Insurance and Lock

[Boopop]

Hi all,

I got a lovely Planet X Pro Carbon Ultegra bike last October. Being my summer bike, I haven't ridden it more than three times since then! Anyway, I'm looking to use it to get to work. This being the case, what lock and insurance should I get? I've looked at some Kryptonite New York locks on Amazon, and I already have their cheaper £20 D lock with chain that I use with my Triban 3. Should I just get one of those New York D locks for £50~, or should I spend a bit more and get one of those smaller locks that come with the huge chain for about £80?

Also so far as insurance is concerned what is the best way to go? If I can get contents insurance that covers my bikes when they're at home and elsewhere that's great, but who with? If the opinion is that I ought to get seperate insurance for the bikes, then who should I go with for that?

Hope this is the correct sub-forum anyway, wasn't quite sure.

Thanks, Tom.

 

[400bhp]

Hi, if you can extend your home insurance to cover the bike away from the home. Stand alone policies for bikes are expensive.

TBH each insurer will offer different terms so you need to check the policy to see what is covered. "Terms" generally being the definition of "locked" and the amount of excess.

For example my home insurance policy required my bike to be locked to an immovable object. It doesn't specify the type of lock. Some policies will require the lock to be "gold" or a minimum "silver" standard.

I have the Kryptonite New York and leave it at work. I paid about £35 for it off ebay (new). It's about as good a d-lock as you can get. I also use a cheap Aldi d-lock to secure the front wheel to the frame. My bike is secured in a safe car park.

 

[slowmotion]

Our house and contents insurance is with Ecclesiastical Insurance. When I took it out, it gave £1500 worth of bike cover for about £22 pa extra. That included a few weeks touring abroad as well. The small print was a lot less fierce than my previous bike-specific cover which cost about three times the price.

Shop around.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Hi all,

I got a lovely Planet X Pro Carbon Ultegra bike last October. Being my summer bike, I haven't ridden it more than three times since then! Anyway, I'm looking to use it to get to work. This being the case, what lock and insurance should I get? I've looked at some Kryptonite New York locks on Amazon, and I already have their cheaper £20 D lock with chain that I use with my Triban 3. Should I just get one of those New York D locks for £50~, or should I spend a bit more and get one of those smaller locks that come with the huge chain for about £80?

Also so far as insurance is concerned what is the best way to go? If I can get contents insurance that covers my bikes when they're at home and elsewhere that's great, but who with? If the opinion is that I ought to get seperate insurance for the bikes, then who should I go with for that?

Hope this is the correct sub-forum anyway, wasn't quite sure.

Thanks, Tom.

If you take out insurance, the company will have a list of acceptable bike locks, depending on the value if your bike. You will be able to view these before taking the policy.

 

[400bhp]

If you take out insurance, the company will have a list of acceptable bike locks, depending on the value if your bike. You will be able to view these before taking the policy.

Actually, no. See above. Depends upon the insurance company.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Actually, no. See above. Depends upon the insurance company.

Might have to look at that, thanks.

 

[srw]

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/insurance-and-cycling.118438/

 

[young Ed]

If you take out insurance, the company will have a list of acceptable bike locks, depending on the value if your bike. You will be able to view these before taking the policy.

Actually, no. See above. Depends upon the insurance company.

insurance company will never (probably never that is) specify certain locks but may well specify gold, silver or what ever standard lock and that it is locked to an in-movable object (not your dog!)
Cheers Ed

 

[400bhp]

Might have to look at that, thanks.

I'm with Axa, here you go, page 28.

Just spotted that I seem to be covered when a bike is left in a car. May have to check if that includes a bike trailer that is locked to the car and the bike is locked to a trailer.

 

[fossyant]

Buy the best lock you can. Bit of a pain in the ass coming back to the bike after a long day and it being gone.

Also try and use two types, eg a d and a chain. Cable locks are useless

 

[fossyant]

Also hunt round on the internet. 400bhp picked his New York up for £35 which is much lower than RRP. I also picked up a New York Fagheddaboudit mini D for £55 when they often sell for over £80.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

I'm with More Than, checked and the bikes are not included as new for old cover and they will remove depreciation value

GRRRRR

 

[Donger]

After wasting a bit of time shopping around, I was surprised to find that Churchill were quite happy to include home and away cover for my rather pricey bike in my household insurance for a very modest extra sum. Wanted to take it abroad on my hols with me, and most other insurers just weren't interested - even when I explained that the bike would be locked to a carrier that would be locked to my roof bars, that would be locked to my car which (yes, you've guessed it), would also be locked -whenever it wasn't actually being driven by a very large skinhead. Got nowhere with specialist bike insurers .... they weren't even happy for me to keep it in my garage unless the place was locked down like Fort Knox. They all seem to want you have multiple point security locks. You practically have to promise to lash it down with industrial strength cables to multiple anchor points behind a blast-proof door and a machine gun nest. They were not impressed when I said it would usually be leaned against a wall behind a locked up-and-over door. (Because that's what a garage is for). I pointed out that most car insurance companies would actually reduce my car insurance if I promised to keep my car in there overnight. Nothing doing. Money grabbing leeches!

 

[Boopop]

Thanks for the advice everyone

I updated my details on MoneySupermarket and ran a search, it seems like it'd be MoreThan. Endsleigh offer a cheaper deal for contents insurance but their bicycle cover is pretty basic so far as I can tell.

EDIT: But then by the looks of it I could take out contents insurance and bike insurance both with Endsleigh seperately and it'd be cheaper than MoreThan. Their bicycle cover seems better too for the seperate policy. But then they don't have phone customer support so far as I'm aware. Hmm, choices...

 

[slowmotion]

The only downside that I could see with adding bikes to your home and contents insurance is the problem of lost "no claims bonus". The additional bike premium is small but it's still part of the total policy. Claim on a bike, and you could be in for a shock on renewal when you want to cover your house etc. Look for a policy that gives you a NCB holiday for a claim or two. That said, my home policy is refleshingly light on "the usual wriggle clauses" for bikes.

I have no idea if they will pay up.

Utter bastards