British Cycling membership; should I?

Been biking, on & off, since God were a lad; never really thought about this but increasing levels of theft, bike/vehicle interfaces, litigious other parties……it seems like a good thing to do.
Any reasons why I shouldn’t?
Any experience of their bike insurance partner? Are they responsive/receptive/ cycling focussed or just another insurance company?
Thanks in advance.

Don’t even look at any drugs online or think about getting arsey with women. I think I might have to resign 😆

Thanks Shane – or is that Sir Brailsford or Sir Wiggins…………..

I don’t know about the insurance, my wife is an insurance broker so she sorts all that out.

I’m a member because, for peanuts, you get legal support if you are banjaxed by some texting cretin in a car/van/lorry or if some pedestrian looking at their ‘phone walks into your path at the last moment.

£38 or so a year – bargain.

Sorry to hijack, I’ve also been considering joining for insurance reasons. I know that the Ride option has insurance, but does the Race Bronze? Race Silver and Gold explicitly state that they do, bronze does not, yet claims to have all the benefits of Ride.

I am not sure if it is just badly worded and Silver and Gold contain insurance for racing too or whether Bronze does not cover insuring you to the same level that Ride does.

Can any existing members/those that know clarify?

And while we’re hijacking…..

Is the discounted bike insurance any good – compared with other providers?

Looks like Race Gold is the only one with Personal Accident insurance. Again – likely to be worthwhile?

Keep on hijacking………….

This is all good for the uninformed – me, in the main.

I think that bronze is just a cheap licence, ride is non competitive and the others are both and more.

Have ride for the 3rd party insurance and legal cover.

Have silver, as gives 3rd party cover, legal cover and coaching liability insurance. I don’t race.

To throw a spanner in the works, as I don’t race I joined CTC/Cycling UK.

All the liability cover, legal assistance etc, slightly better campaigning focus imo.

Providing that you use the discount benefits (10% Halfords and CRC) I think it’s well worth it, I have it just for third party liability and the discount usually pays for the membership within 6 months.

Don’t forget about the halfords discount – 10% off everything, even stuff which has been discounted, even non-cycling stuff. I got 10% off 4l of antifreeze which was a good price to start with.

Bronze does NOT include the insurance.

I joined British Cycling after getting fed up of CTC “campaigns” that were stuck in the 1950s and seemed to be more about protecting the right to ride in tweeds to have tea with the vicar.

It was just a little bit dated and made cyclists look like nasaly whiners. No idea if the rebrand has got rid of that.

BC was just a bit more upto date, more coke and hookers than tea with the vicar 🙂

Looked at the BC bike insurance thing and it was just as expensive as other options even with the discount.

I’d hate to put people off joining, but bear in mind you’ll have 3rd party cover on your house insurance, so that’s not really adding any value.

Bronze does NOT include the insurance.

Thanks, that’s what I was looking for.

I’ll check CTC and the wording of my home insurance cover too. The discount at Halfords was another reason I considered joining, but I don’t really shop that much with them, and some people have been saying that the discount was not being honored on non cycling items so it depends on the store and staff member.

It’s been useful for discount, joining clubs and litigation against a driver who ran me over whilst using their phone.

CRC want to spend £100+ before they knock off 10%.

Training info is ok.

Nice little sticker to put in your car window lol.

3rd Party insurance.

Got a free Park tool last year for joining up my old man.

Slightly less good now you have to spend £100 in crc but I’m sure I’ve made my memebership back in discounts