[Ian Carey]

Hi

I don’t think that I can meet the security requirement of bike insurance.

I have just taken out insurance for my new ebike.

The bike cost just over £6,000 and the insurance just under £300.

Firstly, I am very lucky to be able to spend such a lot of money on one bike (I have recently retired). I am having great fun with it.

However, having now carefully read the policy documents, I don’t think that I can meet all the security requirements!

The issues are:

Locks: Obviously gold standard, of which I have a few. The bike needs to be secured to an immovable object, including the wheels. In practice this means 2 or three locks, depending on the type of ‘immovable object’. 

At home, in the shed, this is just about possible, but requires 3 long gold standard chain locks to secure the frame and both wheels to the anchor on the floor (it’s an MTB with a long wheelbase).

However, the shed door needs to be secured with either a ‘5-lever mortice lock’, a ‘Chubb lock’ or a ‘CEN Grade 3 closed shackle padlock’. Although I have 3 very strong closed shackle padlocks to the door of the shed, they are not CEN grade 3.

Outside is more difficult. Attaching the bike and wheels to the standard ‘Sheffield’ stand can be done with one long ‘D’ lock and one chain. However, the combined weight of the locks is almost 6kg! 

I will be carrying the bike on the Fiamma rack that hangs off the rear of my van. However, it is bolted on and is not ‘lockable’ as required by the insurance.

Furthermore, the bike is not insured while on the van, even when locked, from 9pm to 8am. I often take my bike on holidays that frequently involve driving after 9pm!

I did ask about fitting a BikeTrax GPS unit (this is fitted inside the motor & shows the location of the bike), but was told that this would be treated as an accessory and would result in a slight increase in the premium.

I can obviously buy some approved padlocks for the shed, which would be around £100.

However, securing the bike while away from home is much more of a problem and certainly very impractical, if not impossible.

Has anyone else had such issues with insurance?

Does anyone have a workable solution?

Cheers,

Ian

 

Topic

[Hirsute]

Perhaps I dismissed that too

Perhaps I dismissed that too quickly as it seemed not strong enough and hard to get a lock in and on the bike.

 

[andystow]

hirsute wrote:

“kept inside a securely locked vehicle (without an enclosed car boot) and locked through the frame and any quick release wheels to a secure anchor point by an approved lock”

They may as well say we don’t insure you in a locked vehicle. What secure anchor point can there be ?

When the rear seats are folded forward, there’s usually a metal loop that serves as the catch for the latch. Sometimes it’s on the seat, sometimes on the car body.

 

 

[Hirsute]

“kept inside a securely

“kept inside a securely locked vehicle (without an enclosed car boot) and locked through the frame and any quick release wheels to a secure anchor point by an approved lock”

They may as well say we don’t insure you in a locked vehicle. What secure anchor point can there be ?

 

 

[tigersnapper]

I cover my bikes through

I cover my bikes through Pedal Cover’s household insurance.  They don’t add loads of extra security requirements, especially whilst the bike is actually in your home.

[quiff]

Ian Carey wrote:

I appear to to have signed up with Sundays when I thought I was dealing with Laka (should have gone to Specsavers!).

What do Specsavers require? Just a lock through the frame?!

Seriously though, all of these details and exclusions are why I have never sought specific bike cover, because I have zero confidence I would get a payout if something happened to them. However, might have to reassess that as something I read recently suggested that even if you consciously choose to “self-insure” certain items (and wouldn’t claim for them) this could constitute underinsurance, allowing an insurer to avoid a contents policy entirely or apply an average clause to any claim. You can’t win!           

[chrisonabike]

What would it take though? 

What would it take though?  Even if you provide a picture of the bike locked where you lost it with the locks that doesn’t show it was so locked when the thief stole it just because you’ve still got the locks…

Think you just have to read the T&Cs (!) for any obvious “we don’t do x”.  Not always as simple as it should be though.

[JimM777]

If you have proof of purchase

If you have proof of purchase of the locks, and if your bicycle is stolen and the nasty thief threw the locks away somewhere, it seems to me that the insurance company has no way of confirming that the bike actually was locked with the stated locks.

[bobbinogs]

Personally, I work around the

Personally, I work around the travelling insurance aspect by keeping my expensive summer bike at home locked and secured and then, when travelling, take my winter bike which is still lovely to ride.  A ‘winter’ bike is always subjective but these can be built up for ~£1k and, if chosen correctly, can be great all year around (specially if fitted with nice tyres and minus the mudguards for a summer break).

On my hols, I take a decent D lock and secure cable, and lock the bike when on the car or at the accommodation. If it gets nicked, it’s not a great outcome but at least I will feel I have done my bit and take the theft on the chin.  I figure that life is always a risk to some degree and I won’t worry myself out of doing something that I want.

[Ian Carey]

Opps – you are very right, it

Opps – you are very right, it is not Laka!

Not sure what has happened, but I appear to to have signed up with Sundays when I thought I was dealing with Laka (should have gone to Specsavers!).

