Just re-did the home insureance; £375 Home, contents & accidental cover in London. Adding 3 named bikes each of a £2.5k value in or away from home it went up to…

***drumroll***

£428.

The only exclusion was “theft if not locked by the frame to a fixed object” which includes – I checked – a roof mounted car rack and bike in the boot IF the bike is connected to a part of the car with a cable lock or similar.

Result!

What counts as a fixed object at home?

I dont think they have to be locked when actually in the house

new for old?

What counts as a fixed object at home?

In an out building they need to be behind a Yale or more secured door, and with a bike lock (a “cable” lock was quoted at me) with evidence of a break-in.

Inside the main building is as per firestarter says.

new for old?

Up to the insured value, you find a bike, they authorise and purchase it for you.

Personally will never use the AA again after they tried to sell me an invalid insurance policy.

I requested a rise in the contents total (bikes are included in this) and they refused it, something to do with the high cost of the bikes I was told (approx £5k increase to £10k in total).

They then told me it was illegal to under insure, but still spent 5 mins trying to convince me to take the policy out! Told them to sod off!

So make sure your total contents are covered!

In an out building they need to be behind a Yale or more secured door, and with a bike lock (a “cable” lock was quoted at me) with evidence of a break-in.

Mmmm, is your average wooden garage door safer than that or not? Sounds a little woolly for my liking.

Still more than I pay M&S too, although that’s not hugely relevant obviously!

You pay M&S less than £50 for £7.5k of bikes? Well done!

But, they said, as long as it was locked with a Yale lock, not just be a sliding bolt for example and I can evidence that the bikes were secured at least to themselves inside the outbuilding and provided photographic evidence of a break in they would be insured.

You pay M&S less than £50 for £7.5k of bikes? Well done!

Well, no, I pay M&S less than £375 for >£10k of bikes. I’ve no idea what the cost without the bikes was, as I just took the renewal, but that was why I said it wasn’t really relevant.

It is better cover though, no stipulations on locks at all, and no limits on individual items for contents (bikes aside!). But again, not relevant as new business quotes seem to be far higher.

I’m interested in Hastings Direct when it’s up for renewal though – if you jump through their hoops and name every item you want insured they appeared storming value when Singletrackmind(?) posted about them a few months back.

That happened to me the price actually goes up if I refuse to name them.

I suspect the differential is that because have an Alfa in the garage so the chance of it going up in smoke is exponentially higher.

I left the AA after I was told if a bike was stolen they only pay current market value ?? Ie it’s not new for old 🙁

Now with axa and all good 🙂

I suspect the differential is that because have an Alfa in the garage so the chance of it going up in smoke is exponentially higher.

That and you live somewhere rough 😉

Try Pedal Cover – I went with them this year for my first years home and contents. £430 ish but I dont have to specify any bike under either £10k or £15k (i cant remember which) and they are covered away from home and accidental etc etc.

Brokerage is run by a cyclist so has managed to get AXA to tailor a policy. No onerous conditions – if my bikes are in the garage and its locked then they are covered. If they are out and locked to an immovable object then they are covered – no level of lock specified.

That and you live somewhere rough

Outside Surrey, yes.

Now with axa and all good

The AA are just the mediators of course, the building & contents insurer is actually AXA on my renewal forms.

Try Pedal Cover – I went with them this year for my first years home and contents. £430 ish but I dont have to specify any bike under either £10k or £15k (i cant remember which) and they are covered away from home and accidental etc etc.

Brokerage is run by a cyclist so has managed to get AXA to tailor a policy. No onerous conditions – if my bikes are in the garage and its locked then they are covered. If they are out and locked to an immovable object then they are covered – no level of lock specified.

Have you checked this in detail? My policy is the same – to the value of £1500. Its beyond that which I need to itemise, hence I haven’t itemised my £670 winter bike.

Yup I scrutinized it thoroughly, if its under 10/15k it doesnt have to be itemised. Talk to Darren(?) at Pedal cover hes super helpful.

AXA are the underwriters of the M&S cover too I think. I am still with them but it’s not as good a deal as it was 5 yrs or so back. Bikes up to 2k don’t need itemised, ones over that do.

I looked at M&S and for the value of bikes I was looking to itemise it would have been >£800 a year…

Outside Surrey, yes.

Alack I’m in Sussex now, and I feel dirty for it!

I looked at M&S and for the value of bikes I was looking to itemise it would have been >£800 a year

I know when I got a new business quote it was much the same – clearly they got stung for a load of high end bike claims. Surprised my renewal has remained so reasonable frankly.

AXA are the underwriters of the M&S cover too I think

Indeed they are.

Santander look quite good. It doesn’t matter how many bikes you have, they just insure the most expensive one and then all are covered New for Old. Rather than most companies that tot up the total amount and charge (one year that was in excess of £15k in our house.

I did double and triple check with them when they were explaining this and read through all the paperwork they sent us.

Tom KP

The only exclusion was “theft if not locked by the frame to a fixed object” which includes – I checked – a roof mounted car rack and bike in the boot IF the bike is connected to a part of the car with a cable lock or similar.

Get that in writing if you want to claim – they told me categorically bikes would not be insured in the car even if locked to the vehicle. I spoke up the line too as I’d have used them otherwise.

Not sure exactly why this was or if it was definitely the case as I used to be M&S who would cover, and now i’m Pedal Cover who do cover and all 3 use AXA.

They seem very inconsistent. I know I’ve read in their policy docs that cover is new for old, and there’s a significant limit on outbuilding cover, and yet people on here swear blind they’ve been told it’s not new for old, and no such limits. I’m not denying that, but the inconsistency is a bit of a worry.

Im thinking of going with bikmo plus as a separate policy they look pretty good

AA are awful in my experience.

“Good for insuring bikes” rarely equals cheap. Good luck if it ever comes to a claim.

What happened with your claim Andy_Sweet ?