The Worst Thing that has Ever Happened

rockmonster

rockmonster

Eternal Beginner
Oh my god.

My newish (6 months old) bike rack just broke and dumped my BRAND NEW $2500 bike on the interstate, on the way home from picking it up from the bike shop. Its banged up pretty good. I don't want to post too many details here on the net just yet, because I want to give the manufacturer a chance to fix the situation before I bad mouth them.

Bike shop says it will be maybe $100 to fix the mechanical problems. Its a miracle that things weren't worse... I fear that there might be problems that we havn't discovered yet. Cosmetic problems are probably permanent.

Any chance I can get the rack manufacturer to replace the whole thing? Or at least cover all the damage? It is one of the major manufacturers.
 
that blows man. happened to my bro in law once. i almost lost a surfboard this year but i lucked out. i hope the bike is still rideable.
 
I think you should reach out to them for sure. Take some pictures of the failed part to send to them, since I'd imagine their first question will be if the rack was properly installed. Also take some pictures of the damage to the bike.

Sounds like you surely have the right attitude though. Contact them and calmly explain what happened. I would imagine that a rack that was near new would still be under warranty, and one would think that the resultant bike damage would become part of the warranty claim. Did you by chance buy the rack from the same shop as the bike, because if you did, and they are a dealer for the rack Mfr. you might want to ask if they could potentially help out with regard to the rack Mfr.

Good luck...hopefully this thread ends with a glowing praise post about how awesome the rack company was in dealing with this!:popcorn:
 
To put it in plain English - the express terms of the warranty on the rack almost certainly limit your rights to replacement of the broken rack parts. Most warranties are written this way. Though it is obvious that a broken BIKE RACK will almost certainly result in damage to the BIKE it was carrying, manufacturers are generally permitted to insulate themselves from liability for the "consequences" of the part failure. That being said, some manufacturers will go further as a matter of public relations so try to sob a little over the phone when you call. That appears to be your only hope.
 
It's a long shot but does your auto insurance possibly cover any of it? Or as crazy as it sounds possibly even your homeowners insur? I once had something covered under that I would never have thought would apply.
Sorry man, just trying to help.
 
rockmonster said:
Did you ask the rack manufacturer to cover anything? What did they do?
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for the surfboard? nothing happened (thankfully).

i hadn't checked my towers for a long time and they worked themselves pretty loose. totally my bad. if anything real bad happened, everything woulda been my fault anyway. i lucked out and the board had no dings and managed to stay on the car until i stopped. but i have heard stories like yours. check mtbr, there might be a few threads floating around on there about this.

but now i check my towers/feet almost OCD style whenever i drive. PSA: if anyone reading this has a roof rack and hasn't checked their non-factory installed roof rack in a while, just give it a look over if you haven't in a while. it might have worked itself loose.
 
RNG1 said:
It's a long shot but does your auto insurance possibly cover any of it? Or as crazy as it sounds possibly even your homeowners insur? I once had something covered under that I would never have thought would apply.
Sorry man, just trying to help.
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Auto will not. Homeowners may indeed cover the bike if the rack mfr. cant be convinced to help out some...
 
RNG1 said:
It's a long shot but does your auto insurance possibly cover any of it? Or as crazy as it sounds possibly even your homeowners insur? I once had something covered under that I would never have thought would apply.
Sorry man, just trying to help.
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Some people would be surprised with what may be covered under some homeowners' policies. But talk to your agent before making a claim. My agent has advised me that claims like this will end up costing you more in the long run.

I feel your pain on this one. Your heart must have literally stopped when you realized the bike fell off!
 
Great point ESQ. be careful with a homeowners claim...you may get zapped with a premium increase that costs you more in the long run...
 
clarkenstein said:
check mtbr, there might be a few threads floating around on there about this.
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Thanks for the tip. I found A TON of people there who had similar problems, all with tragic consequences. Seems like this is a common problem. One of the posts mentioned receiving $1400 for damage to their bike. Hope is not lost...
 
i know you dont wanna speak much about the details but was it a part that actually broke on the rack or just like fell off?
 
Yea, what exactly happened? Was it a roof/trunk/hitch rack? Did something break, come loose, fall off?
 
743power said:
Yea, what exactly happened? Was it a roof/trunk/hitch rack? Did something break, come loose, fall off?
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It is a hitch rack, and it has rubber straps that hold the frame on. One of the two rubber straps physically broke, leaving the other strap to hold the entire bike by itself. That strap somehow came disconnected under the force of a twisting bike.
 
Sircrashalot said:
Auto will not. Homeowners may indeed cover the bike if the rack mfr. cant be convinced to help out some...
Click to expand...

Yep. When I moved to Jersey, I specifically asked my insurance agent about bikes being covered. They are NOT covered under auto insurance because they aren't "part of your car." They are, however, covered in full under homeowner's or renter's insurance (less your deductible). I have no idea what impact this may have on your premium though. It certainly would be worth looking into before you make a claim.

Assuming that your rack was installed correctly and not abused, I would certainly ask the manufacturer what their policy is. From there, I would pursue some type of reimbursement. If they completely stonewall you, you may be able to pursue them through the legal system, but that may end up being more trouble and cost than its worth. Hopefully, it can all be sorted out without dragging in your insurance company or any lawyers.

I'm interested to know what happened and what rack it was. I'm in the middle of looking for a new rack setup. If you could PM me what it was and a very brief synopsis of what went down, I'd appreciate it. If you still want to hold out, its no big deal.
 
rockmonster said:
It is a hitch rack, and it has rubber straps that hold the frame on. One of the two rubber straps physically broke, leaving the other strap to hold the entire bike by itself. That strap somehow came disconnected under the force of a twisting bike.
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Just saw this... you might be in trouble because this could be argued as a "wear and tear" item that should be inspected prior to every use. They sell replacement straps I'm sure and if they're questionable - they should be replaced. I would certainly try to get any reimbursement that you can from the manufacturer, but I think it may be difficult with just a broken strap.

Also, dont worry about PMing me about it... I have one of these type of racks and I hate it - hence my looking for a new setup.
 
Sorry for your loss. I once (ok twice) damaged a bike on a low overhang. Thankfully the damage was minor. I nearly threw up in my lap the last time. The crunch above my head was sickening. :drooling:
 
So did the bike just skid off the road? No other cars behind you had to swerve? I have just always wondered what that moment is like, hearing that noise and what you see behind you.

That really sucks. But thanks for posting your story. This stuff makes me paranoid and now i will have to start checking my set-up more.
 
That blows! Sorry to hear.
It is my worst nightmare!!
Every time I drive with the bike I keep checking the rear view mirror every 5 mins as if my powerful sight will keep it from falling off.😉
I hope you get something to compensate your loss.
 
My experience: Neither HO nor Auto insurance covered the rack, as it was considered an accessory; accessories are excluded from my policy. The bike and damage to the car were covered by HO and auto insurance, after deductibles.

I did not read through the whole thread, but I am curious if the manufacturer will cover replacement if you installed the rack yourself, as opposed to a dealer.
 
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