dgasmd

Often you see threads here about crashing and not being able to replace the broken bike parts, which is also followed by "don't buy it if you can't afford to replace it". However, the part never mentioned much is the other financial hits because of lost income, which in my mind is always far greatter. At least the potential is. I crashed back in january, had a couple cracked ribs and a crushed carbon wheel along with a few other broken parts totaling about $1500. I was ok and ultimately it is all I cared about. I had pain, but I was able to go to work the next day. Another guy I ride with sometimes crashed in the spring. No health insurance and a very displaced collar bone later he sat at home with no pay for 8 weeks. Husband and father of 5 that works driving a truck and doing heavy lifting. At 11 weeks can barely lift 20 lb, so he gets one of the orthopods we ride with to write him a release to go back to work: job was already filled by someone else, so unemployed in this crappy economy he goes. Heart breaking to say the least. Yesterday, that same orrhopod mentioned above crashes badly breaking his shoulder, 4 ribs, has a fractured vertebrae, and a hemothorax. Now sitting in the hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow or so. In lost revenue he is likely to say good bye to a good $150k over the next 2-3 months while still having all the overhead expenses of office, manager, nurses, secretary staff, etc. It gets to astronomical figures quickly.

Thinking of all this is not hard to understand why everybody thinks we are r******** at best to be riding bikes. Moral of the story and post: take care of yourselves and be careful because nobody else will after the fact!!!!

tuxbailey

I feel bad for your truck driver friend, but I have to question someone who has to help support a family (rather large one too) in doing this activity without adequate insurance.

I get that not everyone has disability insurance, but not health insurance? Not to mention life insurance.

patentcad

I just got done paying off the $2,000 ER bill from the hospital. I crashed in May, our health insurance blows on the low end (high deductible co-pay), so I've been paying that off since my Nyack Ride crash last Spring. On the other hand once our out of pocket hits like $5K they pay 100% of everything with no ceiling. Kind makes you hope you'll get a complicated near-terminal disease at times, but then you think it through.

All that for an ambulance ride, a CT scan, a doctor telling me 'you didn't get a concussion' (yeah, whatever you say Doc, I lost consciousness for ten minutes and then had nausea and headaches for a week). They wanted to stitch up my head and I told them to bite me. I like the little scar anyway.

logdrum

Looks like we have the same plan.

Sucks for the driver. I am sure it will be a hard sell to his wife to ride again.

merlinextraligh

AFLAC, or more seriously, an appropriate disability insurance policy is the answer.

Given that most people cannot afford to absorb the loss of their ability to earn income for a substantial period of time, most everyone needs disability insurance, whether they ride a bike or not.

Thus insuring yourself against the loss of income (as well as having medical coverage) is vastly more valuable than insuring the bike.

You can typically get it written up to 60% of your income. And if you buy with after tax dollars the benefit is not taxed, so 60% of your income comes close to making you whole.

dgasmd

The simple answer is he truly couldn't afford it. Many of us are too removed from the needs of people like that. He simply couldn't afford the cost, and because he is relatively you g (36) and healthy he was "hoping" nothing happens. I would say it was stupid not having it if he could pay for it, but he simply couldn't.

Too many people rely on the false sense of security insurance offers. Short term disability is a waste due to the cost and chances of using it. If you afford it, you are far better off putting 3 months worth of expenses away and not having it at all. Long term disability does not usually kick in for 3 months at least in most plans I know of. I have health insurance too, but it has a $5600 deductible tha gets met yearly. It also costs an arm and a leg on premiums. I am just glad I can afford it for now.

Doohickie

Then maybe he shouldn't have been riding.

Snapperhead

So TUFF!

Yaniel

Right now, I'm just an undergrad student so a bad crash on bike won't put me in too bad of a spot. I do have insurance though, and at most I'd get a couple of incomplete that i'd have to make up the following semester. But as soon as I hit law school, I'll be switching from fast group rides and the occasional crit, to solo rides and TT's when I have time. I don't want to risk anything by that point. After that, I'll see what I do.

Yaniel

so he should sit at home watching tv and drinking beer and instead of crashing a bike, he dies of heart disease by 45?

slims_s

Wow, i've got to say that we are in a good situation in this aspect here in Argentina.

