Shipper releases TriBike Transport bikes held in monetary dispute

Last year we reported on the crazy situation where a shipping company was holding on to over 180 bikes belonging to athletes who had competed at the World Championships in Pontevedra. Those athletes had paid TriBike Transport to ship their bikes to and from the world championship event in Spain. Apparently going out of business, TriBike Transport owed shipping company Horizon Entertainment Cargo almost US$320,000, so the company “exercises its lien rights” and was hanging on to the precious cargo until it received its money.

Initially a number of bikes shipped to Ironman events were also being held, but Ironman stepped in to ensure that its athletes received their bikes. (See story below.) USA Triathlon wasn’t in a position to be able to do the same for its athletes, which meant those bikes were held by the shipper as it fought for payment.

Ironman steps in to get bikes from TriBike Transport; Shipper holds 180 other bikes from Pontevedra worlds waiting for payment

That left 180 athletes without their bicycles, including Tim Lundt, who was one of the first athletes to sign up for a class action law suit that sought to get the bikes, which were valued at more than US$1 million, back to the owners.

 

Athletes file class action suit against shipper that is holding their bikes after TriBike Transport fails to make payment

We caught up with Lundt on day 56 of the ordeal, and again last week at day 130. While he still didn’t have his bike back, he was confident that he will be able to pick it up later this week.

Travellers insurance comes through

While Lundt and many other athletes were involved in the class action law suit, another athlete involved in the case, Jimmy Dworkin, reached out to his local NBC affiliate in San Jose, California for help.

Watch/ Read the NBC Bay Area Responds story.

According to the NBC Bay Area report, once they learned that TriBike had a Travelers cargo insurance policy, they reached out to see if the bikes were covered under insurance.

“The key question was whether a financial dispute fell under the same umbrella as losses like accidents and catastrophes,” Chris Chimera reported. “After several weeks of talks, a welcome development.”

According to Lundt, originally athletes were told they would have to arrange their own shipping for the bikes, but in the end Travelers agreed to pay up to $420 for shipping. He’s waiting for a company called ProBike Express to pick up a number of the bikes from Horizon’s Los Angeles warehouse and drive them across the country to their owners.

According to the NBC report, despite the payout for the bikes from Travelers, Horizon still intends to sue TriBike Transport for “additional costs Horizon incurred during the dispute.”

Townsville bound

Lundt has qualified to represent the US at the World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Townsville, Australia this August. He plans to bring his bike with him on the airplane – “with an AirTag.” The experience, though, has soured him on traveling to world championship events.

“This might be my last worlds because of all the issues I had,” Lundt said. “There are plenty of local races – I don’t need to do anything else.