Am I covered if I'm cycling or mountain biking?

Get ready to get your wheels rolling as we can offer cover on both our Standard Plan and Explorer Plan for cycling, cycle touring and mountain biking, but cover will depend on how high you want to go up your next mountain.

You’ll need to decide what level of cover is best for you:

  1. If you want to ride up to 4500 meters (all styles including touring and organised tours) you are covered by our activity Level 1, which is included in the Standard Plan and Explorer Plan.
  2. If you want to tackle a bigger mountain up to 6000 meters (all styles including touring and organised tours) then you’ll need to upgrade to our activity Level 2 on both the Standard Plan and Explorer Plan.

Please be aware that we’ve excluded the Yungas Road cycle route, a 69km / 43 mi long mountain bike trail, also known as the ‘Death Road’, located in Bolivia, on both the Standard Plan and Explorer Plan.

What's covered

Cycling ActivityConditions of Cover
  Cycling - recreational      All stylers including touring and organised tours    
  Cycle touring   Independently or as part of an organised tour
  Mountain biking   All styles including touring and organised tours


How it works

Once you’ve taken all reasonable safety measures and have kept in touch with local weather conditions and the advice given by local authorities, there can be cover if you’re seriously injured while riding a bike for:

  • Evacuation: If it’s urgent and the treating doctor and our Emergency Assistance team decide it is medically necessary (by the most appropriate means including helicopter when necessary and available).
  • Emergency medical expenses: For treatment at the hospital or by a doctor at the local medical centre, if agreed as medically necessary our Emergency Assistance team.
  • Repatriation:  We may provide you with a ride back home, as agreed by the treating doctor and our 24/7 Emergency Assistance team, if you’re seriously injured or ill and unable to continue your trip,
  • Baggage and personal items: We can offer cover on our Standard Plan and Explorer Plan if your cycling gear (excluding items hired, loaned or entrusted to you) which you take with you or buy during your trip is stolen, damaged or destroyed, or if lost or damaged by a carrier. We may also provide cover for essential clothing and toiletries if it’s delayed for more than 24 hours.

We won’t cover damage to any sporting equipment while in use or left unattended.

In the case that your brakes decide to stop working (and you end up hitting a brick wall or land in some poison ivy) and need medical evacuation or repatriation, you or your riding partner must contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible, as they can make all necessary arrangements.

If you are wondering, who pays for medical treatment (and by this we mean either you pay upfront and claim later or we pay upfront), the answer is it depends on what’s happened to you and the kind of treatment required.

Don’t forget that any medical claim or sporting equipment claim we settle to you will have the policy excess deducted per person, per claimable event.

What’s not covered for cycling or mountain biking

  • If you knowingly expose yourself to any risks or act illegally (disobeying any road rules of the countries you are riding in) including not wearing a helmet.
  • If you are racing or cycling competitively.
  • If you act with disregard for your own safety, gross negligence.
  • Search and rescue at any time.
  • If you’ve damaged any sports gear while in use; and also any loss, damage, or theft of any sports gear left unattended.
  • If you break any local laws or enter closed or restricted areas or places or get yourself in situations that you know are unsafe or dangerous (cycling down the I60 highway in the US or mountain biking with no helmet or protective gear won’t cut it).
  • Any other reason listed under the General Exclusions in your policy wording.

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything. Take the time to read the terms and conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details on what is and isn’t covered. That way there are no surprises if you need to use it.

If you are unsure of whether or not you have the right cover, please contact us for help.


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We’re here to help if you have a question about travel insurance. We’re available:

  • Monday to Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm (UTC/UTC+1)

Contact us

Phone

For policies purchase on or after 2 December 2018:


+353 21 237 8007

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For policies purchased before 2 December 2018:


+61 2 8256 1542