Good Day ST'ers,
This past weekend I was travelling home from a race here in Nevada. My Cervelo S2 was on the Thule 518 fork mount rack that I've been using for the past 1.5 years. The entire setup includes the Thule Aerobars and all Thule fitting equipment. The front clamp was securely fastened down as well as the rear strap being around the wheel correctly. I double checked the security of the bike prior to driving as I always do.
While moving at 75mph (speed limit) I heard a thump on the roof which was followed by watching my bike roll down the back of the car. I don't have any children, but I imagine my thoughts at that time were similar to watching a child fall from a great height. It bounced, danced, and shimmered its' way across the highway and into the ditch off the right shoulder. It somehow avoided the only other vehicle on the road. It also managed to not damage my own car because the seat was the only contact point while rolling off.
Upon inspection of the rack, the clamp was still in the down and locked position. The fork clamps were shifted to the right in a way that allowed enough space for the fork to slip out. The rear strap was still attached and in perfect working order which tells me that it pulled right through from the amount of force.
The bike shop confirmed that the fork and both seat stays were visually cracked. The cracks are most likely repairable and the fork would be a replacement. Here's where the story gets interesting...
My auto insurance company, Progressive, says they won't cover the damage under Comprehensive coverage because the bike is not permanently attached to the vehicle. My homeowners insurance, through Farmers, says they don't cover the damage because the vehicle was moving.
I'm currently waiting to hear back from Thule about faulty equipment coverage, but that will take days to know. I suspect that route will be difficult because proof is hard to come by. In the meantime, I have an existing race schedule that requires a speedy solution.
Please help point me in the right direction with the correct information! Thank you!
This past weekend I was travelling home from a race here in Nevada. My Cervelo S2 was on the Thule 518 fork mount rack that I've been using for the past 1.5 years. The entire setup includes the Thule Aerobars and all Thule fitting equipment. The front clamp was securely fastened down as well as the rear strap being around the wheel correctly. I double checked the security of the bike prior to driving as I always do.
While moving at 75mph (speed limit) I heard a thump on the roof which was followed by watching my bike roll down the back of the car. I don't have any children, but I imagine my thoughts at that time were similar to watching a child fall from a great height. It bounced, danced, and shimmered its' way across the highway and into the ditch off the right shoulder. It somehow avoided the only other vehicle on the road. It also managed to not damage my own car because the seat was the only contact point while rolling off.
Upon inspection of the rack, the clamp was still in the down and locked position. The fork clamps were shifted to the right in a way that allowed enough space for the fork to slip out. The rear strap was still attached and in perfect working order which tells me that it pulled right through from the amount of force.
The bike shop confirmed that the fork and both seat stays were visually cracked. The cracks are most likely repairable and the fork would be a replacement. Here's where the story gets interesting...
My auto insurance company, Progressive, says they won't cover the damage under Comprehensive coverage because the bike is not permanently attached to the vehicle. My homeowners insurance, through Farmers, says they don't cover the damage because the vehicle was moving.
I'm currently waiting to hear back from Thule about faulty equipment coverage, but that will take days to know. I suspect that route will be difficult because proof is hard to come by. In the meantime, I have an existing race schedule that requires a speedy solution.
Please help point me in the right direction with the correct information! Thank you!