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Bicycle insurance
Get cheap cover for your bike
If you cycle, you don't always need bike insurance – but lack of cover could put a nasty spoke in your wheel if the worst happened. With the recent spike in bicycle sales during the coronavirus crisis, we've updated this guide to help you decide if you should get insured, or ride without a financial safety helmet.
Looking for a new bike? See our MoneySaving tips for cyclists.
Need motorbike insurance? See our Motorbike Insurance guide.
Bicycle insurance explained: The five need-to-knows
You can get insurance for your bicycle via your home insurance or via a specialist policy. You can also go without, and hope for the best. These 'need-to-knows' should help you decide...
The big question: Should you pay for extra bicycle insurance?
Most people probably have some sort of cover via their home contents insurance policy. So you need to decide whether that's enough or whether to extend that cover (which may be from scratch if you've nothing) by bolstering your home insurance, or whether to buy a specialist bicycle insurance policy.
If you choose to pay extra, we've best-buy tips in the section below.
It depends on your attitude to risk. If you rarely lose or damage things, and you'd get little after a claim and paying the excess, you've less need. If you spend £1,000s, consider specialist cover as home insurance probably won't protect it.
Let's give you two scenarios to think about:
- Your bike is worth £250 and you pay £40 a year to insure it via a specialist policy. If the excess is £100, you'd only get £150 as a monetary value back in a claim in year one, but as you've spent £40 you're only getting a net £110 back. If you didn't insure it for three years and didn't make a claim, you're better off anyway.
- You've a £3,000 bike, and spend £220 a year on insurance. If the excess is £100 you'd get £2,900 as a monetary value back in a claim in year one, but as you've spent £220 you're getting a net £2,680 back.
So, whether extra insurance is worth it depends on the value of your bike, the excess you'd need to pay, and how long you keep the bike for.
How to buy bicycle insurance
Step 1: Get quotes from your home insurer
Almost all insurance policies cover cheap and mid-range bikes in your home anyway (though check before assuming you're covered), so the question for most is whether to pay extra to cover your bike outside your home.
If that's your choice, here are the two steps to take.
Firstly. Find out how much it costs to cover your bike outside your home on your home contents policy. Depending on your insurer, the add-on can just cover your bike or all valuables outside your home (incl a bike, laptop, jewellery, handbag and more).
The cost of adding cover for all valuables can vary massively depending on what you want to cover, from £10 to £100s. Just adding a bike is usually much cheaper, from £10 to £100 for a £1,000 bike.
- Then ... get a quote for a new insurance policy altogether. You may need to do this if your bike is too expensive for your current insurer, if your insurance becomes expensive once you've added the bike, or if it may have been expensive to start with. See our full home insurance cost-cutting system to find out how to get a better deal.
Once you know the cost of a cheap new policy or extending your current one, choose the best of the two, then compare it to the costs below.

If you are looking for a bicycle insurance policy, a good way to get a benchmark for cheap insurance is to have a look through some comparison sites.
Comparison sites zip your details to a number of insurer and broker websites to find the cheapest quotes.
These may not be for everyone, and have been known to list some insurers we do not recommend you use. Once you've got an idea of the kind of quote you can get, have a look at our best buys below from verified insurers.
For a wide selection of insurers, try these three comparison sites (listed in alphabetical order):
- CycleInsurance offers a smaller choice of insurers, but allows you to easily select add-ons and levels of cover.
- Protect Your Family* lists a wide range of insurers and allows you to rank quotes by annual and monthly price.
- Quotezone* lists a wide range of insurers, plus you get access to Rewards+ within 60 days after buying a policy (includes discounts and offers at 1000s of UK retailers). You will have to set up a password at quotation point.
Please give us feedback on these comparison sites, and let us know if they worked for you..

If a comparsion site doesn't work for you or you're still unable to find cover you are looking for, the next step is to try a specialist which are not always listed on comparison sites.
We've picked policies with low-ish excesses and we've tried to balance getting the cheapest deal with policies that actually provide decent cover (eg, many below provide cover while racing, which is popular among enthusiasts).
Our top picks are for bikes worth £500, £1,500 and £3,000 for owners based in London and Manchester. The prices should apply to much of the UK, though there may be some regional variation so it's worth checking.
