travel insurance for downhill mountain biking

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Mountain biking travel insurance

Mountain biking can be a very fun activity, especially when you’re on holiday, but it’s important to make sure that you’re adequately covered. Whether you’re new to mountain biking or a seasoned participant, you can be rest assured knowing that your mountain biking travel insurance won’t be something to worry about.

Our travel insurance policies all come with automatic cover for  over 50 sports and activities  including insurance for surfing,  jet skiing  and even basic  scuba diving ! Mountain biking is included in all our policies free of charge, but it’s important to note that if you’re going to be downhill racing or riding over extreme ground conditions, you’ll need to purchase additional cover for  adventure and extreme sports .

As always terms and conditions apply, so check the  policy wording  for full details of these and the other activities we cover.

Why do you need travel insurance for mountain biking?

While incredibly fun, mountain biking can also be a risky activity. Having faulty brakes, or just being unlucky and having your wheels give way, could lead to an injury and you may need medical attention while abroad. It’s important to think about having a travel insurance policy which will cover you in the event of an accident or injury. We’ll have you covered!

What is included with mountain biking insurance?

As mountain biking falls under all our policies as one of  50 amazing adventure sports and activities , you’ll be able to ride happy knowing that you’re covered for: 

• Medical expenses and hospital benefit
• Personal accident and liability
• Cancelling and cutting short your holiday
• Abandoning your trip
• Delayed departure
• Accommodation cover
• Personal belongings and baggage
• Personal money, passport and travel documents
• Legal expenses

Please note that while mountain biking can be covered by our policies, you won’t be covered if this is the main purpose of your trip.

Will my mountain bike be insured?

While mountain biking is automatically covered under all our policies, equipment can be expensive, so if you’re travelling with yours it’s important that it’s fully insured.  All our policies include cover for valuables, including sports equipment, so make sure you choose the right level of cover for your needs. If your mountain bike means a lot to you, you can even add extended valuables cover to your policy, which covers up to £1,000 per item – see our  policy wordings  for more details.

Mountain biking safety tips

Don’t let an accident on the first day ruin the whole week; remember a few simple tips and ensure a great time mountain biking.

• Always make sure equipment is fully functional
• Wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment
• Choose the right travel insurance policy for you,  get a quote online  or read our  policy documents  for more information on our travel insurance for mountain biking.

  Please note: ‘Mountain biking travel insurance’ is a general term for cover included within our standard travel insurance. We don’t offer specialist insurance cover for this specific activity.

• Unlimited emergency medical expenses available on Black level policies.
• InsureandGo’s Gold achieved a Which? Best Buy.

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Mountain Biking Travel Insurance

£10m emergency medical expenses - search and rescue included and £2m personal liability standard on ALL policies.

A GUIDE TO OBTAINING A QUOTE and PRE QUOTE INFORMATION -  questions answered

please ensure you select the correct activity level  for the sports you are insuring and that you insure the full duration of your trip from the UK including departure and return dates on your Snowcard policy - for downhill skiing you will need at least Adventure Plus or Max Adventure for snowboarding

If you have any questions or need guidance on selecting your policy - email [email protected]

N.B. Insurance policies available from this website can only be used by UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man residents.

• Trip details
• Tailor your policy
• Traveller details
• Health declaration
• Personal details
• Summary & payment

Levels of cover

Please start typing your activity in the box below. You are covered for all activities in the level you select and those in lower levels. If you are taking part in multiple activities, make sure you select the highest level that will cover all of your activities.

What is your most extreme activity?

Please check our full activity levels information table - if you cant find a match for your activity - let us know so we can add it.

IMPORTANT - for downhill skiing , you will need at least the Adventure Plus level of cover, do not select Adventure Basic for on and off piste skiing or snowboarding.

If you are taking part in an activity that might be considered out of the ordinary or you are travelling to unusual or remote destinations , please refer full details before proceeding and we will confirm if your trip can be covered.

Annual multi-trip insurance

Cancellation cover (if selected) starts when you book each trip or on the start date entered here and shown on your Insurance Schedule, if this is later. Cover under all other sections of the policy begins when you leave home to go on a trip and ends when you return home from that trip.  The start and finish dates of the trip must fall within the 12 month period of insurance. For trips booked during the 12 month period and that start after the end of the 12 month period, we will provide cancellation cover until the policy ends. Please note that annual multi-trip policies can not be purchased more than 2 months in advance of the policy start date and must be purchased in the UK before departure of your first trip. Cancellation cover commences from the policy start date you specify here.

Single trip limits

Winter sports limits on annual multi-trip policies

Single trip policies

You must insure the full duration of your trip and purchase your insurance before departing from the UK. If you have an annual policy with another insurer and you require higher risk cover with Snowcard for a short duration only, we CANNOT help topping up another insurers policy. You must insure your full trip duration with Snowcard for your policy to be valid.

If you select cancellation cover, it takes effect from the date of policy purchase until your departure date. The insurance for personal belongings, equipment and techno pack (if shown on your Insurance Schedule) is only valid if you have insured the whole duration of each individual trip and starts when you depart from the UK. If you have a Snowcard annual multi trip policy at a lower level of cover, you can purchase single trip top up cover  (medical and emergency expenses only) at a higher level for short durations.

The age band selected must be that of the person who is the lead insured name or the oldest person in the family or group. If a group member is older than 56+, it will be cheaper for the group if the older traveller is insured seperately. For persons aged over 75 contact  https://www.biba.org.uk  for advice.

For annual multi trip policies, use the age band applicable on the policy start date. For single trip policies, use the age band applicable on the date of departure.

Please note a family is 1 or 2 adults and up to 4 children up to the age of 18 – a couple is 2 persons married or living together as married – a group is 2 or more persons travelling together on the same holiday. 

To insure a minor <18 travelling alone, the parent must register their details but insert the name and age of the child when prompted to enter the name of the person to be insured.

Mountain Bike Travel Insurance

Snowcard are pleased to offer mountain bike travel insurance, discover our mountain bike holiday insurance  - perfect for your exhilarating mountain biking adventures!

Mountain biking has seen the biggest growth in mountain sports in recent years and increasingly more Snowcard clients each year head to the Alps and further afield with their mountain bikes after they have packed away their skis and boards for the summer months. 

Whether you are a trail rider or a downhill adrenalin junkie, in the event of an accident Snowcard has you covered. We provide specialist downhill mountain bike travel insurance tried and tested over many years. Whilst ordinary travel polices might cover cycling, most don’t cover specialist mountain bike activities.

Snowcard has been providing specialist adventure activity holiday insurance since 1990 and it’s safe to say that we have the experience and truly understand our customer’s requirements when it comes to mountain bike insurance. 

Before you set off on your mountain biking holiday adventure please be sure to check our full range of activities covered for more information as we offer the following 5 cover options;

• Adventure basic
• Adventure plus
• Max adventure
• Extreme adventure
• Pro adventure

Each level will cover progressively higher risk mountain biking and holiday sports activities. For instance, if you are taking part in amateur competitive events, downhill, or dirt jumping, then you would need to select either extreme or pro adventure cover. Use the 'find my level of cover' tool above to select the correct policy option.

Mountain Bike Holiday Insurance Why Do I Need It?

As we all know mountain biking is a high-speed high-adrenaline sport over rugged and rough off-road terrains and there are many associated risks of injury and accidents. Unfortunately, collision and crashes can happen mountain biking and we see more claims from mountain biking than any other sport. These might include shoulder and arm injuries, back and head injuries and pretty much every other part of the body! With typical claims exceeding £1500 travel insurance is vital but our mountain bike travel insurance also covers search and rescue and repatriation which cheaper or general policies will not include. 

With mountain biking travel insurance from Snowcard, you can enjoy your adventure with peace of mind and security that the UK’s longest established specialist provider of mountain bike holiday insurance insures you.

Snowcard policies are completely flexible and we provide you with the freedom to tailor your policy and select your own sums insured including your bike. But more importantly, all Snowcard policies come with a 24/7 specialist worldwide emergency service. Together we provide all of our customers with a personalised and tailored service to ensure that we have the right mountain bike holiday insurance for you.

We also provide cover for a range of other cycling activities such as cycle touring, for more information visit our cycling travel insurance page.

Mountain Biking Top Worldwide Destinations

If you're new to mountain biking or maybe just looking for some inspiration for your next adventure, then be sure to have a look at 5 of the most incredible places to ride according to Redbull.

From the giddy high of Saint-Luc, Switzerland, through to the rocky peaks and glaciers of the Tarentaise valley in France, your next mountain biking adventure awaits!

Finally, remember your mountain bike holiday insurance, and insure your adventure with Snowcard.  At Snowcard we also offer downhill mountain bike insurance and also downhill mountain bike travel insurance, explore our services today .

If you would like to find out further information about our mountain bike holiday insurance then please get in touch with Snowcard by using our contact form or by email . We would be more than happy to answer any queries or questions you may have about our mountain bike travel insurance. 

Enjoy Your Adventure!

What mountain bike insurance do i need.

Snowcard Insurance have specialist mountain bike travel insurance for a wide range of mountain biker needs.

We offer specialist emergency and rescue expenses cover for the following MTB activities:

Mountain biking – cross country and trail riding.

Mountain biking – all mountain, downhill, enduro, freeride and dirt jumping., mountain biking on high altitude trails (e.g. himalayan or alpine destinations over 3000m)., why use a specialist mountain bike travel insurance provider.

There are considerable high risks with mountain biking including collisions, crashes and accidents. Injuries to the head and upper limbs are a common occurrence but mountain bikers are susceptible to potentially expensive and life changing injuries.

A specialist travel insurance provider will cover you for injuries you sustain whilst mountain biking and importantly include search and rescue as well as repatriation. A standard travel policy will not cover you for most higher risk situations that will occur when you are mountain biking and it is unlikely the claims handlers will have the necessary expertise to deal with more complex situations in mountain resorts. 

A specialist Snowcard policy will offer you the insurance protection you need.  Snowcard cover has been tried and tested for 30 years with a claims service geared up to respond in a crisis including 24 hour assistance from International Medical Rescue.

Travel Insurance Mountain Biking What’s Covered?

see all activities covered

Mountain Bike Travel Insurance

Mountain biking travel insurance allows you to protect yourself during sports activities. Mountain biking is not only extreme, but also a great way to spend time in nature during your holiday. However, mountain bike racing involves high-speed descents and performing various tricks, making it potentially dangerous and requiring good protection. One of the best ways to ensure your safety is through downhill mountain biking travel insurance.

Tips for Athletes

Mountain biking is becoming increasingly popular as an active recreational activity. It is an exciting pursuit that requires good physical fitness, concentration, and attentiveness. To avoid injuries and enjoy bike racing, consider the following important tips:

• Before heading to the mountains, prepare and check your equipment. Make sure your bike is in good condition and suitable for your level of preparedness. Purchase the necessary gear, such as a helmet, protective goggles, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, and other accessories to help prevent injuries.
• Mastering mountain biking techniques is also crucial. Learn basic skills such as fast and slow braking, jumps, and turns. Learn to distribute your weight correctly on the bike and assume the proper position during ascents and downhill.
• Research and plan your route in advance. Consider your level of preparedness and the terrain conditions when planning your itinerary. If you’re a beginner, avoid dangerous routes, even if they seem very appealing.
• Do not forget about the safety of others on the trail. Yield to pedestrians and cyclists, avoid excessive speeds, and refrain from risky maneuvers on crowded routes.

Insurance Features

Tourist insurance for mountain biking provides protection against unexpected expenses related to hospitalization and medical treatment. There are also additional insurance programs available. For example, the best tourist insurance that includes mountain biking coverage offers coverage for accidents, hospital evacuation if necessary, and assistance in case of gear loss or theft.

For more advanced mountain biking, athletes can top up their existing insurance coverage and include desired services.

Before purchasing worldwide travel insurance for mountain biking, make sure it meets the individual needs and budget of the traveler. For example, a mountain biking trip to the Alps will cost more than a trip through regular terrain.

