Bike insurance.

freehub

So I'm going to cycle to Salford Uni on my commuter road bike, but I need insurance for if/when it gets stolen.

What is the most cheapest bike insurance I can get that will be good enough if my bike gets stolen? I'd want to like be able to properly replace the bike with an equivalent road bike for commuting like.

Skeltron

Cycleguard? CTC? Evans cycles?
I'm sure you can get a quote online.

I really should get insurance for my bikes. Had two stolen last Xmas (summer road bike & my fixie totalling £1200 ).

D Lock x2

freehub

I use a D lock to secure the frame/rear wheel to the railing or whatever, then a cable lock for the front wheel/frame.

Westerberg

freehub wrote:

I'm going to cycle to Salford Uni on my commuter road bike, but I need insurance for it, if/when it gets stolen.

What is the cheapest bike insurance I can get that will be good enough if my bike gets stolen? I'd want to be able to properly replace the bike with an equivalent road bike for commuting.

Fixed

schweiz

If you've got to leave it locked up on the street then get a cheap second hand bike.

It'll be probably be cheaper than the insurance premium and excess and although it will still be annoying, there won't be any emotional attachment to a cheap bike when it does go walkabout.

Failing that what about endsleigh? they're supposed to be the student insurers being founded by the NUS and all (although now 100% owned by Zurich)

freehub

Via CTC it'd be 40 quid to insure it at £400. But I assume it'd be 52 quid as I'd have to pay 12 quid to join CTC too?

schweiz

Endsleigh

Bike Make Cannondale
Model CAAD 9
Frame / Serial Number XC11223489
Year of manufacture 2007
Colour Silver
Bike replacement value £900.00
Accessories (Value) Not requested
Lock type Kryptonite Corp. Evolution Series 4 STD

£124.00


Bike Make Halfords
Model TDF Special Edition
Frame / Serial Number H67534ABC
Year of manufacture 2010
Colour Black
Bike replacement value £300.00
Accessories (Value) Not requested
Lock type Kryptonite Corp. Evolution Series 4 STD

£67.00

Quotes for a 21 year old single male living in Fallowfield

(edit)
CTC is much cheaper using the same post code M14 6PD and no restriction on security category of lock used

freehub

I found CTC is 40 quid for my commuter bike, but it's not totally clear if I HAVE TO be a member of CTC already.

schweiz

doesn't look like you have to be a member to me.

just remember when comparing premiums to read the small print!

Look at exactly what you have to do to make sure you are covered (at home, in the street, at the station, in a shed etc.) and just as importantly, those little get out clauses that will result in you not being covered. Make sure your lock is approved and find out what the excess is....you may have a shock if the excess is 200 quid so you only get 200 quid back for insuring a 400 quid bike.

many years ago I had the breakdown assistance that was free from Kawasaki on my motorbike. I thought I had full cover just like the AA, but it turned out it was only for mechanical breakdown. Hitting the carcass of a blown out lorry tyre and snapping off my gear lever didn't count. I was stuck at the side of the M6 and the woman on the end of the phone didn't give a to$$. Since then I check all policies in detail.

freehub

I think I might go with these.

http://www.butterworthinsurance.net:808 ... p?PRT_ID=2

Their excess is 10% and I'd be insuring a bike with a value of 450 quid which is about 40 quid a month. The woman on the phone said from her experience claims are dealt with pretty quickly.

guinea

£40 a month to insure a £450 bike.

Thats £480 a year.

If you buy this, you're daft. Unless of course you're going to lose 10 mikes a year.

Cycle insurance is generally crap and a misnomer. I had the groupset/forks/bars stolen from my bike and cycleguard said my components we not covered. I counter claimed that their removal was damage to the bike (which was covered) and they paid out. They then changed the wording on their terms to get rid of the loop hole. So now, you do not have bike insurance you have FRAME insurance.

Horrible people.

schweiz

That's the same people that underwrite the CTC insurance. Are there any differences between 'Cyclesure' and 'CTC Cyclecover'

I guess you mean 40 quid a year, rather than 40 quid a month?

So 40 quid gets you a real 405 quid of cover..in Manchester (or any other major city)...I'd say that was good value. Just make sure your lock is on the sold secure silver or gold list

freehub

Yeah I mean 40 quid a year lol.

