Cycling Insurance - Recommend a provider

[wiggydiggy]

I need to upgrade my cycling insurance as my current cover on home insurance is not sufficent. I've had a read of some of the other bike insurance threads (for there are many!) and I've got an initial provider list. Can you recomend any of these or another?

Barclays is the cheapest, but I like the idea and benefits that come with a dedicated cycle insurance provider. I'm keeping my other bike insured on my normal home insurance as it used far less often (its broke ATM anyway!). I've also explored the idea of joining British Cycling/Cylcing UK for a discount but any saving is offset by needing to join and I don't think I need to.

Bike Only

• Barclays Home Insurance (Bike Only)
• Bikmo
• Direct Line (Bike Only)
• ETA
  • Cycle rescue not available within 1 mile of home
• Laka
• Tesco Home Insurance
• Velosure
• Yellowjersey
  • Some restrictions make this unsuitable e.g. no cover within 'walking distance of home' and need receipts for everything

Home Insurers

• Aviva
• Admiral
• Halifax
• Hastings

Things to ask

• Type of lock
• What counts as an immoveable object when away from home
• Need for locking to immoveable object at home
• Any restriction on cover close to home
  • Both Yellowjersey and ETA restrict some cover/services based on distance to home

End Result
Combination of Barclays Bicycle Cover and CyclingUK Membership


EDITs

(1) I need theft insurance at home/away from home. I don't commute anymore so public liability/legal insurance isn't as important but I would appreciate some. I do get a certain level of public cover through my home insurer, employer and another service I use.

(2) Direct Line and ETA have confirmed there is no restriction on it being locked to an immoveable object at home as it's a building that is secure enough

(3) Added home insurers

 

[wiggydiggy]

Added Direct Line

 

[Drago]

Cycling or bicycle insurance?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Cycling or bicycle insurance?

Sorry what do you mean exactly?

I need theft insurance at home/away from home. I don't commute anymore so public liability/legal insurance isn't as important but I would appreciate some. I do get a certain level of public cover through my home insurer, employer and another service I use.

Added this to OP.

 

[PaulSB]

I use Hastings Direct for House and Contents insurance. All my bikes are covered as "named personal possessions." This gives cover, new for old, on all risks at home or away.

Two points to note:

The bikes must be locked to an immovable object. This gives rise to some slightly bizarre situations. The bike is not covered in the boot of a locked car. It is covered when on a bike carrier and locked to, for example, the towing eye.

The other point is to provide a replacement value each year. Failing to do so could/would result in a reduced payout in the event of a claim. If replacement cost is £2000 that should be the insured value and not the original purchase price.

I imagine this applies to all high value specified items. The only other one I have is a laptop.

 

[kingrollo]

Added Direct Line

I had bizzare conversation with direct line. They have a disclaimer for accident if you are in a group ride. I phoned up and spoke to a complete idiot who said 'That only means if you are racing' - But then get a bit tetchy when I asked why the policy didn't just state 'not for competitive cycling" - Eventually spoke to someone else - who said no it is any form of group ride which isn't covered - then I told them I sometimes go out with my son would that be covered - He pondered and said 'not if you son is riding alongside you !!!'

I went elsewhere.

 

[Alex321]

When is your household insurance up for renewal?

Some companies give pretty thorough bicycle cover for very reasonable additional premiums. If you renewal is reasonably soon, it could be worth checking around for that.

I'm with Aviva, which cost (I think, from memory) and extra £23 this year for the bike cover - covering any bikes up to £2500 in value each. And giving decent 3rd party liability cover too, that comes as standard even if you don't have cycle cover specified.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I use Hastings Direct for House and Contents insurance. All my bikes are covered as "named personal possessions." This gives cover, new for old, on all risks at home or away.

Two points to note:

The bikes must be locked to an immovable object. This gives rise to some slightly bizarre situations. The bike is not covered in the boot of a locked car. It is covered when on a bike carrier and locked to, for example, the towing eye.

The other point is to provide a replacement value each year. Failing to do so could/would result in a reduced payout in the event of a claim. If replacement cost is £2000 that should be the insured value and not the original purchase price.

I imagine this applies to all high value specified items. The only other one I have is a laptop.

Im with Hastings Premier. Unfortunately their bike value is limited to £1500 so thats one bike needing extra cover, otherwise their cover is excellent. That locked boot clause is bizarre, I did check myself if locked to the carrier it is covered (it is) but I presume you'd have to lock the bike to the car on the inside somehow for it to be covered

I have looked up the replacement price as its gone up by £500 in 3 years, so thats the price I am insuring at.

I had bizzare conversation with direct line. They have a disclaimer for accident if you are in a group ride. I phoned up and spoke to a complete idiot who said 'That only means if you are racing' - But then get a bit tetchy when I asked why the policy didn't just state 'not for competitive cycling" - Eventually spoke to someone else - who said no it is any form of group ride which isn't covered - then I told them I sometimes go out with my son would that be covered - He pondered and said 'not if you son is riding alongside you !!!'

I went elsewhere.