The most popular places for cycling sports are the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and other European countries. They offer optimal conditions for bike travel. Let’s consider the features of mountain bike travel in different regions:

The best travel insurance for mountain biking can be obtained in various options. For example, annual travel insurance allows you to travel at any time of the year and for any distance. It can be for a single trip abroad or a family vacation. Short-term policies cover a specific period (usually one trip or one month).

Family travel insurance for mountain biking offers individual protection for each family member and provides significant savings. The insurance company offers online comparison of travel insurance policies, allowing customers to choose the optimal option for affordable insurance and read reviews from other people.

Therefore, travel insurance with mountain bike cover helps athletes feel more protected during extreme downhill or mountain races.

The price of travel insurance for mountain biking can vary depending on several factors, including the destination, trip duration, athlete’s age, health condition, etc. It is recommended to compare available insurance offers and choose a suitable option for your individual needs.

Insurance typically includes coverage for medical expenses in case of injury, loss or damage to the bike, as well as evacuation of the injured party.

Standard travel insurance policies usually do not include such equipment in the coverage list. Therefore, if you plan to use a mountain bike during your trip, be sure to specify it when applying for mountain bike travel insurance.

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Mountain Biking: Your Top 4 Travel Insurance FAQs Answered

Looking to hit the trails this summer season? Travel insurance can not only cover you as the rider, but in some cases, the bike you ride—even for downhill mountain biking! Below, we answer the most frequently asked questions we’ve received from Canadian mountain biking enthusiasts.

Do I need travel insurance if I’m going mountain biking in another province?

While your provincial healthcare plan will cover medical emergencies within Canada, it won’t cover everything . If you do have an accident and need an air and/or ground ambulance, essential medical supplies like a wheelchair or crutches, and more, you’ll want to consider Emergency Medical Insurance to cover these expenses. Otherwise, an air evacuation alone can leave you thousands of dollars out-of-pocket without travel protection.

What kind of travel insurance do I need?

TuGo’s Traveller policy defines downhill mountain biking as: “Biking down mountain trails or rough mountain terrain (whether as part of a race or not) and often features jumps, drops, rock gardens or other obstacles. It often requires the use of mechanical lifts or elevators”.

If this is how you like to ride, here’s what you need to know to ensure you have the right travel insurance coverage:

• Comprehensive Emergency Medical Insurance – Emergency Medical will cover you from hospital services (when travelling outside of Canada) to ambulance services to emergency dental care.
• Sports & Activities Coverage – For downhill mountain biking, you’ll need to add Sports & Activities Coverage to your Emergency Medical policy.
• Consider adding on Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption if you’ve reserved flights, tours, or accommodations in advance. Plus, if your travelling companion is injured on the trip, you’ll be covered by Trip Interruption if you have to cut your trip short or return home early (that is, if their claim meets the policy’s terms and conditions).

What about bike competitions?

If you purchase Sports & Activities Coverage with Emergency Medical Insurance, you’ll be covered, as per the definition of downhill mountain biking, stated above.

What about bike theft?

Baggage Insurance covers lost, damaged or stolen bikes, up to 25% of your sum insured amount, only if checked as baggage with a common carrier, defined as: “A boat, cruise ship, airplane, bus, taxi, train or other similar vehicle that is licensed, intended and used primarily to transport passengers for hire”. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, if something happens to your bike, you’d claim that under homeowner’s or renters’ insurance.

Note : If you’re a professional mountain biker, professional/occupational equipment is excluded under Baggage, so your mountain bike wouldn’t be covered—even when checked in as baggage.

If you have any other questions about mountain biking and travel insurance, leave a comment below!

Safe travels, Melissa

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Best mountain bike insurance: keep yourself and your steed safe and covered

Always be prepared, with the best insurance policies for your mountain bike

Best mountain bike insurance: US

Best mountain bike insurance: uk.

Most mountain bikers just cover their bikes under their home insurance policy. That’s a bit like wearing half a bike helmet. It might be fine, but it probaby won’t be. To prevent your pride and joy from becoming nothing more than a distant memory, taking out a policy with one of the best mountain bike insurance providers is a seriously worthwhile investment. This is especially true if you travel with your best mountain bike and race throughout the season.

Dedicated bike insurers — and a handful of honorable generalists — not only cover your bikes to rather more realistic levels of value, they also include more real-world coverage, like cover away from your home, on your roof rack, or when mountain bike racing , and often include nice touches like emergency pickup if you get stranded miles from home with a bike failure.

This article looks at some of the best mountain bike insurance you can get, to cover both your bike(s) and yourself. For each insurer, we separate out the package that’d be best for general mountain biking, and what you’d need to add on for travel or racing.

The devil really is in the details when it comes to insurance. Most of the companies we’ve listed here are highly rated for customer service and staffed by bike experts, but even the loveliest claims handler won’t be able to pay out if you haven’t met the terms of your policy. We list out things to check for below, including the grade of best MTB bike locks you need, where you can store your bike overnight, and whether it needs to be locked when you store it inside.

Policies and underwriters do change — as former cyclists' favorite PedalCover has done —  so be sure to check for things that are important to you, before you buy. All the ones we’ve listed are specialists, though we’re currently hearing good things about Barclays and Halifax in the UK as well, so do phone around. 

High prices don’t always correlate with good service, though decent comprehensive cover rarely comes cheap. Often you can expect to pay five to ten percent of the value of your main bike, or £100-300 for a mid-range MTB.

What to look for when it comes to mountain bike insurance

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• Does the insurer pay for a new replacement, or your bike’s secondhand value? All the insurers we’ve listed below pay new value, though some have a cap on bike age.
• Is compensation in cash or via ‘preferred retailers’?
• Keep your receipts for everything, including your bike locks, upgrades, etc., and keep your replacement valuations up to date
• Where can you store your bike overnight? Is your shed excluded? Do you need to lock it within your garage?
• What kind of lock do you need? Most insurers specify bronze, silver or gold certified locks depending on the value of your bike 
• What’s limited? E.g. must a recovery service be within 30 miles, and limited to three times a year?
• What’s excluded? E.g. e-bikes may be specifically excluded. 
• Even if terms like ‘racing cover’ seem obvious, check what the insurer actually means. For some it means you’re covered for damage, injury and liability at races; for others like Cycleguard it also extends to recovering costs if you’re injured and can’t go. 

All of the following providers tend to get good ratings from cyclists.

Velosurance

Specifications, reasons to buy.

Insurance in the US is complicated and there are a lot of different ways you might find some form of coverage. What is hardest to find is coverage for a bike that makes sense to a cyclist. That's where Velosurance comes in. They simply understand what a bike might mean in a way that many US insurance options don't.

Best package for general mountain biking 

Velosurance is all about covering your bike in the way that people use bikes. You set the value of the bike, including upgrades, as part of the policy and once it's agreed to that is what's available for payout. You'll only need to add to the standard policy if you need coverage beyond covering the bike. 

Best package for traveling and racing

"Racing, even as a pro, is accepted as normal use of your bicycle and is covered" without needing to make any special changes to the policy. That coverage only applies in the US and Canada though. It does cover transportation by land and air but once you head out of those two countries, you'd need to purchase the Worldwide Physical Damage Coverage Extension.

Sundays is a cycle insurance specialist that has two package options — one for cyclists and one for their bikes — you can combine them as you wish. It focuses on fast resolution of claims, and one nice bonus is that it doesn’t increase your premium when you claim. It uses the same underwriter as Wiggle, so you’ll spot some similarities (e.g. the not-enormous injury cover) but some differences (e.g. Wiggle includes taxi recovery).

Sundays’ core package covers mountain biking and e-bikes, and includes familiar and useful elements such as kit and wheelsets, and accidental damage on roof racks.

You can add optional travel cover and optional racing cover to your policy, and if you’re racing, you probably want to have both ‘cyclist’ and ‘bicycle’ cover (note that racing cover excludes riding in a peloton).

Other types of insurance 

USA Cycling membership doesn't cover your bike but it does help fill in health insurance coverage gaps during events. It's there as "supplemental accident medical coverage" and "will pay 70% of the Reasonable and Customary remaining expenses ABOVE the deductible, up to a limit of $25,000." 

Yellow Jersey

As the official supplier to the British Triathlon Federation, Ride London, and Cycling UK, Yellow Jersey is very much angled to what serious cyclists need. At renewal, it gives you a 25 percent discount, even if you’ve claimed before, and a single policy can be used for up to £50,000 bike value. Its liability insurance even covers you on hire bikes.

Essentials covers theft, personal injury, accidental damage and public liability. It also includes family cover and some multi-bike discount, but no travel cover or event cover.

Ultimate, which includes racing worldwide travel, crash damage, damage to bike boxes and theft from transition areas. It also includes a 60 percent multi-bike discount and taxis home (in the UK) if you have bike trouble 

British Cycling’s insurer of choice, Bikmo prides itself on being run by cyclists.

If you already have medical and personal accident cover, the basic ‘Go’ cover works well, with year-round worldwide cover, theft and accidental damage, bike box cover, 24/7 cycle hangar parking, excess-free replacement via local retailers, and 50 percent multi-bike discount. It even includes race fee cover. If you need the medical cover and personal liability, upgrade to the mid-level Plus cover.

The Race package adds road, crit and circuit racing, but if you’re only racing off-road, then the Plus cover would be all you need, especially as it includes travel.

Velosure is a warmly rated cycle specialist that gives flexibility to customize your own package, and a detailed and transparent website.

Velosure’s core bike package covers a lot of the things that are added extras on other policies, including racing, European cover, and replacement cycle hire. 24/7 cycle rescue, triage, physio, and initial legal advice add to the list

Racing and European cover is covered on the core package; worldwide cover is an optional extra. (Racing, travel, and other features are optional extras on e-bike cover)

Pedalsure is super-flexible on the amount of cover you can choose, so it's worth a look if you are after higher than normal coverage, for instance. You get a free Hiplok D-lock with higher-value policies and a maximum individual bike cover of £15,000.

Your insurance package is tailored as you submit it, so as you fill in your online form it asks how much cover you want for accessories (£250-£1,000), whether you’ll be racing, and so on.

You can also choose from three optional levels of personal injury cover (up to £1,000 physio cover, £1,250 dental cover and £50,000 personal accident cover and three levels of loss of earnings cover (£750 a week costs about £85 a year).

If you’re racing you’d click ‘hell yeah’ on the racing question (really), and if you need cover abroad, you’d pick 'racing overseas' as an optional extra

Cycleguard is a long-established and straightforward bike insurance specialist.

Cycleguard’s core package is a solid one, with accessories covered up to £3,500 and injury cover extending to £25,000. Note that legal cover and personal injury cover are optional extras, and this is clear when you fill in the form for a quote. Be sure to check which elements are optional extras when you speak to them, though.

The basic package includes 30 days’ cover in the EU; you can add global cover as an extra. For racing, add the Race and Compete cover option, which lets you recoup race fees, travel, and accommodation if you are injured and can’t make the start line, and things lost in the transition area. 

Wiggle, the hassle-free sports retail behemoth, now provides bike insurance. As well as bike cover, its policies include unlimited accessories and kit insurance – just list what you have. It will also cover bikes stored in your car, as well as those secured to the roof rack.

Essential includes (limited) emergency medical treatment cover, theft, and accident damage.

Elite adds global travel cover, races and sportives, and bonuses such as taxi fare reimbursement and replacement cycle hire.

Cycling UK membership for £48 a year gives you third-party liability insurance and expert cycling legal assistance, and discounts on bike insurance with Yellow Jersey and Pedal Cover. 

British Cycling offers similar liability insurance, legal support, and insurance discounts, plus the option of liability insurance and legal support for racers. 

Sportscover Direct is worth considering as an addition if your current bike insurance meets most of your needs but excludes something specific, like overseas competitions, or jumps. Fun fact: it can also cover you for ‘medieval combat with steel weapons’ if you need them to. Bicycle jousting, anyone? 

