Commuting - My friend got hit while riding my bike

My friend recently got hit on my Raleigh road bike while riding it back to my house. It is an old bike but nothing was damaged except the rims and the tires. The guy said he would pay for repairs and gave us his number. I dont really know how to go about this, so all help is appreciated.

Thank you.

Take it to your local bike shop, and ask for a quote. Dont explain that somebody else is paying for it, or the price might go up. If the guy is good enough to pay, you dont want to rip him off.

When you have the quote, preferably on paper, give him a call.

See what happens, and take it from there.

Just my $0.02.

z

That is exactly what I did when I got hooked up on a trucks fender and dragged threw an intersection. The driver took care of everything involved in the crash no questions asked. I tried as I could to not tax his generocity and patients. I was on the wrong side of the street flying off a curb just as he pulled out, to me it was just as much my fault and I didn't push for the fix. But that was also in the 70's...

I hope someone down the road was kind to that driver when he needed it...

This might turn out well, might go to crap particularly after the repairs are made and you're trying to collect. Do you want to roll the dice?

a) your friend vs. "the guy" -- who is at fault? Did you talk to the guy or just hearsay from your friend? There will probably be some rethinking going on. Get firm commitments (writing?) and/or a report while it is still fresh.

b) who is making whom whole? Are you letting your friend out of the middle and you're going to deal with they guy? Or is your friend handling it all?

New wheels & tires (if that's really all it is, and that sound very weird) are easy to price. Strike while the iron is hot. Get this finished now.

If I was the friend I would want & expect to make you whole and I would take on the burden +/- risk of dealing with the guy.

If I was the guy I'd either be thrilled to keep this off my insurance record or I'd tell you and your friend to piss off and pay for the scratch on my fender. I wouldn't deal with you, just the operator who I "met." If you erase the damage and have no witnesses of my misdeeds, perhaps I can ignore it like it never happened. Maybe I'm honest and want to make you whole, your call, but that's only one of the eventualities.

I was on the wrong side of the street flying off a curb just as he pulled out, to me it was just as much my fault Just as much? LOL. It was totally your fault.

OP: Your friend should pay you for the repairs and see if he can collect from the driver, after all he is the one that crashed your bike. Maybe it wasn't his fault but he was still the one who was riding it when it was damaged.

If it took a hit on the rims and tires, chances are you'll need to take a look at your derailleurs and cassette. Shouldn't be too much for the driver, most of the stuff you'll be able to install yourself and it'll cut down the labor cost. My advice is to get this dealt with quickly, the last thing you want is a benefactor who isn't so keen on paying.

Sorry to hear about your bike, and I hope your friend is alright.

Just as much? LOL. It was totally your fault.

Ya can't argue that one lol... Lets just say I'm no longer that immortal kid anymore :p

Do not count on the driver willingly paying up. Expect you will have to go to his insurance, and maybe fight with them on a fair settlement. Any breaks in price you may be willing to give the driver, may result in you not getting a fair settlement.

Get 3 repair estimates for as high a price as possible. Give copies of the 2 highest to the driver. Make sure the LBS checks the frame is still aligned. Include cost of new helmet if one was worn. If the frame is scratched, as it certainly must be, include cost of repainting.

If driver does not pay right away, rent a bike while waiting for settlement check to be turned over (include an extra rental week for your after getting the check for your bike to actually get repaired). This is incentive to not drag out the payment.

If the driver pays full amount and you repair the bike for less, you can always be a good guy and return the extra money.

Lots of other threads in BFs for more information, search "insurance".

Take it to your local bike shop, and ask for a quote. Dont explain that somebody else is paying for it, or the price might go up. If the guy is good enough to pay, you dont want to rip him off.

That depends partly on why he's willing to pay; if he's just honest and/or doesn't want it going on his insurance, be nice. My cousin made a fortune off a couple of people who ran into his car and offered cash to keep him from filing a report because one didn't have insurance at all, while the other didn't even have a license. Each one willingly paid up more than that beater had cost him. I don't feel bad about those people paying more than necessary.

Me earlier post expressed some concern about you getting screwed in the end even though it's all smiles now.

The last two posts seem to be putting the shoe on the other foot and suggesting you do some screwing. I don't condone that.

We don't have any info (other than "got hit") to suggest who is right or wrong, morally or legally (which aren't always the same). There may or may not be leverage here, and it may or may not be right to use. I think and hope the OP's objective is to quickly be made whole, not to milk this.

I think the leg work and financial risk is on your friend who needs to deal with the motorist. If you are more bike savvy than your friend, then you in conjunction with the bike shop figure out what the damages really are -- is it really just two wheels or are there other things? And it might be tough to distinguish damage from existing wear & tear, but you don't rate a drivetrain upgrade out of this deal.