Bike insurance only really gets tested when something actually goes wrong. Interested to see how many people here have had to claim — and what route that was through.
Why we’re asking:
Claims stories are the most trusted content on the forum. This draws out firsthand experience and highlights the difference between specialist, cyclistled claims handling and generic home insurance processes.
No, but that would be because I've never insured one. And if I had had insurance I'd of paid over 40 years of premiums for nothing as I've never had one stolen.
I've had two bikes stolen: one uninsured and one insured.
AXA were great - fast claim as soon as I had police number, a quick email and phone call as it was a self built bike. Option of choosing equivalent model value for speed/ease, or just take money at 90% of value. New bike delivered in about two weeks.
two claims a decade apart for stolen bikes. Both insured thru the now gone M&S insurance. New for old replacement bikes, no hassle with the process
Two claims for accidental damage. Both frames replaced. Ironically when we had bikes stolen, we were between houses and not insured.
I made an accidental damage claim through Laka. I had the frame repaired by a specialist Carbon repairer and it was all covered. They were also willing to pay for stripping and rebuilding as the repairer wanted a bare frame but I was happy to just do that myself.
I got a new (Genesis DayOne) for old (60 quid eBay Marin hybrid) which softened the blow of getting it nicked. The Marin was actually a decent bike so I was somewhat disappointed - at first.
Weirdest thing about the whole episode was the police offering me support from a victim support officer.
I claimed for a bike that I crashed on an icy road. The only memorable thing was getting blacklisted by Legal & General because I got a quote from them just after I'd put the claim in. I didn't know if the claim was going through, so didn't mention it. Then when I knew it was going through I called L&G to tell them and they treated me like I'd defrauded them. Had to email the CEO to get off the insurance blacklist, other representatives weren't interested. Was going through divorce at the time and needed insurance to get mortgage.. man, it was stressful. Will never use Legal & General again, the utter bastards.
Can't actually remember who the claim was through!
After getting hit by a car (but was my fault) back in January I had to claim through Pedal Cover under the accidental damage cover I have with them, both for bits broken on the bike and clothing I was wearing.
It was all relatively painless, had to fill in an online form with details of what happened and what I was claiming for. Then had to take pictures of everything (some back and forth on this as they needed clearer pics of certain areas where it wasn't clear if something was scratched or cracked etc.).
I had to provide receipts for everything but one consequence of buying pretty much all of my stuff online these days is that was simple. I had to get the bike assessed by a local shop to determine the extent of the damage (Pedal Cover covered the fee for this), bike shop had to fill out a electronic form sent to them by Pedal Cover. In the end it was decided the frame was OK (forks had snapped, one shifter needed replacing, front wheel needed replacing and I think that was about it). I was wearing brand new Castelli winter tights and an Endura jacket, tights were cut off me in the ambulance and jacket ripped at the back - Pedal Cover paid the full amount for both but also sent me a repair kit for the jacket which was a nice touch.
Only issue I had was my fault in that I'd under insured the bike, I'd basically added it at the retail cost and then forgot to increase it enough when I later upgraded several parts so was actually about 20% under insured in the end so total claim was reduced by that amount. Fortunately I also have BUPA health cover through work that pays £150 per night when in an NHS hospital so that made up the shortfall (3 nights)!
First thing I did after was bump up the value of all my other bikes to make sure the full cost of upgrades (without deducting anything for the part removed, which Pedal Cover confirmed is what I should have done in the first place) was factored in. I also swap some carbon wheels between different bikes so added the cost of those to each bike I use them with.
It's a while off renewal time so no clue how much my premium might go up (was over £1k claim in the end), I'll be sticking with them unless it's by a crazy amount...
Had to claim through home insurance (multiple bike, parts and tools theft from garage - claim was close to 6.5k in total).
A particularly painful experience that needed me to threaten to go to Insurance Ombudsman. They only backed down when they went back to their recordings of when I took out the insurance and accepted that I’d questioned multiple times whether the cover met my needs (multiple bikes all under the named item value limit, and a one above it), vs a max “outbuildings” (which included detached brick garage) clause that was not mentioned during the phone call when arranging it. They initially used the excuse that the 14 day “cooling off period” was for me to check that the cover met my needs, and that their staff could not be expected to understand the suitability of the products they were selling. They then said that there would be a reduction in the payout if I took a cash payment, rather than replacement bikes etc supplied through there tame supplier. A big thank you to whoever it was at Tweeks who took one look at what I’d had stolen and said, we cannot supply replacements for those at the value being claimed for (what they’d cost me - not what a new for old would have cost them and not what I’d have wanted anyway).