Sean has old school cycle touring in his blood, with a coast to coast USA ride and a number of month-long European tours in his very relaxed palmares. Also an enthusiastic midpack club cyclocross and XC racer, he loves his role as a junior cycle coach on the Kent/Sussex borders, and likes to squeeze in a one-day unsupported 100-miler on the South Downs Way at least once a year. Triathlon and adventure racing fit into his meandering cycling past, as does clattering around the Peak District on a rigid Stumpjumper back in the day.

Height: 173cm

Weight: 65kg

Rides: Specialized Chisel Comp; Canyon Inflite CF SLX; Canyon Aeroad; Roberts custom road bike

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Are you covered? | 5 things to consider when shopping for mountain bike insurance

Unfortunately, things happen out mountain biking. As I’m typing this, my hand is sore because a bit of leaf litter on the crux of a feature I’ve ridden millions of times sent me careening off trail and over the handlebars.

While I came up laughing this time, it could have been a whole lot worse for my body and bike. Had that happened, there would have been several phone calls and emails exchanged with insurance agents to try and recoup some costs.

But it’s not just on the trail; we’ve had bike bags appear from the oversized luggage doors with giant holes in them, seen them bouncing down the highway after falling off of car racks, and we also know a few folks whose packed up bike boxes have disappeared from European train stations.

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Insurance is one of those things you lament when the policy renewal hits your inbox but are thankful for when you need it. That is until you try to claim something that is explicitly excluded because you missed one line in Appendix S in the Product Disclosure Statement.

Insuring your mountain bike can be tricky at the best of times, and even with bike-specific policies, figuring out what is actually covered can feel like you need to have legal counsel reading over your shoulder. When you throw travel and racing into the mix, the complexity, exclusions and excesses increase tenfold.

A lot of folks have their mountain bike insured as removable items on the home and contents insurance; there’s also bike-specific coverage out there. BUT — and this is a big one — even when you think you’re covered sometimes, buried deep inside the appendices and add-on policy wording sometimes has a caveat that allows the provider to deny your claim and hang you out to dry.

Everyone’s situation is different, and we can’t provide advice or point you towards a specific policy or provider that will have you completely sorted. However, having navigated this ourselves on a few occasions, here are a few things to keep an eye out for when it’s time to renew your insurance.

Is mountain biking covered?

The key, a-number-one, most vital thing to take into account is to ensure that mountain biking is actually covered under your chosen insurance policy.

While some home and contents insurance will cover your mountain bike away from the home, it’s extremely common for loss or damage while it’s being ridden or in use not to be covered. Others will offer coverage while in use but have exclusions for racing.

Even if your bike is covered by a home or contents insurance policy, sometimes they will only pay out as little as $500 or $1,000 AUD for a bike, unless you specify it as a removable item in the policy and attach a dollar value.

Worse, some bicycle and cycle cover add-ons have wording that specifically excludes loss or damage from, “any off-road riding on loose or severe terrain or surfaces,” “any riding over jumps, ramps or other obstacles,” or “performing tricks or stunts.”

If you are looking into bike-specific insurance, sometimes there is wording that applies additional excesses or exclusions for carbon fibre, batteries, upgraded parts or accessories like your Garmin or Wahoo computer — those things ain’t cheap, and they are often the first thing to disappear in a crash.

When it comes to travel insurance, there may be similar exclusions for extreme sports, an umbrella which mountain biking usually falls under in the eyes of an insurance company. Sometimes, there is an extra or add-on that will increase the premium or excess by a bit for coverage while riding.

When in doubt, never make assumptions, ask questions and be sure things are explained completely and in plain English.

Is your location covered, and what about in transit and travelling?

Usually a policy will lay out pretty clearly the boundaries of its coverage. Obviously for policies purchased in Australia, you are covered for….well… Australia. Some will even cover New Zealand and transit across the Tasman Sea. A number of products we’ve come across have carve-outs for riding in North America, so if you break yourself or your bike at Whistler or checking out trails in Marin County, you could be SOL. When in doubt, contact your insurance provider, and it never hurts to get things in writing, either.

Keep an eye out for lines about loss or damage in transit. Some policies won’t cover your ride if it’s lost or damaged in transit through the post, commercial courier, or other similar commercial service. Others will specify that coverage only extends to a bike in transit while it’s contained inside a vehicle or aeroplane, meaning it’s the Wild West attached to roof racks or on a shuttle trailer.

When it comes to bike-specific insurance, your bike needs to be locked in a secure space and/or with an approved lock. If your garage does not lock — like most that use an electric opener — it often isn’t considered secure in the eyes of many insurance companies, and so you may need to have your bike locked — with an approved lock — inside your garage to abide by the terms of the policy.

Is mountain bike racing covered?

When you sign up for a race in Australia, you’ll need an AusCycling licence. Attached to this is public liability and personal accident insurance that is valid everywhere in the world except the US and Canada. This coverage extends beyond just racing and will back you out riding recreationally and, of course, riding on the road, commuting or anything else.

However, most other insurance will have wording that excludes coverage for incidents, damage and loss that occur during racing without the purchase of additional coverage.  Sometimes the wording is vague enough that any event, even something non-competitive like Ignition Mountain Bike Festival might not be covered. This includes travel insurance. Again when in doubt, ask questions and get answers in writing.

Professionals, brand ambassadors and bike industry folk

Did you get a screaming deal on a bike because you do huge numbers on Instagram, and your TikTok sketches are so on point Mr Beast is ringing you up asking for tips? Or maybe you finally scored a deal to race for your local shop, and they provided you with a bike to take on the big dogs in the National Series. Heck, maybe you work in a bike shop and pulled some strings to get a new ride at 30% off wholesale.

If this is you and you’re hoping to take out insurance on this sweet ride just in case, you’d better read your policy VERY carefully. Several of home and contents and bike-specific policies won’t cover a bike you paid less than 50% of the retail price for, or if they determine you are a sponsored rider — and yes, it is a safe bet the person assessing your claim will Google you and look at your social media.

The other common exclusion is if you use your bike for work. Do you run a guiding business or coaching as a side hustle that sees you riding your bike? Well, your bike may need to be insured as equipment under your business insurance, as many policies have wording that excludes coverage for bikes used for any commercial activity.

Ambulance cover, Income protection, Personal Accident and Public Liability

While this quartet of coverages may not be specific to mountain biking, each is worth of consideration if your looking at insurance.

Mountain biking is an inherently dangerous sport and there is a distinct chance you may see the inside of an ambulance at some point in your riding career.

If you live in Queensland, you’re in luck. The State Government provides ambulance cover to all its residents whether you go for a ride within the borders of the Sunshine State, or anywhere else within the boundaries of Australia. If you are not a Queensland resident and need a ride to the hospital while visiting the state, you will be responsible for the cost of the ambulance, as at the time of writing, there are no reciprocal agreements between the QLD Ambulance service and interstate providers.

The Tassie State Government also provides ambulance cover for its residents; however, there are a few caveats. In WA and ACT, you have partial cover, while in SA and QLD, you’re on your own. Everywhere else in the country you’re covered.

For anyone else, ambulance cover is an excellent idea to have as the call fee alone can be north of $1,000 AUD.

The same goes for income protection and public liability insurance. So if you’re hurt riding and are unable to work, or something you do on the bike causes someone else to be hurt or damage something — say someone else’s bike or you crash into a car, you won’t be stuck with the cost.

As we mentioned above, an AusCycling licence has this coverage built in. However, this type of coverage can also be obtained through third-party outfits.

Insurance and mountain biking aren’t typically things we’d group together, but given how quickly things can go wrong, and how litigious some folks are it’s a good idea to take these things into consideration.

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Mountain Biking and Downhill Mountain Biking Travel Insurance

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Mountain Biking Insurance

Why not take your mountain bike abroad abroad?

Dogtag has become almost the default travel insurer for serious mountain bikers who travel abroad for their sport and mountain bikers represent a significant number of our membership. Whether it’s ‘rectreational’ mountain biking, hammering around the forest trails or the ‘serious’ stuff like competitive downhill mountain biking, we can probably cover you.

Plainly, the type of mountain biking that you do will be to one degree or another either more, or less risky and that’s why we have differing levels of sport cover varying from Sport through to Extreme+ Typically, however, mountain biking falls largely into two zones and there is, of course, quite a bit of cross-over so let’s see if we clarify things:

DEFINITIONS:

What’s the difference between ‘Recreational’, ‘Downhill’ and ‘Competitive’ mountain biking?
  As we said above, by and large there are two main types of mountain biking and you can compete in both. Let’s take a closer look:

“Recreational” or general cross-country mountain biking

This largely amounts to getting the bike off the roof of the car and just going – heading off across the countryside using forest trails or other beaten tracks. For no other reason than it needs a name for our purposes, we define this sort of activity as “recreational mountain biking” even though it can, of course, be fairly adventurous. You’ll be tackling a variety of terrain, climbing and descending. For general recreational mountain biking holiday insurance, you’ll need Dogtag Sport , our default sport cover level, and there’s no extra charge.

Downhill mountain biking

The other substantial group that mountain bikers fall iinto are those who intend to do what we define as “ downhill mountain biking ” and while we’re going with the   Wikipedia’s definition  as downhill mountain biking being a type of time trial (which would, by definition, be competitive) we’re also defining it as doing the same thing for fun – or for a burst of adrenaline. So, for downhill mountain biking in a “ recreational” sense, i.e, non-competitive, as far as travel insurance is concerned, you’ll need to choose Dogtag Extreme as your sport cover level.

Duuurrrh? – I go downhill sometimes :-/ Now, before we go on, we realise that cross-country, “recreational” mountain bikers go down hills – usually ones that they’ve just cycled up but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

As far as we’re concerned, “downhill mountain biking” is going to the top of a hill or mountain with the specific intention of riding down a specified downhill mountain biking trail. Some of these trails are marked in resorts designed for mountain bikers and some are a bit more ad-hoc but the basic definition is what your intentions are and how you get to the top is perhaps one way we would define things.

With downhill mountain biking, you’ll usually be getting to the top by some artificial means such as ski lifts or even a courtesy coach but we’re not fussed about how you get to the top, it’s that the purpose of your trip to the top is to cycle downhill on rough and challenging terrain on a trail that’s designed for the purpose – a trail where going up is banned because you’ll meet somebody like yourself coming down.

Occasionally we get folk making excuses: “Well, it’s not really proper downhill mountain biking because

a) “… I won’t be going off any jumps and I’ll take care.” or b) I won’t be wearing any downhill mountain biking protection or a wrap-around helmet…” or something like that. Well, we would answer those questions thusly: a) it doesn’t matter, it’s still downhill mountain biking and b) are you crazy?

As we said above, for Downhill Mountain Biking travel insurance , you need to choose Dogtag Extreme as your sport cover level. No ifs or buts.

Competitive mountain biking

The competitive element in any sport changes things considerably. When you compete at sport, if you’re anything like us, the gloves come off and the red mist comes down. The competitive drive usually takes us as close to or over the edge of our experience or ability, a zone where judgement and caution run at reduced levels and by definition, risk increases. Risk also increases from an insurance point of view too. Making mistakes and crashing is bad enough when you’re cycling recreationally but the competitive element will mean that you’ll probably be going much faster and closer to the edge and not only that, you’ll be in the company of other competitors who are equally determined.

Taking all of the above into account, for downhill mountain biking travel insurance please to be sure to choose Dogtag Extreme+ as you sport cover level. Note the + there, it’s Extreme+ , not Extreme.

CHOICE OF POLICY

Let’s summarise:

• Recreational Mountain Biking as defined above:- Sport
• Downhill Mountain Biking:- Extreme
• Competitive Mountain Biking (of any kind):- Extreme+

And finally, in all likelihood, especially with ‘recreational’ mountain biking (as we’ve defined it) there’s a better than evens chance that given the opportunity while you’re on holiday, you’re more than likely to try something a bit more exciting than you might at home. What we’re saying is, if you think there’s the chance that you’ll try a bit of downhill when you’re actually off to do forest trails then you probably will so it might be best, unless you’re sure you won’t test yourself, to get a level higher than the one you know you’ll need.

If you have any questions, please contact us, [email protected]  to discuss.

Have a great time, stay safe.

The Dogtag Team.

You can find some other useful information regarding sports that we cover in our Sports Information Library .

