Bike insurance

KulaBen
KulaBen Posts: 220
edited October 2010 in The bottom bracket
Hello,

Following a recent nocturnal visit by some lowlife that relieved me of three bikes I am considering insurance options. Do I put them on the home insurance, or go with something independent? I've had a look at the CTC insurance, but they were quoting £400, which is about what I pay for my car!

Any recommendations?

(no longer with Kula) Ben

Comments

  • Aggieboy
    Aggieboy Posts: 3,996
    The Hubster's already been on the case. http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12727766
    "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pity to damage yours."
  • House insurance is always the cheapest option - mine includes cover FOC for as many bikes as I like upto £3k each without having to list them as specific items. Includes accidental damage, and no lock restrictions - as long as it's locked to something when I leave it I'm covered so I just carry a light cheap cable lock
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • There has been a few threads on this subject, but I cannot recommend M&S Home Insurance enough, although I've not had to use them - fortunately, but others on here have.
    Bike cover included as standard, incl. away from home and abroad, but not racing, and each bike is covered up to £4,000.
    Limited Edition Boardman Team Carbon No. 448
    Boardman MTB Team
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    It depends on the value of your bikes, but it appears that adding it to your home insurance is generally the cheapest option.

    I have home insurance with Aviva and I've got four bikes insured with them. The most expensive being about £2.4k. they have a limit of £2.5k per bike. They don't classify it as bike insurance, it's personal possesions, but for a small addition to the premium, they cover them away from the home, both UK and abroad, as long as I don't leave them unlocked.

    My house insurance is £36 per month, covering the four bikes and everything I own. Can't bee too bad :D

    Get a garage alarm from B&Q too, I've got one of these:
    http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10647503&fh_view_size=150&fh_start_index=0&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=alarm&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1286097876468&isSearch=true
    When it goes off, it's so loud that it's actually painful to be in the garage. Only £19.98 as well !
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    There has been a few threads on this subject, but I cannot recommend M&S Home Insurance enough, although I've not had to use them - fortunately, but others on here have.
    Bike cover included as standard, incl. away from home and abroad, but not racing, and each bike is covered up to £4,000.

    Do you have to specify each bike or just the £4k> one? I could have 100 bikes worth £1500 each and the insurer wouldn't be pleased to get a bill for £150k
    M.Rushton
  • Pretre
    Pretre Posts: 355
    mrushton wrote:
    Do you have to specify each bike or just the £4k> one? I could have 100 bikes worth £1500 each and the insurer wouldn't be pleased to get a bill for £150k

    M&S don't cover bikes - they cover single items up to 4k. This can be bikes, stereos, paintings, books, or anything else you feel like having in your house.

    If you have lots of bikes all worth less than 4k & they were all stolen/damaged at the same time then I would think that could be a bit of an issue so I would give them a call/mail & ask.

    M&S really are good - I claimed for just under 4k for a crashed bike a few months back & they sorted it out really quickly. They sub-contract out the bike stuff to a firm called Wheelies & , apart from being a bit rubbish at reading e-mails unless your ring them to say you've sent one. they are really knowledgeable.
  • J273
    J273 Posts: 382
    Pretre wrote:
    mrushton wrote:
    Do you have to specify each bike or just the £4k> one? I could have 100 bikes worth £1500 each and the insurer wouldn't be pleased to get a bill for £150k

    M&S don't cover bikes - they cover single items up to 4k. This can be bikes, stereos, paintings, books, or anything else you feel like having in your house.

    If you have lots of bikes all worth less than 4k & they were all stolen/damaged at the same time then I would think that could be a bit of an issue so I would give them a call/mail & ask.

    M&S really are good - I claimed for just under 4k for a crashed bike a few months back & they sorted it out really quickly. They sub-contract out the bike stuff to a firm called Wheelies & , apart from being a bit rubbish at reading e-mails unless your ring them to say you've sent one. they are really knowledgeable.

    Im switching over to M&S Tomorrow.

    Do you have to take out the premium cover for coverage away from home aswell as accidental damage?

    or are both of them coverd in the standard cover?

    Many thanks
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    J273 wrote:
    [M&S really are good - I claimed for just under 4k for a crashed bike a few months back & they sorted it out really quickly. They sub-contract out the bike stuff to a firm called Wheelies & , apart from being a bit rubbish at reading e-mails unless your ring them to say you've sent one. they are really knowledgeable.

    Im switching over to M&S Tomorrow.

    Hmmm... I am right in the middle of a house insurance claim with them at the moment (flooding in a bathroom) and the process has been appalling. They subcontract all claims investigation to third party companies and the people doing ours are barely human, let alone competent. As of today, having encouraged us to rip our bathroom out, they are trying to disallow the claim, but can't explain why. Said they would phone back. Haven't. That sort of thing. It's doing my head in.

    Sorry to pee on the fireworks about M&S. Like many others on here, I only signed up because of the bikes, and am beginning to regret it. :(


    EDIT: in the interest of fairness, I should say that I have now sorted the situation out with M&S directly. My advice would be: talk to the organ grinder every time.


    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)