1) Tell us a bit about yourself & why your bike is important to you.

I’m Indie Lee. I’m a professional triathlete, so my bike (my race bike especially) is incredibly important to me and my ability to earn a living.

Countless hours have been spent getting my bike ‘just right’ for me to be able to compete at the highest level of my sport. Aside from that, riding my bike is my most favourite way to spend a day - so I take good care of it.

2) What happened? Where were you and how did the damage occur?

I was travelling out to Spain from London to attend a preseason training camp with my coach. I’d just settled into my apartment when I started to unpack my bike to build it.

Straight away I could tell something was off because it wasn’t sitting in the travel case properly. Then I opened the bike bag properly and my bike was just shattered at the back end. It was pretty obvious that it was a gonner and unrepairable.

The level of damage was quite incredible - the rear thru axle had been sheared in half(!) and both seat stays were broken straight through. It’s mad!

3) What was claiming with Laka like?

The Laka claims experience was brilliant. I contacted them straight away and they were on it. By the end of the same day they were helping me find a replacement bike.

I was really nervous with how long it could potentially take - the bike industry at the moment is slow to deliver new bikes and parts. With it being my race bike and my next race only being 5 weeks away, I was really conscious that I needed a quick solution.

4) What was the outcome? And how’s your season going now?

The outcome was better than expected. I sourced a new frame and Laka covered the cost of the new frame and for a mechanic to build it up with the part from my broken bike. The time frame and outcome was so much better than I had imagined it could be.

My season has started well with a podium finish in my first race. I’m building towards the European 70.3 Championships at the moment.

5) Would you recommend Laka to a friend?

I would (and often do) recommend Laka to my friends. The way they processed my claim and helped me come to a solution quickly was brilliant. They know cyclists, so know how important our bikes are to us!

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