The DOGTAG Team

p.s. if you think this information was useful, why not recommend it to a friend using one of the links below.

ƗPlease note, DOGTAG 's online prices automatically include a 15% discount against our Customer Service Centre prices. This is discounted from our core policy price before you add any additional cost of optional extensions or additional medical premium.

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5 sports levels, dogtag sport.

Includes a huge list of sports and recreational pursuits (unlike most other insurers): winter sports (including off-piste), most water sports, mountain biking, zorbing and surfing. Or it’s perfect for just chilling out on the beach!

Adds more adventurous sports like climbing up to 2000 metres, assault courses, karate, hydrospeeding, wind tunnel flying and deep sea fishing.

Dogtag Extreme

Adds cover for extreme sports such as black water rafting, canyoning, trekking up to 3000 metres, downhill mountain biking and ice windsurfing.

Adds cover for even more extreme sports such as iron man, airboarding, motor paintballing, climbing up to 4000 metres, swimrunning and other riskier activities.

Dogtag Super Extreme

Adds cover for the most extreme sports such as hang gliding, Kilimanjaro trekking, micro lighting, rock climbing up to 6000 metres and other extreme activities.

  Call us on 01494 484800 Open Mon - Fri | 9:00 - 5:30

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Mountain Biking Travel Insurance

• One of the UK's leading mountain biking travel insurance providers
• Worldwide protection for mountain biking
• Mountain bike equipment cover

Buy your Mountain Biking Insurance in minutes

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Our Mountain Biking Insurance policy options

Put simply, we offer three different policy options…

1. Travel Insurance

Our worldwide Mountain Biking Travel Insurance can cover you whilst mountain biking abroad for leisure or competition. Includes cover for medical and repatriation costs, trip cancellation, plus more.

2. Travel Insurance Bolt-On

If you have a travel insurance policy with another provider, such as your bank, but it does not include cover for mountain biking, we can provide a bolt-on style of protection under our “Activity TopUp” policy.

3. Sports Accident Insurance

Our Sports Accident Insurance is designed to protect you for mountain biking in the UK. Our policy provides personal accident, and if selected, can include additional Income Protection.

Making claims clearer

AVERAGE PAY OUT 

 FOR EACH TRAVEL INSURANCE CLAIM**

OF OUR POLICY HOLDERS

NEEDED TO MAKE A CLAIM**

OUR AVERAGE CLAIMS RATING

ACCORDING TO OUR FEEFO SCORE***

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Join thousands of cycling and mountain biking enthusiasts who choose us every year

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Why choose us for Mountain Biking Insurance

30 years experience.

We have been providing tailored Sports Insurance policies for over 30 years, and today protect more than 57,000 customers a year.

Professional Claims Handling

We work with leading claims handlers to make sure our customers experience a prompt and professional service when making a claim.

Underwritten by Experts

We’re pleased to offer tailored Mountain Biking Insurance from AXA XL, a leading provider of insurance in the sports and leisure industry.

UK Based Customer Service Team

Our highly experienced Sales team are available to help support you with any questions that you might have.

5-Star Customer Service Rating

Thousands of happy customers have awarded us a 5-star customer service score on the independent feedback platform, Feefo.

500+ Sports Covered

Being a specialist in Sports Insurance, we provide cover for over 500 different sports & activities, far more than other providers.

What is mountain biking travel insurance?

Mountain biking travel insurance is designed to cover the costs of medical assistance should you get injured whilst out on the trails in a foreign country.

If you are travelling abroad you can choose Sports Travel Insurance , where you will also be covered for cancellation, lost baggage, and sports equipment such as your bike, helmet etc. Additional mountain biking equipment cover can be added on, up to a maximum of £5,600.

If you are mountain biking in the UK, our  Sports Accident Insurance  could provide you with a lump sum payment if you suffered a serious injury whilst riding, in addition to other benefits like income protection and personal liability cover. 

Our Mountain Biking Insurance policy can cover you for many types of mountain biking – Cross Country, Downhill, Stunts, Competitions. Select the most appropriate activities when you get a quote online.

What’s covered in our mountain biking policy?

From covering medical expenses to protecting your bike should it get stolen whilst you’re on holiday or in transit, our Mountain Biking Travel Insurance provides comprehensive cover. 

• Emergency Medical Expenses & Repatriation
• Cancellation & Curtailment
• Personal Accident cover
• Personal Liability
• Delayed, lost or stolen baggage
• Activity & Race Entry Fees
• Sports Equipment

Is mountain biking considered an extreme sport?

Mountain biking could be classed as an extreme sport by some travel insurance providers, and therefore, not always covered within their policy. Make sure you have the correct cover in place for the sports you need. Our cover can include extreme sports insurance so provided you select the right activities, you can ensure you will be covered.

Insurance for multiple sports

Our Sports Travel Insurance covers over 500 sports and activities, so if you’re an active traveller you can include multiple sports on your policy. You can also choose our Activity Top-Up insurance , this applies if you want short term cover for a one-off activity that isn’t covered on your standard policy. Compare your options by g etting a quote online .

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Mountain Biking Travel Insurance policy provides up to £5,600 worth of equipment cover as an optional add-on. This not only protects your equipment but also any gear you hire during your trip. It also covers your biking equipment in transit to and from your destination.

Yes, our Mountain Biking Insurance can generally be taken out even if you have a medical condition. We can almost always offer cover at no extra cost, but occasionally our underwriters may apply special terms if you subsequently needed to make a claim relating to your condition.

You can purchase our Mountain Biking Insurance online up until 74 years old, above this age you would need to call us on 01494 484800 and we will be able to refer your quote to our underwriters. Please note, our quotes are based on your age at the start date of cover.

* 10% online discount applies to our Sports Travel Insurance and Activity TopUp policies only. 

** Data relates to Sports Travel Insurance claims from Jan 2023 to Dec 2023 inclusive.

*** Feefo rating relates to Sports Travel Insurance claims review score from Jan 2023 to Dec 2023 inclusive. 

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Mountain Bike Insurance | The Ultimate Guide

The best guide to understanding mountain bike insurance and its benefits.

Mountain Bike Insurance

There’s nothing quite like heading out for a day on the trails. Whether you’re in it for the exercise or to get some shredding in, we understand that insurance probably isn’t on your radar — and we get it. Safety and risk mitigation isn’t exactly … exciting. But ensuring your mountain bike and riding gear are protected shouldn’t be something you overlook.

Let’s break down mountain bike insurance and take a step-by-step look at why it’s effective and, quite frankly, a necessity.

I rent an apartment. Does my renter’s insurance cover mountain bike theft?

There are a few ways to answer this question. Technically, if your mountain bike is stolen from your apartment, your renter’s insurance will likely (in theory) cover it — but there are some important conditions that we’ll get into shortly. This assumes you have personal property coverage which is generally included in most renters insurance policies anyway.

Personal property coverage usually ensures you’ll be paid out to replace your belongings in case of “peril.” “Peril” in this case refers to things like unexpected theft, damage, fire, etc. So basically, if something bad happens and all your “stuff” goes missing or gets damaged, renters insurance will give you a certain amount of money to replace your “stuff.”

However! And this is a pretty big however! The full cost of your mountain bike probably isn’t covered. Plus, if something happens to your mountain bike when it’s not at home, you’ll probably only receive partial benefits. Let’s walk through an example and say your mountain bike is valued at $1,000 and your renter’s insurance deductible is $2,000.

If your mountain bike is stolen from your apartment:

Because your mountain bike is worth less than your deductible, you may have to pay the $1,000 to replace your mountain bike out of pocket. Alternatively, the way your renter’s insurance pays out benefits might be broken up into categories. For example, if we say that you have $10,000 in total coverage, it’s likely that only a percentage of that money goes towards things like bikes, helmets, and other athletic assets.

If your mountain bike is stolen while you’re at work (or any location that isn’t your apartment):

You’ll have to check your renter’s insurance policy for the details but in general, you’ll be paid out a percentage of your mountain bike’s value. If we assume this percentage is 10%, you’ll get 10% of your bike’s value.

Again, each renters insurance policy is different so it’s important to check your policy for the fine print. We’re just saying that it’s unlikely your renter’s insurance will pay the full cost of your mountain bike if it’s stolen, regardless of where it was stolen from.

Plus, even if your renter’s insurance policy does pay out the full amount for your stolen mountain bike, there’s a strong chance your premium is going to go up. This means that while you won’t have to pay a ton out of pocket once it’s stolen, you’ll pay for it over time — a little bit more every month, quarter, or year. Kinda sneaky, right? We think so, too.

Don’t even get us started on accidental mountain bike damage. The majority of mountain bikers aren’t going to be using their ride at home inside their apartment. The whole point is to take them out on the trails, right? This means your mountain bike is more likely to be damaged away from your apartment than it is inside of your apartment.

If your mountain bike falls off of your roof rack on the way out to a ride, how well do you think that’s going to go over with your carrier? Spoiler alert: at best, it’s going to be very challenging.

So what can I do to get better coverage for my mountain bike?

The good news is that there are a few options. One is easier and more effective than the other. Let’s start with the harder one.

You can get a scheduled personal property endorsement with your renter’s insurance carrier. This means you get your mountain bike appraised and send over a bunch of paperwork to your provider. They’ll take a look and agree or disagree to specifically cover your mountain bike in the event of peril. What this means is that you’re more likely to get a bigger payout check if something happens to your mountain bike while you’re at home.

But what if you’re injured out on the trails? What if you incur medical bills? What if your mountain bike was damaged and you can’t participate in the race this weekend? Well, your renter’s insurance scheduled personal property endorsement isn’t going to solve those problems. But mountain bike insurance will.

What is mountain bike insurance?

Mountain bike insurance is a stand-alone policy that cyclists hold in addition to other policies like renters, homeowners, or umbrella insurance. Because it’s a stand-alone policy, it has more benefits and offers coverage that’s specific to owning a mountain bike like:

• Full-value mountain bike coverage
• Mountain bike crash and collision damage
• Mountain cycling accessory, apparel, and gear coverage
• Replacement mountain bike rentals
• Roadside assistance in case of emergency
• Coverage for damaged or stolen mountain bike spare parts
• Mountain bike theft from your home, condo, or apartment
• Mountain bike theft from work or other locations that aren’t specifically your home
• Vehicle contact coverage

A pretty comprehensive list, huh? If you choose the right mountain bike insurance carrier and it’s time to make a claim, your premiums won’t go up and you won’t be hassled.

Psssstttt! If you belong to a bicycle association, you’re also likely eligible for 10% off your policy with Simple Bike Insurance!

In addition to stand-alone mountain bike insurance benefits, you’ll likely also have the option to include add-ons specific to you and the way you ride like:

• Mountain bike event fee reimbursement
• Mountain bike racing coverage
• Worldwide mountain bike transit and travel damage

So not only do you get more benefits than traditional renters insurance, but you’ll also get to pick and choose policy add-ons to fit your mountain cycling lifestyle.

How much is mountain bike insurance?

This is obviously going to depend on which carrier you choose. If you live in the United States and Canada, Simple Bike Insurance offers policies starting at just $100. Plus, you get to build your own policy and if you’re in a bike association, you get some sweet discounts.

We won’t raise your premiums if you make a claim because we understand that sometimes bad sh….things happen. Our goal is to get you the mountain bike insurance policy that meets your needs and doesn’t break the bank. We offer instant mountain bike insurance quotes so you can see exactly how much you’d pay in just a few seconds (seriously, it takes like a minute or two).

Ready to get started but have some questions? Talk to us. We’re here around the clock to answer your calls and emails. And, bonus points, we’re cycling enthusiasts too.

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Downhill Mountain Biking Travel Insurance

JS Travel Insurance provides Downhill Mountain Biking Travel Insurance for Europe or Worldwide, including Search and Rescue from the Mountain, Medical and Repatriation back to the UK, and more; enjoy the Ride! To contact us by telephone or email, 0800 043 0020 / 01273 092 757

Read More..

JS Travel Insurance provides Downhill Mountain Biking Travel Insurance for Europe or Worldwide, including Search and Rescue from the Mountain, Medical and Repatriation back to the UK, and more; enjoy the Ride!

