Insurance that covers sportives?

alansmithy

I'm just researching various bike insurance deals out there and have noticed that quite a few insurers are happy enough to insure you for time trials on a 'non-race' policy but won't cover non-competitive mass start events. As I'm planning on doing a few sportives in the next year (but don't race competitively), I was wondering what people's experience/recommendations were? Any genuinely bike-friendly good insurers out there?

top_bhoy

alansmithy wrote:

I'm just researching various bike insurance deals out there and have noticed that quite a few insurers are happy enough to insure you for time trials on a 'non-race' policy but won't cover non-competitive mass start events. As I'm planning on doing a few sportives in the next year (but don't race competitively), I was wondering what people's experience/recommendations were? Any genuinely bike-friendly good insurers out there?

Just curious...how can a time trial be covered under a 'non-race' policy? It does seem to me that anyone going up to the start line is in a race of some description.

alansmithy

I know, it seems really bizarre. I suppose they're implying the greater risk lies from riding in a bunch. But if it's a well-marshalled, non-competitive bunch, I can't see that's any more dangerous than commuting solo across London.

jimmythecuckoo

Doesn't the BCF one cover you :?: :?:

Stuck on a Giant

Alan, what are you actually looking to insure against? Hurting yourself, others or your bike?
If the last of the three, I'd have thought that a standard policy would cover you as it's not a race
I don't know if you can protect yourself and as for others, again, I'd have thought standard Buildings and Contents would be OK as it usually includes 3rd party liability, although its always worth checking the small print.
These days most policies operate on the 'it's covered unless excluded' basis.

alansmithy

Dear Stuck - good question!

I wanted to specifically insure the bike (a Condor, just over a grand) and have the option of public liability etc. My standard building & contents (NatWest) - simply didn't cover the bike at all...nice to know the starting point I suppose... And having recently fractured my wrist in a fall, I was getting pressure from Mrs Smithy to be safe...

I've spent most of this afternoon going through things and have finally setlled on cycleguard.co.uk....Their policy is pretty flexible - but worth pointing out the contradiction here:

"Urban and Leisure
this is the standard policy which provides cover for general cycling - including commuting and business use. You are also able to participate in road based time trials but not mass starts (select the Active option if you need cover for mass starts or other competitive bicycle related activities). "

So - because I want to do non-competitive sportives I need the Active (i.e. competitive) option!. As it turns out, this only adds a few quid to the overall cost, but worth pointing out as it is not immediately clear on the website... and it seems to be the same with other insurers.

andy_wrx

But sportives are not mass start.

Groups are started at intervals and most sportives have in their rules&regs 'this is not a race'.

Sportives generally include 3rd-party liability cover - perhaps this wording is a requirement of the policy.

Stuck on a Giant

Alan, when renewal time comes around, you might be interested to know that Marks and Spencer's contents insurance covers bikes up to £4000 as standard, without a need to list them separately (and the cost insuring of bikes above this value is pretty modest).