[CR]KOF: Mangled Fuso Seat Tube UPDATE

(Example: Books:Ron Kitching)

Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:36:11 -0400
From: "Jose Villaluz" <jose.villaluz@gmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]KOF: Mangled Fuso Seat Tube UPDATE

Greeting listers per my post's title...

The claim process in underway and the shipper has come to pick up the bike and inspect the package to determine whether they will pay the claim or not. I was asked to re-pack the bicycle with it's original packing materials and have the box ready for pick up last week. Re-wind to the day I received it, I pretty much put the bike away after I saw the damage because the sight of it bothered me. Over the next few days I got over the initial disappointment and started to think about having it repaired because other than the seat tube the bike was in FANTASTIC condition - that is until I discovered even more damage. This new image shows the repair project killer.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa270/josevillaluz/dropout.jpg

Not that I wouldn't love to have the bike fixed but repairing the dropout puts it into a whole other $$$ category that doesn't make economic sense (to me anyway). The good news is that another lister sent me a Fuso frame that will work out nicely. That and the fact that THE Man wrote me an email expressing compassion for my plight and advising me of another bike that might be available. I'm not holding out much hope for an insurance settlement but one never knows. New to follow as it happens.

Jose Villaluz

Westport CT USA