Finally happened. Did a half and half car/bike commute. Pulling into the garage, thinking about a nice glass of wine to end the day, and Crunch-BOom! Oh crap. The bike is on top of the car. *sigh*

The rear windshield of the car has exploded, and I can only imagine what the bike looks like up top. I pull away from the house and the bike falls off the roof rack, swings down, dents and scratches the rear side of the car and windows. The bike then bounces on the handlebars, and lands on the lawn looking like it is completely undamaged. I Get out. The house has a scuff mark and slight dent in the siding from the front wheel. The Yakima High roller bike mount rear wheel tray is bent and twisted, and its downward deflection is what shattered the rear windshield. And the bike, in the fading light of the day, seems unharmed?!!! I do a quick ride around the block and all seems well.

It would seem that the 2008 Specialized roubaix front wheel hit the house, and began riding up the side of the house until it lodged under the gutter, then the force of the collision pushed the rear wheel and mount down into the rear windshield. Had I not backed up the car, a quick call for a new rear windshield would have been all that was required. But since I did back up the car and let the bike fall off, now some side auto body work is in order. Learn my lesson, don't move the car until you have assessed the situation!

And now that I have been able to give the bike a thourough going over in daylight, all is not well with the bike. Suprisingly, the fork, head tube, top tube, down tube, seat tube, handlebars, shifters and chainstays are without damage. However, the seat stays, near where they join the seat tube, both have dime to penny sized chuncks of missing clearcoat and paint, and exposed carbon. the front wheel is out of true, and the rear wheel slightly. It would seem that the impact flexed the seat stays enough to avulse sizeable chunks of the finish. The local dealer is recommending to trash the frame and thinks the front wheel will never be that good again.

Car damage - $2700 retail
Rack damage- $200 retail
Bike damage- Frame and probably front wheel trashed. Bike damage total just might exceed car damage total.

So, looking on the bright side..... its maybe new bike time!

Wonder what insurance will do for the bike replacement? Insurance might opt to replace whole bike rather than buy frame and wheels, pay to rebuid? Maybe I can keep the ruined bike and use it as a permanent trainer bike.

And I have to go find those orange cones to leave in my garage spot so that next time I can't just pull right in. Used to use a stepstool, till the wife and kids made off with it years ago. I honestly thought that with 5 years of car top transporting without incident, it would not happen to me.

Learn my lesson!