What is bicycle insurance?
Bicycle insurance is a specific type of insurance you can get to cover the cost of replacing or repairing your bike if it is stolen or damaged. Bike insurance also helps protect you financially if you are injured while cycling or cause/are involved in an accident or collision with another person or vehicle.
If you own a bike, you’ll already appreciate the many benefits that come with cycling. From losing weight to saving money on travel, plus the positive effect cycling has on the environment. However, you may be wondering if you’re covered insurance-wise?
Whether you commute to work on a bicycle, trail mountains in your spare time, or take a casual spin at the weekend, this guide will help you protect your two wheels...
Do I need bicycle insurance?
Strictly speaking, bike insurance isn’t essential or a legal requirement if you’re just cycling on roads or public areas. Your bike may also be covered under your general home insurance or contents insurance policy. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that this only covers you for things like theft or accidents within your home.
As you will be travelling away from home on your bike, it may be worth looking into a specialist policy that offers tailored protection for cycling. Bikes can be expensive to repair or replace, so having a specific bicycle insurance policy could help cover these costs.
While bicycle insurance isn’t a legal requirement for most, it’s worth noting that if you plan to use your bicycle for competition or races, you may need insurance. Check with the organisers beforehand to ensure you’re covered in time for any upcoming events.
Is my bike covered under my contents insurance policy?
If you’re wondering if your standard contents insurance is enough to cover your bicycle, the answer is yes, to some extent. As we discussed above, you are covered for theft or accidental damage that occurs at home under most contents insurance policies.
However, it’s worth checking your documents to check if your bike is definitely included. There may also be a single value limit on how much your home insurance provider will cover your bike for.
If your bike is worth £500 for example, and your insurer only covers £250, you will need to cover the extra £250 yourself, should you need to make a claim. If your bicycle is worth more than the single value limit, it’s worth looking into a separate, specialist bike insurance policy to ensure you’re covered.
What does bicycle insurance cover include?
Bike insurance offers specific protection for your bicycle and yourself as a cyclist. You can also opt for extra cover if you’re planning to use your bike for a race or competition.
Your policy will often offer cover and add-on options for things like:
- Personal accidents and collisions
- Theft
- Replacement bike hire
- Replacement of parts and accessories (even on vintage bikes)
- Third-party liability
- Commuting
- Commercial use
- Worldwide travel
- Competition & race fees
How much does it cost?
Specialist bike insurers are more likely to tailor your policy to suit your personal needs and use, rather than offer a general level of cover. As such, bicycle insurance quotes tend to cost slightly more than a standard contents insurance policy.
It all depends how you use your bike - if it is in a professional capacity, it is likely to cost more, as you may be seen as more of a risk. If you use it on the weekends or cycle as a casual hobby, it will probably cost less. Factors such as the type of bike and price you paid for it will also come into play when running a quote.
When insuring your bike at Quidco Compare, you could pay less than £46.99 for bicycles valued up to £1500*.
What kind of bikes can I insure?
There are various bicycles you can purchase extra insurance for. These include:
- Mountain bikes
- Road bikes
- Hybrids
- Folding bikes
- Pushbikes
- Electric bikes
If your bike is self-built or customised, you can also purchase insurance to cover your bicycle’s unique details and specification.
What cover can I get?
Similar to contents insurance, there are generally two types of cover available for your bike:
- New for old replacement - available for any bike less than three years old and that you bought brand new
- Market value - for bikes that are older than three years and/or purchased secondhand
Can I insure my bike for business use?
If you’re commuting to work via bicycle or run a business relating to cycling, you are covered when you buy a specialist bike policy. Just make sure you make it clear what you intend to use your bike for to get an accurate quote.
It’s also worth checking if your company has a cycle-to-work scheme, as they may include bike insurance within their terms.
Can I add multiple people and bikes to my policy?
Yes, you can choose to add multiple people to your policy as extra add-ons such as family cover. However, it’s worth noting that the minimum age for specialist bicycle insurance is 16. In terms of adding multiple bikes, check with your insurer. Some may include this as an extra option, whereas others may require you to take out a separate policy per bike.
Am I covered if my bike is stolen?