And, no, I still don’t have any dealings with the AA for any of the their products and services.
I was hit by a buss about 40 years ago and got a new front fork and wheel for my 'racer'.
House insurance claim, up to the limiot of unnamed bikes, when some professional bike theives robbed the garage. Also go a new garage door which they broke, security camera recording unit which they took with them and a battery drill which they used to steal the security recorder.
Claimed on Barclays bike insurance in 2018 for accidental damage after my Spitfire snapped.
£3.5K claim limit at the time and that then turned into the bulk of the money for my HB.160.
Now covered through Aviva, £5k limit, don't have to list bikes and all are covered for theft and accidental damage. Think it's about £35 a year, which is pretty good.
Years ago I tried to claim from Yellow Jersey (who unbelievably are still in business). They made the process so difficult, convoluted, awkward and unpleasant that I almost gave up, and in the end they denied the claim based on a technicality buried deep in the terms and conditions.
My conclusion is that actually getting a payout from them would be almost impossible.
Years ago I tried to claim from Yellow Jersey (who unbelievably are still in business). They made the process so difficult, convoluted, awkward and unpleasant that I almost gave up, and in the end they denied the claim based on a technicality buried deep in the terms and conditions.
My conclusion is that actually getting a payout from them would be almost impossible, and the prices are so high that you could self-insure and be profitable within 10 years.
Years ago I tried to claim from Yellow Jersey (who unbelievably are still in business)
Hmm, and going by the big banner at the top, 'sponsoring' this poll...
We had a S Works Enduro and S Works Stumpjumper taken a few years ago. Busted the garage door in the process.
All sorted very quickly on a new for old basis by M and S.
Couldn't fault the process
Yup. A Cube Hyde Race I bought "barely used" on eBay for £400. Halifax paid out the full RRP via Wheelies. No receipts needed.
Yeah, my Cannondale got nicked... While I was on it.
Visited a mate in a bad bit of the city and upon leaving felt something was off as there were a couple of lads(junkies as it turned out)
Tried to get off sharpish but got dragged off hitting the ground and sliding down it propped up on one elbow(Got £1200 criminal compensation for the scarring to said elbow)
Coincidentally, I'd only added the bike to the policy a fortnight previously, though that didnt cause too many issues with the suspicious nature of your average insurance company as the cops knew who it was due to his multiple facial chibs,and arrested him.
Bike had probably cost me £1100, and they offered me £800, which i accepted.
3 months later the insurer called me to ask if i wanted to buy the bike back off them as the police had by then recovered it.
Being the canny Scot, i got the asking price down and got it back for £200.
Sold it 3 or so months later for £400.
Used the crim compensation for a trip to India.
had my garage done about 27 years ago. brand new rockhopper pro nicked. wheelies replaced it with a bontrager privateer.
home insurance... no issues,
then had a surly k monkey in works van. van got done, bike gone. works insurance wouldnt pay a penny at we did not sell bikes.
About 20 years ago, I had a Rockhopper taken from my garage. Home insurance paid out around £700, pretty straight forward. I also had a lock that came with insurance, up to $750 (USA based, can't remember the manufacturer). After paying a notary to verify the claim form, I then got a $750 "check" a couple of months later from said bike lock company.
40yrs ago had a Dawes galaxy id ridden round Europe on nicked from uni, specific bike insurance paid out. Other than household policy which mostly didn't cover the bikes I've not bothered with insurance - just had less than fancy bikes & been careful.
I claimed on holiday insurance as we had a bike on a roof carrier and drove into a low tunnel in lyon 😳. They paid out no problems.
Junior was taken out by an errant dog. Allianz dealt with it fine writing off the Colnago carbon frame for precautionary safety reasons even though it could have had superfical damage repaired. They also persisted for an acceptable compensation figure for his injuries from the dog owner's insurers.
