In recent years, the bicycle has gradually replaced cars by offering a more ecological alternative. Cities have seen the birth of many cycle paths and the number of two-wheelers has multiplied. However, if the latter have many daily advantages for your travels, they do not spare you the possibility of an incident, which is why it is essential to insure your bike . Theft, material damage, disasters… In order to cover you in all circumstances, the guarantees offered by the insurers are varied.

Why insure your bike?

If your bicycle is probably covered in civil liability by your home insurance, it may nevertheless be wise to insure it against theft or for material damage that it could suffer.

Bicycle insurance: the procedures

Generally, insuring your bike is quite simple and requires few documents (purchase invoice, anti-theft invoice or marking number). The most important thing is to compare the insurance contracts with each other in order to choose the one that best suits you.

For more and more city dwellers, the bicycle is becoming the main means of transport. Thus, the latter tend to opt for high-performance models, whether it is a classic bike, a VAE or electric bike. The cost of purchasing this two-wheeler can then represent a valid reason for taking out insurance. As a general rule, it is recommended to opt for insurance covering theft, breakage, material damage and bodily injury. Indeed, these are guarantees that are not included in your multi-risk home insurance or in civil liability.

Taking out insurance for your bike has many day-to-day benefits. This will reassure you and protect you in the event of an incident, which can be very interesting, especially if your two-wheeler is a particularly expensive model. However, in order for it to be really useful, you should choose your insurance according to your needs. For example, in town, bicycle theft is very common, so opting for theft or attempted theft insurance will be a wise choice.

Is insuring your bike compulsory?

Since many vehicles require insurance, it is legitimate to wonder if the bicycle must be insured in order to be used. In order to answer this question, we distinguish between the different types of two-wheelers.

“Standard” bicycle insurance

Classic bicycles, not having a motor, do not have to be insured. However, these can however have a particularly high cost, it is sometimes strongly recommended to insure them all the same. At APRIL Moto, we offer you the best insurance for your road bike . Discover our specific offer for the insurance of your B’Twin bicycle .

cargo bike insurance

Whether electrically assisted or not, the cargo bike is not subject to an insurance obligation. On the other hand, insurance is compulsory when the cargo bike is equipped with a motor so the speed can exceed 25km/h. Although insurance is not compulsory in the majority of cases, it is nevertheless strongly recommended in order to protect against costs in the event of material damage or bodily injury. APRIL Moto therefore offers you specific insurance for cargo bikes .

Insurance for electrically assisted bicycles (VAE)

Increasingly favored by the French, pedelecs are bicycles with an engine that automatically shuts off when the speed exceeds 25 km/h. Concerning these models, the subscription to an insurance for electric bikes is not imperative, although strongly recommended. Whether it’s breakage or potential bodily injury, a vehicle with an engine, even a restricted one, can lead to an incident with consequences that are not necessarily covered by civil liability.

Electric bike insurance

Belonging to the category of motorized land vehicles, the electric bicycle has a motor that can reach 45 km/h. Unlike the classic bicycle or VAE, it is a two-wheeler requiring the possession of an “AM” license and cannot circulate on cycle paths. This type of bike, meanwhile, must be insured in order to be used.

As a general rule, whether insurance is compulsory or not, we will note that it is however strongly advised to take out a contract, especially when your two-wheeler has a high purchase price. Similarly, it is strongly recommended that you take out insurance if you use your bike for business trips .

What about civil liability and multi-risk home insurance?

In order to fully understand the usefulness of bicycle insurance, it is first of all important to define the coverage offered by multi-risk home insurance and civil liability. This will allow you to better choose the guarantees of your bicycle insurance.

Liability insurance

For all bicycles whose speed exceeds 25 km/h (road bicycles and electrically assisted bicycles), civil liability insurance is compulsory. It will cover damage caused to third parties, whether it is:

Note, however, that civil liability only works under certain conditions. It must indeed be a bicycle whose electric assistance is coupled to the pedaling, of a model not exceeding 25 km/h, and that the power of the motor of the latter does not exceed 250 watts.

Multi-risk home insurance

If it is not as complete as specialized bicycle insurance, multi-risk home insurance may include cover for theft. However, as a general rule, this only covers theft when it took place within your own accommodation or in a closed room. Some contracts will also offer you support for external flights, however many exclusion clauses are found. Among them, we find in particular the limits in terms of schedules: between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., multi-risk home insurance does not generally cover flights that have taken place outdoors.

What are the different guarantees of a bicycle insurance?

When you want to take out insurance for your bike, you should choose the guarantees that will meet your needs. We present here the different existing covers, so that you can choose the best insurance for your bike.