BC or CTC

MartinGT

Who are you a member of if you are?

I am looking at joining one of the two, mostly for the insurance as I commute. I have read that the CTC have a good legal team that help in the unfortunate event of an addcident.

beverick

I'm a member of the CTC purely for the third party liability insurance. Cover is included in the annual subscription.

The BC offering seems to be a discounted scheme with a third party broker so it's more than likely going to be more expensive from the start (ie you have to buy the subscription and also pay the premium). Also, as with many "affinity" schemes the discount may well taper to zero in subsequent years.

You'd have to compare specific cover and see which was most appropriate for your needs to make a valid decision.

Bob

jeremyrundle

CTC

beverick

BTW, regarding membership, I'm told by a colleague that some B2W schemes offer introductory CTC membership as part of the scheme.

This level of membership gives you various membership benefits (wggle discounts etc) but it does not give you the CT's insurance cover.

Bob

veronese68

BC, you do get insurance included with the membership. I also commute and that is why I signed up.

Sanderville

I joined CTC mostly because they run the fillthathole.org.uk website and one of the potholes I reported on it was filled in after just two days. So they get my support.

Headhuunter

I joined BC... I wasn't sure which one at the time and ended up with BC... Can't remember why! You get 3rd party insurance free with BC, not just CTC

Berk Bonebonce

What is this 'third party liability insurance'?

If you collide with, say, a pedestrian and it is your fault, does it mean you are covered if they make a claim against you?

bails87

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

What is this 'third party liability insurance'?

If you collide with, say, a pedestrian and it is your fault, does it mean you are covered if they make a claim against you?

Yep.

(I think/hope, that's why I joined BC)

beverick

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

What is this 'third party liability insurance'?

If you collide with, say, a pedestrian and it is your fault, does it mean you are covered if they make a claim against you?

You don't need to collide with anyone. If someone makes a claim against you, third party insurance indemnifies you against the claim. Assuming a) the T&Cs of the policy cover the claim , b) the payment is net of any excess (ie the insured usually pays the first £x); and c) the claim isn't covered by other policies taking precedent.

For example, cycling past you scare an animal, the animal runs into the road and causes a crash. The claimant makes a claim against you and the insurer pays all but the first £250.

Alternatively, you crash into a vehicle. You damage the vehicle and break your GPS device. The insurer would settle the costs of the third party but you would have to claim the cost of the GPS on your household policy - assuming you have it.

Bob

Berk Bonebonce

beverick wrote:

For example, cycling past you scare an animal, the animal runs into the road and causes a crash. The claimant makes a claim against you and the insurer pays all but the first £250.

Understood. Therein lies the value of third party liability insurance.

beverick wrote:

Alternatively, you crash into a vehicle. You damage the vehicle and break your GPS device. The insurer would settle the costs of the third party but you would have to claim the cost of the GPS on your household policy - assuming you have it.

But surely, if an uninsured cyclist crashes into a car and causes damage, the owner of that vehicle is going to make a claim on his/her own policy, and the company concerned isn't going to reclaim the costs from the cyclist because cyclists are mostly uninsured and by law do not have to have insurance.

gbsahne001

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

But surely, if an uninsured cyclist crashes into a car and causes damage, the owner of that vehicle is going to make a claim on his/her own policy, and the company concerned isn't going to reclaim the costs from the cyclist because cyclists are mostly uninsured and by law do not have to have insurance.

No, last time I crashed into the back of a van (1995, Royal Mail); broken collar bone, concussion, bike written off etc I also got a bill of £600 from the Royal Mail

This made it 1-1, as they'd written off my previous bike by opening a van door on me and replaced it without too much quibbling.

xtremedash

To my knowledge, all types off CTC membership include their third party insurance cover. Often to offer their heavily discounted membership they don't send you their magazine 'Cycle'.

The CTC also have a very good legal department if you are ever involved in an accident, not just 3rd party insurance. They will work on your behalf, especially if it's a case that demonstrates a cyclists' rights have been violated or ignored.

whitestar1

Veronese68 wrote:

BC, you do get insurance included with the membership. I also commute and that is why I signed up.

