Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: LittleWheelsandBig on 01 May, 2019, 09:08:04 pm
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I'm having trouble finding travel insurance for a European cycling trip this weekend. The problem is that Judith has some pre-existing medical conditions, though her consultant is happy for her to cycle.
We can get travel insurance quotes for the medical conditions and we can get quotes for the cycling but for the combination, "computer says no!" Who should we chase up for travel insurance for a long brevet with pre-existing medical? At this point, price is pretty much irrelevant.
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Have you tried the BMC?
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Pedalcover offer travel insurance.
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Pedalcover don't like this particular pre-existing condition. Asthma is fine; vasculitis, not so much.
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Have you tried an insurance broker? They should be able to get you a custom policy rather than relying on a computer-says-no quote.
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Not yet found an insurance broker. PM me with suggestions.
The BMC seems to rate cycle touring as equivalent to kayaking 12 miles offshore and cycle racing as similar to mountaineering to 6500m. I didn't know riding brevets was so dangerous. I'm not sure which category a brevet would be, so would probably go for the racing coverage.
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Try https://www.biba.org.uk/find-insurance/
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I guess it depends on how much risk you consider the vasculitis to be. In our case my wife is bipolar. We don't declare it, and don't expect to be covered for it, or it's consequences, as the costs are based on the worst possible example and expectation (which can be suicide). But then it's been over 20 years since she had a psychotic episode, and takes her meds conscientiously, so we don't expect there to be any problems related to it. I know insurers can be "creative" in refusing payouts, but I guess we'll just take the risk.
Pedalcover are a brokers, so if you have an issue with them, you're unlikely to find a cost effective alternative - though you may be able to get cover at a price if insuring direct with an underwriter.
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Have you tried either British Cycling's or the CTC's brokers?
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The BMC seems to rate cycle touring as equivalent to kayaking 12 miles offshore and cycle racing as similar to mountaineering to 6500m. I didn't know riding brevets was so dangerous. I'm not sure which category a brevet would be, so would probably go for the racing coverage.
Perhaps you could let then know that CTC cover (and possibly others?) treat Brevets just like Cycle Touring, and ask them to confirm whether they consider Brevets to be "Touring" or "Racing"?
(A lot of ultra-racer types seems to recommend the BMC cover - but they probably don't have your (J's) issue :-\ )
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Well, the broker has found an AXA one-trip policy for around £30 that covers both pre-existing medical and cycling ("on a recreational and non-professional basis") but requires helmets. We're going with that for now and will chase up other insurance options for subsequent events where helmets aren't compulsory.