What travel insurance do I need for a cycling trip?
Cycling travel insurance offers extra cover that you won’t get with a standard policy - here’s how it can help you on a cycling holiday.
Key takeaways
Cycling travel insurance can provide extra cover for your bike and gear as well as insuring you to take part in cycling events
These policies often have higher single-item value limits to cover expensive bicycles and gear
Standard travel insurance might not offer enough cover, while participation in events or cycling off-road is likely to be excluded completely
What is cycling travel insurance?
Cycling travel insurance is a type of policy that covers you for a range of cycling-related activities while you’re on holiday. You’ll generally need a cycling travel insurance policy if you’re planning a cycling holiday, or doing things like group rides, off-road biking or timed events.
Are cycling holidays covered by standard travel insurance?
While standard travel insurance policies do offer some general protection for your holiday, it usually only extends to leisure cycling rather than mountain biking, events or group rides.
Standard policies also tend to come with relatively low single item limits that might not be enough for your bike and equipment. If cycling is the main event of your holiday then you likely won’t be covered for any damages or losses without specialist cover.
What does cycling travel insurance cover?
The specific level of cover you get will depend on your insurer and type of cover, but generally speaking you should look for the following in a good cycling travel insurance policy:
Standard travel insurance might not offer enough cover for your bike and any cycling gear, while some policies won’t cover specialist equipment at all.
A cycling insurance policy is likely to have a higher single-item limit and include cover for your cycling gear if it’s lost, damaged or stolen.
You should aim for at least £5 million in medical treatment cover. Remember, a cycling insurance policy will cover you for injuries sustained while riding in situations whereas standard cover often won’t.
Additionally, you should ensure your policy covers repatriation in case you need to be brought back to the UK because of an emergency related to cycling.
If your bike gets damaged mid-trip, you may be able to claim for the cost of hiring a replacement bike for the rest of your holiday.
Some cycling insurance policies will include specialist cover for riding in events or competitions, and even possibly the cost of fees you pay if you withdraw due to an injury or circumstances beyond your control.
Cancellation cover will protect you if you need to cancel any biking activities or parts of your trip due to an insurable event.
A high single-item value limit
Medical treatment cover
Repatriation cover
Replacement bike hire
Competition cover
Cancellation and curtailment cover
What type of cycling is covered?
Depending on the cover you take out, you should be insured to take part in a range of cycling activities such as:
Touring, racing and competitions
Mountain biking or off-road biking, on trails with and without signposts
BMX cycling
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
Yes, pre-existing medical conditions will generally be covered by travel insurance as long as you declare them before you buy your policy. While it’s likely to make your cover more expensive, this won’t be much compared to the cost of medical treatment abroad - and if you don’t declare your condition, you won’t be covered if you need to make a claim.
What isn’t covered by cycling travel insurance?
While cycling travel insurance offers extra specialist cover that standard insurance doesn’t, it will still come with certain exclusions:
Loss, damage or injuries sustained while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Incidents that result from you breaking the law or any road rules
Losses that result from negligence, such as leaving your bike unsecured and out of your sight
Travelling to a country that the government has advised against visiting
Do I need cover for cycling trips in the UK?
You can take out staycation travel insurance that covers you for holidays in the UK, and the same is true for cycling.
While the NHS means you won’t need medical cover, cycling travel insurance can still protect a domestic holiday against potential cancellation or curtailment, as well as lost or stolen belongings and any fees you pay for events that you have to pull out of.
Things to consider with cycling travel insurance
When you look for cycling travel insurance as with any policy for going abroad, here’s what you should look out for:
Travel insurance policies often have limits on the duration of your trip and length of cover, usually around 30 to 90 days, so check yours will last for your full holiday.
You should also make sure your destination(s) are insured - you’ll usually need either European travel insurance or worldwide cover.
The average cost of a European travel insurance policy is £28.14[1] while worldwide cover in the same period is £76.25[2].
As we mentioned before, cycling travel insurance will usually have higher limits than standard cover, but double check to make sure it covers the value of your belongings.
Your trip length
Your destination
Your single-item limit
Does UK bicycle insurance cover cycling abroad?
A UK bicycle insurance policy might cover you for certain aspects of riding abroad, like protection against theft or damage.
However a travel insurance policy for cycling can cover this and much more, such as medical treatment costs, trip cancellations or protection for your other belongings.
Compare travel insurance quotes
MoneySuperMarket doesn’t offer comparisons for cycling travel insurance specifically, so we recommend checking out different providers directly to find one that covers everything you need.
We can help you find general travel insurance - comparing quotes with MoneySuperMarket is the quickest and easiest way to find affordable cover for your holiday.
