Guide discussion: Bicycle insurance

Former_MSE_Sam_M

Bicycle insurance guide.

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Niall_Foster

Not specifically covered in the article but for a policy that covers home and bike insurance specifically designed cyclists and triathletes it's worth having a look at Pedalcover. (I can't post a link as a new user but easy to find)

Quentin

The link in the OP takes you to backpackers insurance article not the bike insurance article:


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/bicycle-insurance


(Suspect Niall is just a spammer!!)

Aralia

Your home insurance may not cover you for liability if you injure someone/damage property while riding your bike. A friend checked his policy and liability arising from a mechanically propelled device was excluded from the public liability cover.

Aretnap

Aralia wrote: »

Your home insurance may not cover you for liability if you injure someone/damage property while riding your bike. A friend checked his policy and liability arising from a mechanically propelled device was excluded from the public liability cover.

Mechanically propelled vehicle is a legal term for a vehicle where the power from the propulsion comes from a mechanical process (eg a petrol engine, steam engine or electric motor). It doesn't include a vehicle propelled by muscle power, such as a bicycle, even if it does have pedals.

So your friend would be covered for liability arising from riding his bike, but not from driving a car, or using a hoverboard, Sinclair C5 or whatever.

olly300

Bic don't bother sending out insurance documents in the post or acknowledging your application. You have to phone them up to get the policy number once payment has cleared your bank account.

Blibble

Not strictly relevant, but perhaps may be useful for someone:

Anyone with a mid / high level cycle should consider bicycle insurance rather than their standard contents cover, as the limits / caps on the latter are quite prohibitive especially away from the home (usually £500 or £1000 policy limits). It's worth checking whether you can specify the cycle on the contents insurance, and always worth reading the limits applicable in the policy booklet whether you go through your contents or a cycle-specific policy (though this should go without saying!)

[Deleted User]

A point to remember is that luggage is not covered, and that can come to more than the bike's worth.

I never got a straight answer from my insurance as to whether your bike still has to be locked individually as well if it's locked in a place with communal access (such as a hostel bike shed).

Nebulous2

A good idea for an article - however I think some of the language needs explaining. For instance what does 'racing' mean?

Sportives aren't races nor are some of the big mass participation cycling events. I suspect insurers might include them in their definition however.

olly300

You need to read the small print in the insurers full terms and conditions. I've had to do this with health and travel insurance in the past to see whether one of the activities I was did was covered.

Unfortunately if you choose Bic as your insurer they won't send them to you.

BTW I'm in the process of taking them to task over not sending at least an email with terms and conditions attached.

olly300

jack_pott wrote: »

I never got a straight answer from my insurance as to whether your bike still has to be locked individually as well if it's locked in a place with communal access (such as a hostel bike shed).

I've always been advised by police and those who work in security to lock a bike individually if it is in a communal area, garden shed or separate out building.

Simply because if someone undesirable gains access then it will make it take longer for them to steal the bike as they have to cut the locks attached to the frame and wheels.

Also not to lock it to a cheaper bike as they will just cut the frame of the cheaper bike.

My neighbours all have motorbike chains with ground or wall anchors to lock their expensive bikes inside the outbuildings each of us own. In my case I'm currently keeping my bike inside. When I had a cheaper older bike I just locked it to the railings in front of my building like the rest of the cheap bikes. If someone made off with it they were welcome to it.