Why should I join British Cycling?
Is a common question we get asked.
In this article we look at the benefits of becoming a British Cycling member. We summarise what insurance is and why it’s useful to have it as a cyclist, as well as highlight the different levels of membership and the cost.
LIOS Bikes is a British Cycling affiliated club, but we gain absolutely nothing from a business perspective by you joining British Cycling as a member. We’ve put this together because we believe there are individual and group benefits to joining, so we wanted to highlight them.
Whether we are riding in a group or solo, socially or racing, commuting or exploring on holiday, none of us want to spend the entire time focused on the risks involved. With insurance as a given, those concerns can be allayed and we can ride with the peace of mind it brings, knowing we are protecting ourselves and others in case the worst should happen.
Last week, British Cycling updated their Membership Packages, which include third-party liability insurance and legal cover, and this seems as good a time as any to delve into all those questions – what is insurance for, who and what does it cover, and why do we need it?
Insurance
So, what is ‘third-party’ insurance?
If, for example, you were to crash while riding and accidentally injure a pedestrian or cause damage to a parked car, third-party liability insurance would cover you for any claims against you arising from that. Without it, you would be left to settle any claims out of your own pocket. In this situation, you are the first party, your insurer is the second party and the person making a claim against you is the third party.
What if you are involved in an accident that isn’t your fault? With the best will in the world, accidents can happen. A dog on a cycle path or a driver’s split-second lapse of attention is all it takes. Your third-party insurance will not cover this eventuality, but British Cycling membership does include legal support to help you recover costs you incur as a result of incidents for which you were not responsible.
Legal Cover
From British Cycling:
“British Cycling’s lawyers are recognised leading experts in personal injury litigation and in representing cyclists. Whether you have suffered an injury or simply damage to your bicycle, you will receive a personal, first-class legal service to recover any compensation to which you may be entitled.
You will keep all of your compensation, as long as the incident occurred within the UK.
You will not be asked to pay for an insurance policy to indemnify you against a defendant’s legal costs in the event of an unsuccessful claim.
You will not be asked to pay for an insurance policy to cover legal disbursements.
You will not be asked to personally fund any legal disbursements.”
For more info on the legal support that British Cycling membership gives you, click on the button below.
British Cycling Membership Levels
The table below illustrates the different membership levels and their cost.
As a British Cycling affiliated club, LIOS has public liability insurance cover. This covers us as a club, but it does not, however, cover you personally. As individual riders, we all have a responsibility to ourselves and others whilst out on the road, trails, track or between the tapes.
Unlike many British Cycling affiliated clubs, we do not charge fees to be a member. We feel that by joining British Cycling as a member and selecting LIOS Bikes as your affiliated club, you’re getting legal cover when riding (on your own or during a LIOS ride out).
With the restructure of its membership packages this week, British Cycling now offers a 40% DISCOUNT for all affiliated club members for their first year of British Cycling membership, or free for under 16s. If you would like to take advantage of this discount through us, you will need to nominate LIOS Bikes as your affiliated club. British Cycling members also receive a raft of other benefits, including discounts on bike and travel insurance, which are detailed on their website - link in the button below.
LIOS does not benefit from you becoming a British Cycling or LIOS Bikes affiliated member, but if you ride for any purpose, we would actively encourage you to ensure that you are covered. At which point you can head out and enjoy your race, social ride, training, commute or holiday adventures.
Click on the button below to become a British Cycling member.
Once you’re a British Cycling member, you just need to nominate LIOS Bikes as your affiliated club.
If you’re already a member of British Cycling, click on the button below to take you to the LIOS Bikes page, then click on the red button that says ‘I AM A MEMBER OF THIS CLUB’.
You only need to click on the red button to join. As there is no joining fee to join our club, you do not need to click on the ‘JOIN OUR CLUB’ tab.
Screenshot below of what the page looks like.
