What kind of cyclist are you?

Bicycle cover from Direct Line means you’ll only pay for what you need. So, if you regularly travel abroad with your bike or prefer to stay local; buy all the latest gear to tackle a gravel trail, or ride your e-bike to the shops, we’ve got you covered.

Commuters and casual riders

If you cycle to work or enjoy exploring the countryside on two wheels, our bicycle cover offers peace of mind against theft or damage to your bike.

Adventurers

Whether you ride with a club, tackle remote trails, go on cycling holidays or fancy your chances on the occasional sportive, we’re on it.

Competitors

If you compete for fun, tick international routes off your bucket list and buy the latest tech, find out more about our optional Racing and Events Cover.

Why get specialist bicycle insurance?

You don’t have to be a serious cyclist to need bicycle insurance. Whether you ride every day or just few times a year, if your bike’s worth over £250, it might be worth getting it insured. That way, you’re covered if your bike’s stolen or you get knocked off on your way to work.
Many people insure their bikes via their home contents insurance, but it doesn’t always go far enough.

Check your home insurance to see whether it covers you for:

  • Accidental damage while you’re out cycling or taking part in a sportive
  • Theft away from your home
  • Malicious damage
  • Taking your bike abroad
  • Reimbursement for bike hire or taxi fare if your bike breaks down away from home
  • Cycling accessories, including personal gear and additional wheelsets
Getting bicycle cover through Direct Line means your claim will be handled by a specialist team of keen cyclists. They understand that your bike is important to you, which is why they’ll organise repairs or replacements via a trusted network of bike shops and service centres.
It’s just what you need to help you get back on the road. Or up the mountain.

What you need to know:

Once you’ve bought your policy, you’ll be asked to send proof of purchase along with photos of your bike. This helps the cycling team to process any claims you make as quickly as possible.

Any bicycle theft claim you make is subject to certain security conditions, so make sure you follow the required security measures. Your claim may be rejected or not fully paid if you don't use the correct lock for the value of your bike and store it safely and securely.

Find out more

Get a quote today and you could get your bike covered straight away.

Why choose Direct Line Bicycle Cover?

It takes a fellow rider to understand just how important your wheels are. That's why the team behind Direct Line Cycling Insurance has specialist knowledge and a passion for two wheels. You'll find them out most weekends, exploring new routes, fine-tuning their gears and testing out new kit. They get it, they really do.
That’s why the cycling team want to help you get back on your bike as soon as possible. Nobody likes waiting, so once you’ve provided all the information needed, they’ll aim to resolve your claim within one working day.

With Direct Line bicycle insurance, you’ll get the following cover as standard:

  • Accidental or malicious damage
    Your bike will either be repaired, or the damaged parts will be replaced.
  • Theft (from your home or away)
    As long as you've secured your bike with an approved lock, and followed the required security measures, your bike will be covered against theft.
  • Theft from a roof rack or trailer
    Provided it hasn’t been left unsecured or unattended (see approved locks for more information).
  • Reimbursement for cycle hire and transport costs
    If your bike's out of action, you'll need some wheels to get around on - especially if you're training for an event. That's why you'll get up to £500 to hire a suitable replacement, or to cover your transport costs while your bike is being repaired or replaced.
  • Onward travel
    If your bike's stolen or you've had an accident and can't cycle, you'll be reimbursed the cost of your taxi fare to get yourself and your bike home, to the nearest station or bike repair shop – whichever is closest.
  • Roof rack and transit cover
    Your bike is covered for any damage caused while you're transporting it securely.
  • Multi-Bike Discount
    If you've got another bike worth over £250 to insure, save money by adding it to the same policy. The more bikes you insure, the more you'll save, with 10% off your second bike and 15% off three or more bikes. The most valuable bike will be counted as the first bike on your policy, so discounts will apply to each bike thereafter. Excludes optional extras
  • New for old replacement
    If you need to claim for a total loss of your bike due to theft or irreparable damage, we'll replace your bicycle with a comparable make/model up to your benefit limit, if you bought it new. If your bicycle is second-hand or discontinued, we’ll reimburse you for its current market value, subject to depreciation.
  • Your cycling kit
    You’ll get up to £250 cover for your cycling kit, which includes accessories, clothing, helmets, GPS, additional wheelsets and your bike box. Please note, this cover is only valid as part of a larger claim for damage or theft of your bicycle. So, if your helmet is stolen from your bag, it’s not covered. If it’s damaged in an accident which also damaged your bike, it will be covered.
  • Cycling gear worth over £250
    If your kit is worth more than £250, just let us know how much it's worth when you get a quote, and we'll include the extra cover in your premium. We can insure your cycling accessories up to the value of £5,000.

We cover a range of bikes, for every kind of adventure

From folding bikes to tandem bikes, and everything in between, we can cover all your cycling adventures at home and abroad – whether you’re commuting through the city streets or racing up the mountains.

E-bikes

Cover your e-bike against theft or accidental damage.

Road bikes

Cover against theft or damage so you can get back on the road as quickly as possible.

Mountain bikes

Get your MTB insured so you can enjoy peace of mind every time you jump on your bike.

Cargo bikes

Cover your cargo or e-cargo bike against theft or damage with our specialist bike insurance.

Do you need any additional cover?

