Can anyone advice about cycle insurance

[ssd]

For ds in London?

Has anyone had cycle insurance and would recommend it?

He is buying a new bike and needs decent insurance. His friends and co workers have all had bikes stolen and he is worried. But he shares a flat with 2 others and has nowhere indoors to store it. He will buy a D lock bike, as he thinks this is safer. But he will have to leave it outside against railings overnight and when he is at work or at the gym.

Has anyone any advice please?

His rent is extortionate and cycling everywhere will save him money in the long term

Maybe ETA, though I think the bike can reside in any particular place (locked to railings style) for a maximum of 12 hours. If the bike isn't already bought, and the important feature is that it's likely to stay where he leaves it, would he consider looking for a tatty but functional preloved bike?

It'd also be worth adding a cable to the D-lock so both wheels can be secured.

laka is an excellent specific bike insurance that pays out instantly- I've had 4 bikes stolen in London in 4 years, with insanely expensive locks drilled through

This. If it's going to live outside you want something that looks like shit but sneakily rides quite well. I had an ancient 1950s bike for about a decade that met these requirements and after that upgraded to a 1980s Raleigh tourer. You probably want reasonably lightweight steel rather than expecting aluminum and ideally not quick release wheels.

I know that's not the answer to the question you asked though!

Seconding the addition of a cable lock as well as a d lock and with d locks it's a balancing act between a nice long one (more choice of where to lock the bike, easier to lock up) and a shorter one (the tighter they fit the harder they are to saw through I believe).

Don't know about cycle insurance but has he looked for secure cycle storage near work? DH has had 2 bikes stolen from outside his workplace, then he discovered that the train station have underground bike parking with CCTV and key fob access, it's £10 a year for a fob and he's been parking there for about 5 years now without having a bike stolen.

Get a motorbike lock for the railings near home if he can leave the lock there when the bike not in use.

But I wouldn't leave a brand new bike locked up overnight anywhere.

Has he considered a Brompton and then never leaving it locked up anywhere. If you always take them in they're fab, if you leave them outside they're a theft magnet

Not theft insurance, but I'd highly recommend he join the London Cycling Campaign. You get third party liability insurance, free legal advice and discounts on various bike related services, including cycle insurance actually. The third party liability insurance is really useful to have, if nothing else when people say "cyclists should be insured" he can say he is.

https://lcc.org.uk/membership/

Thanks everyone i will pass this onto him.

Our bikes are insured with Bikmo, collectively our household bikes cost more than a brand new ford Fiesta, so it's not an option to not be insured. I have claimed a number of years ago but for crash damage which was dealt with quickly, but no recent experience really. Not claimed for theft but the lock requirements get more stringent the higher value the bike. In London if you are buying new I'd consider a brompton that he can keep indoors, otherwise go on marketplace and buy a road bike for less than £200, change any quick release components to one that need T25 socket and get a little T25 containing multitool for the saddle bag and a good Sold Secure cable lock and D lock combo. If you get a year out of it before it's nicked then you've done well based on what friends say about bikes in London. Then buy another £200 road bike and go again. Assuming his commute is only a couple of miles each way something older but realtively modern on the components (look for Shimano 105 type level) will be able to be tuned to run very well with possibly a couple of new cables and some new brake pads

It's not just the bike you want insurance for. It's for legal support in case of an accident.

When I used to cycle a lot I signed up for British Cycling membership and one of the features is legal cover. It might be worth researching because I went for it myself on the back of some good reviews of the support provided.

I have an ebike Bikmo paid out easily - with evidence - when I damaged my bike in a crash. It covers theft, accidental damage and third parties.
I also have third party cover through Cycling UK membership.

Also re bike insurance, most insurance will expect your bike to be insured in a shed/garage/inside your hat/inside a specific bike store - so worth checking before he buys insurance that ends up not being valid.

Get a spare wheel for the bike and put an uninflated tyre that looks punctured on the bike - swap the wheels out when you lock it up.

buy a second hand bike that looks naff but is serviced and runs ok

thieves Are like magpies, they want shiny new, not old naff

Add one of these types of licks to the d lock

i had my bike locked on the roof of my car and the thieves took the rack as they couldn’t get the lock off 🙈 so roof rack left but bike rack taken 🤦‍♀️

Since this thread was started in 2024 I'd assume that the OP is sorted by now.
But just for general info, most of cycle specific insurance policies will require you to have a certain standard of lock, usually Gold or Diamond and they will not infrequently ask for evidence such as a receipt or photo of the lock. So if you are buying a new one it's worth checking what the various insurer's require beforehand, and keep the receipt.
Also, check the fine print in policies regarding where your bike can be kept and how it has to be locked to actually be covered. Some policies are very restrictive and possibly not that useful as a result. I actually very rarely leave a bike locked anywhere unattended but if I do I have got into the habit of taking a couple of photos showing the lock and what it's locked to. It takes a few seconds and can be deleted if not needed, but my experience with insurance companies in general has not been great so I figure it can't do any harm to have photographic evidence that I've complied with their requirements.