To contact us by telephone or email,  0800 043 0020 / 01273 092 757 [email protected]

• Summary of Cover

Downhill Mountain Biking Travel Insurance FAQs

• Downhill Mountain Biking Trail Grading and Mountain Safety

Top Downhill Mountain Biking Rides Worldwide

• Downhill Mountain Biking Annual Multi-Trip Benefits
• Common Downhill Mountain Bike Injuries and Prevention

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Useful website, summary of cover (per person).

* Excess  payables vary depending on the claim benefit.

Please read the Policy Wording for the complete list of Benefits.

Healix Insurance Services Ltd, on behalf of Hamilton Insurance DAC, arranges this Travel Insurance policy for Jade Stanley Ltd. Healix Insurance Ltd is registered in England and Wales under No. 5484190 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under No. 437248. Hamilton Insurance DAC is registered in Ireland No. 484148, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority in connection with their UK branch. Jade Stanley Ltd is registered in England and Wales under No. 03570857 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under No. 306205.

1. Am I covered medically if I have a Downhill Mountain Biking Injury or Accident? 

If you have a Downhill Mountain Biking injury or accident on the mountain and need Emergency Medical Treatment, our policies cover Medical Expenses up to £5m.

2. Will I be covered for Search and Rescue if I have a crash on the mountain and need helicopter evacuation? 

If medically necessary, you will be helicopter evacuated from the mountain under  Search and Rescue cover.

Once you have been evacuated from the scene and are in a hospital, you will be covered under the Medical and Emergency Expenses.

3. How does the Search and Rescue cover work?

Yes, our policies include Search and Rescue cover; in an emergency, you should call the 24/7 Emergency Assistance line, which will arrange the Search and Rescue on your behalf.

Search and Rescue costs are covered for a period not exceeding 72 hours from when assistance is first summoned.

We recommend that you provide a copy of your Travel Insurance Certificate and the 224-hour Emergency Assistance telephone number to a member of your Group or Travelling Companions.

Find out more about Mountain Rescue Travel Insurance .

4. Is Repatriation included In this policy?

You will be covered for Repatriation under the Medical and Emergency Expenses of up to £5m. This does not include mountain bike repatriation.

5. Does this Cover have any restrictions on altitude or riding speed? 

No, there are no restrictions on altitude. However, you must ride on a recognised mountain bike route with mechanical lifts. 

We cover a lot of Riders heading to some of the following hotspots in Europe and Worldwide: 

Les Deux Alps, France - 3,200 metres

Morzine, France - 2,500 metres

Livigno, Italy - 1,815 metres

Tyrol, Austria - 3,797 metres

Are, Sweden - 1,224 metres

Whistler, Canada - 670 metres

There are no restrictions on riding speed. However, it would be best to be mindful of who is around you and always ride safely.

6. Is Safety Equipment mandatory whilst Downhill Mountain Biking for my policy to be valid?

You must always wear a riding helmet when downhill mountain biking for your safety and to ensure your policy is valid.

You should follow all resort riding guidelines.

Although not essential or mandatory, you should wear padded protection and have a cost-effective Recco Backpack or Helmet reflector, which can help speed up Search and Rescue times in a mountain Bike Emergency.

7. Does this policy cover me if Downhill Mountain Biking is the sole purpose of my trip?

Yes, all the Sports and Activities we offer are covered on a sole-purpose basis. You can do Downhill Mountain Biking for the entire trip with no restrictions on riding days; we cover over 400+ Activities on a sole-purpose basis.

8. I travel a lot for Downhill Mountain Biking. Can I get Coverage on an Annual Basis? 

Yes, we can cover Downhill Mountain Biking annually with a maximum trip length of 31 days at a time with unlimited Downhill Mountain Biking Days.

This is a cost-effective option if you plan more than 2 or 3 trips, whether mountain biking or regular travel.

9. Does this cover Downhill Mountain Bike Racing? 

No, this policy does not include Cover for Racing. However, we have a provider who can cover Downhill Mountain Bike Racing .

10. Is there an age restriction on this policy, and can children travel independently? 

A child can travel independently if they are travelling with an insured adult via JS Travel Insurance.

The maximum age limit on this policy is 64 years of age.

10. Can I get Coverage if I am a Resident of Europe?  

Globelink International can provide Coverage for downhill mountain biking on a Single Trip or an Annual Multi-Trip for a European resident. 

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Please select Hazardous Pursuits Category 3 - to cover you for the Downhill Mountain Biking trip.

Downhill Mountain Biking Trial Grading and Mountain Safety

Trial Grading: 

All Downhill Mountain Biking is done during the summer when all the snow has left the ski resorts and complex terrain returns. Resorts   use the same piste map, lifts, and colour grading system below:

Green: Made for beginner riders, easy trials which are well maintained and smooth riding with few obstacles along the way.

Blue: Made for intermediate riders, Blue offers technical features such as roots and rocks but still at an easy riding level, making it an excellent ride for training.

Red: Made for experienced riders, Red offers many challenging technical features such as drops, jumps, and steep climbs.

Black:  This Ride is made  for expert riders only. It is challenging and has technical features such as steep drops, jumps, obstacles, etc. 

Mountain Safety:

Wear a Helmet: A riding helmet is a must, not only to prevent a severe head injury but also to ensure your policy is valid.

Ride within your limits: Know your skill level, ride the stories you can ride, and if you are an expert, don't ride on the Red or Blacks for the first Ride of the day! Start on the lower levels and work yourself up to them to know if you can ride them on the day. 

Be aware of your surroundings: As you can imagine, the mountains can get busy, so be mindful of other riders. It's not only riders you need to be aware of; mountain terrain offers a lot of rocks, trees, and other hazards along the way. 

Use your brakes .  This controls and regulates your speed, helping you navigate better and avoid other rides and obstacles. Please don't be too harsh on your front brake; it can cause you to go over the handlebars.

Lean into turns: This is important; it helps avoid crashes and lets you control the bike better. When not leaning into turns, it can often make you slide the back end of your bicycle out.

Bail if necessary: If you can see a potential hazard or crash coming, do not be afraid to bail. It's better to bail than to ride through it, which can avoid severe injury.

Morzine-Avoriaz, France  - Fully open from  June 23rd to September 3rd 2023 -  18 Downhill Trails 

Les Gets, France  - Fully open from June 23rd  to September 3rd 2023 - 13 Downhill Trails.

Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy - Fully open from June 10th  to September 24th   2023   -  5 Downhill Trials 

Åre Bike Park, Sweden  - Fully open from June 10th  to September 30th 2023  - 37 Downhill Trails 

Whistler Mountain Bike Park,  Canada - Fully open from  June 10th to September 24th 2023 - 112 Downhill Trails

Angel Fire Bike Park, USA  Fully open from  May 19th to October 29th 2023 -  32 Downhill Trials 

Downhill Mountain Biking Annual Multi-Trip Benefits

If you Downhill Mountain bike abroad multiple times a year, then an Annual Multi-Trip Policy may be a good idea. 

31-Day Maximum Trip Length Days: Our Annual policies offer 31-day maximum trip length days per trip with unlimited Downhill Mountain Biking Days.

Flexibility: An Annual policy gives you flexibility; it means if there is good riding weather, you can book a last-minute trip and know you are covered, 

Convenience: An Annual policy Saves you time searching around for a policy every time you travel!

Cost Effective: An Annual policy can save you money if you travel multiple times a year, be that for downhill mountain biking or standard travel

Peace of Mind: An Annual policy gives you peace of mind that you are covered for 12 months, including travel and Downhill mountain biking, Medical Expenses, Search and Rescue, Activity equipment, and more. 

Common Downhill Mountain Biking Injuries and Prevention

Downhill mountain biking is an extreme sport with speed and risk as its cornerstones. There is a chance of incurring a severe injury from It.

The most common injuries occur when the rider falls off the bike at speed, either over the handlebars or to the side injuries that can occur:

Head Injuries: 

You are commonly caused by a collision with another rider, misc objects causing you to crash, or being too heavy with your front brake, which causes you to go over the handlebars.

Preventions:  Always wear a well-fitted helmet, choose a helmet with MIPS Brain Protection for added safety, be aware of your surroundings, and choose your riding trails wisely.

Shoulder Injuries: 

Commonly caused by falls to the side of your bike, be that a slide, taking the wrong jump or another rider colliding with you. 

Prevention: Wear a good set of shoulder pads with extra padded protection.

Knee Injuries: 

Although it's not as common as expected, it often happens if you collide with another rider or your surroundings when riding fast. 

Prevention: Wear a padded set of knee pads, probably the most essential protection when downhill mountain biking.

Wrist Injuries: 

This can happen in all instances of Downhill Riding but is most common when going over the handlebars when riding at speed and breaking too heavy or an object tossing you over the handlebars; you end up landing on your hands and wrists, which can cause dislocations, fractures or breaks.

Prevention: A good  set of Wrist Guards can prevent the risk of a significant injury.

Lacerations, Cuts, and Scrape Injuries:

Lacerations, cuts, and scapes are prevalent injuries when Downhill riding, mainly to your hands, arms, or legs; this can happen in any instance, be that a fall, a crash, a slide or any misjudgment. 

Prevention: A good way to prevent this is to wear a good set of full-finger riding gloves and all other protective gear. 

Additional preventions for downhill Mountain Biking:

• Warm up before riding 
• Stretch after riding
• make sure you ride within your skill level
• Ride with Caution and pay attention to your trails 
• Take a lesson from a qualified guide or professional

We can provide you with a policy if you have pre-existing medical conditions and plan to participate in Downhill Mountain Biking. 

Our provider  (Adventures)  can offer travel insurance, including Downhill Mountain Biking if you have a pre-existing medical condition.

10 Tips for Mountain Biking

Related Pages

• Endurance Cycling Travel Insurance | JS Insurance
• Mountain Biking Travel Insurance | JS Insurance

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Mountain Bike Holiday Insurance

If its Mountain Bike Holiday insurance  for your Morzine or Finale Ligure holiday you are looking for we have just the company for you. Mountain Biking is a dangerous sport and it requires the correct insurance for both when your travel abroad on your MTB holiday or to cover your valuable Mountain bike it's self. 

Since 2017 we have partnered with Yellow Jersey Mountain Bike insurance to provide professional Mountain bike holiday and personal bike insurance policies to our clients. The Yellow Jersey MTB holiday and Bike insurance policies are available on a short-term and annual basis, so you can get covered for a single weeks MTB Holiday in the Alps or get covered for riding all year long home and away.

The two policies work in tande m to keep both you and your bike fully covered for your trip.  Yellow Jersey don't just insure you for general riding but they also include in their policy racing and all your travelling needs. Yellow Jersey MTB insurance aim to pay out within 14 days. 

Receive 15% discount as a Atlas Ride Co client during checkout

Mountain Bike Holiday insurance is essential!

Mountain bike travel insurance - Yellow Jersey

Mountain Bike Holiday insurance

If you already have mountain bike travel insurance , make sure you check the small print. Many insurers exclude cover while cycling if it’s the main reason for your trip, especially mountain biking and ‘downhill’ mountain biking as it is a higher risk activity. You don’t want to find out the hard (and expensive) way that you’re not covered!

All Atlas Ride Co riders will be able to get a 15% discount on Yellow Jersey Cycle Travel insurance covering all the standard things you’d want from your travel insurance like trip cancellation, missed departure, delayed baggage and holiday abandonment, as well as:

Their mtb travel policies include

• Your participation in all types of cycling, including racing
• Medical expenses, including mountain search and rescue and repatriation
• Emergency cycle hire and race fee cancellation cover
• European or Worldwide Cover
• Single or Multi-Trip Cover
• Single, Couple or Group Cover
• Trip Cancellation up to £5000
• Missed Departure up to £1000
• Delayed Travel or Baggage £250
• Medical Expenses £10 million
• Personal Liability £2 million
• Loss of Limb or Sight £20,000
• Permanent Disability £20,000
• Repatriation £10 million
• Emergency Bike Hire 
• Race Fee Cancellation
• Bike Breakdown Cover

Mountain bike insurance - Yellow Jersey

Mountain Bike insurance

Mountain bike insurance for your personal bike is very important. Be it an enduro mountain bike, downhill mountain bike or cross country bike they are worth a lot of money and if it does get stolen or damaged you need to have insurance in place.  Morzine, Finale Ligure and all mountain bike holiday destinations present challenging terrain and there is also the risk of theft.

