The $4,000 Bike Accident Cost me $100.

"The $4,000 Bike Accident Cost Me $100"

I submitted a review for BikeInsure when I signed up for my Ventum NS1 in March 2024. I had never heard of bike insurance until my cycling teammate forwarded me a newsletter from the Belgian Waffle Ride. I read that newsletter during my flight from Washington, DC, to Arizona on a business trip, which introduced me to BikeInsure. Yes, I brought my bike with me! I signed up for bike insurance to ensure my bike was covered, beginning with my rides in Arizona. The enrollment process with BikeInsure took just a few minutes using the plane's Wi-Fi.

I'm grateful for the partnership between the Belgian Waffle Ride and BikeInsure because, in December, during my routine weekly noon group ride at Hanes Point in Washington, DC, we were riding 26 miles per hour when a rider in front lost control of their bike and crossed wheels with a second rider. This caused a crash that involved four bikes, and I was one of the riders caught up in it. The good news was that I only had some scrapes on my leg and elbow, but the bad news was my frame had visible damage.

I took my damaged bike to Conte's Bike Shop on Q Street to determine what was needed to restore my Ventum. The Conte's store manager was extremely helpful in identifying the necessary repairs. 

I filed a BikeInsure claim, and the bike insurance claims administrator immediately called me. She was very nice in explaining the process. She coordinated directly with Conte's, which provided pictures of my bike's damages and an estimate for the repairs. The estimate of $689 from Conte's was to repair some items, swap the frame, and overhaul the rear hub. Separately, the replacement quote from Ventum of $3,098.00 plus sales tax in DC is 6% + $185.88 = $3,283.88 for the frameset replacement.

The replacement frameset is $3,283.88 + the repair estimate amount of $689.00 = $3,972.88. It was "The $4,000 Bike Accident Cost me $100." I was responsible for the $100 BikeInsure Deductible and the BikeInsure plan paid out the difference of $3,872.88.

Since I purchased my Ventum bike directly from the Ventum website (D2C), the bike insurance claims administrator, and I also worked with Ventum customer support. I found Ventum's support fast and incredibly helpful in addressing my bike replacement frameset issue. They collaborated directly with the insurance adjuster to ensure payment. They arranged for a replacement Ventum frame to be shipped directly to Conte's, allowing my bike to be assembled on my behalf.

The entire claims process occurred during the holidays but went quite seamlessly. As someone who works in project management, I can confidently say that every individual and company involved was excellent. It's impressive to consider all of the different organizations that played a role as a result of my bike accident:

• Belgian Waffle Ride recommended BikeInsure. 
• BikeInsure provided insurance for my Ventum bike. 
• The BikeInsure claims administrator from Great American Insurance coordinated between their insured customer, the bike company Ventum, and my favorite local bike shop, Conte's.

With my new Ventum bike beneath me, I told my bike insurance story to my Sunday ride guys, and it was like holding court. Everyone wanted to sign up their bikes for BikeInsure.