I've had two big claims with Aviva. First was 7 years ago - three bikes taken from the garage. Due to 'new for old' I got £6k for a battered old Yeti. £12k in total. Took the cash and bought bikes in the sales. 2 years ago I got ram raided and claimed £14k for the damage. Did all the repairs myself for £3k. Premium has stayed the same at £350 year.
Great service from Aviva both times, but you do need to push them / manage the process to get the full payout.
Never done a damage claim but we had a string of breakins in my old place and it always went really smoothly. That was Churchill home insurance, one of the payouts they made was above the official limit of the policy, and they actually negotiated the settlement up on one, literally jsut said "you're not claiming enough for that, here, have some more money"
Back in 1998/99 I was a young teen and had a GT Outpost trail, it was my pride and joy until one morning it was gone! Someone climbed through the garage window, took my GT and left my Dad's (considerably more expensive) road bike. I was gutted, it was my hobby, transport etc.
My parents made a claim through the house insurance and my Dad managed to blag a GT Timberline FS out of the insurance company, it felt like it took years to sort out (think it was a couple of weeks) but I felt like the bees knees on my new bike 😎 .
Co-op home insurance 8 years ago. Had been a customer of theirs for about ten years by then .
Absolutely disgraceful response.
Two bikes, around 18 months old, one heavily upgraded, with a ( then) combined new cost around £6k before upgrades.
One ( the lesser value) named on policy.
Both taken from a garage attached to our house. I missed catching the bastards by seconds having been alerted by our neighbours at 4am.
£2000 was all we eventually received, after initially being offered £900 in Halfords vouchers.
We aren’t ‘loaded’ by any means and instead of a nice f/s trail bike and my admittedly overkill plastic enduro rocket, we replaced them with a half decent hardtail and an entry level gravel bike.
Hard grafting ordinary folk shafted by the small print, protocols and lack of fairness once again.
Yup. A Cube Hyde Race I bought "barely used" on eBay for £400. Halifax paid out the full RRP via Wheelies. No receipts needed.
Not sure telling an insurance company you diddled another insurance company on what amounts to fraud is an especially good idea.
They do talk to each other you know.
Yup. A Cube Hyde Race I bought "barely used" on eBay for £400. Halifax paid out the full RRP via Wheelies. No receipts needed.
Not sure telling an insurance company you diddled another insurance company on what amounts to fraud is an especially good idea.
They do talk to each other you know.
If it was a new for old policy, full RRP was correct.
I wrote off a Condor frame and forks in a crash. Aviva paid out the value of the replacement, plus the custom paint option, plus the £100 the LBS quoted to swap the parts over.
Always insured via the house ins, never needed (touch wood)
One comment unnoted so far. Among the thefts, slipped on ice, went into side of car, just casually dropped in there was "hit by a bus"
Who got hit by a bus? Only one person on here for whom that could be vaguely considered 'normal'. Yep, it's him again.
twice sadly, both claims were through home insurance. Halifax and Barclays. First claim I replaced bikes via Wheelies and took just 1 bike. Second paid out within 7 days, new for old just put the cash in the bank and haven't replaced the bike. Only real admin was sending both a fair few pics of bikes (a real struggle to find pics of your bikes isn't it?.........)
Years ago I tried to claim from Yellow Jersey (who unbelievably are still in business)
Hmm, and going by the big banner at the top, 'sponsoring' this poll.
Yep, also the medical cover is through another company and another company again.
Didn’t see a penny from a claim a couple of years ago. It wasn’t rejected , they just never paid.
Granted it’s not bike cover but…
DH bike stolen in Morzine about 2010.
Full value paid out from insure- can't remember who. They passed wm onto wheelies direct for a remarkably hassle free process.
Hardtail stolen outside local library 2024
Full value paid out -excess. A pleasant surprise as the bike was insured for x and due to COVID was actually worth x+£500.
Paid by LV insurance who were ace to deal with.
However the insurance went up by enough after this there is no point in me insuraning anything under £1500
Years ago I tried to claim from Yellow Jersey (who unbelievably are still in business)
Hmm, and going by the big banner at the top, 'sponsoring' this poll...
Genuinely hadn't seen that!
I've remembered what it was now: an attempted accidental damage claim after the pedal wrench slipped and rounded off the socket on a very expensive power meter pedal.
