1. Damage Waiver
The Damage Waiver caps what you pay if the hire bike is accidentally damaged. Without it, you are liable for the full cost of putting the bike back into our fleet.
1.1 The Damage Waiver costs £5 per bike per day of hire, inclusive of VAT. It is bought at the start of the hire and cannot be added once the hire has begun.
1.2 With the Waiver in place, your liability for accidental damage to the bike is limited to the excess set out in section 2, whatever the actual cost of repair or replacement.
1.3 Without the Waiver, you are liable for the full cost of repairing or replacing any damaged part at our replacement cost, plus workshop labour.
1.4 The Waiver applies only to the bike named on your hire agreement, for the hire period shown on it, and only while the bike is ridden by the person named as hirer.
1.5 A security deposit or card pre-authorisation is taken whether or not you buy the Waiver.
2. Excess levels
2.1 Where the Waiver applies, you pay the excess for the tier each damaged part falls into:
Tier | Parts included | Excess |
|---|---|---|
Minor components | Handlebars, grips, stem, headset, saddle, seat clamp, brake levers, callipers, hoses and rotors, derailleur, derailleur hanger, shifter, chain, cassette, chainring, cranks, pedals, bottom bracket, bearings, spokes, cables | £25 |
Wheels | Rim, hub, freehub, axle or complete wheel, per wheel | £50 |
Suspension and dropper | Fork, rear shock, dropper post and its remote lever | £150 |
Frame | Cracks, dents or structural damage to the front triangle, rear triangle or swingarm, linkage and shock mounts | £750 |
2.2 Any part not named above falls into the tier for the part it most closely resembles in function and cost. Where this is unclear, the lower excess applies.
3. How the excess is applied
3.1 An excess is charged for each damaged part, at the tier that part falls into. Where one incident damages several parts, the excesses are added together. A broken saddle, a broken pedal and a damaged rim in the same crash is £25 + £25 + £50, a total of £100.
3.2 Where you have a further accident after we have repaired the damage from an earlier one, the new damage is charged separately. Where the bike has not been repaired between the two, a single set of excesses applies to both, but only if the earlier damage was reported to us at the time it happened. If it was not, each set of damage is charged separately.
3.3 Workshop labour is included. We do not charge for our time on any repair covered by the Waiver.
3.4 Where the bike is damaged beyond economic repair, the frame excess applies and no further amount is due.
3.5 Where a repair cannot be completed during your hire, we will provide a replacement bike of similar specification where one is available, at no extra hire charge.
4. What the Waiver does not cover
4.1 The Waiver does not apply, and you remain liable in full, for:
- Theft or loss of the bike, or failure to return it or any part of it
- Damage or theft while the bike is left unattended and not secured with the lock provided
- Damage while the bike is carried on or in a vehicle, or otherwise in transit
- Deliberate damage, or damage caused by reckless riding or by riding while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Damage caused while riding closed, prohibited or out-of-bounds trails, or outside the areas and uses permitted by the hire agreement
- Damage caused in competition, racing or timed events, unless we have agreed in writing beforehand
- Damage caused or made worse by continuing to ride after damage or a fault has become apparent
- Damage while the bike is ridden by anyone other than the named hirer
- Damage caused by adjustment, modification or repair carried out by you or by anyone other than us
4.2 Normal wear and consumables are not damage and are not covered either way: tyres, punctures and sealant, brake pads, rotor and chain wear, cable and hose wear, and routine suspension or bearing servicing.
4.3 Cosmetic marks, scratches and scuffs that do not affect the function, safety or resale value of a part are not charged.
4.4 The Waiver covers the bike only. Helmets, body armour, locks, packs and any other item hired separately are not covered.
5. Reporting damage, assessment and payment
5.1 You must tell us about any damage as soon as you reasonably can, and in any event before the end of your hire period. Damage found at handback that was not reported may fall outside the Waiver.
5.2 We check every bike daily. You must present the bike to our team for its check at the end of each day of hire. Where a bike is not presented for checking, any damage found later may be charged to you, and we may be unable to establish when it occurred for the purposes of clause 3.2.
5.3 Return the bike and all damaged parts to us. Do not arrange your own repair or replacement.
5.4 We assess damage in our own workshop. Parts are charged at our replacement cost, and we will provide an itemised invoice on request.
5.5 Carbon frames are inspected internally as well as externally. Impact damage to carbon that cannot be repaired requires the frame to be replaced even where no structural damage is found, because the bike cannot be returned to the fleet or sold on in that condition.
5.6 The excess is charged to the card held for your hire or deducted from your deposit, and the balance of the deposit released.
6. What the Damage Waiver is not
6.1 The Damage Waiver is not insurance. It is a contractual limit on what you owe us for damage to our bike. We are not an insurer and we are not acting as an insurance intermediary.
6.2 It covers the hire bike only. It gives you no cover for injury to yourself or anyone else, for your own property, or for damage you cause to other people or their property.
6.3 You are strongly advised to hold your own travel and medical insurance that covers mountain biking and bike park riding, this is a condition of booking a holiday with Atlas Ride Co.
