Is joining British cycling worth it?

bongofish
bongofish Posts: 123
edited February 2019 in Road beginners
Question in the title really. I commute atleast twice a week and planning some sportives this year.

Thanks
Mr. Fish

Comments

  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Worth it for the insurance IMO.
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    Yes it's worth it, for the bit you hope you never use.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,716
    You also get discounts at many retailers, so you can make the membership pay for itself even if you never have to use the insurance.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    insurance is yes. I've just left though :)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    For the insurance, look also at Cycling UK (CTC)...
    The big advantage of BC were the discounts, but my understanding is that they are being phased out
    left the forum March 2023
  • manoirdelourde
    manoirdelourde Posts: 133
    Insurance is good, as were the discounts when you could just walk up to the checkout at Halfords and flash your card but they stopped that so I didn’t renew this year.
    Got a place in the Pyrenees.
    Do bike and ski stuff.
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,798
    manoirdelourde wrote:
    Insurance is good, as were the discounts when you could just walk up to the checkout at Halfords and flash your card but they stopped that so I didn’t renew this year.

    You just have to print off a coupon, its valid each month. Its a bigger pain than before but still not too bad. (Ive no idea why they implemented it though).
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Presumably because they felt it was being abused one way or another (either by people claiming with expired memberships or staff taking advantage I guess).

    As for the chain reaction discount being ruined, personally I blame wiggle.
  • ti_yred
    ti_yred Posts: 55
    Its a £40 per year insurance premium that covers you for 3rd party liability and gives you access to free legal support.

    I'm currently injured as a result of a collision that wasn't my fault. BC appointed Leigh Day solicitors to take my case and they are dealing with the insurance company of the driver who hit me. I started physio last week, organised by the solicitors through a Medical group. The earliest NHS physio appt I could get was 18th March....I was hit on the 4th January...

    I know lots of people are unsure about BC after the Sutton/TUE/Team Sky issues but they are the biggest representative we have on a political scale and they are the sports governing body. If we want cycling to be pushed forward in the UK we have to turn to someone so why not them?

    Happy to give them £40 a year simply for the help they've provided me in the last few weeks alone.
    Kinesis Racelight GF Ti v2

    ]
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Yes. Worth every penny. The discount benefit at stores isn't what it used to be but the insurance and level of support they provide following an accident is fantastic.
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,677
    Ti yred wrote:
    Its a £40 per year insurance premium that covers you for 3rd party liability and gives you access to free legal support.

    I'm currently injured as a result of a collision that wasn't my fault. BC appointed Leigh Day solicitors to take my case and they are dealing with the insurance company of the driver who hit me. I started physio last week, organised by the solicitors through a Medical group. The earliest NHS physio appt I could get was 18th March....I was hit on the 4th January...

    I know lots of people are unsure about BC after the Sutton/TUE/Team Sky issues but they are the biggest representative we have on a political scale and they are the sports governing body. If we want cycling to be pushed forward in the UK we have to turn to someone so why not them?

    Happy to give them £40 a year simply for the help they've provided me in the last few weeks alone.
    They're dealing with my claim, still not resolved after 2 years due to the level of injuries sustained, so don't expect a short timeline. I wish you well for your recovery, physical or otherwise.
    BC membership is money well spent in my view.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    yeah Id still say inspite of the issues I have with some of the stuff theyve done over the years,and the slowly declining discounts though Ive more often forgotten I could use them anyway, its still worth it for the insurance & legal help...as long as you dont have to claim against another BC member.

    other orgs do offer similar insurance but to be fair theyve never appealed as much
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Medical claims always drag on as solicitors advise against settling until the longterm health implications are properly determined. By settling early they are concerned that you might then under-claim against injuries that are persisting or develop later - or even sue your solicitor for settling too soon before such consequences have been properly determined.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    CarbonClem wrote:
    manoirdelourde wrote:
    Insurance is good, as were the discounts when you could just walk up to the checkout at Halfords and flash your card but they stopped that so I didn’t renew this year.

    You just have to print off a coupon, its valid each month. Its a bigger pain than before but still not too bad. (Ive no idea why they implemented it though).
    You don't even have to print it.Just take a screen-shot of the voucher on your phone 8)
    +1 for the Insurance.
    Lynskey R480

  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    A little cheaper for the first year if paying by direct debit: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/ride

    10% off in Halfords, 10% off in Evans Cycles, £10 off at Chain Reaction - its not hard to recoup £40 from those alone.

    When I bought mine, I was getting a £700 bike from Halfords (already reduced) and got £70 off for a £24 membership so it was a no brainer.