I claimed for my first ever MTB stolen from a garage I shared with a mate back in about 1998! Can't remember who insured it but I hotfooted to my local bike shop with the £500 payout and bought a Claude Butler Psycho.
I've summarised my issues with Yellow Jersey clear on previous threads, so won't repeat. However i was very happy to ignore their increasingly desperate emails to get me to renew. Went with STWs other insurance partner PedalCover (for travel, bikes are insured very well through house insurance) which, so far, has been a far better experience. Hope I don't need to find out with a claim 😉
My son's jump bike was nicked from outside our local leisure centre years ago, claimed on house insurance, got less than half what it was worth because only the basic spec was covered, he had spent hundreds on upgrades which was lost.
Two separate claims with the CTC (as was then) for ,
1/ Clothing damage after coming of on a diesel spill on roundabout . Damge to Goretex jacket etc etc.
2/ dent rim on a pot hole was repaired.
Pot holes were quite rare back then!
More recently.
Household insurance claim for bike packing bags with kit my cherished kit inside removed in the guards van on a train.
Replaced with no hassle from insurance, it was a hassle having it done though!
and accepted that I’d questioned multiple times whether the cover met my needs
I have my bikes listed as separate/individualised items on my home insurance, given where they're kept I was very sure to ask that very specific question: "My bikes are worth £x and they are kept at 'y' location with 'p' level protection, tell me what's covered and what's not, and what'll you do if they're stolen" as a question when I took out the policy.
It's a respectable household name insurer, I don't expect (ho ho) to any any issues, but it does well to ask very clear questions.
Years ago through parents home insurance.
I might have been a bit hasty attaching the bike rack to the car and it went flying off across the junction along with the bike that was sitting on it. Frame was buggered. They paid out for a new frame (Sanderson).
Had two stolen. My old Dawes vanished from outside the fishing shop when I was buying stuff and I got no end of grief for that. This was back in the 80's, so no insurance and i had to wait until I could afford a new bike to get a new bike.
Second one was from the secure bike shed at work (covered _badly_ by CCTV on a site with 24/7 security). Apparently the secure bike shed was not secure to people with hands that could fit through the bars and open the door from the inside and work refused to reimburse me for it. Bastards.
Had a Voodoo Bizango stolen last year here in Brizzle. Covered under my house insurance with Aviva together with my 2 rather more expensive Mason road and gravel bikes. My policy has no item limit on bikes, provided they are within the contents limit (if stolen from home) or personal possession limit (stolen or damaged away from home) and no small print on standard of lock. The bike just has to be secured or taken by force.
Claim was very straightforward, Submitted a short summary online including the Crime reference number. Aviva passed me on to a loss adjuster. I submitted all the details of the bike and accessories (garmin mount, bottle cage, garmin sensors, lock, pedals etc) via an online portal. I supplied receipts, no issue as it was all bought online. In a couple of cases where I didn't have a receipt I supplied a photo of the part on the bike.
They rapidly came back with offer of either a Halfords voucher for the full bike value (the Voodoo came from there) or a cash offer about 16% less. Of note the value was RRP even though the bike was on sale when I made the claim. I took the voucher and put it towards a nicer Boardman, I'm no MTB snob. Similarly, they offered vouchers for the accessories or a smaller (10% less) cash offer. I took the cash for the accessories and had the excess deducted from this.
Overall, very straightforward and sorted in under 2 weeks.
Had a bike stolen when at Uni (a little while ago) and claimed via home insurance, from memory it was all ok.
Only other time I claimed was via a taxi driver's insurance after a SMIDSY moment at a roundabout. His insurer was amazing and went above & beyond which was quite a surprise!
I had my very custom Intense Tracer nicked off the back of the car whilst i nipped my son to the loos on the way home from some pump track or another 10 years ago. I'd only been with Pedalcover for about a month so felt really bad claiming but they sorted it no hassle with a new for old payout. No receipts needed and there was little resistance to a cash over wheelies vouchers when I said that I didn't want an off the shelf bike. Considering it was a triggers broom of a bike I was shocked at the new for old value at something over £5k at the time.
Still riding the "bike for life" Starling Swoop I bought with the payout. A great bike and a very wise investment.
