Doge

Unrelated to racing...I (me, not kid) did this. I actually think it will greatly improve my fitness. About the price of the highest priced bicycles.

TMonk

So I learned recently that LA Legion and KHS/Elevate A squads will not be at Tour de Murrieta next weekend. There is some big USA Crits Air Force/Armed Forces race that will draw away a lot of Pro talent. I am seriously stoked about that.

With the form that I have, if we can get a couple of the other good SDBC elites to go and some more supporting riders, we might actually be able to do something. There are a few of us that can get up the road and drive it.

Make amateur racing great again!!!

Doge

I realize I'm being somewhat hypocritical as now my kid is not on LUX/any team he's at the receiving end. Then as juniors they had no other choice. And they also stopped doing most local junior races so as not the create bad feelings. When there is a choice, I think it rather poor form to bring a team to local events. Then again, there are not many pro crit options and they are a crit team. I do like the 1,2,3 option vs P,1,2. I see more of those. Likely I'll be watching in Murrieta too. I need a place to ride my bike to - the big black one above. Kid can drive his car.

TMonk

Yeah, I'm hoping it's a lower case "P" in the P/1/2 at TdM, so to speak. I'm hopeful that it might be the case, and we may actually leave our mark on the race.

The circuit race, that is. On the crit day (Saturday), I'm doubling up and racing M35+ 1-4 then the pro crit. In the P/1/2, I'll just be cruising along, unless one of my buddies wants me to do something, then I will with whatever legs I have left. I'm sort of excited too about trying to get into a break in the master's race. I have the legs to attack and I know who to look out for (Tintsman, et. al) so will be metering my efforts accordingly.

big john

Enthalpic

Surgery is done.

Getting a nerve block instead of GA was nice. Walked out feeling fine right after.

TMonk

Sounds like it went smoohtly, glad to hear Enthalpic. What is a nerve block? Is that local anesthetic?

Enthalpic

They stuck a needle into my shoulder that made my entire arm numb and unable to move. Like local, but numbs entire nerve branches, not just the nearby tissue.

Block is wearing off... they gave me tramadol which I've never had before.

gsteinb

careful on that stuff....it's sweet! Pro cyclists would take it because it has euphoric effects with the pain killing. I guess the rumor was the Sky would use it for the end of hill stages. I liked crashing just to get that stuff.

Enthalpic

I feel pretty good.

It apparently hits the NDMA receptor a bit and acts as SNRI.

himespau 

Trying to figure out the ethics of bike repair/replacement after being hit by a car. So far, the insurance hasn't been involved (though I did file a police report), though that might change as I'm going to the doctor tomorrow because it's been 10 days and my back is still sore and stiff - I have decent health insurance, so I don't know how that all works. The policeman who reported to the seen said he wasn't going to file a report unless we asked him to do so because we couldn't work it our ourselves. At the time, I thought the only problem was my rear rim and spokes would need replacing as it was a very low speed rear-ending.

My powertap wheel got crushed (hub flange bent so no rebuilds), my crank apparently got bent (according to one of the 2 shops), and the rear triangle got bent out of alignment. Since it was a 30-year old handbuilt Italian frame (top of the line at the time SLX frame pro team replica), 10 speed campy triple components, and powertap wheel, none of that is replaceable with new. If I want a new crankset, that means going to 12 speed and whole new group. Since powertap hubs aren't made anymore, replacing with new means new wheel and a new powermeter. They included in their estimate new, custom steel frame (custom because it was such an unusual piece and because it was 64x60 geometry). So you can imagine, both estimates are getting into serious money. I have no idea how much I put into the bike to begin with, but the frame was used, and few of the high ticket components were new. On the other hand, I did spend lots and lots of hours finding just the right frame and components and building it up exactly to suit me. The almost $10k estimate I got today just seems like a lot (I know, not that an insurance company would give all that to me).

The thing is, the cop suggested we try to work things out without involving insurance if the driver could pay cash. I see similar (maybe some aren't quite as nice, but similar) quality framesets in decent condition on eBay for $800-2000. I see powertap wheels (that sellers claim work) for $500. I could probably find a triple crankset (or maybe just replace the chainrings) for cheaper than a whole new group. Even if I paid a shop to transfer all the parts over, it'd be a lot cheaper than the estimates quoted. I could suggest that as an alternative if the driver wants to pay cash (and probably end up with a functioning bike faster), but I don't want to suggest it's an option and then have her involve the insurance and have them try to go that way after knowing I suggested it because there'd be a fair bit of my time spent finding the right used replacements and making sure they'd work, and I'm sure it'd take the insurance a while to pay me, so it'd be an issue of me buying now with my money and waiting a while for a check (or waiting with no bike for a while for a check to buy the stuff).

I am casually acquainted with a frame builder who said he might be wiling to take a look at the frame and see if it was possible to cold set it back into alignment without damage - the shop I talked to today was concerned about metal fatigue and the carbon fork (even though I was rear ended and the fork wasn't involved) and said I should consider the frame trashed. I do love the frame and would be sad to see it go, but am leery of spending more time and money getting the bike to him, and then having him to an estimate if it doesn't result in anything.

himespau 

Ooh, fun. Time for some techno and fuzzy things to touch?

TMonk

Screw that cop and screw that guy that hit you. And by the guy - I mean his insurance. He does have auto insurance right? If so, its not sweat off his back, milk it. Take your bike to the shop and get a quote for everything that is damaged at full MSRP value, current year if what you own isn't available for purchase new anymore. You can do that leg work yourself if you don't have a great relationship with your LBS.

