Bike insurance revisited

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
With all this talk of accidents and being sued I thought I should make an effort to look into insurance more closely.
I rang bikesure only to be asked what the equivalent motor cycle engine size would be? MMmm.. not a good start! Another question.... was I a home owner or tenant? I asked why she wanted to know this and the reply was "its just one of the questions I ask" Presumably from a junk mail list to add my details to!
Anyway price was £242 which seems competitive but is similar to my car insurance and seems a lot!
However,
Cycleguard is offering £1 million of public liability only for £24 (over the phone quote) which if purchased in conjunction with a good home insurance cover seems a good compromise..
Or is it?
Some quotes are in excess of £300.. Is this normal?
 

JohnCade

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 16, 2014
1,486
736
With all this talk of accidents and being sued I thought I should make an effort to look into insurance more closely.
I rang bikesure only to be asked what the equivalent motor cycle engine size would be? MMmm.. not a good start! Another question.... was I a home owner or tenant? I asked why she wanted to know this and the reply was "its just one of the questions I ask" Presumably from a junk mail list to add my details to!
Anyway price was £242 which seems competitive but is similar to my car insurance and seems a lot!
However,
Cycleguard is offering £1 million of public liability only for £24 (over the phone quote) which if purchased in conjunction with a good home insurance cover seems a good compromise..
Or is it?
Some quotes are in excess of £300.. Is this normal?

CTC will cover you for up to ten million pounds worth of liability to third parties if you have an accident on your bike free as an added benefit of membership. They include legal pedelecs in this but not anyone who rides his bike for a living like cycle couriers. You can also get other insurance through them at competitive rates.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
CTC will cover you for up to ten million pounds worth of liability to third parties if you have an accident on your bike free as an added benefit of membership. They include legal pedelecs in this but not anyone who rides his bike for a living like cycle couriers. You can also get other insurance through them at competitive rates.
Just done a quote £306.64 for 2 bikes
 

JohnCade

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 16, 2014
1,486
736
CTC membership is £41 a year and £27 for over sixty fives. There are other benefits to membership as well.
 

JohnCade

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 16, 2014
1,486
736
Yes, both they and CTC have similar fringe benefits. I couldn’t see at a quick glance whether British Cycling included pedelecs in their cover. I always thought they were more for the competitive cyclist too.
 

Tomtomato

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 28, 2015
388
196
I insured my Kalkhoff electric bike for £0, as part of my home content insurance (home and away).

Bike-specific insurances may provide additional cover, but then it is worth the premiums asked for?

My smartphone is also insured the same way (personal belongings), instead of having a smartphone specific insurance for £7 per month...
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I insured my Kalkhoff electric bike for £0, as part of my home content insurance (home and away).

Bike-specific insurances may provide additional cover, but then it is worth the premiums asked for?

My smartphone is also insured the same way (personal belongings), instead of having a smartphone specific insurance for £7 per month...
Does home insurance offer 3rd party cover/liability?
I claimed on home insurance for my phone but there was a £100 excess and future increase in premiums .
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
This is one of the things British Cycling is really good for.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/benefits
Will give them a ring later.. it's the liability cover I am most interstellar in. I never leave my bike out of sight and it's chained to the wall in tha garage , but as pointed out elsewhere one could be held responsible for damage to other road users . My son in law used his B.S. members number to get me 10% off a pair of £750 wheels so worth joining anyway.
 

Tomtomato

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 28, 2015
388
196
Does home insurance offer 3rd party cover/liability?
I believe so, and it's no different from a normal bike anyway, or you injuring someone walking in a street. Do you have 3rd party cover/liability for those cases?

£100 excess seems to be normal for all content insurance claims anyway, and a small amount for an electric bike
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I believe so, and it's no different from a normal bike anyway, or you injuring someone walking in a street. Do you have 3rd party cover/liability for those cases?

£100 excess seems to be normal for all content insurance claims anyway, and a small amount for an electric bike
Curiously renewal note has just popped through the door. .
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Just called home insurance.
2 bikes (one electric) insured for £4500 at full replacement cost home and away with public liability insurance is now built into my policy. They gave me a full breakdown and the actual cost for the bikes is £40.65.
I dont think all insurers do this and the bikes have to have proof of value and be specified.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Just called home insurance.
2 bikes (one electric) insured for £4500 at full replacement cost home and away with public liability insurance is now built into my policy. They gave me a full breakdown and the actual cost for the bikes is £40.65.
I dont think all insurers do this and the bikes have to have proof of value and be specified.
As an update.. also includes accidental damage.
All that's required to make a claim is an original proof of value (receipt ) and must be less than 3 years old to get full replacement cost.
Bradford and Bingley home insurance
 

Vasilis_Pap

Pedelecer
Aug 6, 2015
99
32
46
Just checked that insurance company. If they indeed cover electric bikes I'll go with them. I need to verify if they cover intentional damage though
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Just checked that insurance company. If they indeed cover electric bikes I'll go with them. I need to verify if they cover intentional damage though
I rang them. They were pleasant and helpful , they went away to check with the underwriters about the ebike and answer was that my bosch crank drive is classed as a bicycle.
 
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Vasilis_Pap

Pedelecer
Aug 6, 2015
99
32
46
The majority of the insurance companies call them pedal bikes. So anything electric they have to scratch their heads... if there is a history at least they will know about it. Cheers for that.

Did you ask about the intentional damage? Ie I always fear that someone that fails to nick the bike may decide to kick the cap out of it causing damage. Would they cover that? Aviva doesn't.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,120
6,314
no 1 will insure my bike it cost to much as over 5k 1 place does 5k and its 45 quid a month more than a fkn car lol

same as my speakers as cant have them on contents insurance as cost to much for 1 item. all a rip off any way tbh
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
The majority of the insurance companies call them pedal bikes. So anything electric they have to scratch their heads... if there is a history at least they will know about it. Cheers for that.

Did you ask about the intentional damage? Ie I always fear that someone that fails to nick the bike may decide to kick the cap out of it causing damage. Would they cover that? Aviva doesn't.
I never leave mine anywhere so didn't think to ask