So apologies for any confusion.

Anyway, Sundays have now confirmed in writing that their original requirements have been amended.

Bikes will be insured when on the back of a car or van and only one gold lock is required.

I now have a new issue – do I stay with Sundays when I originally wanted Laka as their business model sounds more attractive? 

Ian

[Tom_77]

You can get gold-rated locks

You can get gold-rated locks that weigh about a kg. So even if you need 2 of them you shouldn’t need to be carrying around 6kg worth of lock.

See this list for examples (avoid the silver-rated ones though) – https://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/lightweight-bike-locks/

 

[quiff]

The current policy wording

The current policy wording hosted on the Laka website (which includes electrically assisted pedal cycles) doesn’t have the restrictions you’re seeing Ian:  https://cdn.laka.co.uk/assets/v2-1/Laka+Bicycle+Insurance+-+Policy+Wording.pdf

Odd that they’re so different. 

[mark1a]

I’m certain that Laka are not

I’m certain that Laka are not related in any way to Sundays. 
 

Laka policy document here:

https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5ede4851209ff080a70e63e6/6009ae336ea217c84961be7b_Laka_policy%20wording%202.0%2021:01:21.pdf

[Ian Carey]

Hi

Hi

Yes, it is Laka.

I did look at Direct Line and it appears that use Sundays, as do Laka.

I have just been on the phone to Laka. Verbally they have said that when locking the bike to an immovable object, it is acceptable to use a gold lock for the frame and that the wheels can be secured by a non-gold cable.

They have also said that when I carry the bike on the van at night, I will remain insured, provided that I have ‘line of sight’ of the bike & van.

I have just sent them an email asking for written clarification about the above.

I have been looking at a fair few policy docs and it appears to me that security requirements are getting more onerous.

I understand the need for this given the ongoing issue of bike crime, especially given the very high value of many bikes nowadays.

I personally feel that adding a high value bike to home insurance does not provide suffiecient cover, but I have not looked at every policy.

However, my concern is that such security requirements may be impractiable when out riding our bikes.

[mark1a]

Are you sure that’s Laka?

Are you sure that’s Laka? Their policy wording is in the PDF on the URL I previously posted, and it’s been like that for ages. I was curious about your wording being so different and I Googled a section of it – came back virtually word-for-word with Directline’s policy wording. https://www.directline.com/cycling-insurance/approved-locks

I tried insuring with Directine before, they wouldn’t go near the value of the bikes and I thought their requirements were fairly onerous given the security already in the house, hence why I thought Laka were being realistic.

[Ian Carey]

Not sure we have the same

Not sure we have the same policy. This is the wording from the policy wording doc. It makes a repeated statement about the need that “…the Bicycle must be locked by an Approved Lock to an Immovable Object, through
the frame and all quick release wheels.” in a range of locations, inculing vehicles.

At Home

When Your Bicycle is kept in Your garage or
outbuilding, the doors and windows must be locked.
Doors must be locked by a minimum 5 lever Mortice
lock, a CEN Grade 3 closed shackle padlock, or a
Chubb deadlock.
• When Your Bicycle is kept in Your Home, the doors
and windows must be locked when your home is
unoccupied or whilst you are asleep. Doors must
be locked by a minimum 5 lever Mortice lock, a
CEN Grade 3 closed shackle padlock, or a Chubb
deadlock.
• If You leave Your Bicycle inside a communal area,
for example inside a parking garage or the foyer
of Your building, the Bicycle must be locked by an
Approved Lock to an Immovable Object, through
the frame and all quick release wheels.
• If Your Bicycle is left in a wooden shed, such shed
must be a Privately Accessed and Securely Locked
wooden shed, within the secured boundaries of
Your Home and Your Bicycle must be secured
therein to an Immovable Object through the frame
and all quick release wheels with an Approved Lock.
• If Your Bicycle is left in a metal shed which is located
within the boundaries of Your Home, the metal
shed must be permanently fixed to a concrete
base and Securely Locked by the standard locking
mechanism of the metal shed. It is required that
this locking mechanism is at a minimum a 3 point
locking system.
 

Vehicles

If your Bicycle is left unattended while it is in, or
attached to, any motor vehicle including while it is in
transit or in a Secure Vehicle Rack, it must be:
• locked inside an enclosed car boot and must not
be visible from outside of the vehicle; or
• kept inside a securely locked vehicle (without
an enclosed car boot) and locked through the
frame and any quick release wheels to a secure
anchor point by an approved lock; or
• locked and secured to a properly fixed Secure
Vehicle Rack via the lockable security provision of
the rack and a Thatcham approved Alarm must
be fitted and active; or
• locked and secured through the frame of the
Bicycle to a properly fixed Secure Vehicle Rack
with an approved lock and a Thatcham
approved Alarm must be fitted and active.
We will not pay any claim for theft of your Bicycle
from the Secure Vehicle Rack of Your vehicle
between the hours of 21:00-06:00, regardless of
how it was secured.

[Author]

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