Their mtb bike policies include

• Theft cover even if you are away or have lent the bike to a family member
• Zero depreciation on the value of your bike
• No increase in premiums if you make a claim
• Free DNA+ marking kit
• Vandalism cover
• Race wheel, pothole protection
• Race fee cancellation
• Crash damage while training and racing
• Theft (including from vehicles)
• 48hr transition cover
• Damage Cover in transit to bike or box
• £1000 Bike box cover as standard
• £250 Accessories cover as standard
• £750 of physio and dental cover
• £2,000,000 public liability cover
• 25% Renewal discount
• 60% “multi bike” discount
• Each bike on a policy can be valued up to £15,000
• Optional clothing, helmet and wetsuit cover
• Roadside recovery
• Family cover
• Available as short-term or annual policies  

The Performance policy covers your bike in Europe for up to 30 days at a time, while the Ultimate policy covers your bike worldwide for up to 120 days at a time. Any cycle insurance claims you make will not affect your home insurance no claims bonus. They offer a 60% discount on all additional bicycles, and all the family’s bikes can go on one policy.

Annual policies include

• A 25% renewal discount, even if you make a claim on the policy
• Free DNA+ marking kit to help with theft prevention, worth £36.
• Race fee entry cover
• Roadside recovery in the UK

Happy crew knowing the are covered on holiday

Yellow Jersey MTB specific bike and travel insurance policy

Mountain Bike Cover from Yellow Jersey reflects these key points of difference and protects you, your bike and equipment from the unique risks that the sport presents.

• Competition Insurance Included . If you are racing, you’re covered automatically – irrespective of governing organisation. UK and Abroad. Whether you race XC, Enduro or Road Yellow Jersey Insurance can cover you!
• Crash Damage cover . This is usually, specifically excluded from a home insurance policy for cyclists, as well as being outside of the terms usually found under a manufacturers warranty. But it’s included as standard under a Yellow Jersey MTB Bike Insurance.
• Clothing and Equipment Cover. When you fall on the trail, there’s a greater chance that expensive equipment and clothing will get ripped or otherwise damaged. Our Mountain Bike Cover includes clothing and equipment protection.
• Worldwide bicycle cover as standard – Including competing. The UK boasts some amazing mountain bike trails but nothing compares to a 1800m Alpine descent. If your bike is damaged on a ride abroad or even in a bike box whilst in transit you’re covered. We will even cover you to hire a replacement bike if the unexpected happens and your mountain bike gets lost on route.
• UK Cycle Rescue as standard . If you get stuck somewhere with either a bike that’s damaged beyond use or a personal injury, our MTB Insurance policy will cover the cost of getting you home.
• 3rd Party Liability Insurance . Our Mountain Bike Insurance covers damage you might cause to other people and let’s face it collisions can happen on busy trails.
• If you like the sound of this get over to www.yellowjersey.co.uk/mtbbeds and take advantage of the Atlas Ride Co client only 10% discount as if the prices were not good enough already, we just made it better!

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Peace of mind for your Morzine Holiday.

Morzine mtb holiday insurance.

We've partnered up with Yellow Jersey Insurance to offer the best possible Morzine MTB holiday insurance, covering everything you need as a mountain biker from holiday cancellation, injury cover, Corona virus cover & the genuine cost of your pride and joy.

Morzine MTB Holiday Insurance

Mountain biking is a dangerous sport and it is essential to have yourself covered at home & when holidaying abroad. We have joined forces with the team at Yellow Jersey Insurance to provide you with genuine MTB holiday & bike insurance policies that cover your every need as a mountain biker traveling to the Worlds biggest bike park, including medical expenses and emeragancy rescue costs. These packages are available for short term holidays or on an annual basis to cover yourself & your bike year round. Unlike most insurance companies Yellow Jersey genuinely cover the mountain biking that you do, this includes racing of any kind, riding downhill & much more. Yellow Jersey work for you and won the insurance industries "Claims team of the year 2021". All policies purchased after the 4th March 2022 now include Corona Virus cover! ‍

Travel Insurance

- Medical Expenses £10 million​ - European or Worldwide Cover - Single or Multi-Trip Cover - Single, Couple or Group Cover - Corona Virus Cover - Repatriation £10 million - Trip Cancellation up to £5000 - Missed Departure up to £1000 - Delayed Travel or Baggage £250 - Personal Liability £2 million - Loss of Limb or Sight £20,000 - Permanent Disability £20,000 - Emergancy Bike Hire - Race Fee Cancellation - Bike Breakdown Cover

Bike Insurance

‍ - ​Up to 120 days Worldwide Cover - Accidental Damage Cover - Theft at or away from Home Cover - Theft from Vehicle Cover - Single Bike Limit up to £15,000 - Public Liability up to £2 million - Crash Damage Cover - Zero Value Depreciation - Multi Bike 60% Discount - Racing Cover - Emergancy Bike Hire - Physio dental & permanent Injury ​- Clothing & Equipment Cover

Corona Virus Insurance FAQ's

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Why do I need cycling travel insurance?

Cycling travel insurance is a must-have if cycling is the primary purpose of your holiday or trip, and it also covers you if you’re taking part in timed events.

Typical travel insurance excludes anything other than leisure riding. You need cycling travel insurance if you’re on a road cycling holiday with your club, a downhill mountain bike trip with friends, or competing in a sportive or triathlon abroad.

Our cycling holiday insurance covers emergency medical care and repatriation, including emergency mountain rescue and heli-rescue if you are injured riding in the mountains. The policy also has generous cancellation and Covid covers as standard.

Travel insurance built for cycling holidays

If you are planning a cycling holiday, you need to make sure you have sufficient cycling travel insurance.

Pedal Cover travel insurance for cycling will cover medical mishaps and emergencies on your holiday, along with essential covers like cancelled trips, lost luggage and holiday money. 

We cover all forms of cycling as standard, including cycle tours, bike packing, multi-stage events, mountain biking (including downhill) and triathlon . We even cover emergency mountain rescue and heli-rescue if you are injured riding in the mountains

Please be aware bikes are not covered by our travel insurance. You can find more information on how to cover your bikes here .

Looking to cover your bikes?

What activities does cycling travel insurance cover?

Our cycle holiday insurance covers almost all cycling disciplines. Pedal Cover should be your natural choice if you’re going on a cycling holiday. If you don’t see an activity listed below, do not hesitate to contact our team, and we can check that out for you. Our policy also covers several other sports and pastimes as standard, listed in the policy wording or our FAQs below.

Cycling disciplines A-L

• BMX Racing (recognised track only)
• Criterium Racing
• Cycle Touring / Bike Packing
• Downhill Mountain Biking (incl. racing)
• Gravel Riding
• Leisure Cycling

Cycling disciplines M-T

• Mountain Biking (all mountain, enduro, freeride, slopestyle, speed & style, cross country, four-cross, marathon, pump track, and trail riding)
• Multi-stage / Ultra Endurance Cycling Events (e.g. RAAM/ Haute Route/ Transcontinental)
• Road Cycling (charity events, gran fondo, road racing, sportives, time trials and training holidays)
• Track Cycling
• Triathlon / Duathlon / Aquabike (half ironman distance, ironman distance, olympic distance, sprint distance and training holidays)

Our cycling travel insurance cover explained

Our cycle travel insurance covers everything you’d expect from a premium travel policy and other benefits unique to a cycle travel insurance provider—Below is a summary. Please read the policy wording to understand the requirements and limits of cover.

Emergency Medical Expenses

Covering medical mishaps while riding is crucial and is the primary feature of our cycling travel insurance. It is also frequently missing from standard travel insurance policies. We cover the costs of emergency medical care to £10 million. The cover includes mountain rescue and heli-rescue if you are injured riding in the mountains.

Our travel insurance policies include cover for Covid 19, emergency medical care, and other expenses such as cancellation and curtailment related to COVID 19.

We have a separate section below explaining the cover; click  here .

Cancellation, Curtailment

We will cover up to £5,000 for your travel and accommodation costs if you have to cancel your cycling holiday due to unforeseen illness or injury. Unlike standard travel insurance, our cycle holiday insurance also covers you for withdrawing due to an injury that prevents you from cycling on the trip, even if you could fly.

Do you need bike cover?

Remember, this policy doesn’t cover your bicycle. For this, you can purchase our bundled home and bike insurance , or we offer a no strings attached rolling monthly cycle insurance.

Cycling Specific Covers

We offer a cycle breakdown benefit if you have a mechanical and need to make it back to the hotel. Repatriation for your bike if you have to return home in an emergency. Bike hire if your bike fails to arrive or is stolen, and cover for your race fee if you have to withdraw or the event is cancelled due to bad weather. All these are included as standard on our cycle travel policies.

Cycling Liability Insurance

If you damage somebody’s property or injure another road user while cycling, you could find yourself liable for damages. Every Pedal Cover travel product includes £2 million public liability cover while cycling on a trip, including in races.

Multi or Single Trip

Whether you want a one-off policy for a cycling trip or a multi-trip policy for the whole year, we can put together a package to suit you.

Racing and Training

Some travel insurance policies include limited cover for cycling. You should check the small print; there are usually severe exclusions, particularly for racing or serious training. We can cover you for a family cycling holiday, training camp, during events such as Mallorca 312 or even downhill mountain biking.

Winter Sports Cover

Cancellation, medical expenses and repatriation are all covered as standard for winter activities for up to 17 days a year on our annual package. You get benefits like loss or damage to ski equipment, lost ski pasess, avalanche cover or resort closure.

Repatriation

If you injure yourself cycling abroad, our cycle travel insurance will cover mountain rescue and heli-rescue if you are injured riding in the mountains, and if necessary, we’ll cover the costs of repatriating you back to the UK.

Baggage & Money

We include cover up to £250 for lost or delayed baggage, up to £500 for holiday money, and up to £5,000 for valuables (which includes cycling clothing, helmets and shoes). Bicycles are not included under the baggage cover. If you need cover for theft or damage to your bicycles, we can insure them separately . 

We cover cycling gadgets, for example, your Garmin, Wahoo, GoPro or other high-value electrical items. Please read the policy to know you’re getting the right cover for your trip and activities.

Our cycle holiday insurance at a glance

Our policies have all the covers you’d expect from top-notch travel insurance and cover almost all cycling activities. Remember, this policy doesn’t cover your bicycle. For this, you can purchase our bundled home and bike insurance , or we also offer a no strings attached rolling monthly cycle insurance.

Core travel section

Cycle specific covers, winter sports (annual only), whatever your needs, we have you covered.

Single trip or an annual policy?

It is cheaper to purchase an annual policy if you plan to take a few trips over the course of a year, while still providing coverage for every race, and training camp you attend overseas.

Our annual policies also cover winter sports, so buying an annual cycle travel insurance policy before your summer bike trip could save you the trouble of finding another insurer.

However, if you have ‘standard’ travel insurance for most of the year, but need a top-up for a training camp, then one of our single trip policies might be best.

Do you need competition cover?

Cyclists taking part in races, tours, triathlons and charity events will need to consider choosing a policy with competition cover. If you have a crash during a competition or are injured, you need coverage for liability and medical costs. Most other travel insurance suppliers exclude competitions, but it’s available with us.

We even offer you cover if you have to withdraw from an event, which prevents you from being out of pocket for expensive entry fees.

Welcome to our cycling travel FAQ section

We can hopefully answer all your questions related to our travel insurance built for cyclists offered by Allianz. For customers with questions about other policies, you should go to the relevant product page or contact the team.

Cycle travel insurance predominately covers your medical expenses when travelling abroad. Amongst over things, it also covers costs if your trip is cancelled.