Having medical insurance is obligatory for any person working legally, it's automatically deducted from your salary. Firing a person while on medical license? You sue the hell off them and will win. And usually the company (or group) that gives you the medical insurance offers you disability and life insurance for pretty cheap.

kimconyc

My crash in May cost me around $2,500, that was with insurance (no other hospital expenses, high deductible co-pay). I had no concussion but they did all the tests to the 9's.

Yes, I could have spend the money on better things, like saving time and creating value, or just blowing it on some CF tubulars.

But the way I look at it is not what the real cost of crashes are, but what the real cost of sanity is. Sanity--and physical health--are priceless.

mrbUSA

Really? If hard times/luck hit the fan, would this actually be a better solution?

urbanknight

I thought about this a few years back when a teammate crashed at the Torrance Crit. Being a chiropractor, he was put out of work for a few weeks while his collar bone healed. I have roll over sick pay that adds up, good health insurance, and a job I can do (for the most part) in a wheel chair if need be. These things (as well as others) were in fact considered when I chose my profession.

Sucks to be the driver mentioned in the OP. I wouldn't go so far as to say the guy shouldn't have been riding. Everybody has to make their own choices and risks given the resources they have. During the 6 months I had no health insurance, I avoided risky activities, although not everything can be avoided.

Carbon Unit

Do most crashes occur while racing? I have never crashed, but then I don't race. I do solo training rides and one group ride per week but I do not ride in a tight formation. I ride for two reasons: to improve my fitness; and because it more fun than standing on a treadmill at the gym.

graphs

I'm thankful everyday that we have free health care in this country. You get sick or hurt, you get taken care of. Period. I think it's criminal the hardship some people have to go through because of illness south of the border.

Yaniel

in my opinion, you're much more likely to crash in a race or a fast group ride where you're riding close than riding solo.

kimconyc

Crashing is not an illness (for most), being a bike weenie is, however. You have no idea of the suffering.

tuxbailey

I don't think people are saying that he shouldn't ride. The question is whether he could afford to ride since he is a father of 5. If the goal is exercise, then riding a stationary bike or maybe even riding a hybrid in a park would achieve similar result. But as most in this forum know, riding a road bike at 20+ mph speed does have its own risks.

This is always an individual decision. It is different for someone with no dependents riding without insurance vs. someone who has a family depending on the income.

botto 

what a cheerful post.

M_FactorX19

Saying he shouldn't ride because he can not afford health insurance is BS. I see that as discrimination to a point. So what only people that are well off financially should ride? BS I hope every person that feels the way I do about cycling should be able to. It far more risky to drive a car than ride a bike. This has even been discussed recently.
Personally I got laid off a while back from a decent paying salary job. I have been working while my wife finishes school so my income was all our 2 young kids and my wife and I had. After the lay off lost our health insurance but managed to get something for the kids. I am in the process of joining the military but in the mean time have picked up a part time job as a bike tech and my wife has also been forced to get a part time job as well to last us till I leave for duty. Has this stopped my from riding Absolutely NOT! If I crash I crash and I'm sure the lord will make things work but I'm not going to stop doing the things I love because of money and I don't feel anyone else should either if that things something that betters your life. (I. Don't care how much u love crack that stuff is bad). So I'll have this guy in my prayers and hope he heals quickly and gets back to riding. End rant !

tuxbailey

If you feel that you can accept the risks then more power to you.; after all, you are the best person to determine whether the risk is acceptable or not.

banerjek

Lost income is huge. Lost opportunity costs are huge. Significant changes to your lifestyle cost real money, and temporary/permanent lifestyle changes are also no joke.

Earlier this year, a car came down on a buddy and me. I got off easy with a wrecked wheel, some badass looking rash and bruising, and a little battle damage to my rig. My buddy was not so lucky. He racked up over $100K in medical bills and although he's recovering beautifully (and still continuing to incur more bills), it will be a long time before he can do all the things he used to, if ever. BTW, he has great insurance, an understanding employer, a supportive family, and he has no regrets about what happened.

You can't live your life afraid of what could happen, but if you ride enough, the simple fact of the matter is that shti happens, and there's a decent chance you will sustain significant physical injury at some point. This means that you need a plan for how you're going to deal with that.

wfrogge

**** happens.... Either live life or dont.

Doohickie

Or maybe not pushing the envelope. If the guy was doing a group ride where riders are up against their limits, and he has no insurance, he was a fool. There's lots of riding you can do that is not nearly as risky.