I see Slowtwitch hasn't changed at all in the 5 years since I last posted .... //

Well since you have been gone, most of us get the subtle humor in others posts. Welcome back, if indeed you are back. Grab a seat and some popcorn and lets get busy... (-;

I paid $598 to ship my bike to Kona this year with Tri Bike Transport. Three weeks ago, after seeing this thread, I filed a claim online with my credit card company, today I saw a $598 credit on my credit card.
It was simple to file the claim. Presumably everyone else who paid for a future bike shipment should be able to do the same thing, with the same results. Now I can spend $598 on a bike case.

I filed with my bank as well this week. Haven't heard back yet. Fingers crossed.

I dropped them an email late last week after the article about the bikes being released. The response was an auto reply saying this account is "currently not being monitored"

A local NBC affiliate picked up on the story, and got a little involved in it:



-Steve

Every person who had a bike held hostage, at the very least, should let Travelers quote their insurance at the next renewal................

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

How much time between you making the reservation/ CC being charged and your CC company giving you the credit back? I tried this with AMX but because I made the 2024 Kona reservation in 2022, it was way outside their refund/ investigation window.

Agreed!! As the owner of one of the bikes held hostage, I agree...I am VERY thankful for all of those who fought for me and my bike both infront and behind the curtain!!

I made my reservation in October 2023. So it seems like my experience isn't any help for yout situation.

So the contract says Horizon can keep any cargo as collateral. Well, what does Tribike care, it's not their bikes that are being held hostage. They got paid, to them that's all that mattered. They have no stake in the cargo, that's someone else's property.

I never thought I'd say this about an insurance company, but kudos to Travelers for stepping up!

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Great things never come from comfort zones.

Well, what does Tribike care, it's not their bikes that are being held hostage. They got paid, to them that's all that mattered. They have no stake in the cargo, that's someone else's property.//

Of course they care, and all that mattered? This whole episode put them out of business. Of course it was a long time coming, but this was the event that put it over the top and a place they could not come back from. And I dont believe for one second they thought bikes could be held hostage, certainly that was what was up for debate here before Traveller stepped in. And from the looks of it, even it so, it was just some states where this could happen, CA being one of them...

it seems like $$ was all that mattered. They saw the writing on the wall and continued to take reservations and fees for future events and then not returning them when they could not continue. To me, that seems like a money grab. Per the contract, they knew the cargo could be held as collateral, but it wasn't their belongings. So if you're going out of business, there's no incentive to fight for it to be returned. But hey, I could be wrong.

So if you're going out of business, there's no incentive to fight for it to be returned. But hey, I could be wrong.//

Who do you think got the deal going with Traveller, not the tv station as they claimed...Perhaps they gave it a push in the end, but that was a tribike transport policy, so makes sense they were the ones that activated it...

Every single day you own a business you are fighting to survive. While I'm sure honestly mistakes were probably made. I would never assume that the owners didnt think they could make it work. These are good people that ran this company not a hedge fund.

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E-DUB
Chief Janitor @Slowtwitch
Life is short. Dont be mad all the time.

I'll reserve that judgement until I see them giving people their money back for 2024 reservations that, in my opinion, they absolutely took in bad faith......

They knew they owed $300K+, and those early season reservations weren't gonna cover it...........

I refuse to believe that it was done in bad faith. While I don't know the principals of Tribike Transport, they ran a very needed service to us in the triathlon community for quite a few years and are now eating their hats because of it. Likely financially ruined for a long time to come possibly due to poor management, but more likely due to signs of the times and an unsustainable business model.

No, I don't think they were taken in bad faith...they were taken out of hope that the ship would somehow right itself with better times...

I don't hold any animosity towards any of the parties involved.

...and my bike was one of the 180 held "hostage"...

"Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fills up first."

I do hold animosity.....toward one party.

The front page article about Oceanside origins more aligns with what I would consider good people...

Give to the world what you would like returned to you...

I watched something on Youtube Tuesday that showed how one of the racers put in a request for help from a news channel (maybe channel 4). They did a piece on it-He got his bike back and they were being available to others. It kinda seemed like the news channel was taking credit for getting this resolved. The lawyer for Horizon gave props to Travelers for eating the cost of TBT's unpaid dues. It also mentioned at the end that both Horizon and Travelers could sue TBT-but nothing has happened yet.

Just thought it was interesting to see it finally hit the news.

Yep, I also saw that video yesterday. Also yesterday, I arranged to have my bike shipped back to me, and should be back in my possession by or around the middle of this month. So, assuming that my bike does eventually get to me in one piece, this tale will reach a happy ending soon.

check out the separate thread on bike cases.
I didn't want to be without my bike for 3 weeks prior to Kona, so I took it in my Scicon bag. MANY of these bags at the kona airport, way too many to count. I am now at the point where I am totally fine flying with my bike. just have to pick airlines that count a bike bag as a regular bag as long as you make weight..

the news folks pretty shamelessly took ALL the credit. in fact, it was mostly marc working behind the scenes, SCMI, and as regards that final part where it gets shipped back to you NC to you it as bikeflights and, perhaps some others who will... ah... remain nameless ;-)

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Nothing beats the spiritual lecture from someone who, ultimately was made whole.
Got the service they paid for and, admittedly not even remotely under ideal circumstances, got their bike returned.

FTW.

No, I don't think they were taken in bad faith...they were taken out of hope that the ship would somehow right itself with better times...

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I think it’s unfortunate this whole episode has ended this way. I think you have to work in good faith when you’re in middle of this type of issue and likely TBT didn’t in that aspect (warning that giving money for ‘24 race may not happen so give at your own peril). I still to this day don’t understand how this all went wrong. Did the not account for the tariff tax correctly? Do they try and run around the taxes etc. it baffles me how you run out of money, for a service that pretty much many triathletes willingly pay for. What 200 bikes went to Spain? That’s $100k brought in if not more. I’m not saying they were living the kings life because I know in the “off season” things would get tight and they would offer other delivery services to keep biz going.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that we were trading trite sayings that we felt applied to the situation...