Cycle travel insurance does not, however, protect your bike. If you need cover for your bike, you can purchase our combined home & bike insurance , which bundles home contents, buildings, and bicycle insurance under one roof. If you don’t qualify for our home insurance or prefer dedicated cycle insurance , we also offer this as an annual contract or on a no-obligation rolling monthly basis.

Yes, our travel insurance provides coverage for downhill mountain biking, including participation in competitive events, emergency medical care and repatriation.

The policy also covers emergency helicopter evacuation.

Our cycling holiday insurance covers emergency medical care and repatriation, including emergency mountain rescue and heli-rescue if you are injured riding in the mountains.

Yes, we want you to be able to enjoy the warm weather and beautiful roads during your training camp with confidence, so we’ll pay for your emergency medical costs and return travel if a sickness or accident prevents you from enjoying the trip.

Our triathlon travel insurance covers all distances, including Ironman events. Along with a raft of other covers, we provide emergency medical or repatriation expenses should something go wrong abroad. We also cover your trip cancellation, including being unable to travel due to an injury leading up to your event.

Yes – When buying our travel insurance, be sure to choose Worldwide protection, which includes the USA.

If you don’t have any immediate plans to travel over the Atlantic, look at our European-only coverage, which is more affordable.

No – If you need cover for your bike, you can purchase our home insurance for cyclists , which bundles home contents, buildings cover (if you need it) and bicycle insurance under one roof.

If you don’t qualify for our home insurance or prefer cycle insurance only , we offer this either as an annual contract or on a no-obligation rolling monthly basis.

Yes. Our travel insurance is built to pay for unexpected medical needs. This is true for triathlons of any length and all types of bicycle racing, including mountain biking.

Our travel insurance is built to cover repatriation costs due to injuries sustained while on holiday, even when riding or competing on your bicycle. 

If a serious injury prevents you from attending an event that you have entered, we offer entry fee cancellation coverage. Before the incident that prevents you from participating in your race, you must have taken out an insurance policy with us. Additionally, we need documentation of the injury from a licenced medical professional.

On a yearly policy, there is no cap on the number of trips. However, no journey may last longer than 60 days away from the UK.

Our annual multi-trip travel insurance policy has a 120-day trip maximum, but you can take as many trips as you like during the year as long as no individual trip exceeds that length.

Our annual cycling travel insurance includes winter sports coverage as an extra benefit. You can go for a maximum of 17 days per trip for winter sports holidays.

If you are planning an epic touring excursion, we might be able to assist with a personalised insurance policy, but you’ll need to give us a call.

Please remember that once you start travelling, we can’t provide you with extended cover.

Our travel insurance covers up to five gadgets with a combined value of £2,000; this will cover any unintentional damage to your belongings while travelling or theft (e.g. from your hotel). The policy includes Garmins and also items like laptops, tablets, and cameras.

Please remember gadgets are not covered for damage while you are cycling. It’s best to look at the policy wording or call us if you are unsure.

We cover lots of of other sports – It is best to look at the policy wording for a complete list. 

Annual policies cover winter sports, so if you enjoy skiing or snowboarding over the winter, you won’t need to purchase an additional policy.

Our policy automatically covers you for one pre-existing medical condition from our list of automatically covered conditions .

If you have two or more conditions from the list below or a condition not on the list, the cover is excluded unless disclosed to the medical screening helpline, and the additional cover is agreed to in writing.

Automatically covered pre-existing medical conditions:

• Allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) provided that you have not needed hospital treatment for this in the last two years.
• Allergic rhinitis
• Arthritis (the affected person must be able to walk independently at home without using mobility aids)
• Asthma (the diagnosis must have been made when the affected person was under the age of 50, and the asthma be controlled by no more than two inhalers and no other medication)
• Blindness or partial sightedness
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chickenpox – if wholly resolved
• Common cold or flu
• Cuts and abrasions that are not self-inflicted and require no further treatment
• Cystitis – provided there is no ongoing treatment
• Diabetes (which is controlled by diet or tablets only)
• Diarrhoea and vomiting – if wholly resolved
• Enlarged prostate – benign only
• Essential tremor
• Haemorrhoids
• Ligament or tendon injury – provided you are not currently being treated
• Macular degeneration
• Migraine – provided there are no ongoing investigations
• Nasal polyps
• Sinusitis – provided there is no ongoing treatment
• Skin or wound infections that have entirely resolved with no current treatment
• Underactive thyroid (Hypothyroidism)
• Varicose veins in the legs

Alternatively you can view a directory set up by the Money and Pensions Service. This directory provides easy access to companies that specialise in providing cover for pre-existing medical conditions, to enable customers to find the best value cover.

The directory can be accessed at https://traveldirectory.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en or by calling 0800 138 7777.

Pedal Cover are not connected to the insurers provided by the directory. As we offer a travel insurance product aimed at cyclists you should ensure that, if using a firm on the directory, they are able to cover your intended cycling activities.

Our travel policy does not cover pre-existing medical conditions as standard. We offer a confidential, independent medical screening service to provide a top-up if you need cover for a pre-existing medical condition. Contact their helpline at + 44(0)1702 427 237.

After answering questions about your medical conditions, the screening service will confirm if they can cover them. They may need to charge a premium, and they will explain any additional requirements, such as an increased excess.

If the helpline can provide the additional coverage and you elect to purchase it, you must first buy our Pedal Cover cycling travel policy. You will supply the helpline with your Pedal Cover policy number. You will pay any premium for the additional cover directly to the screening helpline, not Pedal Cover.

Once the medical conditions are covered, the helpline will give you a screening reference number. The helpline will send a letter confirming cover, cost, and requirements. Please keep this safe as it is required in the event of a claim.

If you purchase our Pedal Cover travel insurance before speaking to the medical screening helpline, and subsequently, they cannot offer a top-up, or you are unhappy with the extra cost quoted, you can cancel your travel insurance with us. We will provide a complete, no-quibble refund within the first 14 days of purchase.

Yes, but the insurance will not provide coverage for any claims directly or indirectly related to the pre-existing medical condition.

Sports, pastimes and activities

• Abseiling (within organisers guidelines)
• Administrative or clerical occupations 1, 2
• Amateur athletics (track and field)
• American football
• Archaeological digging 1, 2
• Assault course
• Banana boating (as a passenger only) 3
• Big game hunting 1, 2
• Billiards/snooker/pool
• Bobsleigh 1
• Body boarding (boogie boarding)
• Bungee jumping (only as short duration incidental day excursion with licensed public hirer) 2
• Camel riding 1, 2
• Canoeing (up to grade 2 rivers)
• Cave diving (no solo diving) 2
• Clay pigeon shooting 1, 2
• Climbing (on climbing wall only)
• Climbing up to 3,500 metres on slopes classified as facile or easy including rock scrambling
• Deep sea fishing
• Driving any motorised vehicle that you are licensed to drive in your home country (other than in motor rallies or competitions) 1, 2
• Elephant riding/trekking 2
• Fell walking/running
• Fishing Fives
• Flying as pilot 1, 2
• Football (amateur only and not main purpose of trip)
• Glass bottom boats/bubbles (as a passenger only) 1
• Gliding 1, 2
• Go karting (within organiser’s guidelines) 1
• Golf Handball
• Hang gliding 1, 2
• High diving over 9 meters (supervised pools only, no rock diving/jumping) 2
• Hockey (must wear protective head gear)
• Horse riding (wearing a helmet and excluding competitions, racing, jumping and hunting) 1, 2
• Hot air ballooning (organised rides only) 2
• Hovercraft driving/passenger 1, 2
• Hurling (amateur only and not main purpose of trip)
• Indoor climbing (on climbing wall only) Jet boating 1, 2, 4
• Jet skiing 1, 2, 4
• Karting (wearing a helmet) 1, 2, 4
• Kayaking (up to grade 2 waters only)
• Kite Surfing 2
• Marathon running
• Motor sport (any type) 1, 2
• Orienteering
• Paintball/war games (wearing eye protection) 1, 2
• Parachuting 1, 2
• Paragliding (over water only – not over Must be licensed operator with professional guide and only in EU, EEA, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.) 1, 2
• Parascending (over water only – not over Must be licensed operator with professional guide and only in EU, EEA, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) 1, 2
• Pony trekking 2, 4
• Pot holing (must be a licensed operator with professional guide and wearing helmets)
• Power boating (no racing and no competitions) 1, 2
• Quad biking (wearing a helmet) 1, 2, 4
• Racket ball Rambling Refereeing
• Ringo (as a passenger only) 1
• Roller skating/blading/in line skating (wearing pads and helmets)
• Rugby (Union/League) not professional
• Running (non-competitive)
• Safari trekking (must be organised tour) 1, 2
• Sailing/yachting (includes amateur racing competitions) 1, 2
• Sand boarding 1, 2
• Sand dune surfing/skiing 1
• Sand yachting 1, 2, 4
• Scuba diving up to a depth of 40 metres (must be PADI/BSAC No solo diving and subject to scuba diving endorsement below)
• Scuba diving up to a depth of 9 metres (No solo diving and subject to scuba diving endorsement below)
• Shooting/small bore target/rifle range Shooting (within organisers guidelines) 1, 2
• Skateboarding (wearing pads and helmets)
• Sledging (not on snow)
• Snorkelling
• Spear fishing (without tanks)
• Speed sailing 1, 2, 4
• Street hockey
• Students working as counsellors or university exchanges for practical course work (non- manual) 2
• (no competitions,inland and coastal waters only 1
• Swimming with dolphins
• Swimming/bathing with elephants
• Sydney Harbour Bridge walk (walking across roped)
• Table tennis
• Tall ship crewing 1, 2, 4
• Ten pin bowling
• Trampolining
• Tree canopy walking (walking across roped)
• Trekking/hiking between 2,500 and 5,000 metres above sea level. (On organised tour along recognised routes No search and rescue other than for medical reasons.)
• Trekking/hiking/walking up to 2,500 metres above sea level
• Wake boarding
• War game/paint balling (wearing eye protection) 1, 2
• Water skiing/water ski jumping 1, 2
• Weight lifting
• Whale watching
• White water rafting (grades 4-6 waters only) 1
• White water rafting (up to grade 3 waters, as a passenger only, life jacket to be worn)
• Wind surfing/sailboarding 1
• Wind tunnel flying (pads/helmets to be worn)
• Zip lining/trekking (safety helmets to be worn)
• Zorbing/hydro zorbing/sphering 1
• Cover under Section G – Personal liability is excluded.
• Cover under Section C – Personal accident is excluded.
• Cover is excluded unless within organisers guidelines and as part of an organised activity led or instructed by professional guides or licensed organisers and all claims will be subject to three (3) times the standard policy excess .
• Cover is excluded when racing.
• Diving by persons not holding a recognised certificate for the type of diving being undertaken, or not under professional instruction.
• Diving without proper equipment and/or contrary to codes of good practice according to bona fide organisations such as PADI or BSAC.
• Diving to depths greater than 30 metres (or 40 metres if additional premium paid and shown on your validation certificate ).
• Solo diving or night diving or specifically organised cave diving or diving for hire or reward.
• Flying within 24 hours of last dive or diving whilst suffering from a cold, influenza, infection or obstruction of the sinuses or ears.
• Diving by persons aged under 12 years of age or over 65.

Our policy automatically covers you for one pre-existing medical condition from our list of automatically covered conditions . If you have two or more conditions from the list or a condition not on the list, all pre-existing medical conditions will be excluded from cover unless disclosed to the medical screening helpline and additional cover agreed in writing.

• Diarrhoea and vomiting – if completely resolved

Yes, all medical emergencies and associated costs will be covered.

Yes, you must have gotten an inoculation or vaccination against Coronavirus as recommended by the World Health Organization or the health authority in your country of residency to be compensated for any expenses incurred from contracting the disease.

The above is true for every contagious disease for which the World Health Organization or your country’s health authority recommends an inoculation or immunisation. Travellers to portions of Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, for example, are advised to get a Yellow Fever vaccine, and you would need to show proof of this vaccination to submit a claim for any expenditures incurred as a result of catching the disease while on vacation.

