Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - get ready to explode and then be nicely suprised... (long)

yesterday (28/09/04) i rode my front wheel down a 2 inch gap that had been drilled into the road on Wardour street. needless to say it trashed the surface of my rim and messed up the alignment of the wheel (along with grazing my bar tape and hands, but they are slightly less important). the area was not cordened off for about 20m which is where i had my off so i felt the rage coming over me and started thinking about compensation. unfortunately there were no workers on site so i had to wait till today to take action. and thats exacly what i did, i popped down in my lunch break and questioned one worker about the company carrying out the work, he gave me a name (couldn't remember the number.....) which i then googled and found their page with contact details. as i dialed i prepared myself to do battle with the sinister forces on the other end of the line, practising my story etc only to be greeted by a representative who immediately accepted responsibility and offered swift compensation on receipt of an itemised list of replacements.
thought i would share this to release any anger i still have over the situation and to show that sometimes big companies don't always make you fight all the way to the court to get suitable damages.

also anyone frequenting Wardour St, look out, although they have since incresed the number of cones protecting the site.

OB

That's a positive story, glad to hear all is good.

That happened to me back in the day when I used to drive a car.. there was a GIANT pothole, unmarked and I it it so hard my rims on my car bent. They cut me a check for new rims a week later with hardly any trouble at all.. makes me think maybe they have money set aside to prevent lawsuits.

Also makes me wonder if "my really expensive bike" might be running into any "huge unmarked potholes" in the near future ;)

what a huge difference between the UK and the US.
A guy in the chicagoland area died when a municipal construction
crew failed to mark that they had ripped up a bridge.

A lawsuit was filed, but lost because the state declares
that us bikers are not considered "primary users."

I don't know what the laws are for you, but
its nice to know that the construction company is taking
responsibility for their actions.

Good luck with rebuilding you & your bike.

jeff

Here in the land of Mass, you can file with the state to receive compensation should your car or bike fall prey to potholes or their ill tempered kin. Just fill out the form.

On the other hand, should you conk yourself and your bike on stray garden tools and brush while using a state maintained bike path you're on your own. You, my friend, have no expectation of suitability in that case.

YMMV.

sounds like jeff read "the immortal class", or if not, then you should.

They cut me a check for new rims a week later with hardly any trouble at all..

I hope you got "spinners."