Insurance for racing

TheDrunkMonk
TheDrunkMonk Posts: 181
edited February 2011 in Amateur race
Hi there. I know I get personal injury and liability insurance with my BC membership, but in the highly likely event that I come off my bike badly, are there any reasonably priced insurances out there for your bike and kit? I'd imagine the premiums would have to be very high.

Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,602
    Are you sure you have personal injury cover (only comes with gold membership)? As for bike damage whilst racing I can't help other than to say the only way your regular insurer is going to know you had an accident whilst racing is if you tell them! :wink:
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Don't race what you can't replace....
    More problems but still living....
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Most insurance doesn't cover you from 'racing' / competitive events - general advice is not to use your fancy kit, particularly if riding cat 4 circuit races. I was in a race where a rider put his Super Record rear mech into his rear spokes and snapped the seatstay on a Time VXR - must have been £5k+ of damage!
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Karl2010
    Karl2010 Posts: 511
    Dont race what you cant afford?

    Its good advice. Ive only got the one bike though, and cant afford to replace it if it gets damaged, im still gonna do a few races on it because ive no other bike to race on.

    If someone takes you out in a race cant you claim for damage to bike from their insurance? Im sure you can.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    I'm positive I've heard of race insurance. Now if I only knew where.....
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you could find it, premiums would be in excess of 10% of the value of the bike
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Karl2010
    Karl2010 Posts: 511
    i thought BC 3rd party insurance which is complusory for racing covered a certain ammount of dammage to bike.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    Karl2010 wrote:
    i thought BC 3rd party insurance which is complusory for racing covered a certain ammount of dammage to bike.

    But you would both be covered by the same insurer. Not an expert but I think thats a problem insurance-wise.

    Dont think BC covers for damage to other riders in a race if a crash happens, only for non racing third parties - cars etc.
  • Karl2010
    Karl2010 Posts: 511
    For the OP.
    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/mem-st-bike-insurance-home-Bike-insurance-Home-Page-0

    It would appear that BC 3rd party insurance does cover "RACES"
    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/memst-liability-insurance-race
    This essential member insurance covers noncompetitive, social, leisure and utility cycling and also competitive cycling in events held under the auspices of British Cycling.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Karl2010 wrote:
    i thought BC 3rd party insurance which is complusory for racing covered a certain ammount of dammage to bike.


    Covers the rider, not the bike.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    A google search will help.


    Just a couple I found (but no pricing):

    http://www.evanscycles.com/insurance - they have a 'Active' option for racing.
    http://www.eandl.co.uk/cycle-insurance (who have been recommended before) - they have a "Compete" option for racing.


    EDIT: just did a quick quote. E&L was £53 a month to cover a £5000 bike (max they cover). You can pay month to month and cancel in the off-season I think. And obviously you can insure it for less money (as you're not likely to wright-off the whole bike in one go (but that covers you for theft also). And that covers you for crashes in races.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Karl2010 wrote:
    For the OP.
    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/mem-st-bike-insurance-home-Bike-insurance-Home-Page-0

    It would appear that BC 3rd party insurance does cover "RACES"
    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/memst-liability-insurance-race
    This essential member insurance covers noncompetitive, social, leisure and utility cycling and also competitive cycling in events held under the auspices of British Cycling.

    It doesn't cover claim against another rider in the same race - if you look at the bottom of your link it's specifically excluded.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    And obviously you can insure it for less money (as you're not likely to wright-off the whole bike in one go (but that covers you for theft also).
    Classed as under insured. They will either refuse the claim or only pay a percentage based on the difference in true and insured value.
    Getting crash cover for racing is so expensive you may as well trust to luck. 2 or 3 years premiums will probably buy a new bike. As an earlier poster said 'Don't race what you can't replace....'.
    The rest of your riding can be covered quite cheaply on a household policy. All my bikes under £1000 are covered automaticaly and the other 2 are on as special items which costs me about £60 a year.
    My Fleet.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,602
    I'm still not sure how an insurance company will know you crashed the bike in a race rather than on a solo training ride!
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Pross wrote:
    I'm still not sure how an insurance company will know you crashed the bike in a race rather than on a solo training ride!
    Well if I walk away from it I may or may not have been racing. If I can't then I probably don't care too much. But I never said that did I. :wink:
    My Fleet.

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