Yes, as long as you’re all covered by our insurance and all asked to quarantine. To confirm the quarantine order, you must be able to present medical evidence from the treating doctor or the local authority.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Coronavirus and are unable to travel, you’ll be covered as long as your doctor confirms the diagnosis and your inability to travel.

The policy covers cancellation as long as you have documented evidence from your airline that you were denied boarding because you were showing symptoms of a contagious condition.

If you have a valid cancellation claim, the cancellation section will refund you for all non-recoverable fees, including Visas, but only for the length of your cancelled trip.

No, if the UK is put in ‘Lockdown’ once again, there will be no coverage under the insurance for cancellation claims.

No, any charges (accommodation/travel) incurred in the event that the country you are visiting is “locked down” would not be covered.

If you can show medical proof that you have been diagnosed with Coronavirus or have been directly exposed to Coronavirus, you will be compensated for any additional lodging or travel expenditures.

Any essential medical expenses, as well as any additional travel or accommodation charges, are covered under the medical expenses part of the insurance.

All insured persons are covered for quarantine under the medical section, which includes coverage for additional lodging and flights.

The policy will cover you if a close family is diagnosed with Coronavirus and becomes extremely ill, necessitating your presence due to medical reasons. Their doctor will have to sign off on this.

Your insurance will cover the cost of any additional lodging incurred while you are under quarantine based on your unique symptoms or probable COVID-19 exposure, but it will not reimburse any pre-booked lodging fees. If you have any unused pre-booked and paid for excursions that are non-refundable, your insurance will reimburse you less the standard policy excess if you can provide documentary evidence to support the quarantine order from either the government, a public authority in the country you are visiting, or the treating doctor.

If you travel somewhere that is against FCDO guidelines, you will not be covered.

If you bought your single trip travel insurance before the change in FCDO guidelines and have not yet left, your policy will no longer give any coverage. You have the option of deferring your policy’s coverage period or requesting a full refund of your money.

If you bought your single trip policy before the change in FCDO advise and have already left, full policy coverage will apply as long as you follow all UK, local government, or equivalent instructions.

If after looking through the FAQs you can’t find the answer you are looking for you can click our live chat open Mon to Fri from 9 am to 5 pm

Home & Bike Insurance

Dedicated cycle insurance, cycling travel insurance, health insurance, information, useful documents, claims information, our cycling blog, compare cycle insurance, home & bike insurance faqs, dedicated cycle insurance faqs, travel insurance faqs, health insurance faqs.

Mountain bike travel insurance

Looking to get cover for mountain biking find out what your options are..

In this guide

Common travel insurance conditions related to mountain biking

Compare quotes for mountain bike travel insurance, why do i need to tell my insurer if i'm planning to go mountain biking, will i pay more for cover that includes mountain biking, how do i disclose my intention to go mountain biking, tips for staying safe if mountain biking overseas, what to do if you are injured overseas.

Destinations

Aussies are an adventurous bunch and many of us enjoy the fresh air, low-impact and sometimes messy sport of mountain biking. However, sometimes it can be quite a dangerous pursuit which is why many insurers have multiple restrictions or won't cover you at all for mountain biking as part of your travel insurance.

While some insurers provide cover if you are riding on roads or in organised tour groups, most deny cover as soon as you mention downhill or off-road mountain biking.

There are a few exceptions though. Insurers such as InsureandGo and World Nomads offer cover for mountain biking, provided you observe normal safety requirements such as wearing a helmet and not putting yourself in harm's way.

Insurers that do cover mountain biking often impose conditions on how the bikes should be used, including:

• Wearing a helmet at all times
• Not participating in any form of racing or competition
• Observing all local road rules and laws
• Staying out of closed or restricted areas on designated mountain bike trails
• Not behaving recklessly or taking unnecessary risks
• Informing your insurer of the kind of mountain biking you'll be partaking in

Degrees of cover also differ. World Nomads , for instance, will cover you for injuries you sustain while riding your mountain bike but provides no cover for the bike itself if it is lost, stolen or damaged.

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A travel insurance policy is a legally binding contract entered into by you and your insurer. Any actions or omissions by you that affect the terms of that contract can render it null and void.

If you don't tell your insurer about a possible risk that could influence whether you can be covered or how much you are charged for cover, you run the risk of having your policy cancelled.

Whether it's a high-risk activity , such as mountain biking, or a pre-existing medical condition , you must inform your insurer. It's called Duty of Disclosure, and it protects your insurer from taking on a greater level of risk than was initially agreed upon.

As most travel insurers won't cover mountain biking, those that do are usually going to charge more for the additional risk they are taking on. But this can vary with insurers, as the following snapshot illustrates:

• Zoom Travel Insurance. You'll be covered for mountain biking as standard excluding downhill, competition or racing but can purchase the Adventure Pack to be covered for non-competitive downhill mountain biking. Under the Bicycle Pack, you'll also be covered up to $5,000 if your bike is lost, stolen or damaged.
• World Nomads. World Nomads covers mountain biking if you upgrade but only up to 6,000m and cover for the bicycle is not included.
• Budget Direct. Cover for mountain biking is included as standard but you will not be able to get cover for racing, extreme ground conditions or stunts and your bicycle will not be covered for loss or damage.

You have a Duty of Disclosure to inform your insurer of your intention to go mountain biking on your holiday. If you do not tell your insurer of your plans to go mountain biking, any claim you make related to mountain biking will not be honoured.

You should disclose your intention to go mountain biking at the time of taking out your policy so that your insurer can inform you of whether or not you are covered and adjust the cost of your premium accordingly.

You can do this by either purchasing additional cover for your planned activities or, if not available, ensuring that mountain biking is included as part of your cover by reviewing the Product Disclosure Statement. If you're unsure, contact your chosen insurance provider before you travel.

• Respect road and trail closures, and ride on open trails only
• Obey all bicycle speed regulations and recommendations
• Anticipate other trail users by slowing down at corners and blind spots, be prepared to stop if necessary and pass others safely
• Keep your equipment in good order and carry spares of everything
• If riding alone, always make sure someone knows where you're going and when you'll be back

If you injure yourself while mountain biking overseas, the first thing to do is to seek medical attention. If the injury is relatively minor, you may need to visit a medical practitioner, pay the fee and have your insurer reimburse you at a later date.

If the injury is serious and requires hospitalisation or evacuation , you will need to contact your insurer's 24/7 Emergency Assistance service. This service will need to approve any hospital treatment you receive and possibly provide a guarantee of payment to the hospital on your behalf.

Compare Mountain Bike Travel Insurance

Cristal Dyer

Cristal Dyer is a travel writer at Finder. She has been writing about travel for over five years and has visited over 40 countries around the world. Cristal currently travels full-time, writing about her favourite cities and food finds, and she is always on the lookout for amazing flight deals to share. See full profile

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You probably don't move your heels enough as you ride, but here's how proper technique will transform your mountain biking

When you’re a mountain bike coach, diagnosing people's technique problems is hard enough. Then explaining the solutions in a way that they can put into practice takes a special sort of genius.

One of the smallest but most impactful tips from my recent eye-opening session with Katy Curd Coaching was how heel movement can impact your whole body position on the bike – which in turn affects the way the bike handles.

Most coaches already teach a heels-down position when you are standing out of the saddle on a mountain bike, to keep the foot secure on the pedal and to encourage a low centre of gravity.

And plenty of coaches teach weighting/unweighting techniques that are vital to grip and flow  – you may have heard them described as making yourself big or small on the bike, for example.

Katy combines these things by recognizing that the movement of swinging your heels from an up position to a down-and-under position (or vice versa) also rocks your whole body into a different position and gives the bike a valuable shove of momentum.

Let’s look at how this can be a great help on rollers and drops.

On a pump track or any sequence of rollers

On a pump track or any sequence of rollers, you’ll be in a relaxed, standing position with arms and legs somewhat bent, and feet flat on the pedals. Katy explained that to maximise your momentum, as you come down off a roller, or towards the bottom of the next up, sweep your heels down from 3 o’clock, to give a down and forward shove. They won’t go past  6 o’clock, but imagine them doing that, to emphasise the vital forward movement.

Then as you go into an up, reverse the movement and go up to 2 o’clock. Your heels, your hips and your upper body will unweight the bike and help lift you over the rise, ready for you to add more momentum on the downward side.

It took me a good while to feel this happening but I was determined not to leave the pump track until I could feel it, since so many of my previous ‘learnings’ had been much more in theory than practice.

First I had to stop myself just moving vertically up and down, which helped very little with momentum and meant I just ground to a halt long before I needed to. Once I scooped the heels properly down and forward, I got much further round the track.

I also found that nudging the foot position forward or back on the pedal made a real difference to how easy or hard it was to pivot the heel down and round.

On fast downhill rollers

You can also use heel movement to help maximise speed and control on fast downhill rollers, where the bike would naturally want to get air off the crest of every roller. Here you might start bringing the heels down as soon as you're at the top of a roller. This would help keep the wheels nicely in contact with the ground, without sacrificing any of the flow that the downhill and the rollers gives you.

On drops and slabs where you want to bring the bike down quickly

Katy spent a lot of time teaching how your arm movement helps to control the arc of the bike once it leaves the lip of a steep slope or drop. But she followed it up by explaining how heel movement adds to that control.

On steep slopes or, say, drops with steeply sloped landings where you want to both tires back into contact with the ground as early as you can, you push forward and down with your arms after leaving the lip. The magic with the heels is that if you also scoop down with them, you help to scoop the rear of the bike down, bringing both the front and back wheels into contact with the ground ASAP and reducing the nose-down angle of the bike.

On drops where you want clearance

If you come off the lip of a drop and you want clearance, you'll be pushing your arms forward to help keep the bike horizontal. Katy says that because the arm shove will only get you so far, you can supplement it with the kind of down-and-forward heel scoop that we were practising on the pump track – visualising the heels sweeping the back of the bike forward in a straight line, if you like, just as the arms were doing.

A few weeks later, I’m still finding that most of the time I can either focus on arm movement or on heel movement, so the sweet combined action only happens occasionally by accident so far. But I know from other sports that eventually the movements will start to happen subconsciously, first individually and then in combination.

On berms where you want more grip

Chances are you know this already, but on flatter or sketchier berms, pointing the outer crank straight down and rotating the heel down on the pedal helps to lock the tires onto the ground. As Katy reminded me, maximizing grip and turning speed also involved keeping plenty of weight on the front wheel and leaning the bike but not the body . On higher and faster berms you tend to have tons of grip, especially if the surface is well-packed, so it’s more normal to ride with pedals parallel

How to practise it

The pump track, with its combination of berms and rollers,  was a great place to practise heel movement, partly because you could do it again and again really easily, and partly because it was really obvious if your technique was making a difference. Whereas on drops and other features it may not be quite so easy to isolate what’s going on.

Low-consequence drops are also your friend for technique practice. Some of the drops at the Forest of Dean skills area were barely a foot high, with gently sloping landings, but you could still tell if your heel technique was making a difference – and it didn’t matter if you messed things up. As Katy said, you probably don’t want to be riding big drops if you’ve only got a 50:50 chance of getting it right and you can’t tell why.

Heel magic – my three main takeaways

Katy Curd Coaching

Many thanks to Katy for such great coaching. Katy Curd Coaching provides 1:1 sessions, group sessions, courses and women-only sessions in the Forest of Dean. You can find out more at katycurdcoaching.com

1. The scooping motion is the key. Things started to make a difference to my whole body position when my heels started making a proper under-and-forward push rather than just bobbing up and down a bit

2. Things click slowly – for me at least . On the pump track, the heel movement started to feel intuitive and make a real difference to speed on the second day of training with Katy. But getting the heel movement to work in tandem with arm movement on drops will take longer. A lot of videoing on small easily repeatable drops is being a real help here.

3. Foot position counts. One small and perhaps obvious lightbulb moment was that if your feet are too far forward on the pedals, you won’t be able to scoop those heels down easily. Obviously, you still want a position that’s stable, efficient and comfortable, but I found that even a centimeter or so made a helpful difference sometimes.

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