Cycling travel insurance essential guide

You can see it already. You’re cycling along the Seine, ready for your next Parisian café pit stop. Or perhaps you’re riding through the lush green rice paddies of Vietnam without a care in the world. Now picture yourself wounded after a clumsy fall off your bike. You’ve got a badly bunged up knee, a serious dent in your wallet and a rather unpleasant detour to a foreign hospital. Oh, and you forgot to get travel insurance and you’re not covered. Not so dreamy right?

Let’s put your sensible helmet on for a moment and ask yourself… Do you know if your travel insurance policy covers you for cycling overseas, or for the bike itself?

As with most insurance questions, there isn’t always a clear yes or no answer as it will all depend on the type of trip you are taking. Keep reading to find out more…

What’s covered?

Sure you’re an experienced cyclist. However, by not taking out the right insurance policy, your trip can quickly skid out of control. If you break a bone, fall ill or find yourself at the mercy of a cancelled bike tour (due to unforeseen circumstances), your cycling travel insurance can get you back on track by covering any costs incurred. Yippee!

Your travel insurance policy will also cover you if:

• You fall off your bike and break an arm and need to go to hospital: Travel insurance will ease the pain by covering your medical fees , doctor’s appointment, x-ray and medicine.
• You crash your bike and cause damage to another person whilst on your cycling holiday: Travel insurance provides protection for you being legally liable for causing damage. So be careful now!
• Your wallet is pickpocketed: Theft can put a dent in your trip but travel insurance will cover you for any lost or stolen items and in many cases, reimburse you for any cash stolen too.
• You’ve finished your bike tour, about to head to the airport when your passport is nowhere to be found: Hold on to your helmet as your travel insurer will cover the cost of organising an emergency passport.
• And way more…

Where can I buy travel insurance to cover my bike?

What’s often not covered?

Lucky for you, we've highlighted some wheely good options above. However, if you're talking standard travel insurance then conditions may apply. The following points should be taken into consideration when researching cover for you and your bike.

• Your bike and its equipment: You may want to backpedal on your plans to take your new, carbon fibre bike on holidays as it most likely won’t be covered by your travel insurance in case of theft or damage. See if you can insure your bike through your home insurance instead – just make sure your stuff is covered when you are overseas or away from home. Keep in mind, your swish new set of wheels may exceed the maximum item limit so be sure to cruise the fine print before signing your bike away.
• Competitive cycling: Many travel policies regard competitive cycling or racing as (gasp) adventure sports and won’t cover such events. Though you’d hardly consider yourself an adrenalin junkie, your timed group cycle through the French Alps may be a no-go according to your insurance policy. Take the time to compare various travel policies before spinning out the door.
• Reckless Riding: If your definition of RPM equals “reckless pedaling madness,” you may want to slow it down a notch. Intentionally putting yourself in danger on your bike will nix your chances of being covered by your insurer. Remember that without a helmet most insurance policies won’t pay up. So protect your noggin and you’ll be covered in more ways than one!
• Bike hire excess: Are you renting a push bike on holiday? Although travel insurance often covers rental vehicle excess, this often does not extend to two wheeled modes of transport. If you hire an expensive bike and it gets damaged, be prepared to take the fall and cough up the excess.

Frequent Cyclist?

If you find yourself racking up frequent ‘cycling air miles’ then you may want to look into a long-term policy that can cover you for extended periods of time. Buying an annual multi-trip policy will save you the hassle of buying cycling travel insurance multiple times a year- giving you more time on the road! Keep in mind that each insurer has individual trip duration limits to pay attention to.

Travel insurance for motorbike holidays

Cycling not thrill seeking enough for you? Perhaps riding a motorcycle or scooter on holiday is more up your street. The tricky thing about overseas motorbike holidays is finding a good policy that will cover you.

Ride worry-free!

Whilst we’d all prefer to bring home memories as opposed to broken bones, the cost of a hospital trip overseas can send your budget skyrocketing (not to mention your stress levels). Making the time to find the right travel insurance policy for your cycling holiday can give you peace of mind not to mention a smooth, hassle free ride. Gear up for the ride of your life!