On the shipping trip back, my beautiful S-Works frame was crushed.

I don’t even know how that’s possible; it was professionally packed by NorCal Bike Sport in my hard-sided Thule bike box. That box is like tank armor. It has Kevlar bands to keep it from being crushed.

And yet, my frame is totally destroyed. I don’t know yet about the handlebars or wheels or any of the other components.

What I do know is that my beautiful purple-blue-red glitter frame, so fast, so responsive, so comfortable, so expensive… Is gone. There’s no fixing it. It’s totaled.

To make matters worse, I made the original BikeFlights label for my Cannondale long before I even bought the S-Works, and I didn’t buy any extra insurance. What were the odds that something could hurt my bike inside that bullet-proof box?

Apparently 100%.

I’ve contacted BikeFlights, but their website makes it clear that they won’t cover damage if you didn’t buy their insurance. Plus I shipped a different bike from what was on the manifest. So I’m not sanguine about getting any traction there.

Our homeowners insurance may cover part or all of the damage, too, since it covers high-value “personal property” that usually resides at our home. I’m waiting to determine the full extent of the damage, and then I will file a claim with them.

I’ve also opened negotiations with the bike shop that sold me the bike to see how much a frame replacement or a full replacement will cost. Short answer: not as much as the original, but a lot. Also, no more beautiful glitter purple frames are available this year.

So that’s where I’m at. Mostly waiting to figure out if anything else is broken and trying to hold myself together.

Honestly, it feels like my heart was crushed along with my frame. I’ll be okay… Eventually.