Home security: Securing your bike

When it comes to securing your bike in the home, getting it right is vital to ensure your insurance is valid. To help, we’ve written some handy guidelines on how to best go about it.

This is to make sure that your bikes are always protected, even on an indoor trainer!

Home vs “away from home”

Insurance needs to be super specific. What you call ‘Home’, most insurance companies (including Bikmo) call “a lockable house, garage, outbuilding or shed within the boundaries of your private dwelling.” It’s the lockable bit which is important.

If you can lock it, Bikmo will protect it.

Not all insurers have the same requirements, so double check if your bike is covered in your policy wording.

If you’re storing your bike(s) in a location that is not classed as “Home” then there are additional locking requirements that would need to be met, in order for your policy to cover a theft.

1. How to secure your bike in your home

When locking your bike at home, it’s advised to lock it to an “immovable object”… but what is an immovable object? Examples include:

Concrete or cement floors
Fixed walls – does not include wooden walls of outbuildings such as sheds
Ground anchors – must be appropriately installed to an immovable object or structure
Large concrete blocks
Metal structures

When securing your bike at home, for most cycle insurance providers there are no requirements for further security. There are however some nifty storage solutions, which will add extra security for your peace of mind.

From a purely practical sense, wall-mounted systems free up floor space and often feature locking points. Plus displaying your bike like a piece of art is always a good thing in our opinion. A super simple and great example of this is Hornit’s CLUG.

For extra security, products such as a Cycloc Solo allow for a lock to be threaded through wall mounts to secure your bike to it.

In the winter months, many of us are using a smart trainer or turbo a lot more. If your bike was to fall off the trainer while you were putting the hammer down in a race, or your bike simply fell over while you were setting up, any damage to the bike would be covered by a British Cycling Bikmo insurance PROTECT and PROTECT-R policy (Road, criterium & circuit racing).

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2. How to secure your bike in your garage

Garages are great storage spaces for many things other than cars, and bikes are no exception. Securing your bike within your lockable garage is a good way to save space in the house. In many ways, practical methods of storing bikes in a garage are similar to within the house.

Wall-mounted systems and bike racks can help free up space and offer a point to add extra security.

A garage also offers the opportunity to add further security measures such as ground anchors. Any ground anchors that have a Sold Secure rating are perfect for additional protection against theft.

3. How to secure your bike in your shed

Whilst storing bikes in a lockable shed is covered under a Bikmo policy (not all insurers do this!) they’re generally at a higher risk compared to within a house or garage.

A “shed” to us must be lockable, and made of wood, metal or plastic. A shed made of other materials would not meet our definition of “Home” under a Bikmo policy, so additional locking requirements would need to be met.

Check our our Best Sheds guide for a take on the best sheds, from an insurers perspective.

Why cycle insurance?

If you own bikes above £400, compete, travel or ride a lot, then you may want to consider cycle specific insurance. It’s worth checking your home insurance policy, as it may not provide the cover you require, such as:

Maximum value – the maximum insured bike value can be as low as £500
Away from home – there’s also often an ‘abandonment clause’ that classes bikes as ‘abandoned’ after only a few hours cycling away from home
Premiums increasing – your premium will usually increase when making a claim
Excess costs – home insurance excesses can mean it’s not worth claiming for your losses
Competition cover – may not be included (optional with Bikmo)
Indoor trainer – not all will cover your bike if you damage it while using an indoor trainer (optional with Bikmo)

**Save 10%* as a British Cycling member on Bikmo’s award-winning cycle insurance**

That’s why at Bikmo, we designed our PROTECT and PROTECT-R policies specifically for British Cycling members; whether at home, roads, or mountains, in the UK or overseas.

British Cycling bike insurance by Bikmo offers hassle-free policies to cover your bike(s), clothing and accessories against accidental damage, theft and much more. We also offer 365 worldwide cover, event cover, bike box cover and much more as standard.

Plus, British Cycling members benefit from

10%* saving on full insurance policies
25%* saving on e-bike premiums compared to regular bikes
50%* discount on additional bikes in your household – so the whole family can be insured

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Why Bikmo?

🚴‍♀️ Tens of thousands of riders insure with Bikmo

⭐ Bikmo holds the prestigious Feefo Platinum Service Award for great service

🌎 Bikmo is a B Corp and 1% for the Planet certified, meaning we give 1% of our annual revenue back to good causes focussed on the environment.