Hi,
I’m wondering about getting some sort of liability insurance for commuting to / from work in New South Wales, Australia.
I’m on a 36”er and am riding to work (14km or 8.75 miles) each way. Up to 3 times a week. Ave speed 13km/hr , 8mph. I travel mostly on back (low traffic) streets.
I believe, in NSW a unicycle is considered a pedestrian. And legally supposed to ride on the road only if there is no median markings.
Anyone have knowledge about this. I was thinking to approach Bicycle NSW. Unicycle society of Australia only has insurance for event participation.
I have no idea but is anything possible with your home insurance?
In Germany, damages you cause others by unicycling (or cycling, or doing pretty much anything except driving, where there is a separate insurance) would be covered by personal liability insurance (if you have one).
I know my parents personal liability insurance covered the damages when I accidentally dented a car when unicycling.
I’m in the UK and all my unicycle are insured with Laka I pay £30 a month for 4 unicycle with public liability insurance.
I’m not from the geographic region in question, so take my questions or thoughts with a grain of salt.
What is the goal to protect? You, your equipment, or others?
In any case, at least where I have lived, niche insurance like this just seems a bit overkill and an unnecessary bill. Even when it is supposed to work, we often have to wrestle with it and jump through hoops to get paid (if ever), and in the meantime we are bleeding out a monthly bill.
You also have to think about worst case scenarios, and with what you describe - I don’t think they sound all that bad. Anything for bodily harm (for you or others) is health insurance where I’m from, and unicycle equipment is fairly cheap, all things considered.
I was pondering insurance the other day and remembered British cycling membership seems to offer insurance as part of their packages, I have no idea if they cover Unicycling or how functional it is if the worst was to happen?.
I will also keep that link in mind, good to know a company that does offer liability. Hitting the eject button when I am passing something expensive is a huge fear of mine.
Interestingly I just saw this last week, while this obviously doesn’t answer the original question for New South Wales, it does give a perspective on whether or not to get third-party insurance from a cycling legal professional. Her comments on the use of shared-use paths is what I found most interesting here.
I have third-party insurance included with my Cycling-UK membership, I should really check it that covers unicycling. I don’t really know what the legal status of a unicycle is in the UK, so that would be interesting to find out from them. It might well be the equivalent Australian national/state cyclist’s organisation can help out with advice on requirements there as you said.
Thanks everyone for your contributions to this topic.
That was a really interesting video that summed it all up nicely.
Bicycling NSW replied to my enquire and are going to get an answer from their insurance provider.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep practicing my backward riding of my 29” in large gassy areas away from people.
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What are gassy areas? Prolly good it is away from other people. Might not smell that good
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Haha, yeah …grassy areas… although with the heavy rain we have been getting in Sydney recently, some grassy open field areas are water logged with some stagnant pools stinking up the place.
4 times in the last 18 months we have had rainfall causing flooding considered to be 1 in 100 year flood events.
I must say, KH29 with the 3 1/2” tires is handling the boggy ground quite well.
I can confirm that Cycling UK insurance for both third party personal insurance as well as Club insurance covers unicycling (at least on paper, I’ve not tried to claim for anything yet).
I have it for One Wheel Leeds and I rang both Cycling UK and Butterworth Spengler (the insurance brokers) to confirm.
In the UK a unicycle is a pedal cycle, which is the language the insurers and most UK law uses.
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Excellent, thanks for that. I am away just now and was going to email them when I got home so you’ve saved me the bother – and like most things I may have never got round to it though 