Insurance is on my mind. Most companies don’t insure bicycles and even if they do, most travel insurance comes with a limit set at 30 days maximum per trip. I need something more specialised for my two-month crossing of the continent with Reggie Ridgeback. And it’s here that @Bris2Bris (Ed) has come to my rescue (hopefully). He’s already sorted himself out with insurance for his trip from Bristol to Brisbane (a bit longer than mine…) and has posted the following on his website, Bristol2Brisbane:

“This has been a tricky one, I will start with the easy bit, Individual Insurance, so this cover my self for cycling in any country for any time, it also covers my gear up to about £500, medical cover and all that. I have used DogTag insurance, they do this stuff on a daily basis, so call them up tell them what you’re doing and they will give you a price so that your covered. Very easy to talk to, all the office cycles and they simply understand what you need, www.dogtag.co.uk

Moving on to the bike insurance. This is a tricky one!!! so you want to take a lock but if your bike is over a certain value 90% of the insurance companies want you to have an approved lock usually through the Sold Secure rating. This means you then have to find a lock that is not the weight of small horse, but rater……….next you want to be covered out or Europe………..thirdly for more than 30 days. I tried 6 of the major companies and no joy at all. 

Then I stumbled across Harrison Beaumont Insurance…………..brilliant, called them up cover all of the bike for 12 months any country with any lock…..perfect. Give Matt and call and he will sort you out www.hbinsurance.co.uk.”