Best insurance for bicycle commuters
Whether the accident is a simple mishap or a someone's negligence, and if it happens during a commute, at home, or in transit, it's covered.
Theft Coverage
If your bike is stolen from your home, car, workplace or any other secure location, it’s covered.
Liability Coverage
We will protect you from personal liability (injury, sickness, death, or damage to property) you cause while riding your bike.
Crash Damage
Your bike is covered if it’s damaged in a crash. On a road or trail, a group ride or a race, if it’s damaged in an accident, it’s covered.
Velosurance for bike commuters
As a commuter you reap countless benefits by switching from a car to a bicycle, ranging from improved cardiovascular and mental health to cost savings and a decreased carbon footprint. With the switch you trade many annoyances of cars, such as traffic and challenges finding parking, for cycling-specific concerns like the risk of theft and having to share paths with pedestrians and roads with cars.
Our bicycle insurance policy is designed with commuters in mind: other than addressing the primary concerns such as theft and accidental damage, we also offer the much needed optional coverages of medical gap, liability and uninsured motorist coverage. While important for nearly all riders, these coverages are especially critical for commuters to protect against the financial hardship of medical bills or being sued for injuring a pedestrian or colliding with a car.
Whether you’re a student or a professional, a city dweller or a suburb resident, our policy can be customized to address your specific risks so you can pedal with a peace of mind that you’ll be protected no matter what happens.
Protect your ride from theft
Bicycle theft is big business, with thefts numbering around 300,000 each year. Unlike with automobile theft, virtually no bicycles get recovered. With bicycling now more popular than ever, thieves are reaping the benefits from owners who use subpar locks to secure their bikes. The proliferation of battery operated power tools has made snatching a locked bike an easy task, even for amateur bike thieves.
As a bicycle commuter, you put your bike at significantly more risk of theft than virtually any other bicycle rider. City streets are the most likely place for a bike to be stolen but outlying neighborhoods are not too far behind. To make matters worse, in recent years bicycle theft by force, or threat of force, has become common. If this ever happens to you, it is recommended to surrender the bike without resistance and avoid becoming an assault victim; no bike is worth your welfare. A bicycle insurance policy by Velosurance is a solid additional layer of protection for all bicycle commuters. The policy covers the bike for theft as well as damage from a failed theft attempt. When the best security fails, you can count on Velosurance to get you pedaling again.
We cover all types of commuter bikes
When choosing a commuter bike is critical to ensure that it’s safe, comfortable and practical for the type of riding you plan on doing. From hybrids and fixies, to folding e-bikes and cargo bikes, the beauty of commuting is that you can do it on almost any bike. Some bikes are a better fit than others, but be assured that no matter what kind of bike you ride, it’s covered.
Liability coverage for bike commuters
By definition personal liability is triggered in the event of an accident, at your home or away from home, that results in injury to a person or property damage for which you become legally responsible for. Some examples of cycling personal liability claims are: medical bills that result from a person’s injury caused by you when riding your bicycle. Liability lawsuits seek to recover medical costs and other damages such as lost wages, and might also include property damage such as damage to an automobile. Liability lawsuits are brought about as a result of your negligent acts while riding your bike. A defense attorney charges up to $500 per hour, with a $15,000 retainer, to defend a personal liability lawsuit. The liability coverage in a bicycle insurance policy will cost around $90 per year for each insured bicycle, and includes the cost of a law firm to defend you. We buy insurance for the unexpected, including cyclist liability along with physical loss coverage in a bicycle insurance policy is money well spent, especially if you share the road with others.
Most home insurance policies cover your personal liability when riding a pedal power bicycle and will defend you against a liability lawsuit, but this is not the case if your bicycle is electric powered. Home insurance companies strictly exclude “motorized vehicles” from the personal liability section of the home insurance policy and because an e-bike has an electric motor the home insurance companies consider the e-bike to be a “motorized vehicle” so an e-bike is always excluded from a home insurance policy coverage.
Coverages and Features
Velosurance offers must-have protection such as accidental damage, theft, or loss in transit. Each policy can be customized by adding additional coverages such as liability protection, uninsured motorist, and medical payments. Select any coverage to see the details.
Bicycles are very easy to steal and equally difficult to recover, and even a hefty U-lock doesn’t guarantee your bike is still there when you return. Velosurance provides peace of mind if it is stolen or damaged in the process.
