Bike insurance ? Yes or No

[Stretch]

Just wondering if my property insurance needs upgrading or if I should try and insure the bikes separately . . .any thoughts, experiences?

Found this discussion on Transitions Forum
http://forums.transitions.org.au/index. ... opic=29023

[williamd]

Hey Stretch

Stuart has gone from NRMA insurance recently over their stance on bike riders.

I think you can get a better deal if you combine all your insurance needs to one insurer.

[timyone]

after sunday im starting to wonder if i should get the insurance that covers any thing i hit :S

[geoff m]

Couple things worth noting on insurance.

Stuart, NRMA Insurance is independent of NRMA membership organisation. The insurance is owned by IAG Limited, altho they do share the same name from before de-mutualisation. Best to take your wrath out on the membership organisation and go with RACV and use reciprocal services.

Tim, if you become a member of Bicycle NSW, on top of helping mainstream cycling, you can get $20m liability insurance for damaging other property or people (but not for yourself). It will cost something like $80 and you will get 6 full colour bicycle mags every year on top as well.

My contents insurance has an optional extra to cover personel effects outside of the home (I think for theft only) including my bike so long as I lock it. I think you will find it costs about $50 for every $2000 worth of bicycle. Based on that sum, if you're bike gets stolen within 20 years, you're ahead (and a crime victim!). Chances are that will happen, so they can be fairly good value. My current insurer is Westpac, but previously NRMA provided similar cover. I believe most do it.

[geoff m]

Oh Stuart, I just read on the other thread that you did move your motor membership to RACV. I enquired 2 months ago over the Lane Cove cycleway controversy and was of the view this was easy. I then rang to do it and was told by RACV I couldn't although they admitted it was a gray area (reciprocal rights originally meant for travelling members, and not necessarily for disgruntled members in a 'free market').

What did they say and which cover (top?) did you take?

[christian]

I use to have one of my bikes insured through a company that did insurance specific to bikes. You have to be a member of Bicycle NSW or something similar. Can't remember what they were called but a quick search came up with http://www.cyclecover.com.au/ which is who it may have been

[Stuart]

OK - I moved my home & contents insurance before realising that NRMA insurance were no longer part of the NRMA - dumb of me really as I've done extensive amounts of IT work for IAG post the NRMA de-mutualisation and sell-off of the insurance business. Still, I saved $160 / year by moving to Suncorp. My bikes are insured only while they are in the house. Both AAMI and Suncorp wanted about $40 / $1000 to insure them outside the house. AAMI had a great policy but were more expensive then NRMA but bikes inside the house didn't have to listed as specified items, unlike all others I got a quote off.

When I rang RACV re moving from the NRMA road side assistance they said no worries, what would happen is that they would send me a new membership card and on my normal due date I would get a notice from them rather than the NRMA. It seems they have a reciprocal agreement as Geoff stated so I didn't really need to stop the NRMA and start the RACV so to speak. I'm yet to receive my new membership so when it arrives I'll update here.

[Stuart]

There is also a conversation on Bicycles Network Australia about bike insurance - very useful - pity I didn't read it before I swapped cover!

[timyone]

i heard the excess is 1000 for bycicle nsw

[mikesbytes]

There is also a conversation on Bicycles Network Australia about bike insurance - very useful - pity I didn't read it before I swapped cover!

I think you can cancel at any time and get a pro-rate refund.