The woman was explaining lots on the phone and someone stolen components off the bike that'd be covered.

I don't think there are any differences between Cyclesure and CTC Cyclecover, same company and same prices.

Anyone know any locks I should buy (cheap but good, I don't mean cheap quality, I mean the price), the D lock I use is older than me (literally) and the cable lock is shite.

schweiz

freehub wrote:

Anyone know any locks I should buy (cheap but good, I don't mean cheap quality, I mean the price), the D lock I use is older than me (literally) and the cable lock is shite.

At the end of the day, for you to make a claim it has to be approved by cyclesure:

http://www.cyclesure.co.uk/images/CYCLE ... 0Locks.pdf

I've always used Kryptonite and have:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/2301.html and http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/2314.html because its ok to carry around.

The lock is sold secure silver and will make sure you're covered insurance wise

Alternatively,
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/113587.html
This one is gold and I use it in my garage but just a tad too big to lug around.

freehub

How do I know if a lock is Silver standard, does not say for them all on the shop site, do I have to go to the manufacturers site?

http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/detail.asp/sk ... th_bracket

That a decent lock?

schweiz

freehub wrote:

How do I know if a lock is Silver standard, does not say for them all on the shop site, do I have to go to the manufacturers site?

http://www.soldsecure.com/search/

freehub wrote:

http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/detail.asp/sku=mad-GK999355/Kryptonite_Evolution_Series_4_long_shackle_U_lock_with_bracket

That a decent lock?

It says it's sold secure gold in the description.

Usually it's recommended to go for the shortest shackle length possible to stop a thief being able to get a crow bar in. i.e. you fill the space inside the d-lock with the frame, the wheel rims and the object you're locking it to. If you think you'll need the long shackle version because you have to get it round a lamppost base for example, then go for it. Otherwise go for for the standard or the mini although the mini may restrict your choice of locking locations too much.

http://www.missinglink.org/Pages/bike_locking.html

freehub

Thinking about this one:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/113587.html

22.9cm, think it's similar length to my current lock but obviously better, any shorter and it'd be too hard to lock and may even not fit, and the longer one would be abit slack.

Surely cyclesure would let me use that lock on a bike insured for 450 quid? It's a good lock if it's gold in the description and I'd rather not have to get a not as good lock so I can insure my bike for a certain amount

I'll ring em up tomoz, but if that is secure gold I'll almost certainly get it for 29-32 quid.

I'd be ok using 2x d lock and 1x cable lock no? I know some people say more can attract attention but maybe 3 be ok?

schweiz

freehub wrote:

Thinking about this one:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/113587.html

22.9cm, think it's similar length to my current lock but obviously better, any shorter and it'd be too hard to lock and may even not fit, and the longer one would be abit slack.

Surely cyclesure would let me use that lock on a bike insured for 450 quid? It's a good lock if it's gold in the description and I'd rather not have to get a not as good lock so I can insure my bike for a certain amount

I'll ring em up tomoz, but if that is secure gold I'll almost certainly get it for 29-32 quid.

I'd be ok using 2x d lock and 1x cable lock no? I know some people say more can attract attention but maybe 3 be ok?

it is sold secure gold. It says so in the description and I told you it was earlier so yes, it would be okay for the insurance you plan to buy from cyclesure,

just whip the front wheel off, lock the front wheel, rear wheel and frame to the bike rack or other immovable object of your choice and bingo, If they've got the tools to break the best lock then the other two aren't going to stop them and if they're cheap, probably won't slow them down more than 10 seconds.

For a mile muncher like you, if the weather's good at the weekend you could have a nice ride out to All Terrain Cycles from Manchester, through Oldham and up over the Pennines. I bet it's less than 90 miles round trip and there's loads of variations on route so you can make an interesting loop.

freehub

I think I'll just order it from the tinternet.

I see they have Anti-Theft protection on Kryptonite but only for US and CAN, shame

Ollieda

Just a quick question......are you putting a d-lock on front wheel/frame and rear wheel/frame? Using one d-lock and then a cable wont cover you unless the cable is of a suitable soldsecure standard as well.