POLICY | Price/yr | Excess | Lock Required | Personal Accident? | Public Liability | Breakdown cover? | Legal Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cycleplan* | £35.60 (1) | £50 or 10% | Silver | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
Sundays* | £36.14 (2) |
£25 (3) | Silver | Optional | Optional | No | No |
Pedalsure* | £37.09 | £75 or 10% | Silver | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
Bicy | £38.50 | £50 | Silver | Yes | £1m | Yes | Yes |
Correct as of June 2023. (1) Premium includes 40% intro offer. (2) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount (of 20%), if you use the code MSE20. (3) MSE blagged reduced excess if you use the code MSE20, £50 without. This will not appear on your policy document, but will be applied if/when you claim. |
POLICY | Price/yr | Excess | Lock Required | Personal Accident? | Public Liability | Breakdown cover? | Legal Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cycleplan* | £66.93 (1) | £50 or 10% | Gold | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
CoverCloud* | £70.72 | £50 | Gold | Optional | No | Optional | No |
Sundays* | £73.92 (2) | £25 (3) | Gold | Optional | No | No | No |
Pedalsure* | £86.55 | £75 or 10% | Gold | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
NextGen* | £96.05 (4) | 5% | Gold | Yes | £1m | Yes | No |
CycleGuard* | £100.11 (5) | £100 | Bronze | Optional | Optional | Yes | Optional |
Velosure* | £117.14 | £75 | Bronze | Yes | £2m | Yes | No |
Correct as of June 2023. (2) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount (of 20%), if you use the code MSE20. (3) MSE blagged reduced excess if you use the code MSE20, £50 without. This will not appear on your policy document, but will be applied if/when you claim. (4) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount (of 25%). (5) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount (of 15%). |
POLICY | Price/yr | Excess | Lock Required | Personal Accident? | Public Liability | Breakdown cover? | Legal Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cycleplan* | £117.61 (1) | £50 or 10% | Gold | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
Sundays* | £120.96 (2) | £25 (3) | Gold | Optional | Optional | No | No |
CoverCloud* | £139.04 | £50 | Gold | Optional | No | Optional | No |
NextGen* | £156.24 (4) | 5% | Gold | Yes | £1m | Yes | No |
Pedalsure* | £173.11 | £75 or 10% | Gold | Optional | Optional | No | Optional |
Yellow Jersey (Essential)* | £204.33 | £100 | Gold | Yes | £2m | No | Yes |
Correct as of June 2023. (2) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount of 20%, if you use the code MSE20. (3) MSE blagged reduced excess if you use the code MSE20, £50 without. This will not appear on your policy document, but will be applied if/when you claim. (4) Premium includes an MSE blagged discount (of £25%). |
We checked dozens of policies to whittle down the list above and the providers should work for most, but not for everyone. Policies that didn't make the cut aren't necessarily bad value but may have a high excess, for example.
Where they may not be best is if you don't fit what insurers consider to be 'standard'. This can include:
- If you've made a previous bike insurance claim.
- If you live in an area where prices are higher than those listed above.
- If you want cover for a long trip overseas.
- If you have a disability which means you won't get the same level of cover as above.
- If you want a policy which includes racing.
If that doesn't help, you could try a broker, via the British Insurance Brokers' Association broker search, though be aware not all will be specialists in bicycle insurance.
A few companies have special deals – and we have one for you. So benchmark your cheapest cycle insurance quote against the following to see if it is right for you.
Buy a new policy via this MSE Blagged NextGen Insurance* link, using the code MSE25, and you'll get 25% off the premium for as long as you renew.
Plus, if you refer a friend to NextGen and they take out a policy using your referral code (they will give you this if you buy a policy), you get £10 and they get £10 off their premium.
Buy a new policy via this MSE Blagged Sundays Insurance* link, using the code MSE20, and you'll get 20% off the premium, and a reduced excess of £25 for the first year.
You'll get the option to select a variety of optional extras, such as liability, cover for accessories and much more.
Buy a new policy, via this MSE Blagged ALA Cycle Insurance* link, and you'll get a 12% discount when you use the code MSE12. It allows you to choose a variety of optional extras. You'll need to ensure you can provide proof of purchase, and the cycle frame number, when requested.
Buy a new policy, via this MSE Blagged Eversure* link and you'll get 10% off the annual premium. It also allows you to choose a variety of optional extras, and whether you will be using the cycle for commuting or competitive purposes.
How to claim on your bike insurance
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Claiming on your bike insurance shouldn't be daunting and – if you understand the terms and excesses on your policy – you shouldn't be in for any nasty shocks. Follow these three simple steps in the event you need to claim.
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If it's a theft, notify the police quickly
If your bike's stolen, you'll need to get a crime reference number to make a successful claim on a home or specialist policy. Report the incident to the police as soon as you can – you often have to do it within 24 hours – to make sure your claim doesn't hit the skids.
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Submit your claim as soon as possible
Contact your insurer as soon as you can to avoid any administrative hold-ups; if it's a complex claim, it may take a while to be processed, so the sooner you start the better.
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Keep your receipts
If you're claiming for accessories as well as for a bike, you'll need the receipts as proof of loss. For those who buy all their accessories at the same time they buy the bike, this won't be a problem. But if you buy them over a short period from various retailers, make sure you hold on to the receipts.
How to complain about your insurance provider
The insurance industry doesn't have the best customer-service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. Common problems include claims either not being paid out on time or at all, unfair charges, or exclusions being hidden in small print. It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but, if not, then…
You can use free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
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