New bike...smacked by a car...any advice appreciated

Ted John Kerry Kennedy wrote:
Get a new bicycle, go riding , run your stop signs and red lights and get
smacked for good next time.

Troll. Plonk.

Honestly, as a red-blooded American conservative, I'd advise the biker to
carry a large katana in a conspicuous place. People (cagers) tend to be
much more careful around people who they know can easily kill them/slash
the brand-new leather upholstery of their cages.

*grin*
-Andrew

* 1960s Raleigh 3-speed
* DiBlasi folding bike
* Motobecane 12-speed road bike (in pieces in the garage)

* Honda Nighthawk 550

* Volvo 240DL - for when a cage *is* really needed

At an absolute minimum, get the bike inspected by the shop you bought
it from and demand compensation for damages to your bike and your
injuries. Also get your injuries checked out. Also, if you were
wearing a helmet and it hit the ground, get it replaced.

Keep us posted on the outcome.

Colin

"SuperSlinky" wrote in message
t...
I got my new road bike from Gary Hobbs at GVH bikes Thursday. It is
(was) a beautiful burnished Cannondale Caad5 with full carbon fork,
Campy Centaur, and a high zoot Fizik Aliante saddle. Gary did a
great
job of building the bike and getting it to me in time to enjoy the
weekend with it. It rode like a dream.

All was good, until this morning commuting to work I was t-boned by
a
car running a red light. Fortunately, the young female driver was
able
to slow down enough to avoid running me over completely. I was
thrown to
the ground and so far I have only noticed a sore left elbow and very
slightly sore right knee. The bike didn't fare quite as well. She
nailed
the fork and front wheel, possibly the frame and crank on the left
side
as well. I fell over on the right side, and the visible damage
amounts
to gouges on the pedals, rear derailleur, and saddle, and a bent
front
rim.

After carrying it a mile back home, I see more ominous signs of
trouble.
I knew he bars were out of line, but then I noticed the headset felt
loose. I reset the preload on the headset to something that felt
snug
but not overly tight, and the headset still felt loose. I torqued
down
the end cap way tighter than I have ever done and most of the slop
went
away, but it seems there is still a tiny bit of slop if I lock the
front
brake and rock the bike back and forth. The drivetrain is out of
kilter
as well making lots of racket. I can try to adjust it later when I
have
the time, but there is no doubt some damage to the derailleur or
hangar.

The question is, what should I demand of the insurance company?
Visibly
the bike looks almost as good as new, but they weren't made to be
broadsided by cars. The headset situation I find unacceptable and I
suspect a cracked fork or bent head tube. It was a brand new bike,
but
now I don't completely trust its safety and certainly not its
longevity.
The drivetrain doesn't make me happy either. I'm sure I would have
eventually bent the derailleur and got the various nicks on my own,
but
in this case somebody else is liable. Should I demand a total loss
and
replacement, or will I be f'ed over by the insurance company and be
stuck with a damaged bike?

At an absolute minimum, get the bike inspected by the shop you bought
it from and demand compensation for damages to your bike and your
injuries. Also get your injuries checked out. Also, if you were
wearing a helmet and it hit the ground, get it replaced.

Keep us posted on the outcome.

Colin

"SuperSlinky" wrote in message
t...
I got my new road bike from Gary Hobbs at GVH bikes Thursday. It is
(was) a beautiful burnished Cannondale Caad5 with full carbon fork,
Campy Centaur, and a high zoot Fizik Aliante saddle. Gary did a
great
job of building the bike and getting it to me in time to enjoy the
weekend with it. It rode like a dream.

All was good, until this morning commuting to work I was t-boned by
a
car running a red light. Fortunately, the young female driver was
able
to slow down enough to avoid running me over completely. I was
thrown to
the ground and so far I have only noticed a sore left elbow and very
slightly sore right knee. The bike didn't fare quite as well. She
nailed
the fork and front wheel, possibly the frame and crank on the left
side
as well. I fell over on the right side, and the visible damage
amounts
to gouges on the pedals, rear derailleur, and saddle, and a bent
front
rim.

After carrying it a mile back home, I see more ominous signs of
trouble.
I knew he bars were out of line, but then I noticed the headset felt
loose. I reset the preload on the headset to something that felt
snug
but not overly tight, and the headset still felt loose. I torqued
down
the end cap way tighter than I have ever done and most of the slop
went
away, but it seems there is still a tiny bit of slop if I lock the
front
brake and rock the bike back and forth. The drivetrain is out of
kilter
as well making lots of racket. I can try to adjust it later when I
have
the time, but there is no doubt some damage to the derailleur or
hangar.

