BTW- Many, if not most, small claims judges take on a bit of the lawyers role prodding things along, and not letting lawyers interject too many procedural issues. They try to get the short version of the facts, and base their rulings on that rather than legal maneuvering.

If your case should come to trial, treat it like a good steak. It's a good case and doesn't need to be dressed up. But come prepared, bring the police report, photos, of the damaged bike, and the intersection in question, the original receipt for the bike and any improvements you made to it, a workup bill for a current replacement from a local shop, maybe 2 shops with catalog pages, or downloaded internet pages to support your claim for the value, and receipts for any other expenses.

Receipts are critical, since it's your burden to support the claim. Other than keep your story short and on point, as in "he made an illegal left turn with no warning, and I was already so close that there was no chance to turn or stop in time to avoid a crash".