British Cycling Membership

[Serge]

Could someone please explain to me the benefits of the various options for membership to British Cycling please?

From what I've read on their website, I can't see the point of spending £39 a year on the basic rider membership when you can pay £24 a year for bronze racing membership even if you have no intention of entering a race.

Am I being completely dim here?

 

[Milkfloat]

Mainly the liability and legal cover.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership
AND
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/race

 

[vickster]

Mainly the liability and legal cover.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership
AND
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/race

Which imo is by far the most valuable bit (indeed I’m 4 years into a claim using their lawyers)

@Serge why do you wish to join? Then choose the package that offers the right cover

 

[Serge]

Which imo is by far the most valuable bit (indeed I’m 4 years into a claim using their lawyers)

@Serge why do you wish to join? Then choose the package that offers the right cover

Purely selfishly, I was looking at the discounts for insurance and purchases at Halford's and Chain Reaction.

 

[Serge]

I've just clicked on your links and can see the difference now, thanks for your help.

(I blame a ten mile ride into 40mph head winds and six cans of lager to recover!)

 

[Racing roadkill]

Don’t forget the 10% discount at Halfords / cycle republic, and the discount codes for CRC. And they can get you advanced( before sale to the general public ) entries on certain events / Sportives etc.

 

[vickster]

Purely selfishly, I was looking at the discounts for insurance and purchases at Halford's and Chain Reaction.

I’d get the Ride membership esp if you don’t have any other 3rd party indemnity cover

You can get legal cover if you get damaged but most no win no fee will take a cut of any award and you could be liable for costs. This isn’t the case if indemnified by BC

Note, Halfords discounts now only on bike stuff (although some stores more obliging) and CRC have £99 minimum spend to get discount (might also only be on full price stuff?) so read the terms carefully

 

[Serge]

I’d get the Ride membership esp if you don’t have any other 3rd party indemnity cover

You can get legal cover if you get damaged but most no win no fee will take a cut of any award and you could be liable for costs. This isn’t the case if indemnified by BC

Note, Halfords discounts now only on bike stuff (although some stores more obliging) and CRC have £99 minimum spend to get discount (might also only be on full price stuff?) so read the terms carefully

Thanks for that, I'm currently in the market for a new bike so 10% could make quite a difference (about 10% by my calculations!).

 

[vickster]

Thanks for that, I'm currently in the market for a new bike so 10% could make quite a difference (about 10% by my calculations!).

Yes, you used to be able to get the 10% off sale price, not sure if that is still the case at either

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/halfords-discounts

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/chainreaction

 

[Serge]

I’d get the Ride membership esp if you don’t have any other 3rd party indemnity cover

You can get legal cover if you get damaged but most no win no fee will take a cut of any award and you could be liable for costs. This isn’t the case if indemnified by BC

Note, Halfords discounts now only on bike stuff (although some stores more obliging) and CRC have £99 minimum spend to get discount (might also only be on full price stuff?) so read the terms carefully

I'll definitely be going for the Ride membership now, thanks for the advice.

 

[fossyant]

Every cyclist should have liability cover and the type offered by British Cycling, and what was the CTC, is worth having.

 

[swansonj]

Every cyclist should have liability cover and the type offered by British Cycling, and what was the CTC, is worth having.

When you say every cyclist should have liability cover.... does anyone know what the statistics of cyclists needing to claim on it actually are?

 

[Serge]

When you say every cyclist should have liability cover.... does anyone know what the statistics of cyclists needing to claim on it actually are?

Statistics aside, I have to agree with fossyant. Hundreds of people a day are injured or killed by motor vehicles but one pedestrian is killed by one dingbat on a completely illegal bike and the media are all over it.

I've just written that and now cannot work out what point I was trying to make.

Cyclists should cover themselves because of the actions of a tiny minority?

Motorists are legally required to have cover therefore so should cyclists?

Damn, I hate my brain!

I'm going to crack open another beer and get back to you.

 

[NorthernDave]

I’d get the Ride membership esp if you don’t have any other 3rd party indemnity cover

You can get legal cover if you get damaged but most no win no fee will take a cut of any award and you could be liable for costs. This isn’t the case if indemnified by BC

Note, Halfords discounts now only on bike stuff (although some stores more obliging) and CRC have £99 minimum spend to get discount (might also only be on full price stuff?) so read the terms carefully

Like @vickster says, Halfords previous laissez-faire attitude to applying the BC discount seems to be tightening up. I've used it on allsorts from screenwash to roof bars to a Garmin to my "best" bike, but lots of people are reporting that some stores are only applying it on bike stuff, and then only on "full" price stuff.
Only yesterday the manager of my local store advised me I could have either price match or discount but not both - that's never happened before, although I suspect it was because the manager was serving me. The staff in the Bike Hut who know me don't seem too bothered...

When you say every cyclist should have liability cover.... does anyone know what the statistics of cyclists needing to claim on it actually are?

Do you own your own house (or are buying one)? Then you need liability cover. All it takes is a momentary slip and 3 years down the line some sharp solicitor is getting a judge to put a charge on your house for the £50k damages + costs + interest they've just won their client who you accidentally knocked over. It's rare but I've seen it happen and it's devastating for otherwise upstanding people when it does.

And without going to extremes, misjudging a gap and clipping a door mirror on a parked car now can land you with a bill for £500 or more very easily

 

[fossyant]

When you say every cyclist should have liability cover.... does anyone know what the statistics of cyclists needing to claim on it actually are?

I've used BC's solicitors to recover damages 3 times in last 30 years.

And I'm currently being sued by another cyclist after a driver clipped me knocking me off and my bike hit another cyclist. If you don't have insurance you could find yourself in deep doo doo. I'e been insured via BC for 32 years.

What if you knock a wing mirror off ? They are many hundreds of pounds these days.