It’s renewal time and I really need to get the bikes covered properly. I’ve just been through the M&S online quote engine and had to take a deep breath. Any other recommendations – or is it actually better to go for home insurance minus the bikes and cover them with CTC or similar?

I was just about to ask this too! I had a look with m&s and it appeared that just getting contents insurance for house bits and then separate specific insurance for the bikes came to about the same price as m&s but then there’s hassle of dealing with 2 companies.

Were with Swinton & got 10k cover but not away from the house!

Same here and haven’t found it very straightforward. Currently with endsleigh and they have a £2k limit for any one object though depending who you get on the phone things seem to change.

Listing our bikes and their values on moneysupermarket led to not a single quote!

I had quotes for green insurance company and hiscox, but I need to speak to them on the phone to confirm the bikes are definitely covered.

There was another one I found on here that seemed to generate a very cheap quote from protect your bubble, just seemed too cheap to be true…

The Swinton policy says a maximum of £500 per bike?

Who’s your current cover with?

Hiscox is worth trying, with decent bike cover and excellent service- we were with them for years for various reasons, but the premiums kept creeping up.
Renewing with M&S again this year despite a big premium jump simply because the (now discontinued) bike cover makes it worthwhile- couldn’t find anything to match it.

Druidh

I personally spoke to them the other day & asked the? ,to be told its £10,000 !,as we have already have a higher value section for specific Jewellery items,I asked if we needed to soecify bikes,I was told no,you have a 10k individual item cover that’ll do it!.

I was just on the phone to M&S and it seems that my policy is still £4k max per bike and not for all of them.

I have just changed from m&s to the coop, saving a huge amount of cash.
I had to list the bikes worth over a grand, did it all over the phone and the guy on the other end was really helpful.
I was going to try Sainbury’s, but it was always engaged.

I’ve just gone with AA for home and contents, bikes up to £2000 each away from home. Previously with M+S, their renewal fee was double the AA quote and I got free breakdown for a year!

I’ve just done Aviva and covered bikes away from home to a value of £1500 which cost a small amount maybe £8-£12, you could choose the amount. Not sure what the max single item value is at home tho.
Try phoning them and asking, they seem to be the cheapest out there at the moment for insurance, I saved £200 on my car and £100 on contents/buildings plus a £50 M&S voucher.

Another for AA here, had to specify that the bikes were plus £2000, standard contents is max £1500 but includes away from home and abroad

Recently added several bike to my home and contents cover and went with the Coop.

Had to list bikes over £1000 and they will cover each cycle up to £2500 away from the home. I added 3 bikes and the premium only cost me £45 more than Churchill were asking for my home and contents renewal without the bikes.

Coop was half what M and S wanted.

Another recommendation for the AA here…. my bike is down as a specified item valued at 1800. Worked out cheaper than m&s at renewal time.

Renewed our insurance this morning, we’re with DirectLine and have their top ‘plus’ package that includes travel insurance and a host of other useful extras. At home my bike is covered (up to £15k I think) but away from home is a fraction of it’s value. No option to add away from home as too high risk.

druidhididhdh, did you find a winner in the end?

Nononononotyet.

Just about to try Co-op

Just off the phone with coop myself, they won’t insure a bike over £2000 🙁

Try Sainsburys, who are underwritten by lloyds. Tandem & P7 listed separately on house policy for very reasonable money. No experience of bike theft, but they’ve been very good to deal with about the house & contents. We’re about to move back into our house after it was wrecked by fire last May.

Looks like insurers are after around 10% of the new value of the bikes – per year – for cover. At that cost, I’d rather take the risk.

Im with Direct Line and just going through a claims process at the minute and couldn’t be more helpful and easy.

The policy states £1k single article limit but they have said to me bikes are different. I’m claiming £2,400 the bike was locked in a shed. I’m still not convinced they have got it right as policy reads as £1k limit, but 2 agents over the phone confirmed bikes are insured to the value if on property, but £1k limit if away from home.

Came in way way cheaper than m&s.

Looks like insurers are after around 10% of the new value of the bikes – per year – for cover. At that cost, I’d rather take the risk.

yeah thereabouts, although sainsburys and green insurance are coming in cheaper, just need to ring them to confirm with a real person.

It is a lot but the thought of coming home and finding everything gone with only partial compensation possible isn’t a comfortable one.

Green looks good!!!
Let me know what the real person has to say.

Well worth asking when calling up these insurers what the conditions/exclusions are around the bike cover.

MoreThan looked good to me, until I called them and the bike has to always be locked to something, even in your own garage, or within any locked building away from home.

Ended up going with Hiscox, who were pretty good on the phone. Not cheap to add bikes though.

AA can’t do bikes over £1500 without special treatment or something, they going to ring me back tomorrow… this is a pain!

John Lewis do good bike cover included at no extra cost in the home and contents insurance

The Swinton policy says a maximum of £500 per bike?

OK so you have as many bikes (at £500 a piece) to bring you up to the cover you require. ..

What comparison sights have you used?

john lewis only insure up to a grand per bike

My M&S contents policy is up in a week or so.

I’m sure the quote letter/reminder i got was not much greater than previous two years (never claimed for anything)
Have they moved the goalposts then?

Well AA have offered a very cheap deal BUT no accidental damage or loss, not new value replacement (includes wear and tear), tempting but seems a lot of scope for argument, but 1/5th price of the others.

interesting bigjim, I wonder what there depreciation rate is? Did you ask?

What sort of quotes are you guys getting. My renewal with M&S comes in at 483 (up 40 on last year). Bikes are still at 4k limit as I’m an existing policy holder.

Coop was silly cheap (180) but then went up to 283 when I added in various options like accidental damage. I had to call and add bikes – which I did at 5 bikes @ 2k each (for an indicative quote). Upped it to 430.

For that difference I’d rather stick with M&S as contents and buildings claims are unlimited in value.

I brought a new house and the M&S quote was ridiculous if I included the bikes (1.2k – without the bikes it was 600 with away from home etc etc). Went to NFU who called their broker and came in at 540 covering the bikes for everything (inc accidental damage away from home).

I have contents with Barclays. I get up to £2500 per bike locked in house or garage, or away from home. Excess is £100. Not sure if this was a deal for existing customers mind…

interesting bigjim, I wonder what there depreciation rate is? Did you ask?

No, it just sounded like so much of a grey area, and its the brokers who tell the AA what is what so would have been a lot of going around.

I can’t even remember who I’ve phoned and who I haven’t now 👿

Try aplan. My bike is covered at home. Haven’t needed cover away from home but they will do it