Cover for races and events

Get your bike covered for races or sportives, charity rides and off-road events by adding Race and Events Cover to your policy. It covers:

  • Damage to your bike during a sportive or organised group event.
  • Theft or damage to your bike during transitions (provided that your bicycle is stored in the demarcated transition area).
  • Loss of race entry fees - if you can’t take part in a cycling event because you hurt yourself in a cycling accident on your insured bike, we’ll reimburse you up to £500.
  • Please note, professional cyclists are not eligible for Direct Line Cycling Insurance.
Get a quote

Find out more about Race and Event Cover

Travel Cover

If you regularly take your bike abroad for events or cycling holidays, it could be worth including Travel cover with your bicycle insurance policy.

For one-off trips, you can add this cover to your bicycle policy, too – just let us know and we’ll extend your bicycle and accessories cover worldwide for up to 90 days in any 12-month period.

Get a quote

Learn more about travelling with your bike

Need cover for you as a cyclist?

It’s not just your wheels and your kit that matter, you could get covered for accidents and injury to yourself, too. You'll get:

  • Public liability cover
  • Optional personal injury cover
  • Optional emergency medical cover including dental care, optical care and physiotherapy
  • Optional travel cover for cycling abroad
  • Optional worldwide public liability cover (excluding USA and Canada)
  • Optional Race and Events Cover

Multi-Bike Discount

Got more than one bike to insure? Save money by adding all your bikes to the same policy. They don’t all have to belong to you, either. As long as the bikes are owned by an immediate family member (your partner, child or parent) and they live at your home address, we’ll give you:

  • 10% discount on the second bike
  • 15% discount on all additional bikes

The most valuable bike will be counted as the first bike on your policy, so discounts will apply to each bike thereafter. Excludes optional extras.

Cycling insurance tips, FAQs and policy documents

Take a look at the Cycling Insurance policy documents:

Need more help?

You can search our site or ask a question to our virtual assistant.

Contact Us Claims

If you’d rather talk to us, just give us a call. We can help you choose the right kind of cover.

Call us

Frequently asked questions

You can insure any bike, as long as its current market value is over £250.
If your bike is valued at more than £10,000, call us on 0330 460 0277 for a quote.
Home contents insurance often has limitations regarding your bike’s value and the circumstances under which it’s covered (usually while it’s stored at your home). With Direct Line Cycling Insurance, you are covered while you’re out riding, plus you can choose the cover that is right for you (Travel Cover or Race and Event Cover, for example).
If you leave your bike unattended (i.e. you leave it unsecured, more than 5 metres away), you will not be covered for accidental damage or theft. The following situations are considered ‘abandonment’ and are not covered under your cycling insurance:
  • Leaving your bicycle in an unlocked vehicle
  • Leaving your bicycle unattended in a location other than your home where it is not securely locked through the frame and any quick release wheels to an immovable object
  • Leaving your bicycle unattended in a location other than your home for longer than 18 hours, even if secured. This is extended to 24 hours if left at a train station or your place of permanent employment
  • Leaving your bicycle in the event secure zone at a triathlon or other sporting event for longer than 24 hours.
To be eligible for Direct Line cycling insurance, you must be over 18 years of age and permanently reside in the UK. Insurance cover isn’t provided for:
  • Professional cyclists or sponsored riders – cyclists who may be remunerated to a value greater than £5,000 in a calendar year, or train and race as their main profession.
  • Couriers and delivery drivers – anyone who uses their bicycle to carry out their work or hires out their bicycle for others to use. Please note, this does not include commuting to your place of work.
No, cover applies if your bicycle is stolen or if you have an accident or crash whilst riding, which renders your bike unrideable and your bicycle cannot be repaired at the scene of the incident.
If you leave your bike unattended when in town, at a friend’s house or when you stop for lunch, it needs to be locked to an immovable object through the frame and any quick-release wheels using an approved lock. Please note, if you leave your bike for longer than 18 hours (even if it is securely locked) it will be considered ‘abandoned’ and will not be covered for accidental damage or theft.
If your bicycle is left unattended inside a vehicle or attached to it – for instance, in a service station car park or in a town centre – it must be securely locked through the frame to a properly fixed bicycle rack with an approved lock, or locked in an enclosed boot that cannot be accessed by removing any partition or breaking a window, or kept inside a securely locked vehicle and locked through the frame and all quick release wheels to a secure anchor point by an approved lock; or kept inside a fully enclosed trailer which is securely locked by a closed shackle padlock or by the lockable security provisions of the trailer.
If you are going on a plane with your bike, your bicycle and/or accessories must be securely packed in appropriate transportation equipment that fully encloses and protects your bicycle and/or accessories in their entirety.

Latest articles

Two people smiling as they ride their bikes together on a sunny day.

Why is cycling good for your mental health?

It's more important than ever to look after our mental health. Luckily, there are lots of ways to help keep yourself in a good headspace, and cycling is right up there among the best.

Middle-aged couple riding electric bikes in the park.

E-bikes: why they're taking over the UK cycling scene

Electric bikes, have seen a huge increase in sales over the past couple of years.But what exactly is an e-bike and why are they so popular?

Smiling woman on bike in the countryside.

7 reasons why cycling is the best post-lockdown exercise

After a year without the usual distractions of a daily commute and busy social lives, the pandemic gave many of us the chance to look inward, re-evaluate our lives, prioritise our health and set new goals.