Our policy will pay to replace your ride if it is accidentally damaged and beyond repair, including damage that occurs while being carried on or in your vehicle. If it can be repaired, we will pay all the costs associated with the bike's repair, including tax, labor, and shipping, minus the deductible. Cosmetic damage that does not affect safety is excluded.
Our policy optional coverage purchase will protect and defend you from your personal liability (injury, sickness, death, or damage to property, including fire damage) that you are found legally liable for. Coverage limits offered: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $300,000 or $500,000 per occurrence.
E-bike liability insurance →If you’re hurt and require medical attention, our optional medical gap will take care of your medical bills, up to the selected limit. The payments are paid directly to you to supplement the deductible of your personal health insurance policy.
Medical gap insurance →Depreciation is a hidden deductible that increases every year and is applied if the bicycle is stolen or totaled. No one is ever happy with an Actual Cash Value insurance settlement: the bike is first devalued, and then a deductible is applied, resulting in a reimbursement that is far less than the cost of a replacement. We reimburse without depreciation, for the cost of a replacement that is of like, kind, and quality similar to your totaled bike.
One of the scariest things that can happen to a cyclist is getting hit by a car. This coverage will pay for medical expenses, physical therapy, mental health services, lost wages, and other expenses that arise from a bicycle-car accident.
Uninsured motorist insurance →We cover all electrically assisted Class 1, 2, and 3 bikes with a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph. All protections available for conventional bicycles also apply to electric ones.
E-bike insurance →Bikes often get damaged in transit by personal vehicles, airlines, or courier services. Filing a claim with the airlines and courier services is a notoriously difficult process with a questionable outcome. We cover the insured bicycle for loss or damage while it's on its way to or from your destination by air or road. Even if it falls off a vehicle rack or is hit in a rear-end accident, it is covered, no arguments.
Bicycle travel coverage →If you go down in a crash, we cover your ride as well as your apparel, such as helmet, shoes, glasses, or riding kit that are torn up, and pay up to $500 per accident and $1,000 per term. Spare parts that are not installed, such as a spare wheelset, are also covered up to $500 per loss and $1,000 per year.
Our policy does not piggypack on any coverage you may already have, such as homeowners policies. Filing a claim won’t impact your rates with other carriers. With home insurance premiums rising each year in the U.S., it’s wise to reserve that policy for major incidents, because no matter how valuable your bike is, it’s still a lot cheaper than a kitchen fire or a flooded basement.
We cover the insured bike at all times, anywhere in the USA and Canada, and can be extended worldwide on request. There are no exclusions on the time of day or limitations on how long it can be stored away from home. 24/7/365 means every minute of every day, no matter where or when.
In the heat of a race, the focus on speed often outweighs concerns for safety, leaving little margin for error. If you go down in a crash, this optional coverage takes care of repairs or replacement. If you use your bike in a competitive environment, this is a no-brainer because it offers protection in the highest-risk category.
Bicycle racing insurance →If your travels take you beyond the USA and Canada, for a small additional premium, this option extends the physical loss and damage protection, including loss or damage caused by an airline, to any country in the world.
International coverage →You can lend it to anyone you choose, and it will be covered. The bike and the person riding it are covered as if it were you riding it‚ this includes theft and crash damage as well as any purchased optional coverages.
We do not dictate what type or brand of lock must be used to protect your ride from theft – you are welcome to use any lock that you trust. The best security is provided by metal locks combined with a high-quality chain. Securing your ride to a solid and immovable object, such as a bike rack, with a high-quality lock will send the thief onto the one secured with a more vulnerable lock.
Why Velosurance is best for your E-bike
Not all types of insurance are created equal. Velosurance levels the playing field by offering stand-alone bicycle coverage, where claims won’t affect your homeowner's or renter’s policy premiums.
| Policy Coverage |  | Homeowner/Renters Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Insured at Full Value | Yes | Possibly |
| Crash Damage | Yes | No |
| Theft Coverage | Yes | Limited |
| Theft by Force | Yes | No |
| Theft of Accessories | Yes | Limited |
| Theft Away From Home | Yes | Possibly |
| Vehicle Contact | Yes | No |
| Personal Liability | Yes | Possibly |
| Permissive Use Policy | Yes | No |
| Replacement Rental | Yes | No |
| Event Fee Return | Yes | No |
| Cycling Apparel Coverage | Yes | No |
| Medical Payments | Yes | Possibly |
| Racing Coverage | Yes | No |
| E-bikes | Yes | No |
| Coverage in-transit | Yes | No |
| USAC, USAT and IMBA Member Discount | Yes | No |
| FREE INSTANT QUOTE |
Not all insurance policies provide the same level of protection, and many people only discover gaps in their coverage after filing a claim. We’ve done the hard work of reviewing the fine print. To see how plans compare, check out our insurance comparison.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does bike commuter insurance cover?
