Got into a car crash today -- or car crashed me. Basically, it was backing out and stopped as if it meant for me to go, so I went ahead and it popped out. I was lucky and escaped a bit scuffed up, but not my poor bike.

Now I'm going to work something out with the driver or her insurance company, but I was wondering, does Specialized's warranty cover accidents or only material defects? The visible damage is a destroyed front fork, bent front wheel, smashed right brifter, and handlebar/fork misalignment. The bike is an '09 Specialized Allez purchased in April 2010.

Get 3 repair estimates, include a new helmet, tax and any replacement of any clothing damaged. If your frame got scratched, get an estimate to repaint it. Give her insurance the 2 highest estimates + repaint and make her insurance pay for the full amount of the lower estimate + repaint you gave them.

If you do not get full repair cost, you can then get some factory touchup paint (or closely matching nail polish); do the paint touchup yourself and use the rest of the paint money for repairs.

Sounds like good advice. I would be very surprised if anyone's warranty included crash damage.

What Nermal said - warranties only cover defects. It's a current year bike, so there shouldn't be any devaluation. The frame may have been knocked out of alignment or the head tube joints stressed enough to cause future failures. Or, to put it another way, if you ever have a frame problem in the future, Specialized can claim it was crashed and won't cover it; so this crash caused you to lose the frame warranty. I'd ask the insurance to buy you another new bike.

Yes, the warranty only covers manufacturing defects.

I'm guessing he's thinking about a "crash replacement program", where companies will sell you a frame at some-sort-of discount. The LBS who sold the bike should know about that.

Check the LBS to see if they offer a crash discount. I know Trek offers a discount on a replacement frame if you crash.

Please tell me you weren't riding on the sidewalk.