HISS Catalonia 2015

[FERDINAND PICK]

I have just changed my bike for the HISS as the gear box in my Drz jammed. However I took out full EU breakdown cover, this time. I payed £35 for all the extras to be bolted on to a third party fire theft policy. I'm just wondering if I have a crash will this will be enough cover to get my bike home. Or will I have to have ' brokendown' in order to get my bike home. These Internet policy's are never very clear as it is buried in the small print some where I'm sure.

Hopefully I will be ok as I noticed I was allowed to drive for upto 90 days in EU.

Starting to get all excited about my big holiday on the bike to spain now,!!! Can't wait. (thumbs)

[FERDINAND PICK]

Just to get this rite. After a crash does breakdown insurance pick your bike up or is it down to your insurance company. ???? I'm confused

Also I figured that normal travel insurance would cover me as I'm on ' going on holiday on my bike to spain' Not off road as it's all legal trails?

[Bart1]

My bike ins and breakdown were with the same company, but it sounds like a read of the small print is needed on both bike ins and breakdown ins. Believe me it will be far easier doing it here than "out there".

[micksea]

hi simon,i emailed you a few days ago regarding paying for my place on the catalonia hiss.....could you let me know how to pay please?

[micksea]

Also I figured that normal travel insurance would cover me as I'm on ' going on holiday on my bike to spain' Not off road as it's all legal trails?[/quote]

i would clarify this before i went.....arguing the toss over wording with an insurance company whilst laying in a foreign A&E department might prove to be a little testing

[Simon_100]

hi simon,i emailed you a few days ago regarding paying for my place on the catalonia hiss.....could you let me know how to pay please?

Hi there, sorry matey, no email that I can see. I've sent you a PM with the address.

Meanwhile, the numbers for Catalonia are beginning to get tight: as there are so many 'Veterans' coming to the HISS I have upped the numbers from 36 to 48, of which we now have 40 on the list. Two of these are 'non-combatants', i.e. bikers not riding trails so they don't count. And of the rest eight haven't finally confirmed, i.e. paid, but I've just sent the details to two, both 'Vet's' who I am 100% sure will be coming.

The others have given me legitimate reasons for not being able to confirm so their places are secure until I hear otherwise, at least for the next month or so.

Therefore the message is - get down to confirming for your place at the HISS

Regs

Simon

[Simon_100]

Travel and recovery insurance

Hi guys, this may have been brought up before but thought it was worth a heads up.

I've just recently returned from the Aragon HISS, which was fantastic, but I was punted off my bike by a deer resulting in a broken ankle and broken footrest. Fortunately my travel ins and breakdown/recovery ins repatriated us both home. I would have been in deep s**t without either so make sure you have it and you know who to ring etc.
To get me home my travel ins had to arrange 4 taxis, a trip to the hospital, a hotel, a flight with three seats so my leg could be up and special assistance at both airports. The bike was brought right to my house.

Hope you all have a great trip.

Hi Paul, et al,

Thanks for posting this and for telling Polly and me that all is now safely repatriated - and that your ankle is on the mend - had mine been so un-complicated . . . after my cast came off I had a DVT, back in hospital once again . . .

Following up your comments about Ensleigh, Carole Nash, etc. and in the hope of clarifying everyone else's comments. There are several things that I have to make clear:

A 'legal trail' is not a 'road' as far as a) many travel insurance policies go, b) not at all for conventional road-side assistance or recovery schemes.

In the case of a) in my limited and un-expert experience, conventional travel insurance does not cover 'adventure' or outward bound activities and may refuse to pay for repatriation for injuries sustained as a result. Most people take out additional insurance specifically for this - but NB even if you add an 'adventure' policy check the small print to be sure there isn't a size limit to your bike - thus Has happened.

b) irrespective of whether your insurance policy will repatriate your bike if it is either unrideable or you can't ride it home, the recovery trucks won't venture off-tarmac - even if this is a fully numbered 'road' in the national system as in some cases in Aragon. So getting the bike to a tarmac road is an issue that has to be resolved independently.

So far, the only crashes or breakdowns have been solved my participants, i.e. other blokes riding a bike back down the trail. Full off-road recovery locally would cost about €200 per day plus expenses, say €1,500 in total. All for something that may not/should not happen.

It is up to each individual to make sure that they have adequate insurance and recovery in place - plus an up-to-date EU health cover card.

Regarding the above two topics: we are in the process of acquiring a 4x4 vehicle that is capable of driving a 'spare' rider to any of the HISS trails to recover a bike, plus some tools for more repairs if the bike won't move. But not recover a completely broken bike - for that you would have to pay for a local with a tractor, etc.

But - as I said in the briefing at the Aragon HISS: it is essential to call the emergency services in all cases of serious injury, i.e. the rider can't get up and continue. Why?

Firstly - it is your right to be where you are - as long as you are on a HISS trail.

Secondly - and following my own review of the Aragon HISS - if you try to get an injured rider to hospital under your own steam, how do you know there isn't some unseen internal injury? And what resource would you have if the rider suddenly begins to vomit, swell up, bleeds, becomes unconscious?

Finally on this last point - and based on my own experience - when you call the 112 emergency number the fire brigade turn up as well as the police and ambulance. Once you are safely on your way to A&E the fire brigade recover your bike to a place of safety, i.e, the local car pound, or their own premises, from which you can recover the bike at leisure.

Phew . . .

Simon

[Archie]

Good post Simon and all info very apt.

I wrote to you after you advised of a new account and await your new bank details to make my transfer of shekels to your beer fund....
Archie

[SHarper]

94 sleeps

[Redmurty]

94 sleeps

that's if the ferry runs :pinch:

cheers Spud