Suffering from the "Rack"
 

Well, bad day today...Came home from NC mountains where family spent a long weekend in Blowing Rock enjoying cooler temps, hiking, sights, and I spent some time riding the Blue Ridge Parkway. Also did some recon for some training routes along NC 221 to Grandfather Mountain (TOUGH). Got off NC 421 to head south toward Charlotte on I-77. About 2 miles after getting on interstate, I'm driving and hear a loud "POP", start to slow, and see the Litespeed in my rear view mirror hit the pavement and settle on the right shoulder. Stop, back up, and retrieve from the side of the road. Take a quick look, and I can see some damage, but not sure how much.
We continue on our way, stop in Mooresville to get lunch for my daughters (I'm not exactly hungry at that moment), call the insurance company, tell me I'm covered on homeowners. Head home.
Get home and check out the "visible" damage. Skewer on rear wheel, seat, crank and pedals (2mth old SRAM Force compact & Speedplay zeros), handlebars, left brifter (again new Force) all showing some damage. Bike now in the shop waiting for the estimate on how much and / or if anything else (carbon fork & seatpost) is damaged.
Have had this Yakima roof rack for almost 20yrs and NEVER had a problem before. I've carried the bike several times from Chicago to SC & back even thru storms. This time seems the rear wheel strap popped loose and first bump the front skewer also let loose and off it came.
Needless to say, currently in mourning, though fortunately no car behind so only bike was damaged. Anyone else ever have this happen. Additionally, any suggestions about dealing with insurance, especially on upper end bikes of older (2000 frame year) vintage, since I heard during the phone conversation with the company talk about depreciating the bike because of it's age.

Boy that is some really tough luck. One of my biggest fears of carrying a bike outside a vehicle......one of the biggest reasons I still drive an old family van with 450,000 miles-just to keep my expensive toys on the inside. One question you might ask about the policy is if coverage is for replacement cost or not. I think one of my policies is scripted that way.

Did you ride 221 from Blowing Rock over towards Grandfather? If so, how would you have liked to have 90 miles in the saddle and then jump out there on that stretch. That is the last 10 miles of BtB before Grandfather. I was up there two weeks ago and had forgotten that there is very little nonpedaling from BR over to Grandfather.

I sure hope you get a replacement soon. Maybe you can join the Grampster and me for a ride in early September when he comes down from DC to spoil the grandkids.

Hard to believe how bikes get damaged. My LeMond got destroyed last month when Ms Inattentive hit my car while I was stopped at a light, She took out the bike and the Saris rack is was mounted on.

But I have a new bike so when I come to Charlotte to spoil the grandkids, jppe and I will figure out how to get together for a ride and hope you have the bike all fixed and can join us, PAlt.

Thanks for the wishes from you both. jppe, yup did that 221 route, as well as along the Blue Ridge. Was DEAD after. I obviously need to get a different gearing set-up to do climbs like that on a regular basis. The missus & I talked over dinner about the need to get a second (prob used) frame to have set up more as a "climbing" rig, as well as back-up bike, since I've been without several times this year for tune-ups, equipment issues, etc. My old Specialized Allez carbon lugged frame is OK for the trainer, but I've read too many posts about older frames of this type having problems with the bond on the lugs coming loose. Some of those downhills this past weekend would not end well with a frame coming apart!
Would be honored to join you both if possible in September. If I only do trainer rides between now & then, however, I'll be a caged animal...

Such a drag. Any reason to suspect pilot error, or did your rack fail?
I lost a mtn bike wheel because it ot loose. I bungee them down now. I sure hope i don't lose a bike.
I feel your pain.

Wow! Sorry to hear about the bike. I would still be sitting along the road crying if I saw my bike fly off the car. I usually carry mine inside the van even though I have a bike rack. I just feel safer.

Hopefully the insurance company will come through with a replacement.

The rear wheel strap (ratchet) broke loose. It's 20 yrs old, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, but I've been across the country several times, as well as probably hundreds of shorter runs to events, group outings, etc. I can't believe as long as I've been using a roof rack that I've never forgotten and run it under something too low (DEFINITE pilot error).

I've taken that approach and have one bike for the roads in the mountains and a second for riding around here. It's a nice luxury having two bikes just for the types of things you mentioned.

Do the folks in Mooresville or Kannapolis/Concord have your damaged frame?

Oh man. That's just too horrible to imagine. I hope you are able to replace or repair the bike soon. Hopefully you can convince the insurance company that all those new high end components shouldn't be depreciated.

An insurance company once depreciated an entire mechanics size rollaway of tools stollen from a lockup in my apartment. I got out the Sears Catalog (remember them) and priced a new set one tool at a time!!! That sort of took care of that.

You could try to claim that that was a collection of parts and price them accordingly. :)

I lost a front wheel off the roof rack once.... my fault, forgot to tighten it down. These days I snake a cable lock through anything that goes on the roof rack. If there is a failure of a strap like yours, at least stuff stays with the car, and damage, one hopes, will be minimal.

If the strap on the rack actually failed, you might also want to contact Yakima. I believe they have a life time warranty on their roof racks. I don't know what it covers, but maybe it's worth looking into.

Dang! Off the ROOF RACK? Gee whiz! I would have never thought it. I've used my Yakima Stuff for years myself. Some parts still in service since 1989 when I bought it. I've upgraded when things needed to be, and my current config on the Jeep are 54 inch bars mounted to the factory rails with 2 new Copperhead Mounts.

Which reminds me that I need to buy the Locking Cores for all of this stuff...

I hope all goes well with Insurance and getting the bike healthy.

Chris

Kannapolis, have found them to be a bit more "customer friendly", not quite so sterile. Would be interested in your impressions or experiences locally, jppe. PM or e-mail if you'd care to share.
To the others who have responded, thanks once again for the well wishes for "speedy recovery", I should be hearing tomorrow, will report back.

Heard from the LBS ystd...new handlebars, stem, pedals, skewers. No frame or drivetrain damage, rear wheel needs to be re-trued but the hub is OK. Could have been a LOT worse, and, of course, total came in just below deductible for insurance. Now just can't wait to get it back and get to riding again...