£8 a year and I have been through the small print carefully. I have never had it before and my last bike theft was 22 years ago. Only my pub bike gets left anywhere, all the rest are tucked up nice and safe when they are not being ridden.
Trackers and Insurance
- Thread starter TracyD2016
- Start date
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£8 a year and I have been through the small print carefully. I have never had it before and my last bike theft was 22 years ago. Only my pub bike gets left anywhere, all the rest are tucked up nice and safe when they are not being ridden.
I have a pub bike too... I keep hoping it'll get nicked so I can go and buy myself something new and exciting... But then I wouldn't be able to leave it outside the pub anymore so maybe that's not such a great idea!
lpretro1
Guest
Well the op asked for recommendations on insurance which is what I gave based on my own experiences. For those who choose not to have insurance then fine - but why bother posting your opinions here as the OP asked for recommendation FOR insurance! I personally am happy with the cover I have and the requirements for locks etc. I saved a lot of money on my premium compared to the previous company I was with so that's no bad thing. It suits my needs - if it doesn't suit you then fine but don't slag it off if u have no experience. The reason bike insurance is so expensive is because they are very easy to steal. I don't think it is unrealistic for an insurance company to expect u to take reasonable steps to secure your property - you'll find your house insurance is invalid if you have left a door or a window open for example. The number of people I know who leave bikes in unlocked sheds/garages etc is amazing. If the bike is out of the house it isn't unreasonable to expect it to be locked to something unmoveable - it seems common sense - if it isn't then locked down it can be popped into a van or walked away with in seconds. The type of lock standard u need depends on the cost of the bike - so for cheaper bikes you'll only need to bronze std 'sold secure'. The 'sold secure' tag informs the insurers that the lock is of a designated standard and not some cheap piece of kit from a hardware store - again I don't think it unreasonable.
No - of course. Insurance is a personal choice. Some have it, some don't. But if you ask a question on a forum, then you'll get opinions. You can then choose to use those opinions or not to make your own hopefully more informed decision. It wouldn't be very helpful if all the people that had a negative opinion on insurance just kept quiet, as the OP would then wrongly take the view that every one who owns a bike buys insurance and is very happy with the cover.
Like reading a review on Amazon say, I want to hear the pro's as well as the con's about a product. Insurance is a product and hopefully a mix of negative and positive feelings about it will help her make a more informed choice. But ultimately, it's down to her.
Like reading a review on Amazon say, I want to hear the pro's as well as the con's about a product. Insurance is a product and hopefully a mix of negative and positive feelings about it will help her make a more informed choice. But ultimately, it's down to her.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Does it double as a dog bed? (see current avatar pic)
I have experience of other insurance policies, so I hope it's OK if I slag off odd-looking insurance without buying it
Yes, but it's unrealistic to refuse to cover it if a thief found a non-violent way to force their way in, isn't it?
Yes, but it's unreasonable to exclude security-bolted-down racks from the definition of "something unmoveable", isn't it?
Isn't "sold secure" a standard set by locksmiths? The Internet is littered with reviews of SS locks being broken in minutes. Here's one at random: http://road.cc/content/review/35583-trelock-fs455-folding-lock broke a lock with a bar in about a minute that http://www.trelock.de/web/en/produkte/fahrrad-schloesser/faltschloesser/8001870_FS_455_COPS.php claims is SS Silver... www.soldsecure.com doesn't say exactly what that means any more beyond "a compromise between security and cost" but heck, for £45, wouldn't you expect more than a minute's protection against a simple bar?One cannot trust SS these days and should check reviews instead, such as the summary I linked earlier. If it really matters, buy two and attack one with the tools and power tools that modern thieves use, like bottle jacks and angle grinders. Film it and share the highlights so everyone can benefit. If it fails too easily, return the other one as not fit for purpose. Wasting the price of a dud lock seems better than losing a good bike.
Tom B
Guru
- Location
- Lancashire
Does your home insurance not have any cover in this instance??
Do you mean a tracker like this?
http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/
I know someone who has a similar device on a trailer and a motorhome.
Just bear in mind that the accuracy of the GPS indoors can leave a little to be desired. I know of a load of Ipads that were stolen, all with the find my Ipad app installed. When the police logged in they was apparently spread in about 15houses all along a couple of streets and kept changing location! So tracking technology is not a panacea!
I come across lots of bike thieves, none of which would have a jammer - if they did they would have sold that for the next £10 bag. They are nothing if not lazy and cant see beyond the end of their nose.
My main bike was about £550 new, probably more like £900 with lights, lock, additions and Garmin. Ive just bought a Abus Borado 6000 folding lock, practicing what I preach in relation to spending 10% of bike value on a lock. It's much more compact than a Dlock which i have never got on with, fits in a holder that will fit on the frame and is Sold Secure Silver. Yes it can be defeated as youtube videos will show, but the majority of bike thefts (and indeed other thefts) are opportunistic thefts of insecure bikes or bikes secured using crappy cable locks that can just be yanked open. Not many thieves will just be walking down the street carting a crow bar or a 2ft set of bolt croppers. However they may bring those to your garden shed if you have something worth nicking.
Having seen a youtube video of a thief just yanking a bike out of a stand with one of these locks i bought the Bordo.
I have thought about cycle insurance several times over the years and like other posters I can't make it make sense. The house insurance covers the bikes against theft and the whole house and contents cover costs £128. Cycle specific cover doesnt offer anything extra RE theft in respect of an unattended insecure bike, although the excess is £25 rather than £100.
The only benefit of cycle cover is interms of Third Party cover, recovery service (limited), accidental damage cover, personal liability & personal accident, and replacement bike hire. In my case this would cost me £82 a year. Although i would have claimed £80 - £25 for a damaged wheel. This is ETA cycle cover.
Have a look at their policy and notable exclusions...
https://www.eta.co.uk/insurance/cycle/key-facts-documents/
I am unlikely to use the recovery service or the replacement bike hire. Like the other poster I'm just thinking of setting up a bike acccout sticking £10 a month in by standing order to take the sting out of any thefts or damages.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Are you sure? Many domestic policies include TP and personal liability, but many cycle-specific policies cover component theft that domestic ones don't.
lpretro1
Guest
Mine also gives accidental damage,new-for-old, sportive cover, clothing, cover & recovery abroad etc. None of the domestic ones I have seen give that. It also depends on the value of the bike you are covering. A lot of domestic policies will not cover more than £1500 if u r lucky.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Yes, that is probably the deciding factor. I don't recall sportive cover or clothing but they wouldn't interest me. I think I've seen new-for-old as a domestic option, and cover/recovery abroad in some travel insurance policies, but these are all options to compare policies by, not necessarily limited to bike-specific policies.
