CAPE ARGUS - LOST?? BIKE

[DiannePitro]

My husband entered the Cape Argus Cycle Tour in 2009 for the 2^nd year. He owned a very valuable, first rate bicycle. With hindsight he has realised that with the windy conditions on the day he should not have started the race, however he did. About half way through the race he was literally blown off his bike. He sustained an injury to his shoulder. He was picked up by an ambulance and taken to hospital for treatment. Before he got into the ambulance he specifically asked what would happen with his bike. He was assured by the <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />marshalls that his bike would be safe with them. They would load it onto the recovery vehicle and it could be collected at the end of the race. Our son, who also took part in the race, returned to the collection point on the afternoon of the race to collect the bicycle. He waited for over 2 hours and was told to come back the next day. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

For the next few days, we made numerous phone calls to the organizers, who were not able to locate the bicycle. It became clear when over a week had passed that the bicycle was ?missing?.

 

During one of the phone calls to the organizers, a lady actually said ?we only lost 1 bicycle, I don?t think that?s a bad record?. Of course its not, unless of course its your bicycle.

 

A few more days passed with no-one able to locate the bicycle, and about 2 weeks ago the tour director, Ken Sturgeon, contacted my husband. After several conversations Mr Sturgeon indicated that there was a possibility that The Cape Argus? insurance would cover the replacement cost of the bicycle. We were then informed that this would not be the case, the insurers were not prepared to cover the cost of replacing the bicycle, however, Mr Sturgeon committed to arranging a substantial discount on a replacement bicycle from Cycle Lab. Mr Sturgeon told my husband that he would contact him in this regard.

 

Over a week passed with no contact from Mr Sturgeon, and I decided to contact him myself.

 

I made a specific point of reminding Mr Sturgeon that my husband was assured by the marshalls that his bicycle would be safe with them. If he had been told that there was a possibility that his bicycle would be ?lost?, he would not have left it, but rather made arrangements to have it safely collected and then taken himself to the hospital.

 

I received a reply from Mr Sturgeon which basically stated the following :

?We have made extensive efforts to find out what happened to your bicycle and it does appear to have been lost between its collection at the Perdekloof Refreshment Station and the delivery point at the finish?

The insurance would not cover the replacement of the bicycle

All competitors sign an indemnity form

No discount could be arranged with Cycle Lab as the new bicycle on order was a higher value than the ?lost? bicycle, and has already been ordered

 

He has admitted that the bicycle has been ?lost? by the tour organizers.

The statement regarding the value of the new bicycle is completely false. The new bicycle is only worth about 2/3 of what the ?lost? bicycle was worth.

 

I am sure that most people would agree with me ? the organizers of this event have effectively ?lost? this bicycle, and are not prepared to accept any responsibility. I find this totally unacceptable and I would urge any cyclists to be very careful when entrusting their bicycles to any organisers / marshalls in the event of an accident or injury during any event, in particular the Cape Argus cycle race.

 

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MAIL ME YOUR COMMENTS / SUPPORT TO dpitro@mweb.co.za

[Captain Slow]

This is really sad!!

 

The amount of money they make on this tour they can at least replace this persons bike!!!

 

Shocking!!!

[Trubie]

Dianne

My suggestion is , go to Cape Argus(probably wont carry it though) and Burger, let them carry the story. It will be a matter of days , and your problem would hopefully be solved.

The treatment the Tour organizers have your husband sucks big time.

 

[KlapperKnop]

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=45483 - Is this not the same topic?

 

If so, then this is a very expensive layout.

[Woofie]

I do agree that the argus should have a more comprehensive insurance for things like this.

 

They did have an indemnity form for the race, but when they took the bike they also accepted responsibility for it as well.

 

In a very sad and twisted way the indemnity form has almost given them the leeway to "take" a bike.

 

 

 

I get nervous leaving my bike at the bike-park each year.

 

 

 

On the bike insurance side, Doesnt the person have insurance on the bike as well? Surely such an expensive bike would have been insured?

 

I know that claiming from insurance ends up with a nasty premium increase though.

 

 

 

oh golly.

 

I really hope that you can sort something out.

 

 

 

My bike was stolen a year ago from my garage, door lock cut off, it was the only thing taken! Not such an expensive bike - maybe R15K, but I wasnt insured for it.

 

I actually cried big tears! I thought that my cycling fun was going to be over because I didnt have the money at all for another bike.

 

Very very very luckily for me, I found the bike at a cash crusaders down the road, they had bought it for R1000! They had no freaking idea what a proper bike is worth!

 

I felt like beating the c&*p out of them when they told me that I had to buy it back from them because that is money that they had now spent. I called the police and they actually did a great job & I had it back the next day.

 

So I know what it feels like to loose a bike!

 

Somebody could rather take my car, but I love my bike!

 

 

 

 

[Gumpole]

Dianne, wont your insurance cover the bicycle? Hopefully if it was valuable your husband would have had the sense to insure it.

 

Why not post pictures/ or a detailed spec. of the bike on this site? the bike  might have been offered to a Hubber in a sale or spotted on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gumpole]

 

I do agree that the argus should have a more comprehensive insurance for things like this.

 

 

can you imagine the bitching and moaning when race fees become even more ridiculous to cover insurance premiums of 'lost' bicycles!

 

[swsup97]

 

How about sending an email petition to Mr Sturgeon ...mass action 

[Captain Slow]

I have always maintained that these cycle tours are big money making rackets and should be boycotted!! Captain Slow2009-03-30 04:54:17

[Gayboy]

Sorry to hear about the bike. But I'm afraid I also have to agree with the organisers. If I'm old enough to buy a bike, I'm old enough to look after it and organise insurance. And if the organisers did have to compensate everyone for every lost bike, can you imagine how many false claims could come forward? How many extra expensive little add-ons would be claimed for?

[Captain Slow]

Sorry to hear about the bike. But I'm afraid I also have to agree with the organisers. If I'm old enough to buy a bike' date=' I'm old enough to look after it and organise insurance. And if the organisers did have to compensate everyone for every lost bike, can you imagine how many false claims could come forward? How many extra expensive little add-ons would be claimed for? [/quote']

 

Gayboy, with respect, you did not read the post properly!!

 

The guy could not take his bike with him in the ambulance!!!

[Ratty]

I'm so sorry to hear about Vic's bike, he must be devestated.

Its an expensive bike and I'm sure not too many people have the same one so lets all please keep a look out and spread the word!

 

[stine]

um...what bike are we looking for? I don't think the make has been mentioned yet...

[Schwynn]

um...what bike are we looking for? I don't think the make has been mentioned yet...

 

 

Bike Details:

 

Frame : Red Pinarello Prince

 

Groupset : SRAM Red

 

Rims: Gold Shimals

 

[Joe Low]

Good luck getting a result here - maybe I missed something but found it a bit amusing that the Mrs is hunting for hubbies' bike.

Is he too injured to type?

Got no internet at work?

Not looking hard enough himself?

 

It looks like a lot of weeks of no pocket money for him if it doesnt show up.

[Grogs]

One thing on the indemnity - it is a well established legal principle that one cannot contract out of one's own negligence, and I believe that there was indeed negligence on the organisers' part here.  I'm pretty sure that if you fought this (by way of legal action) you'd win it (obviously depending on the evidence (i.e. witnesses, etc) that you put together).