Insurance claim
After the near euphoria of completing the Sportive the Sunday before last I was brought down to earth rather suddenly as my wife drove out of the Dover Street car park in Canterbury, wiping my Focus Cayo Expert off the roof of the car with the height restrictor as she went.
The good news is that it was a fairly high height restrictor which was only attached at one end meaning that the collision with my bike lifted the bar up and over my brother-in-law's carbon Bianchi which survived completely!!! Lucky git!!!
The damage to my bike, on the face of it looks minimal as the roof rack system seems to have collapsed rather than the bike. The damage was restricted to a cracked saddle, three bubbles in the laquer about the size of 5p pieces down the top of the seat stay before it splits round the rear wheel and more worryingly a 2 inch split or crack along the underside of the main tube where the bike racks clamp was positioned. Obviously this must have been caused as the bike was forced out of the clamp thus squeezing the tube.
My question to you guys is, does anyone have experience of claiming for damage like this to a carbon frame on house contents insurance (the bike was specifically noted on the policy) and is there likely to be any dispute as to the viability of the frame?
Due to the split in the main tube I have no confidence in the frame and there is no way I could bring myself to ride it on the open road but is the insurance company likely to offer much resistance to my request for a new frame?
The good news is that it was a fairly high height restrictor which was only attached at one end meaning that the collision with my bike lifted the bar up and over my brother-in-law's carbon Bianchi which survived completely!!! Lucky git!!!
The damage to my bike, on the face of it looks minimal as the roof rack system seems to have collapsed rather than the bike. The damage was restricted to a cracked saddle, three bubbles in the laquer about the size of 5p pieces down the top of the seat stay before it splits round the rear wheel and more worryingly a 2 inch split or crack along the underside of the main tube where the bike racks clamp was positioned. Obviously this must have been caused as the bike was forced out of the clamp thus squeezing the tube.
My question to you guys is, does anyone have experience of claiming for damage like this to a carbon frame on house contents insurance (the bike was specifically noted on the policy) and is there likely to be any dispute as to the viability of the frame?
Due to the split in the main tube I have no confidence in the frame and there is no way I could bring myself to ride it on the open road but is the insurance company likely to offer much resistance to my request for a new frame?
"Cycling never gets easier,
You just go faster!" - said some bloke called Greg
You just go faster!" - said some bloke called Greg
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Comments
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the insurers are likely to seek expert opinion before they declare the bike a write-off. They are likely to appoint an expert at their own expense, but you may like to have your LBS on your side in case of dispute.
You may be able to buy back components at a good price from the insurers as they will want to dispose of the 'salvage'.
Good luck.0