I've done this dance a couple times and this is my MO - get it all paid out at full value if it is unrideable or unsafe to ride. I have a racer buddy who is an accident attorney and according to him, most insurance companies will pay you out and not even think about the cost if it is below $10k - like "here's your check, now sign this liability waiver and get lost."

Your cost out of pocket isn't a factor in this equation. It's about replacement with the same at full price, or a reasonably close alternative. Like you, I've sourced most of my stuff through some sort of team or buddy discount, so financially this has usually worked in my favor.

himespau 

Yeah, well actually it's a little old lady, and, while she does have insurance, there's a part of me that doesn't want her to get kicked off of it (and another part that just wants this done fast - more likely to be the case if I can just get her to buy something). On the other hand, the longer this takes the more annoyed I am with the whole thing.

big john

Friend was riding with his wife and got a flat. While working on it his wife set her bike down on the shoulder of the road, there was no curb. Guy comes by in a pickup and runs over her bike. Driver is apologetic and promises to take care of it and gives his insurance info.
Later my friend calls the guy after he locates a used Roubaix and tells him the price. Guy freaks out and says he's not paying because the bike was "parked illegally".
My friend calls the guy's insurance company and they are eager to resolve it and cut him a check right away. There weren't even any injuries.

Seems to me if there are potential injuries they would be wanting to pay for the bike and get it over with. My ex and I were in her car and got rear-ended at low speed. No injury and a little cosmetic damage to the car. Adjuster came and looked at the car and they gave us a check which was very generous.

himespau 

Yeah, it sounds like I should just call her insurance. Maybe forward the most recent quote first so that she sees the ~$10k estimate and knows why I'm going to them.

big john

I hope your back is ok.

gsteinb

This is a primer in what not to do, and why cyclists remain second class citizens.

wktmeow

Go through insurance. Get a new bike and get your back checked out.

TMonk

Well, yeah, that isn't nice. But she has insurance for a reason and maybe she shouldn't be driving if she is going around hitting things. Her getting kicked off her insurance is a bigger ethical dilemma regarding the way insurance companies work in this country, but I'm not trying to make this overly political.

This isn't between you and the old lady. It's between you and her insurance company. The last time this happened to me, there was no beef between me and the guy (who was in a work truck). I told him I felt mostly OK, but I had to call the cops to get a report filed for insurance purposes, nothing personal. The cops asked me if I was interested in pressing charges against the guy, absolutely not, it was an honest accident. In fact, the guy even gave me a ride to work (I was commuting).

The cop didn't want you to involve insurance because it creates more work for him. It's totally self serving for him to ask you to settle it personally. So my perspective is like, ok do your job, I pay taxes, and to the insurance company, now it's time to collect something back from the continual dues they are getting from us (collectively).

topflightpro

My neighbor hit me a few years ago. She rolled a stop sign and hit me at a slow speed. I never hit the ground, but the rear wheel was trashed. I offered for her to replace just the rear wheel out of pocket, she said she'd rather let her insurance cover it. Insurance required an itemized report from a shop, who found that my frame was also cracked. A $200 repair turned into replacing a bike.

I also spoke with a police officer, who held on to the report in case I had any trouble getting compensation for the repair.

The insurance company wanted to give me a check for what they thought was a comparable bike (~$5k), but they would take my bike with them that day. I didn't want that because I did not want to give up my SRM or CK hubs. I countered with replacing just the frame and repairing the wheel. They gave me MSRP plus tax for the latest frameset (~$3500) and the cost to replace the rim and spokes. In fact, the insurance person was ready to print me a check on the spot and was happy to pay less than what they planned.

Get what you need to make you whole again.

himespau 

Yeah, I get that. I just feel like an opportunist in that it's a bike that I probably only have $3k in frame and components on it (and some of the components are salvageable), and the tops are quoting $6-10k to replace it. Sure the frame and most of the components aren't replaceable with new anymore, but it just seems greedy.

I think that's the mindset that I need to get into.

himespau 

I hit my "trying to be accommodating" breaking point this morning when I went to the doctor and they said, "we're not sure your health insurance is going to cover this because it was a car accident". Agree with TMonk about not wanting to get political, but our system is messed up. Enthalpic 's treatment for the win.

So I wrote the driver and was like, "here's the bike repair/replacement estimate, I had to go to the doctor and get x-rays and got referred to the back pain clinic, so I'm out of pocket for a lot of estimates and copays. Should I contact your insurance to get the ball rolling or are you going to do it?" I probably should have just contacted them and left her out of it, but I didn't want it to be a shock after we'd said that we'd try to resolve it without involving them to suddenly having the insurance up in it.

TMonk

I'd have just told her that I was going to contact her insurance. Letting her know is a nice gesture. But, I don't think anyone who is insured would want to pay out of pocket for all of that, barring any sketchy stuff on their end.

Hopefully the claims process isn't to painful, and most of all, that you are healthy and OK. Be patient with it but don't settle for less than what you deserve. Make sure to account for any and every cent of expenditure that you incur. For the bike stuff, again make sure it's at full MSRP value for new.

Hopefully this isn't too painful, literally and figuratively.

wktmeow

insurance companies are not suffering. They take plenty of money from you and me and everyone else. I wouldn't feel too bad about getting more than its worth from them.