So their quote is coming about a fair bit cheaper than M&S, and I’ve specified my three decent bikes with their replacement value. Is there anything I should be aware of – e.g. circumstances in which I wouldn’t be covered? I’m on the “old” T&Cs with M&S as we renewed as an existing customer last year.

Cheers

I’m in my second year with the AA. 3 expensive bikes covered individually and “outside the home”. I went through the T&C’s carefully and there were three things I found:

a) Should my bikes which are locked together in a workshop behind a yale and padlocked door be stolen, I have to provide evidence that a robbery took place – photo’s of damage to locks/windows and police incident numbers.

b) if a bike is stolen outside the home it is NOT covered if it is not locked to something directly through the frame or I cannot prove it was. I phoned them about this and discovered that a broke Thule lock would be good enough evidence should the bike be nicked from the roof. If the bike were left somewhere I’d need to prove it was locked securely. A bike stolen from the back seat of a car is NOT covered.

c) Bikes stolen from inside the house/main residence – as long as there is evidence of a break in – are covered unconditionally. Hence, when I’m on holiday mine go in the kitchen locked to the in-built cooker handle.

hth

Thanks Kryton

My bikes are in a detached garage. They’re all secured with motorbike ground anchors and the garage is alarmed. My concern is if I got cleared out they would pay out.

From what you’re saying, if I lock my bikes to my towbar rack, they would be covered?

It’s a bit concerning that they need evidence of a broken lock – I believe that thieves sometimes take the lock with them?

Well, my workshop is detached also, so my questions to them were very similar to yours. I got the answers by phoning them describing my setup and getting a response from a rep who went through he T&Cs with me.

I wasn’t evidence of a broken bike-lock on the workshop – just evidence of a break in – i.e. proving I didn’t leabe the door open and allow someone to walk off with them.

Outside the home yes, you need to show where/how it was locked and evidence that it was forcably stolen. Thats not unfair, you can’t expect them to cover a bike thats “magically” disappeard otherwise we’d all be burning our old bikes and claiming… 🙂

Ive just gone with them, very reasonable, named the bikes and that includes accidental damage cover world wide…

I am yet to get the policy docs, but will be checking them carefully.
I suspect if I crash and my bike falls down an alp in the summer it wont be covered!

Steve, I’m with the AA now after years with M&S for the same reason. The only difference is that if the bikes are in the shed they are still covered but there is a claim cap of £3000. So as long as each bike is stolen on different days I’ll be fine but if they take them all at once I’m stuffed!

No cap if they are in the house. Not sure if the same applied for garages though.

I was told that if the bikes were named, then they weren’t affected by the £3000 cap on outbuildings. Seemed pretty good to me.

Really? I might give them a call to check, sounds good to me.

Their policy does however state:

What they are NOT covered against
Any loss or damage shown as not insured under causes 1 to 8 (on page 8) of Section 1 of this policy.
Sports equipment and portable musical instruments which are damaged while in use.

not really sure you could accidentally damage a bike so bad you needed to claim on insurance whilst it was not in use!

Still cover is pretty good!

Sports equipment and portable musical instruments which are damaged while in use.

not really sure you could accidentally damage a bike so bad you needed to claim on insurance whilst it was not in use!

How about if you had your bikes on a roofrack, and drove into a car park barrier?

I was told that if the bikes were named, then they weren’t affected by the £3000 cap on outbuildings. Seemed pretty good to me.

Yeah – that bit concerned me, in case my garage got cleared out. I’ll ring to confirm.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

benman – Member
I was told that if the bikes were named, then they weren’t affected by the £3000 cap on outbuildings. Seemed pretty good to me.

Me too. – That £3000 is covering my hack SS and £600 winter roadie which are the lesser secured sacrificial bikes, in the hope that this’ll stop the others being hacksawed to death…