"From: Daniel Goodwin [mailto:[email protected]]
For those considering using DHL as the bike carrier for race venues, be forewarned that they lost my irreplaceable $3K Ellsworth Roots AND the Trico IronCase shipping container. I've never used DHL before, and I was rather shocked by their incompetence in tracking my precious cargo. Now that I've indicated that I want to make a loss claim, they are even less helpful. Think twice before letting your ride out of your sight!
On the off chance that my bike shows up at a race someday, you'll recognize it by the looped-chainstay/seatstay that was a feature of Ellsworth's Sub-22 mountain frame, but was never applied to production Roots 'cross frames. Very rare. Red with white logos. Wound-up carbon fork and yellow Tufo's. Serial number on the bottom bracket shell reads ""Ptorotype"". I want to cry. If you see my bike, punch the rider in the throat for me. Chances are, of course, that some DHL employee gave it to his kid for Christmas. Hope it at least gets ridden.
-dg
"
FYI on DHL
Thanks (all) for the kind words. Glad to share the story with those who can empathise. I've been getting lots of suggestions from friends who don't ride that there's a Zen lesson here in not becoming too attached or obsessed. I do have a good attorney and DHL is liable for the amount I claimed on the shipping form, but I just learned that doesn't cover the shipping container. So if you are shipping in a nice bike crate, put the whole thing in a box. Contents are covered--not the container.
Now that the tsunami death toll has climbed to 44,000, I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for myself. Maybe the Zen lesson is there after all.
-dg
Leave the gems at home, travel with a disposable bike (or at least one that won't rip you to shreds if it's lost).
Sorry to hear it, nonetheless. And keep your eye on eBay for it, stranger things have happened...
Wow. It has been about a month since my bike disappeared, and it showed up yesterday. Apparently all one need do to recover a valuable lost item is make a claim for the total value. I sound like I'm complaining--I'm not. Reunited, and it feels so good. Not a scratch on it. So if you see the bike at a race, please disregard the previous note charging you to punch the rider in the neck, as it will be me. Happy New Year.