    Then 3 years ago the insurance came into its own when I was knocked off by a van - ended up with broken collarbone, messed up ligaments, operation to free up the shoulder socket, physio etc. Their solicitors got me £20K plus the medical bills of over £5K paid for. Initial offer from their insurance was £2K. As others have said, it took a couple of years before the legal process was finished but they also negotiated an interim payment about 3 months in to replace the bike/kit/clothes ruined in the incident.
  • Tyresome
    Tyresome Posts: 113
    It’s worthwhile for the third party insurance cover alone.
  • shiznit76
    shiznit76 Posts: 640
    Insurance wise you are only covered if the third party is not also a BC member, something worth being aware of
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    shiznit76 wrote:
    Insurance wise you are only covered if the third party is not also a BC member, something worth being aware of

    Is that always true, or only while the third party is actually cycling themselves? e.g. if you are hit by a car and the driver is with BC, is it still relevant?
  • shiznit76
    shiznit76 Posts: 640
    knowing the way insurance works quite likely, states against any other BC member
  • ti_yred
    ti_yred Posts: 55
    Gethinceri wrote:
    Ti yred wrote:
    Its a £40 per year insurance premium that covers you for 3rd party liability and gives you access to free legal support.

    I'm currently injured as a result of a collision that wasn't my fault. BC appointed Leigh Day solicitors to take my case and they are dealing with the insurance company of the driver who hit me. I started physio last week, organised by the solicitors through a Medical group. The earliest NHS physio appt I could get was 18th March....I was hit on the 4th January...

    I know lots of people are unsure about BC after the Sutton/TUE/Team Sky issues but they are the biggest representative we have on a political scale and they are the sports governing body. If we want cycling to be pushed forward in the UK we have to turn to someone so why not them?

    Happy to give them £40 a year simply for the help they've provided me in the last few weeks alone.
    They're dealing with my claim, still not resolved after 2 years due to the level of injuries sustained, so don't expect a short timeline. I wish you well for your recovery, physical or otherwise.
    BC membership is money well spent in my view.

    Thanks, sorry to hear your's isn't resolved yet. Fingers crossed it is soon. An old work mate was knocked off her moped en route to work and that took just over 2 years to resolve...never a fast process, although Insurers are pretty damn quick to take the premium payments from us...
    Kinesis Racelight GF Ti v2

    ]
  • Websta24
    Websta24 Posts: 162
    manoirdelourde wrote:
    Insurance is good, as were the discounts when you could just walk up to the checkout at Halfords and flash your card but they stopped that so I didn’t renew this year.

    You just have to download a barcode from the dashboard!!
  • Websta24
    Websta24 Posts: 162
    Gethinceri wrote:
    Ti yred wrote:
    Its a £40 per year insurance premium that covers you for 3rd party liability and gives you access to free legal support.

    I'm currently injured as a result of a collision that wasn't my fault. BC appointed Leigh Day solicitors to take my case and they are dealing with the insurance company of the driver who hit me. I started physio last week, organised by the solicitors through a Medical group. The earliest NHS physio appt I could get was 18th March....I was hit on the 4th January...

    I know lots of people are unsure about BC after the Sutton/TUE/Team Sky issues but they are the biggest representative we have on a political scale and they are the sports governing body. If we want cycling to be pushed forward in the UK we have to turn to someone so why not them?

    Happy to give them £40 a year simply for the help they've provided me in the last few weeks alone.
    They're dealing with my claim, still not resolved after 2 years due to the level of injuries sustained, so don't expect a short timeline. I wish you well for your recovery, physical or otherwise.
    BC membership is money well spent in my view.

    I currently have Leigh Day handling my case after i had a car pull out on me in November. The other party are still yet to accept liability...thursday is the deadline.

    One call to BC and the solicitors were appointed. They organised Physio, Scans etc so quickly. I cannot grumble at all about the service they have provided.

    Im hoping it doesn't drag on for two years!!!!
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    I think the length of time is largely dictated by the medical issues involved. If you are still having treatment then they dont necessarily know how long that will go on for, whether there will be complications etc or further ramifications down the line.

    If recovery is all sorted and simple enough, no reason why it shouldnt be done sooner.

    In my case, they decided I needed shoulder surgery 6-9 months after the accident, then we needed to wait and do physio to see if that surgery worked then they needed to get an independant medical report done. If it had settled sooner then they would not have known I needed the surgery. So sometimes it HAS to take time.

    If your scans were all OK, a bit of physio and you were back on the bike, right as rain, then there is no reason it should take two years.
  • Websta24
    Websta24 Posts: 162
    apreading wrote:
    I think the length of time is largely dictated by the medical issues involved. If you are still having treatment then they dont necessarily know how long that will go on for, whether there will be complications etc or further ramifications down the line.

    If recovery is all sorted and simple enough, no reason why it shouldnt be done sooner.

    In my case, they decided I needed shoulder surgery 6-9 months after the accident, then we needed to wait and do physio to see if that surgery worked then they needed to get an independant medical report done. If it had settled sooner then they would not have known I needed the surgery. So sometimes it HAS to take time.

    If your scans were all OK, a bit of physio and you were back on the bike, right as rain, then there is no reason it should take two years.

    yeah, shoulder still isn't right but i almost have full range of motion back. The MRI scan showed that there is no serious damage that needs surgery etc just trying to build the strength back up in it.

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