Why pedal cycle insurance?
Specialist insurers may try to sell you cycle insurance, but here’s a useful tip: some home insurance policies can cover your bike too.
Before you choose an insurance provider it’s a good idea to check if home insurance for bikes is an option in your policy.
There’s no such thing as the typical cyclist – cycling means different things to different people. For some it’s a social activity, exploring the countryside with friends or family and chatting about it over a hearty meal afterwards. The keen cyclist might also post details of a route online and swap stories with other cyclists. For some it’s an urban lifestyle choice, a healthy and hassle-free way to get around the city. For others it’s purely practical – the best way to do the daily commute.
What all cyclists agree on is that being without your bike is a bad thing. So it’s just common sense to protect it. Some of us ride exotic machines tested in a wind tunnel and built from carbon fibre – the cost of replacing these can easily run to thousands of pounds. Such bikes might be rare but it’s not uncommon for a bike to be worth about the same as a family’s second car. Criminals are well aware of this and 327,000 bikes were reported stolen in 2016 according to official figures.
Tips for avoiding becoming a victim of cycle theft
- Join a registration scheme – an online system where you upload your bike's details such as a photo and its model and frame numbers. There are also kits available that allow you to mark your bike with your own unique ID.
- Spend some time, and money, on finding the best bike locks. A combination of a flexible lock, such as a cable or chain lock, and a shackle lock, sometimes called a ‘U’ or 'D' lock, gives you more security.
- Remember to bring your bike in at night. It’s worth the effort of carrying it up a flight of stairs. If you must leave it outside, lock it to a permanently fixed structure through the lower frame and wheels.
- If you leave your bike in a garage or garden shed always make sure doors and windows are securely locked. Consider fitting an alarm or extending your home system to cover the outbuilding. If using a garage it’s worth buying an anchor or rack that can be bolted to the wall or floor.
- When you’re out and about try to park your bike in a place that’s well-lit and busy with pedestrians. Most bike thieves prefer to work unseen. Don’t forget whilst locking your bike to a permanently fixed structure, remember to lock your wheels and saddle too – thieves are as keen on parts as they are on the whole bike.
- Think about having a GPS tracker fitted. These can be installed in the frame of the bike, out of sight for all but the most careful thief.
How Halifax Home Insurance can help
With our home insurance you can choose from a range of additional cover options. Our pedal cycle option covers the cost of loss or damage to bikes and bike accessories belonging to you or your family. That’s protection for when they’re at home, in your garage or when you’re out riding. Twisted a wheel rim in a nasty pothole? Our pedal cycle option could take care of it. Thinking about a cycling holiday abroad? We’ll cover you for up to 60 days.
Our pedal cycle option includes cover of up to:
- £500 for each bicycle that hasn’t been specified
- £5,000 for a single bicycle that’s been specified on the policy
- £10,000 in total.
What’s not included in our pedal cycle cover?
- Any kind of bicycle powered by a motor.
- Loss or damage to bicycles used in a race or trial, or for pace making.
- Theft of a pedal cycle left unattended in a public place or communal areas when it is not securely locked to a permanently fixed structure.
Limits, terms and exclusions apply, see our policy documents for full details.
Halifax Home Insurance is underwritten by Lloyds Bank General Insurance Limited
Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc. Registered in Scotland No. SC327000. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Bank of Scotland plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 169628.