Modern Vespa

I was going to a meeting around 8:45 on my GTS when this woman in a black GMC Jimmy in front of me pulled into some parking spots on the right of the road. I didn't think anything of it, and continued to scoot down the road. When all of a sudden, not even slowing down, she pulls an illegal U-turn and smacked into the right side of the Vespa and me.

She admitted she saw me for a while, but did not see me when she made the turn. She gave me her insurance info, and was able to start filing a claim during the breaks in my morning meeting.

When I first bought the Vespa, I made a bicycle rack to haul my bikes back and forth to races. I was carrying my carbon fiber bicycle this morning so I could go to Tulsa this evening and race the Tuesday Crit series.

Unfortunately, the road bike was on the side of the Vespa she nailed. The road bike took the brunt of the hit, and probably saved me from a broken leg. You know you got hit hard when carbon fiber turns to black powder. At least the fork is fragged beyond repair, and I suspect the carbon frame is gone too. My local bike mechanic, Barry is going to look at it.

The crash bars the bike was mounted to absorbed the damage to the Vespa. But the mounting area under the Vespa was tore up pretty significantly.

Good news is I stayed upright. Years of racing a bicycle has taught me a few tricks when crashing, such as leaning into whatever hits you so you counterbalance the force and manage to stay upright. I don't even have a bruise.

Now I am going to walk the GTS to Vespa of the Ozarks a block away to have him look at it. and start giving me estimates. Then walk the bike 2 miles to the house, and stick it in the back seat (can't put it on the rack since the fork is now dust) and drive to Barry's to get an estimate. This is going to be fun dealing with an insurance company that probably doesn't understand the expenses involved with a Vespa, and definitely doesn't understand bicycles (they thought they cost around $100 - wait til they get the bill!).

Until I get the Vespa back, I guess I am stuck driving the darned car - which I now unequivocally hate driving now!

wow sounds scary.

glad to hear you're not hurt. good luck dealing with the insurance co!!

I send my deepest sympathy for losing the bike and being caged for a while!

And my congratulations that you managed to keep it together, so that things did not turn out worse!!

eek..what a story!! glad you are ok..and the scooter..but the poor bike..people have no idea how much bikes cost these days. especially race bikes..but let them think that.. makes our bikes a bit safer when on our vehicles. but i'm always afraid of theft..

good luck on your claim..hope you get enough to replace your bike

Gotta be scary, at least your ok. Good luck on fixing both your scooter & bike.

That is a scary tale. Glad to know you came out of it intact, but sorry for the loss of your Vespa and bicycle.

As bad as it all is, and will be with the hassle of insurance, at least you are alright. That really is what counts. The rest is replaceable.

Will be looking forward to the photos of your new scooter!

You should post some pics for postiertys sake

+1 I wanna see how you mount your bike!

Wow glad your alright. Sucks since your right on the racing bike. the insurance co will think wal-mart prices Good luck. At least she owned up to it and didn't drive off. been a lot of leaving the scene lately.

I'm REALLY curious about your bike mount too!

Sucks that that happened, two rides damaged at once is not cool but at least it's fixable and you didn't get injured.

You need a titanium frame for next time

Glad you're OK! That's going to be a big repair bill for her ins co.

Vinny, I'm also glad that you're OK and that you had the skills to ensure that it wasn't a lot worse for you. I'm sorry that you're going through this but I'm glad at least that it wasn't a hit and run. I hope you get your Vespa fixed quickly and your expensive sounding bicycle replaced soon.

Here's some pre-wreck and post wreck pics.

Just got back from the bike shop. It's gonna cost $3210 to replace the bike (with a lesser gruppo than I have now, but that's what comes on the new frames) and the Yakima rack. They could not just get a new frame, since Raleigh no longer sells frames alone. I like my DuraAce 9spd set, but can live with an Ultegra 10sp set. I'll just use the DuraAce to build up a time trial bike. Not my preferred method for a new bike.

Vespa of the Ozarks was looking over the GTS to make sure nothing was wrong with it other than the obvious crash bars being busted, and the broken reflector (I like my reflectors right where they are at). They were also looking to see if the metal taken from the undercarriage by the screws will in any way compromise the mounting system for the bikes.

I was asked in my first post at MV whether I thought the bike rack attached to the Piaggio crash bars was sturdy enough for transport. Well, after getting hit by a 2,000 pound hunk of metal, and it still staying on the bike, I think I can answer 'Yes!'

It's also good to have an insurance agent that rides bicycles. I explained my concerns about getting screwed over on the bike, and he assured me that won't happen, even if it has to go to court.

I know I should be glad I'm not hurt, but it's still hard to take. It's a bike riding thing I guess. Every person I have ever seen crash (several airlifted to hospitals), the first question they ask when regaining consiousness is "How's my bike? Is it OK?". They can be bleeding from every orifice, and missing all their teeth, and they will ask that everytime.

I have crashed on the bicycle in the past, and in that weird slow motion second, remember thinking "Land on your back and keep the bike off the asphalt. Skin grows back quickly."

Sorry to hear about your accident - hope your back on the road ASAP! Cool bike carrier mod too!

Yup. Exactly what I was thinking.

Very nice bike carrier by the way - one of the most creative things I've seen on a Vespa (granted my experience noting such things is very limited).

SUVs and illegal U-turns. Always a recipe for trouble.

Louis

nothing to add

Oh ya, wanted to add something about the bike racks

SuuUPER GENIUS.

Actually this happens a lot to me when I'm driving the cage too. They stop, they look, they even make eye contact, then they pull out anyway. I wonder why they even bother stopping sometimes.

Louis

I totally remember that rack set up (which is very sweet). Sorry to hear the bad news and glad you are ok. I hope the insurance covers everything and they don't use some laim excuse to try to weasle out of it. Unfortunately you probably won't get all the money it takes to replace it...but...you may get to go bike shopping which is always cool. 8)

It sucks, but be thankful, it could've been a lot worse.

glad to hear you are alright.

Love the bike rack, i have got to figure something like that out for myself, but I dont have the rear crash bars

Vinny, sorry to hear about the boneheaded cager hitting you Glad you're ok.

Do you have any details of the rack you made up to transport your bicycle? I have been wanting to do something like this on my Derbi 50cc scoot. I used to ride my bicycle to work (15 mi x 2 commute) but 2 miles of that was down a VERY dangerous road which after getting knocked off multiple times I swore off. I started driving my bicycle down that road, parking, and riding in... But the short drive/cold start/slow speed was using almost as much fuel as driving all the way into work on the freeway, so I quit

If I could scoot down that road with my bike... That would rock.

and my wife & daughter always ask me why scooters and cycles can ride between cars in slow traffic

Glad you are ok, hope the insurance will cover all of the damages.