Pothole damage to bikes

[bonker]

I recently broke my frame cycling through Epsom after hitting a pothole, raised manhole cover combo.

The impact snapped off the rear right droupout and derailleur hanger. It then swung into my rear wheel forcing a skid, which I managed to control, so back wheel, derailleur and cable will probably be toast too.

Does any one have any tips for seeking damages for this sort of thing?

I have complained but am I likely to get anywhere? Will they just say it's wear and tear?

 

[Tynan]

I think it has to have been reported so you can show that they've failed in their duty to repair, something also about they have to show that they check the roads at some period of time too

based on car wheel damage I think they at least used to pay out straight off rather than defend but if you;re going to go after a whole new bike I suspect you;re going to have to actually go legal on them

I imagine, as ever, that google will be your friend

I recall someone on yacf badly bashing both himself and his bike hitting a pothole at the bottom of a big hill, I think we was well and truely beaten by the council and the law between them, as ever it depends on some inane facts as to wether you have a case

A reason though for everyone to report potholes

 

[Asprilla]

Fortunately I've not had to try from a council, but I did get Royal Parks to pay for the replacement of two rims I damaged in Richmond Park. They had recently resurfaced large areas of the roads but had failed to address the lack of grouting between the granite blocks they use as rumble strips.

Took a few emails backwards and forwards with them adn their solictor and they paid-up.

The only delay was actually in getting the rims fixed (two-way fit rims are not easily available and nor are they easy to fit, apparently).

 

[bonker]

I'll see what they say.

Funnily enough I took out a tyre on my car on a country road about a year ago and didn't event think about trying to claim for it.

But damage my bike and it's personal.

I will certainly make more of an effort to report holes from now on. I usually just remember where they are and avoid them.

 

[on the road]

Just hope that it isn't an unadopted road, because with all the cuts our local council is using the unadopted road excuse to get out of repairing roads.

 

[benb]

Where exactly was it?
I live in Epsom, and some of the roads are terrible.

 

[BentMikey]

Check whether the pothole was reported on http://www.fillthathole.org.uk - if it has been reported you've a much better chance. This is why this website is so excellent - it's an independent record that councils can't touch directly.

I recall someone on yacf badly bashing both himself and his bike hitting a pothole at the bottom of a big hill, I think we was well and truely beaten by the council and the law between them, as ever it depends on some inane facts as to wether you have a case

If you mean Zoom, then he got a large payout if I recall correctly from a recent Cycle issue.

 

[Davidc]

Yes. February 2010. Front tyre, front rim, spokes and labour to fit rim to hub.

I just wrote and complained about the damage. The hole was already on fillthathole. They required receipts which was fair enough, and requested a photo of the rim and tyre, which I emailed.

No hassle. £73 paid directly into my account just over a month from my original letter, and an apology for my inconvenience in the letter accepting the claim

edit: I didn't make a claim for any injury as I didn't come off and damage to me was minor.

 

[bonker]

Dear Benb,

Yes I know most of the holes in and around Epsom so I have learnt avoid them.

Since my incident I have started to report a few of the bigger ones.

The combination of raised manhole cover and broken road (junc of High St and East Street town side of railway bridge) appears to have been reported in Feb 2010 according to fillthathole. I also used Google street view to ID the site and it's on there too. So presumably it is not deemed to be big enough to sort out.

 

[benb]

Dear Benb,

Yes I know most of the holes in and around Epsom so I have learnt avoid them.

Since my incident I have started to report a few of the bigger ones.

The combination of raised manhole cover and broken road (junc of High St and East Street town side of railway bridge) appears to have been reported in Feb 2010 according to fillthathole. I also used Google street view to ID the site and it's on there too. So presumably it is not deemed to be big enough to sort out.

I'll keep an eye out for that. I come from Church Street onto East Street, but am usually in the right hand lane for the next lights so haven't noticed this one.

The whole section of Epsom Road at the top of Ewell Village just before it joins East Street/A24 is terrible.

 

[PoliceMadAd]

Dear Benb,

Yes I know most of the holes in and around Epsom so I have learnt avoid them.

Since my incident I have started to report a few of the bigger ones.

The combination of raised manhole cover and broken road (junc of High St and East Street town side of railway bridge) appears to have been reported in Feb 2010 according to fillthathole. I also used Google street view to ID the site and it's on there too. So presumably it is not deemed to be big enough to sort out.

I don't know where you report the holes, i'm guessing fillthathole, but if you don't already, try reporting them directly to the council that upkeeps the roads. I do that with Derby City Council, they do have a dedicated street service though, but the holes are usually filled within a few days.

 

[BentMikey]

I don't know where you report the holes, i'm guessing fillthathole, but if you don't already, try reporting them directly to the council that upkeeps the roads. I do that with Derby City Council, they do have a dedicated street service though, but the holes are usually filled within a few days.

Suggestion - use FillthatHole instead. Why? Because it's an independent record that the council can't touch, and it'll still get to the council. Report it to the council direct, and others can't easily search on whether that pothole was already reported.

 

[numbnuts]

I got sod all as the council said and produced a piece of paper to say that the road was inspected two weeks before hand and it was OK then......yeah right I've got a computer and a printer as well

 

[vickster]

I work in Epsom too. The whole of the A24 going towards Ewell is awful, especially around Kiln Lane going towards Epsom. It's a choice between being eaten by a bus or a massive hole!

 

[chris-s]

Suggestion - use FillthatHole instead. Why? Because it's an independent record that the council can't touch, and it'll still get to the council. Report it to the council direct, and others can't easily search on whether that pothole was already reported.

And then have an 'accident' a few weeks later? Surely not....