In certain cases, insurers fail to pay out if your bike isn’t secure at the time it is stolen. Ways to prevent this include:
- Registering your bike at Bike Register - National Cycle Database for free, which will give your bike a unique reference number if it’s ever stolen to help police recover it. You can also get stickers with this number to warn any potential thieves away
- Using the correct lock to secure your bike - check with your insurers, as some reject certain types of locks
- Locking your bike away from any communal areas or public view - try to secure your bicycle in a safe garage or private area off the main road if possible
Is it worth getting bike insurance?
In general, it’s worth weighing up aspects such as the value of your bike, how often you use it, the excess you'd need to pay if you need to make a claim, plus how long you plan to keep the bike for. Regardless of the above, it’s ultimately your decision. If your bike is valuable to you, it’s definitely worth knowing you have the best protection available.
How to buy bike insurance
If you’ve decided to buy bike insurance, here are some of the ways you can purchase it:
Compare & save
Check out comparison sites and run multiple quotes with and without extras to compare and get the best price to suit your needs. This will give you a starting point if you fancy haggling with companies. You can also get up to £20 cashback on top* when you compare quotes with Quidco Compare.
Purchase from your home insurance company
Most home insurance providers offer contents insurance for cheap and mid-range bikes within their general policies, so it’s worth getting in touch with your current insurance company to see if they offer additional bicycle insurance.
If you’re already a customer, they may give you a better quote. This is where it pays to get a quote elsewhere to see if they will match it.
Go to a specialist bicycle insurer
If you’re looking for the ultimate protection and know exactly what cover you need, it can pay to go to a specialist insurance company. These aren’t always featured on comparison sites, but sometimes they offer a better price for going to them directly.
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Useful information
Please note: by clicking the “Get a quote” button, you consent to your details being transferred to up to five insurance providers. The insurance providers will contact you via telephone to discuss your policy.
Please note:
- Cashback is only available for genuine quotes.
- Cashback is limited to 3 quotes per person for each product per year. Abuse of this may lead to the termination of your Quidco account.
- Any user found giving false details will have their Quidco account terminated.
When using the Compare service, you must take reasonable care to answer insurers questions fully and accurately and if you volunteer other information, you must take reasonable care to ensure that the information is not misleading. If any information that you have provided changes before you take out your insurance, during the life of the policy or at renewal you must inform the insurer or broker of the change. If you deliberately or carelessly misrepresent any information in relation to this insurance, then your policy may not pay all, or part, of a claim and could in certain circumstances be avoided altogether.
The comparison service for insurance accessed via Compare is provided by Quotezone, 100% independent UK insurance comparison. Quidco is a trading style of Quidco Ltd, who are an Introducer Appointed Representative of Seopa Ltd, trading as Quotezone, who are authorised and regulated by the FCA, number 313860. Quotezone run and operate the insurance comparison service. By using this system you are agreeing to our terms and conditions & privacy policy.
*Cashback rates are as follows:
Bike valued up to £1000 - £5.00 cashback
£1000-£1999 - £10.00 cashback
£2000-£2999 - £15.00 cashback
> £3000 - £20.00 cashback
1) You could pay less than £27 for bicycles valued up to £1500*
*51% of customers with a bicycle valued up to £1500 who obtained a quote for Bicycle Insurance through this service provided by Seopa Ltd during August 2024 were quoted less than £27.06. Using the same calculation for bicycles valued between £1500 and £3000 gave a figure of £50.34 and for bicycles valued over £3000 gave a figure of £99.97. The quote price you could achieve is dependent on your individual circumstances.
2) You could pay less than £50 for bicycles valued between £1501 and £3000*
*51% of customers with a bicycle valued between £1500 and £3000 who obtained a quote for Bicycle Insurance through this service provided by Seopa Ltd during August 2024 were quoted less than £50.34. Using the same calculation for bicycles valued up to £1500 gave a figure of £27.06 and for bicycles valued over £3000 gave a figure of £99.97. The quote price you could achieve is dependent on your individual circumstances.
3) You could pay less than £100 for bicycles valued over £3000*
*51% of customers with a bicycle valued over £3000 who obtained a quote for Bicycle Insurance through this service provided by Seopa Ltd during August 2024 were quoted less than £99.97. Using the same calculation for bicycles valued up to £1500 gave a figure of £27.06 and for bicycles valued between £1500 and £3000 gave a figure of £50.34. The quote price you could achieve is dependent on your individual circumstances.