- The policy is all-risk, meaning anything not specifically excluded is covered: theft from your home, car, or workplace, subject to the policy's locking conditions; crash and accidental damage on your commute or anywhere else you ride; and damage or loss in transit by car, airline, or courier. Your bike is insured at stated value with no depreciation, and damaged gear and spare parts are covered up to $500 per loss, $1,000 per year. Optional coverages add personal liability, medical gap, and uninsured motorist protection, the three that matter most for riders who share roads with cars daily, and all three need electing before an accident.
- How much does bike commuter insurance cost?
- A Velosurance policy starts at $100 per year, roughly $9 a month, and the insured value of your bike drives the premium more than any other factor. Frame material, your location, how you ride, the deductible you choose, and the coverages you select set the exact number. Insuring two bikes on one policy takes 10% off the bicycle coverage premium, and three or more takes 15%.
- Is my bike covered against theft at work or on the street?
- Yes. Theft is covered at work, on the street, and anywhere else you ride, subject to the policy's locking conditions, and damage from a failed theft attempt counts too. Left unattended in public, the bike must be locked to an immovable object with an appropriate security device; the policy sets no brand or price requirement, so your usual lock works. An estimated 2 million bikes are stolen in the US each year and fewer than 5% are ever recovered, so file a police report the same day and the policy gets you pedaling again.
- Do I need liability coverage as a commuter?
- It is the optional coverage commuters need most. Daily riding among pedestrians and cars is where liability claims come from, whether a pedestrian is injured in a collision or a car is damaged. Defending even a groundless lawsuit can run several hundred dollars an hour in attorney fees, with retainers reaching $15,000, while liability coverage costs around $90 per year per insured bike and includes the cost of defending a covered lawsuit. Like every elected coverage, it has to be in place before the accident.
- What happens if I am hit by a car on my commute?
- Damage to your bike is covered by the standard policy. Your own expenses fall to two optional coverages. Medical gap reimburses the deductible, copays, and co-insurance left after your health insurance pays its share, regardless of the driver's insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage picks up losses beyond medical bills, such as lost wages, when the at-fault driver cannot pay. And if fault lands on you, optional liability coverage pays the driver's claim and the cost of defending it. All three must be elected before the accident, so add them when you buy the policy if you ride in traffic.
- Does coverage apply during my daily commute?
- Yes, every day and around the clock: the policy covers the bike 24/7/365, anywhere in the USA and Canada, and commuting to work or school is covered like any other ride. One thing to watch: coverage is suspended during commercial use, so delivery and courier gigs on the insured bike are not covered.
- Are Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes and cargo bikes covered?
- Yes. The policy covers all three e-bike classes: Class 1 e-bikes are pedal-assist only with a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph, Class 2 are throttle-assisted up to 20 mph, and Class 3 reach assisted speeds up to 28 mph. Cargo bikes, pedal or electric-assisted and capable of carrying heavy cargo and passengers, are covered as well, along with city bikes, hybrids, fixies, and folding e-bikes.
- Is my bike covered if I lend it to someone?
- Yes. Permissive use is built into the policy: you can lend your commuter bike to another rider and coverage still applies. The permission has to come from you, the policyholder, so set the ground rules yourself. One thing to watch: theft by someone you entrusted the bike to is not covered.
- Am I covered when I ride a bike share or rental bike, like Citi Bike?
- Usually not. Your policy insures the specific bike listed on your policy, not any bike you happen to ride. On a normal day, hopping on a Citi Bike or a rental is outside your coverage.
There is one meaningful exception. If your insured bike is out of commission because of a breakdown, damage, theft, repair, or servicing, and you rent or borrow a bike to fill in for it, that bike qualifies as a "temporary substitute." A temporary substitute automatically receives the broadest coverage you purchased for your own bike while it stands in.
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America's best bicycle commuter insurance
No matter where your duties take you, protect your commuter-bike and yourself from the unexpected with America's best bicycle insurance.