Check what the situation is with the saddle. I always take mine off and take it with me as its on a quick release. Insurance prob wont cover it if someone just comes along and takes it.

dilemna

freehub wrote:

I think I might go with these.

http://www.butterworthinsurance.net:808 ... p?PRT_ID=2

Their excess is 10% and I'd be insuring a bike with a value of 450 quid which is about 40 quid a month. The woman on the phone said from her experience claims are dealt with pretty quickly.

I bet.

> The computer says "Noooo ". Claim DENIED.

dilemna

The best make of D-lock to buy is Abus X-Plus Granit, preferrably two. Other locks are just imitations. You may as well use a cheesy string. Kryptonite locks are crap. I speak from bitter experience.

freehub

How are Kryptonite locks crap?

schweiz

freehub wrote:

How are Kryptonite locks crap?

Dilemma means he once had a bike or part of a bike stolen when using a Kryptonite Lock therefore all Kryptonite locks are crap with no mention of how or where it was locked up or even what model of lock it was.

All locks are breakable although I will admit the ABUS X Plus Granit does get consistently good reviews. However, it is still 50% more than a the cost of a Kryptonite. Everyone knows you're on a tight budget and the Kryptonite lock will make sure you're insured. Bike thieves will have much easier targets to try first.

freehub

Now if I use 3 D locks and a cable lock, at the front of a busy University building, is it likely it'll be targeted more or less?

I'd use a kryptonite, a 15yr old Halfords and a crap Halfords I bought not long ago, I know 2 are crap and probs easy to break, but it'd surely make it a hell of alot harder and longer for a thief to steal? Especially if I tangled the locks together in a confusing way no?

schweiz

as I said in my earlier post...take the front wheel off, use a D-Lock to lock the front wheel, rear wheel and rear triangle (chain stay, seat stay or seat tube) to an immovable object. A cheap cable lock can be cut in seconds with tin snips, never mind bolt cutters. The only thing a cable may be useful for is threading through the rails on the saddle, but a mountain bike style seat collar will let you take the saddle with you. If you go overboard on the lock front, then someone may think the bike is worth more than it really is. Tangling the locks in a 'confusing' way won't do anything..they only have to cut the cable lock once. A quick pull on each end and it's gone.

freehub

Well surely 2 D locks even if the front wheel is secured to the rear triangle. I just want to make it slightly harder for thieves.

schweiz

if it makes you happy, a second lock will slow them down. But not by much if it's cheap and they have the gear to break a good lock, but you're all important average mph will be slowed down too if you have to carry umpteen locks around with you.

If my bike wasn't insured, I'd lock it, lock it and lock it again but you're paying the insurance so that you're not out of pocket (except for the excess and the cost of a lock). Just make sure that you do everything it says in the small print regarding how, where and for how long you lock it up and you'll be fine!

freehub

Well in my bag I carry a 17" laptop too along with charger and 2x 2L bottles of water so I doubt a lock will make much more difference.

I don't know if I will get insurance yet, depends if I can get it insured on my parents house insurance.

Ollieda

What you have to think about is that you get two main types of bike theif....the opportunist who will just grab something if its quick and easy and the theif with intent who knows what they are doing and probably will have the tools.

Unless you are in an area thats known for bike theft (I don't know what manchester is like) then your best bet is to protect against the opportunist.....have a sturdy looking lock, and lock the bike to an immovable object (lampost, bike rack - well a bike rack thats of good quality, not one of those flimsy looking ones) try to lock the bike in either a high footfall area (like the front entrance to your uni) and hopefully in an area with CCTV (it might be of no use and crap quality but the theif may not know that and may not want to risk it.) If your locking it at night try to keep it somewhere thats well lit. I'm sure someone else will say somethings different but thats what I generally aim for.

If its a theif who knows what they are doing and has the tools then to be honest if they want the bike they will shortly have it, insurance is really your only protection.

If you have an attachement to the bike try getting a proper police marker / identichip marked on it, it may be pricy and may not stop it being stolen but can lead to recovery if found by the police......there are loads of bikes that get sold on through the Police Property Act purely because owners don't take steps to recover them / police can't identify owners.

freehub

Would carrying to front wheel around with me reduce the risk of it getting stolen at all? My mum says this is a good idea but I can only see it as getting in the way and not been allowed in a lecture theatre with ah wheel with me.