Do you need specialist bike insurance for mountain bicycles?

With an average of 45 bikes being stolen every hour in the UK, insurance should be a high priority for all bicycle owners. There is no legal requirement for cyclists to have cycle insurance, unlike car insurance for motorists. However, insurance on an expensive or electric bike is a must for protecting your investment. Most cycle owners expect they can insure their bikes through their home insurance policy. Whilst home insurance can offer some protection and may seem to be a convenient option, this type of cycle cover has its drawbacks when it comes to insuring mountain bikes.

Can you get specialist bike insurance for mountain bikes?

Yes, there is a good range of general cycle insurance products available, but you also have the option to choose specialist mountain bike insurance. You will usually be able to tailor your bike insurance policy by choosing from a range of coverage options to add.

Why should you get mountain bike insurance?

Choosing to get bike insurance is not always straightforward, since you have to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of buying this kind of asset coverage for your mountain bike. Here are some reasons worth considering.

• Mountain biking carries a higher risk of injury and accidental damage. These can be covered in specialist insurance policies. Additionally, the high average cost of a mountain bike puts more pressure on protecting your investment.
• It’s more likely that you will travel abroad with your mountain bike. However, standard travel insurance policies do not cover cycling holidays and they may not offer certain coverage options that specialist cycle insurance can offer
• Home insurance policies may not comprehensively cover your mountain bike. Some policies may provide cover if your bicycle is stored indoors or in a secure, private location. However, since, you are most at risk when using your mountain bike, it makes more sense to get insurance that covers you away from home.
• Home insurance policies often set a claim limit which can be far too low to cover the cost of your expensive bike, multiple bicycles or any other lost possessions.
• Specialist cycle insurers understand the industry. Specialist bicycle insurance companies know what kind of bike cover a cyclist need including mountain bikers.

Is travel insurance or bicycle insurance better for mountain bikes?

Although there is some overlap, travel insurance and bicycle insurance serve different purposes. Taking out specialist cycling insurance gives you the best coverage specifically for biking activities. However, in some instances, you may also need the more general cover of travel insurance.

Most travel insurance policies will only include cover for leisure cycling. If the main purpose of your holiday is cycling, you may not have the full coverage you need. Your bicycle insurance provider could provide cycle hire cover which you can rely on in the event that your bicycle is damaged while you are travelling, and you need a temporary replacement for the rest of your trip. You may also want to look for additional coverage option such as public liability, or personal injury cover.

A travel insurance policy which lasts for 30 days may cost more than taking out Cycle Insurance for a full year with ALA. You may need to take out travel insurance for different reasons; however, a Cycle Insurance policy which can protect you overseas will be a cheaper option when it comes to protecting your bicycle.

When to get travel insurance

Travel insurance covers you for non-cycling matters, such as missing luggage, cancelled flights and overseas medical expenses. You may wish to take out a basic travel insurance policy in addition to your specialist Cycle Insurance to cover you for these aspects of your trip. Although specialist cycling insurance is a must for your mountain biking trip, it doesn’t cover eventualities that are not relating to cycling.

What does ALA mountain bike insurance cover?

With an ALA policy, you can rest assured that your bicycle is covered in a range of circumstances. our simple bike insurance policy includes theft and malicious or accidental damage coverage as standard. ALA also covers you and your bicycle outside of the UK for 30 consecutive days at no extra cost. This means that your usual policy will also apply overseas so you don’t have to worry about forking out for specialist bike travel insurance every time you head abroad to the mountains.

Additional cover options

In addition to the cover included as standard in your ALA cycling insurance policy, you can also protect your bike and accessories further with optional add-ons. You may choose to add on any or all of these types of cover:

• Personal Accident Cover. This add-on gives you compensation for serious or permanent injuries from an accident while cycling. Our policy documents give full details of exactly which types of personal injury and circumstances are covered.
• Public liability insurance means you are covered if you should happen to cause accidental damage to third party property.
• Accessory cover offers to reimburse you for lost or stolen bicycle accessories such as clothing, helmet, GPS devices and other kit up to the value agreed in your policy.
• Cycle Hire Replacement allows you to hire a replacement bike if something happens to yours. This is useful if you are on a mountain biking holiday and can’t use your bike and need a replacement bicycle for the rest of your trip.
• We also help to cover legal expenses in certain circumstances including, recovering uninsured losses or cycling prosecution defence. We also offer legal advice.

It is worth noting that we do not offer competition cover, so if you are a professional mountain biker, your races/competitions are not covered by ALA.

Get a mountain bike insurance quote today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need travel insurance for mountain biking?

Mountain biking insurance will give you the best cover for cycling abroad, but you may need travel insurance as well, to provide coverage for non-cycling-related aspects of your trip, such as cancelled transport or lost luggage.

How much does mountain bike insurance cost?

Specialist ALA policies could cost just £54.94 for the year, or £5.50 per month (including interest) to cover a mountain bike worth £600. This type of insurance policy includes cover for bicycle theft or damage, cover of any insured accessories and the cost of hiring a replacement bike. It also provides compensation for personal injury. You may want to add public liability cover for an additional £15.94 per year or just £1.42 per month. Standard policies cost as little as £21 per year including Worldwide cover for up to 30 days per trip. Get a quote today!

Does your home insurance cover your bicycle?

Home contents insurance policies vary widely in their bicycle cover. You will need to refer to your home insurance policy details and check whether cover is provided for bikes, and if so, exactly what is covered.