Is Cyclist Insurance Needed? 5 tips to keep your bike safe
According to Cyclist magazine, nearly 400,000 bikes are stolen in the UK every year. Follow our top five tips to keep your wheels safe from the thieves:
1) Buy the best quality lock you can
We may spend thousands on setting up our bikes exactly how we want them, but how much time and money do you put into choosing the lock to protect it? Cheap locks can pose little deterrent to thieves, so it’s worth investing in a quality system. Look for locks with a Sold Secure rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold, with Gold rated locks offering the highest level of security. And don’t forget to use your lock every time, even if you’re just stopping for a couple of minutes. Check with your policy, but most insurance companies won’t pay out if your bike is stolen and it wasn’t properly secured with a lock.
2) Choose where you lock your bike carefully
Use common sense when deciding where to leave your bike. Choose somewhere that is well lit and ideally with plenty of passers-by. It’s also important to find something very secure, that can’t be easily broken or moved, to lock your bike too. Wire fencing is easy to snip with cutters and temporary structures like scaffold poles can be taken apart with just a few tools. Regardless of how good your lock is, if the thing your bike is locked against can be moved, your bike will be a cinch to pinch.
3) Register your bike
Bike Register is an online register and marking scheme that is used by the Police across the UK. It doesn’t cost anything to register your bike, but it can help to deter thieves and help swiftly reunite you with your bike if it is stolen and recovered.
4) Move house
A bit drastic maybe, but the stats show that if you live in London’s SW or SE postcodes you’re at most risk of having your bike stolen. Check this heat map to see if you live in a cycle crime hot spot.
5) Protect your finances with the right insurance
Taking out robust insurance offers the ultimate financial protection from thieves. Whether your bike is essential for the daily commute or you simply couldn’t easily afford to buy a new bike if it gets damaged or stolen, comprehensive cover will enable you to quickly get your bike replaced so you can get back out on the road or track.
Is my bike covered on my home insurance?
You’ll need to check with your home insurance provider. Many policies require any bicycles worth more than £500 to be specified. You’ll also need to check if your bike is covered when it’s away from the home, as many home insurance policies only offer cover for your cycle whilst it’s at your home address.
Other insurance for cyclists
The risk of theft is not the only concern for cyclists. If you cause damage or injury to another person or their property whilst you’re on your bike, you can be held liable. Public liability insurance and legal fees cover can help you pay for any legal costs or compensation. Your might also want to consider personal accident insurance for peace of mind that you’re covered if you suffer an accident that results in serious injury and prevents you from working for a period time. Other useful insurance cover to consider includes protection for your bike from accidental damage during storage or transportation.
Look for tailored bicycle insurance for the best value
Just like car insurance, you’re considered at greater risk if you use your bike for commuting or racing. If you only use your bike for leisure be sure to opt for a tailored deal so you’re not paying out for cover that you don’t need.
Why choose Park Insurance for your cyclist insurance?
At Park Insurance we are independent brokers with specialist experience of the insurance requirements of every cyclist. We’ve been helping cyclists from weekend enthusiast to daily cycling commuter for over 30 years to find great value, bespoke cover.
We have close links with some of the UK’s leading bike insurance providers and can negotiate excellent prices on robust insurance policies that you can count on. We can advise you on all the levels of cover on offer, from basic value insurance to fully comprehensive, premium packages for your complete peace of mind.
Call us on 0117 955 6835 to tell us exactly how you use your bike and we’ll find you the best value deal available.