The question is, what should I demand of the insurance company?
Visibly
the bike looks almost as good as new, but they weren't made to be
broadsided by cars. The headset situation I find unacceptable and I
suspect a cracked fork or bent head tube. It was a brand new bike,
but
now I don't completely trust its safety and certainly not its
longevity.
The drivetrain doesn't make me happy either. I'm sure I would have
eventually bent the derailleur and got the various nicks on my own,
but
in this case somebody else is liable. Should I demand a total loss
and
replacement, or will I be f'ed over by the insurance company and be
stuck with a damaged bike?

"SuperSlinky" wrote in message
t...
I got my new road bike from Gary Hobbs at GVH bikes Thursday. It is
(was) a beautiful burnished Cannondale Caad5 with full carbon fork,
Campy Centaur, and a high zoot Fizik Aliante saddle. Gary did a great
job of building the bike and getting it to me in time to enjoy the
weekend with it. It rode like a dream.

All was good, until this morning commuting to work I was t-boned by a
car running a red light. Fortunately, the young female driver was able
to slow down enough to avoid running me over completely.

clipped

Since your bike came from GVH (online), get it to a shop that sells
Cannondales for an inspection. Charge the insurance company for the charge
from the shop, shipping, assembly, pain & suffering, lunch, dinner and a
trip to France for the '05 TDF. Don't forget the spending cash. You might as
well make a play for the woman's car, she obviously doesn't know how to
drive.

"SuperSlinky" wrote in message
t...
I got my new road bike from Gary Hobbs at GVH bikes Thursday. It is
(was) a beautiful burnished Cannondale Caad5 with full carbon fork,
Campy Centaur, and a high zoot Fizik Aliante saddle. Gary did a great
job of building the bike and getting it to me in time to enjoy the
weekend with it. It rode like a dream.

All was good, until this morning commuting to work I was t-boned by a
car running a red light. Fortunately, the young female driver was able
to slow down enough to avoid running me over completely.

clipped

Since your bike came from GVH (online), get it to a shop that sells
Cannondales for an inspection. Charge the insurance company for the charge
from the shop, shipping, assembly, pain & suffering, lunch, dinner and a
trip to France for the '05 TDF. Don't forget the spending cash. You might as
well make a play for the woman's car, she obviously doesn't know how to
drive.

"Andrew Szafran" wrote in message
...

Honestly, as a red-blooded American conservative, I'd advise the biker to
carry a large katana in a conspicuous place.

What about a wakizashi instead? A katana is just too long to be easily
carried on the bike.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Andrew Szafran" wrote in message
...

Honestly, as a red-blooded American conservative, I'd advise the biker to
carry a large katana in a conspicuous place.

What about a wakizashi instead? A katana is just too long to be easily
carried on the bike.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky wrote:

"Andrew Szafran" wrote in message
...

Honestly, as a red-blooded American conservative, I'd advise the biker to
carry a large katana in a conspicuous place.

What about a wakizashi instead? A katana is just too long to be easily
carried on the bike.

Too easy to be accused of carrying a concealed weapon.
Wear the katana across your back, they'll get the idea.
What's the big katana called, dai-katana? ;-)
For visual effect, a sheathed bokken would probably suffice.
Mitch.

Claire Petersky wrote:

"Andrew Szafran" wrote in message
...

Honestly, as a red-blooded American conservative, I'd advise the biker to
carry a large katana in a conspicuous place.

What about a wakizashi instead? A katana is just too long to be easily
carried on the bike.

Too easy to be accused of carrying a concealed weapon.
Wear the katana across your back, they'll get the idea.
What's the big katana called, dai-katana? ;-)
For visual effect, a sheathed bokken would probably suffice.
Mitch.

Too easy to be accused of carrying a concealed weapon.
Wear the katana across your back, they'll get the idea.
What's the big katana called, dai-katana? ;-)
For visual effect, a sheathed bokken would probably suffice.
Mitch.

Or how about a full-length Indonesian machete mounted on your bike?
have a look at techtip 16 for how to mount it:
http://www.wildasia.net/main/article.cfm?articleID=97

flaps.