What is the web address for BC?

whitestar1

I have done some searching around. Found BC (Bike Insurance for British Cycling and Everyday Cycling). I think this is the BC everyone is talking about. Then I found that Evans Cycles does its own insurance - the page looks exactly like Bike Insurance (word for word). There were a number of others but these were the ones of interest. £500 bike. Here's what on offer:

British Cycling Bike Insurance is suitable for:
Cyclists that use their bicycle for leisure and/or business purposes
Cyclists that commute to work on pedal bicycles or electric bicycles
Cyclists that race or are involved in other competitive cycle sports


British Cycling Bike Insurance provides:
Cover against theft, loss and accidental damage up to £5,000

Replacement on a new for old basis for bicycles up to 3 years old (older cycles are subject to depreciation)

Bicycle hire - until items are replaced or repaired (subject to an approved claim)

No excess as standard
Choice of area covered:
UK only
EU for 90 days (30 day maximum trip)
Worldwide (45 day maximum trip)
Multibike discount of up to 15%
Other riders option

Works out at £50 per year/£4.70 per month

About Evans Cycles Insurance
•Great value cover for you and your bike
•No excess on theft or damage claims *
•It's cheaper online - it's at least £10 cheaper buying online than through our call centre
•Instant cover and quotes online
There are two sides to the policy:
1.Bicycle insurance – this provides cover against theft, loss or accidental damage to your bike.
2.Liability insurance – this provides optional cover so that you are protected against third party claims should you cause injury or accident whilst using your bike.

It's £65.00/£6.12.
What I can't see is CTC covering the following
provide a bike until things are sorted out
provide a replacement

Sorry about the long post.

optimisticbiker

web address for british cycling is, unsurprisingly,http://britishcycling.org.uk.

There are two levels of membership 'Ride' and 'Race' and they have different insurance schemes. The 'Ride' scheme offers £10m 3rd party liability only plus assistance in claiming against someone else if its their fault. It does not insure you or the bike. 'Ride' Membership of BritishCycling gives you 10% discount on the BC Bike Insurance scheme mentioned by whitestar1 above. My bike is covered by my house insurance under the theft and all risks clauses so I have BC membership for the third party cover.

The Rookie

CTC is third party liability only, that is it covers you against claims from others, it in no way insures yourself and doesn't claim to.

Simon

optimisticbiker

the policy wording for BC insurance is here

Points to note:
- excess is £100 or 20% of the value, whichever is greater
- cover only applies if bike is locked using an approved lock for that value of bike
- cover away from home (e.g.work) is limited... i.e.
3.2 Security requirements where the Bicycle is away from the Insured Location
Accidental Damage or Theft of the Bicycle whilst away from the Insured Location shall only be covered in
circumstances where:
a) the Bicycle is not left Unattended; or
b) the Bicycle is left Unattended, but secured to an Immovable Object by an Approved Lock through the frame and
c) any access to the Bicycle is effected by Forcible and Violent Entry
d) the Bicycle is not left Unattended within the boundaries of a train station for more than 24 hours and subject to 3.2(b)
and 3.2(c)
My interpretation of that is it would not be covered if left in at cycle rack in the street, or where I work, as its quite easy to walk into the bike park area from outside (smokers use the rear access door and prop it open)

optimisticbiker

BC Insurance (JTOnline) quoted £99, reducing to £74 if 3 bikes were covered (£1500) including to 10% BritishCycling discount

Endsleigh quoted £149, but the cover seems to be better - or rather, the exclusion is more reasonable (if I've read this right)

- excess £50
What is not covered:
• Accidental damage, theft and malicious damage cover are excluded:-
i) when Your Bike is left Unattended and not inside a Locked
Building, (or where it is in a Locked Building but 5 or more persons
other than You have access) unless the Bike is secured to an
Immovable Object through the frame by an Approved Lock.
ii) when the replacement value of Your Bike is over £1500 unless preapproved
by Us.
iii) if Your Bike is left Unattended and not in a Locked Building,
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., cover will only be
extended if You have secured the Bike through the frame to an
immovable object by an Approved Lock AND either the saddle or
the front wheel has been removed and is in Your care.
iv) any Bike left in one location outside of a Locked Building for a
period of 24 hours or more will be classed as abandoned and will
not be covered, unless stored in designated cycle storage on
campus between the hours of 12.00 noon Friday - 12.00 noon
Monday.

whitestar1

So what do you think of Evans Insurance? I want the thrid party along with theft and accidential damages.

optimisticbiker

whitestar1 wrote:

So what do you think of Evans Insurance? I want the thrid party along with theft and accidential damages.

Evans Insurance, from a theft perspective, is identical to BC and is underwritten by the same company, Pavilion.

Its the 'violent and forceable entry' clause that makes it pointless... how many bikes are going to be stolen from a bike park in the basement of a office block through 'violent and forceable entry'? I'd need to talk to them before I bought that policy to understand the likelihood of them paying out...

Has anybody here claimed on their BC insurance for theft of a bike from an office block or for that matter off the street?

whitestar1

Got my bike insured today with my bank Santander for an extra £1.30 per month on my £12.35 per month house insurance. That covers theft and accidental coverage at home and work. I think signing up with CTC will about cover the other stuff.