Thats rather strange, I don't group ride though I have been known to ride with friends, family etc. Guess I'll strike them off my list too.

When is your household insurance up for renewal?

Some companies give pretty thorough bicycle cover for very reasonable additional premiums. If you renewal is reasonably soon, it could be worth checking around for that.

I'm with Aviva, which cost (I think, from memory) and extra £23 this year for the bike cover - covering any bikes up to £2500 in value each. And giving decent 3rd party liability cover too, that comes as standard even if you don't have cycle cover specified.

Got 6+ months left so I'm just getting cover for that period. When the insurance is up for renewal I'll be looking at more providers, I've used Halifax before but I'll add Aviva to the list to search.

Cheers!

 

[SuffolkBlue]

My bikes are covered at home by my home insurance through Aviva. The default policy is "Pedal cycles are automatically covered as part of your contents cover when they are kept inside your property. Some limits and exclusions apply". My bikes are kept in the house so "inside" my property (I don't know if this insurance covers garage or shed or whether that is extra on the premium so you would have to look at details).

However, I paid a small additional premium to cover my bike for theft away from home. At the time I felt Aviva offered me the best deal from a house insurance perspective so I simply added that additional bike insurance to my home policy. @Alex321 has commented on the current costs on this but I am not sure what they offer as a stand alone product (i.e. not tied to your home insurance).

 

[wiggydiggy]

My bikes are covered at home by my home insurance through Aviva. The default policy is "Pedal cycles are automatically covered as part of your contents cover when they are kept inside your property. Some limits and exclusions apply". My bikes are kept in the house so "inside" my property (I don't know if this insurance covers garage or shed or whether that is extra on the premium so you would have to look at details).

However, I paid a small additional premium to cover my bike for theft away from home. At the time I felt Aviva offered me the best deal from a house insurance perspective so I simply added that additional bike insurance to my home policy. @Alex321 has commented on the current costs on this but I am not sure what they offer as a stand alone product (i.e. not tied to your home insurance).

2nd recomendation for Aviva there, I'll have a look to see what I can get from them for these 6 months ish

 

[PaulSB]

@wiggydiggy when you refer to a £1500 limit on bike cover is that what the insurer probably calls "Bike or cycle cover?" Hastings Direct do make a distinction, I think standard bike cover is £500 on my policy but named possessions is much higher per item. Might be worth a second check. I don't know if locking the bike to the inside of the car, perhaps to the luggage securing thingies, would count. It's a very bizarre one.

 

[wiggydiggy]

@wiggydiggy when you refer to a £1500 limit on bike cover is that what the insurer probably calls "Bike or cycle cover?" Hastings Direct do make a distinction, I think standard bike cover is £500 on my policy but named possessions is much higher per item. Might be worth a second check. I don't know if locking the bike to the inside of the car, perhaps to the luggage securing thingies, would count. It's a very bizarre one.

Its a named item, when I changed bikes I phoned them to make the change (the old bike was a named item at a lower value) so that the new bike is also a named item but only covered for £1500 minus Excess.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I had a problem a few years ago
I had my bike (actually ebike so costs more which is relevant) stored and locked up in the shed

One day I was sorting out some papers and filing them and was absently looking at the house insurance and discovered that any bike that had any kind of motor was specifically excluded
no matter what the value
I rang them up and checked and it did specifically exclude ANY ebike
so - basically a £1000 ebike was excluded - a £2000 road bike with no motor was included at no extra charge
This carried on for several years - they were always good value in terms of price

I won;t name the company because they changed it a couple of years ago and now include ebikes as normal bikes


on another point

due to the above problem I ended up getting insurance from Yellow Jersey
WHich is fine and very comprehensive
but I will be dumping them when it expires (meant to last time but didn;t) partly becaus ethye insist on all bikes being locked up with "SOld Secure Gold" locks and attached to a ground anchor if stored in the shed
OK - they are - but I do worry about how much they would want proof if the bikes were stolen

Basically I have rung several Home Insurance companies and checked and as long as the bikes are locked up they are happy
I even checked (funnily enough with the company that used to have the daft exclusion of ebikes) and they would be happy if it ws just locked with a cheap supermarket lock through the wheels as long as it was also in a locked shed
and the shed can just have a normal bolt and padlock on it
no security specification mentioned at all

so I reckon that the Home Insurance plus maybe 3rd party cover from a UK Cycling (or whatever) would do me

TLDR - check with you Home Insurance to find exactly what cover and conditions they expect!

 

[PaulSB]

I agree with @ebikeerwidnes calling the insurer is important to ensure one understands their interpreation of the cover the policy offers. It can be different to how mere mortals do.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I agree with @ebikeerwidnes calling the insurer is important to ensure one understands their interpreation of the cover the policy offers. It can be different to how mere mortals do.

Yeah the things I am checking are:

• Type of lock
• What counts as an immoveable object when away from home
• Need for locking to immoveable object at home
• Any restriction on cover close to home
  • Both Yellowjacket and Bikmo both don't cover the bike within a certain distance of home which seems strange. Yellowjacket's term is 'within walking distance', thats too vague.