Breakdowns, Damage & Liability
What to do if a fault, a crash, or a theft interrupts your ride — and how damage liability works. Doctor Bicycles is a rental service, not an insurance company: no insurance is included or sold, and we do not operate a roadside assistance or recovery service. For breakdown-transport cover, choose travel or cycling insurance with roadside assistance for cyclists. Full terms: Booking Terms and Rental Conditions .
1) If the bike develops a fault
Stop riding as soon as a fault could worsen the damage and call us; repairs are decided and carried out exclusively by us — the only exception is a flat tyre (fixing a puncture is the rider’s responsibility). You arrange and pay the transport of the bike back to the rental location (e.g. by taxi). A fault not caused by you is repaired free of charge, or you get a replacement bike at the rental location; if neither is possible, we refund the unused days.
2) After a crash: stop and call us
Stop riding and contact us even if the bike looks fine — carbon parts can hide damage that fails suddenly, and only we may assess whether the bike is safe. Riding on after a crash without our approval makes you liable for any further damage.
3) Liability for damage
You are liable for damage, loss, or theft of the bike during the rental, regardless of who caused it — the same model as car rentals. You are not liable for normal wear and tear, pre-existing defects, damage caused by us, or force majeure; liability is capped at the bike value stated in the rental agreement.
Optional Damage Protection (6 EUR per bike per day, 8 EUR for bikes with carbon wheels; charged for at most 5 days per rental) caps your liability at the security deposit. It is not insurance and does not cover theft or loss, intent or gross negligence, prohibited use, riding on after a crash without our approval, or use by a third party. You can add it when booking or at pickup.
Security deposit (fianza)
A refundable deposit from 100 EUR (by bike category; the exact amount is in the rental agreement) is taken at pickup. It is not insurance and does not cap your liability — damage above the deposit is paid immediately when the bike is returned, in cash or by card, with an itemised calculation.
How damage is assessed
We document damage with photographs and a written record (you may be present); compensation is based on actual repair costs and current parts prices — or the bike value from the rental agreement for destruction or loss — always with an itemised written calculation.
4) Damage caused by someone else
You settle the damage with us first, and protect your own claim: take the other party’s identity and insurance details and call the police for an official report. Once the damage is paid in full, we assign our claims against the third party to you (cesión de derechos) and hand over everything you need — handover protocol, photographs, damage calculation, repair invoice — within 14 days of your request, so you can recover the amount from the party at fault or their insurer.
5) Bike theft
Tell us immediately, report the theft to the police, and send us a copy of the report; compensation equals the bike value stated in the rental agreement. Always lock the bike when leaving it unattended — a broken lock is key evidence.
6) Recommended: your own travel insurance
We strongly recommend travel or cycling insurance covering damage and theft of rented sports equipment, roadside assistance for cyclists, and liability to third parties — confirm in advance that rented bikes are covered.