Our bicycle insurance is designed to cover theft at and away from home, but in order to be covered, we need you to follow our security requirements. They are nice and simple, and designed to be easy to follow while still providing the best possible security for your bikes.
It is unusual for us to decline a claim for bicycle theft, but if a customer doesn’t follow our security requirements, we regrettably have no choice. Fortunately, by reading our handy security guide below, you can make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
If you ever have any questions, our support team are happy to help. Call us Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm on 0333 003 0046, or email support@yellowjersey.co.uk.
Storing my bicycle at home
We have a list of “insured locations” in our policy wording. These are the different circumstances at your house, flat, or shared accommodation where you can store your bicycle, and where we will provide cover. Each of these locations has its own set of security requirements which you must follow.
a. Within your home or temporary holiday accommodation
The most straightforward option. If your bicycle is stored inside your house, the doors are locked and windows closed, the bicycle is covered. The doors need to be locked with a deadbolt, not just a “night latch”.
b. A locked domestic garage, locked outbuilding or locked shed within your home’s boundaries or a temporary holiday accommodation accessed only by you, your family, or persons residing with you.
The most common option. A private garage or shed on your property which only you and your family have access to. This wouldn’t include a communal bike store in a block of flats (we’ll come to that in a minute).
If the door to your garage or metal shed is secured with either a deadbolt or a CEN grade 3 closed shackle padlock, your bicycles are covered while inside. A metal shed would include cycle storage units such as an Asguard shed.
Electric or ‘up and over’ garage doors: we get lots of questions about electric or ‘up and over’ garage doors. They’re very convenient but also very straightforward to gain access to by forced entry. We’ve tried to standardise and simplify our approach to these types of doors.
Any electric or ‘up and over’ garage door must be approved by ‘Secured by Design’, the official police security initiative. There cannot be an external override capable of opening the door or shutters either.
If the locks on the door don’t meet this requirement, then you must either use a door defender or the bicycle would also need to be locked through the frame to an immovable object with an approved bicycle lock. Bicycles worth more than £1,500 should be secured with a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated bicycle lock. Bicycles worth less than £,1500 can be locked with a Sold Secure Silver rated bicycle lock. For more information on bicycle locks, have a look at the “securing my bicycle away from home” section below. Remember that even with these additional measure, any external security must also be in operation.
A wooden shed or outbuilding: If you are storing a bicycle in a wooden shed or outbuilding and it is worth £1,500 or more, then it needs to locked through the frame to an immovable object by an approved bicycle lock.
Garage and shed doors and locks must not have any exposed screws which a thief can simply undo.
A shed in the front garden of your property or outside the boundary of your property would not meet our requirements, and your bicycles would not be covered.
c. A self-contained, lockable room accessed only by you within a hall of residence, boarding school, office or house of multiple occupancies (HMO).
Very similar to location a, this allows you to store your bicycle in your locked bedroom if you live in a shared house or university accommodation, or a locked office which only you have access to. If you are leaving your bike in an office used by others, the bicycle must be locked to an immoveable object using an approved lock.
d. i) a privately-accessed pedal cycle storage unit within the immediate boundaries of your home, ii) hall of residence boarding school or house of multiple occupancies (HMO), iii) hallway in a block of flats with lockable access restricted to residents, iv) a balcony with lockable entry accessed only by you on the second floor or above.
Finally, this provides cover for bicycles stored in communal areas or locked storage units of flats and shared homes.
Access to the bicycle must be limited to residents of the building. A locked and self-contained cycle storage unit within the boundaries of the block, that is restricted (eg. with a fob or pin code) to those who store their bikes in there would meet this requirement. A communal hallway behind a locked door, where the bike is not visible from the street would also meet this requirement. An open shed, shelter or Sheffield stand in the car park that any resident, delivery driver or member of the public can access, would not meet this requirement.
In any of these locations, your bike must be locked through the frame to an immovable object with an approved lock.
Our full security requirements are in your policy wording, available to read online. If you have any questions or concerns, our support team are ready to help on 0333 003 0046 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or at support@yellowjersey.co.uk.
Securing my bicycle away from home
Our policy also covers your bicycle for theft while you are out and about. When leaving your bicycle unattended away from home, it must be locked through the frame to an immovable object with an approved lock, or inside a vehicle with all security devices in operation.
What is an approved lock?
Pretty much every lock sold in the UK has a “Sold Secure Rating”. Sold Secure are part of the Master Locksmiths Association, and they rate locks based on how easy they are to bypass.
If you are using a bicycle lock to secure your bike, it must be Sold Secure rated. Bicycles worth £1500 or more need to be secured with a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated bicycle lock. Bikes worth less than £1500 can be secured with a Sold Secure Silver rated bicycle lock.
You will need to provide proof of ownership for your lock when making a claim so that we can verify it’s Sold Secure rating. This could be a receipt, or time-stamped photographs of the lock. If you do not have a receipt, make sure you take a photograph now.
Accessory cables provided with some D-locks are not Sold Secure rated. While the D-lock itself may have a rating, the cable does not, and the cable should not be used to secure the bicycle.
How should I lock my bike up?
Your bicycle should be locked through the frame to the immovable object with your approved lock. Make sure you do not lock the bike through a wheel, or any other part which can easily be removed. If a thief is able to steal your bicycle without the need to cut your lock, then the bicycle would not be covered.
How long can I leave my bicycle locked up away from home?
There is a limit on how long you can leave your bicycle locked up or in a locked vehicle. On an Essentials or Performance policy, you can leave your bicycle for up to 12 hours. On an Ultimate policy, you can leave your bicycle for up to 18 hours.
After this time limit is up, your bicycle will no longer be covered by the policy. The longer a bicycle is left unattended, the greater risk there is of a theft. This is particularly true if a thief can identify a target during the day, and return in the evening with additional tools.
After the 12 or 18 hours have elapsed, you must remove the bicycle from the area, either taking it home or onwards to your next destination. You cannot “reset” this time limit simply by interacting with the bicycle.
Please note that you are not allowed on any policy to leave your bike locked up outside, or within walking distance your home for more than 1 hour. This does not mean that you can’t lock up your bike on the way home outside the supermarket, pub or a friends’ house, but it is designed to prevent people locking bikes up outside or near their home all the time as this presents a much higher risk of theft.
Our full security requirements are available in your policy wording, available to read online. If you have any questions or concerns, our support team are ready to help on 0333 003 0046 Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, or at support@yellowjersey.co.uk.