big deal.)
>
>It knocked the handlebars off center and scratched up the STI levers,
>but they seem to be shifting OK now. I haven't checked the true on the
>front wheel but I suspect it's alright. I have my concerns about the
>carbon fiber fork's well being as it's not a material I've ridden a lot.

Although this is a valid concern, carbon fork damage in my very
limited experience tends to occur most often when a bike is ridden
into a fixed object. Unless the outer surface is scarred, I doubt
that you've got anything to worry about. Watch to see if it flexes
wierdly when you next ride it; that's a sure sign that the matrix has
shattered inside.

>The rear rim is BENT. I can only assume it will have to be replaced.

If it's just taco-shaped, it may not be hopeless.

>The
>drive train components don't seem to have even gotten scratched, don't
>know how...but I've got a lot more looking at it for tomorrow.

If you fell on your left side, it would be a no-brainer; that which
does not hit the ground, isn't scarred. If you fell on your right
side, the protection was from *you*.

>At this point I'm thinking I'd like to switch to more conventional rims
>and hubs. These are gorgeous mechanical works but I don't think they're
>practical for a guy as big as me and for riding on rougher areas.

Their practicality is largely determined by the use of the bike; for
recreational and fitness riding, I have to agree with your conclusion
that more conventional rims are likely to be a better choice.

>So what should I look at as far as damage goes? I've crashed and burned
>on bikes before but never on such a "thoroughbred" kind of bike. If that
>makes sense.

Inspect the frame for places where the downtube might be kinked;
that's usually the one that shows damage first in my experience. If
there is no visible kinking, and the old string-around-the-headtube
test (from rear dropout forward, around the headtube, and back to the
other dropout) shows that the seat tube is still centered, and if the
two wheels visually line up vertically, it's unlikely that you've got
any bends to worry about.

>I'm leaning towards replacing the beat up shifters with Ultegra gear,
>using Ultegra hubs and...can I fit a 10 speed gear set back there? Some
>form of Mavic rims...

Be careful in selecting Mavics; some of them have problems with
cracking at the spoke holes.

>Where/how do I go about making sure the frame is still true. I've got
>everything down to all sorts of fancy measuring gear from an engineering
>shop - I imagine a micrometer would be overkill though. I just don't
>want to be up at night thinking I bent up my baby. :)

Scroll down to "The String Method" on this page:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

When you dump the weight off the bike, the loading decreases; if the
bike doesn't get its dainty bits jammed up against hostile surfaces,
it usually emerges relatively unscathed. My daughter's Schwinn Le
Tour sailed off of the roof rack and nose-dived on to the street once
when I hit a railroad crossing a bit too fast; it suffered nothing
more than a gash in the bar tape.

>PS: the road rash could have been a LOT worse, and I'm VERY, VERY glad I
>was wearing a helmet.

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