Legal action is underway after a carbon fibre fork came apart because it was faulty and caused the death of a cyclist out training. Jonathan Weatherley, a 43-year-old British club cyclist and architect, was fatally injured during the incident last August (Photo: Cycle Club Sudbury. Homepage photo is generic file photo of ambulance)
A cyclist died on a training spin after the faulty front fork on his bike came apart and threw him onto the road causing fatal injuries, an inquest into his death has concluded.
Jonathan Weatherley, a 43-year-old British club cyclist and architect by profession, died last year on a quite country road when he was out training alone in Twinstead, Essex.
The Cycle Club Sudbury member was riding a Kinesis Racelight TK2 bike and the Racelight T Carbon Fork 2003-2009 that came apart was recalled by UK supplier Upgrade Bikes after Weatherley’s death on August 23rd last year.
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His bike computer showed he had been cycling apparently without incident until 2pm, when the crash occurred after his forks failed.
He was not found on the road until 3.40pm when a passer-by saw him and rang 999.
Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a narrative verdict at the inquest, which describes how a person died rather than apportioning blame to any party.
“Jonathan Weatherley probably applied braking through his front brakes for an unknown reason,” she said at the conclusion of the inquest on Wednesday.
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“This caused the bonding between the carbon-fibre blades and aluminium fork crown to fail.
“The bonding material hadn’t adequately bonded the two components. Jonathan Weatherley died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the incident.”
While Upgrade Bikes supplied to the UK market the frame and fork the victim was using when he crashed, it did not sell him the bike and does not manufacture any parts.
It has not sourced the specific fork involved in the incident since 2009.
The company last October recalled about 2,000 forks, though only 246 had been returned to date, the inquest in Essex was told.
“They don’t manufacture the item,” Upgrade Bike’s solicitor Steven North told the inquest. “They import it from abroad and sell it in the UK.”
The dead man’s parents Stephen and Angela Weatherley described him as “a much-loved and cherished son and brother”. They said his greatest passion was his bike.
“He is very dearly missed by all and we hope that we can put something back into cycling to remember him,” the family said in a statement.
“We are thankful to the coroner and support her narrative verdict. We hope that this does not happen to another family as it has been devastating.”
Legal firm Leigh Day, representing the Weatherley family, confirmed legal action was being taken by the family against a number of entities involved in the supply chain of the faulty fork.
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