I had an accident riding to work this morning on Sheffield’s stoopid tram lines. I’ve hit a car with, although it didn’t feel like it, a fair amount of force.

Looks like I’ve bent my wheels and bar, as well as damage the left STi and possibly cracked the frame. The insurer, if I decide to claim, would like to run things through Wheelies for a quote, though with the option to just give me some money into my account. However, I work in a bike shop and would obviously find it easier to get a quote myself for the damage- am I allowed to request this?

If wheelies can provide you with an exact or equivalent replcement you either have to go with that ofr accept a % (usually 85% or 90% ) settlement

if they can’t you are entitled to cash for the full amount – altho they will try to prevent you doing this

Teej- it’s not using wheelies to provide replacement, just to give me the quote.

What does it say in your policy?

I had to give wheelies a list of all the components on my bike that was stolen, Insurer was M&S. eventually I got cash settlement from M&S

It’s M&S that I’m using. I’ll have a word when the time comes, I’ve seen them do good work in the past so it can’t be so bad.

Bruneep,

How long did it take to get a settlement and did you get the full value?

mine was stolen, worth new more than the max sum, so can’t believe i’ll get a replacment.

at the moment wheelies are ignoring me coz they are too busy, which is fairenough coz xmas is madness in bike shops…

just wish they’d hurry up and say one way or the other.

Took a good few weeks IIRC, they keep offering me a bike that was nothing like the one I had stolen. I kept asking for a like for like replacement (custom build), I left it with them for a couple of weeks or so. M&S called after about 2 weeks and asked if I would accept a full cash settlement (less excess)

Stick it out and dont accept their offer of a bike, unless that is what you want of course.

Munro, it might be at worth having a word with Wheelies, I did a few years ago with a frame I bent and the guy at Wheelies was a complete bike fiend and sorted me out proper! ( The frame he got got me was worth more than the poorly bike!). PS any clues to who you work for cos theres only so many options in Sheff???

3 years ago through Halifax I got quote for my stolen custom built Hustler and decided didn’t want one even though they could provide near exact build- got full value pay out and bought ex-demo bike elsewhere and kept balance.
So not strictly true that you HAVE to accept or lose %