We spend thousands of dollars on triathlon equipment. What if, for an affordable price, you could ride your bike knowing that in case of an accident both YOU and YOUR BIKE are covered? No brainer right? Introducing BikeInsure. You’re welcome.

It’s no secret I love riding a bicycle. Recently, I tried to count how many centuries (100 mile rides) I have done and I couldn’t remember them all. I stopped counting at twenty one. Some were memorable, such as the first one and my first 12 hour race. Some were just part of Ironman training.

I obviously like being on the road. Many times I ride with a group, but more often than not I ride alone. In the midst of my work-at-home-mom life, I have a hard time finding quiet and long rides create that space.

Not every ride is great. There are times I struggle with headwind regardless of the direction I turn, or heat rising from the asphalt intent on baking me. But I do enjoy the sound of the tire on the road; it becomes the sound of my thoughts.

I write great posts, have many Ah-HA moments, think of hundreds of things all while keeping my body fit. Unfortunately, I usually don’t remember any of my genius ideas! But I know they are in there somewhere and will come out at the appropriate time.

Yet, in the same breath I am terrified of going out on the bike. In fact, a few of those centuries were completed indoors at the Ultrabikex Computrainer Studio because I was too afraid to ride outside. If you have followed my blog for any time, this is not news and in fact it is what led me to participate in the GEICO Florida Road Safety Bike Tour, create Bike Key Biscayne, and volunteer for the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act.

I’ve overcome my paralyzing fear of a fatal crash. I’m the safest rider I can be: stop at every light, ride in daylight only, usually only ride with people I know. If something were to happen, such as a drunk driver hitting me, there’s not much I can do about that. It can happen as I cross the street, drive my car, or sit in my living room (yes, that happens too).

But every weekend I see a post on Facebook where a cycling friend had a fall. Most times, thankfully, it’s nothing serious – bumps, bruises and road rashes. But many times it’s broken bones, hospitals, and surgeries.

I have a problem.

If something like that happened to me, it’s probably the end of my cycling gig for three big reasons:

• I’m liable for a significant amount of money. As an entrepreneurial family we are self insured with a high deductible. That was the best option for us. If I set foot in a hospital, the deductible begins to kicks in. So for even a silly fall, or a broken bone, I need to foot the bill and it’s not cheap.
• Who takes care of my kids if I can’t function? I have friends and family that will help, sure, but I would also need some kind of help just to get through the day with all that being a mom entails. Even if I feel okay, if I can’t drive I have a huge problem.
• My bike is due for an upgrade and I can’t bring myself to do it. Our family loves to travel and have all sorts of adventure. The cost of a bike is equivalent to a trip for our whole family. I’m not saying I don’t deserve the things I like, but I would need to be very creative to replace my Cannondale Slice. If I am in a bike accident and both my bike and I get “damaged,” chances are I won’t be able to fix both of us at the same time.

This used to worry me a lot.

People say it’s not a matter of if you fall, it’s a matter of when. I haven’t had a bad fall (knocking on wood, avoiding all sorts of jinx here), and the thought of it happening kept me up at night.

Until now.

I kept seeing BikeInsure on Twitter and checked it out. BikeInsure covers expenses for BOTH medical bills AS WELL AS bike damage in case of a bike accident.  It even covers you if you are racing in a competitive event. As with any insurance product, you have to read the fine print but even that seemed okay for me.

As the website states, there are bicycle riding coverage elements that include:

Bicycle Physical Damage (up to $10,000)

Medical and Dental (up to $10,000)

Bicycle Accessories ($500 per occurrence, $1,000 aggregate)

The way I see it, if something were to happen I won’t go bankrupt. For $199 per year, BikeInsure covers more than my deductible for medical bills and costs associated with a bike accident including my bike. I spend more than $200 a year on pretty much anything related to triathlon.

I purchased BikeInsure and became an instant fan. So much so I am now an ambassador! I’m in good company too: Leanda Cave, Christian Vande Velde, Jennifer Fletcher, Kristin Mayer from Betty Designs and others …

The other thing I loved about BikeInsure was their commitment to social causes. They have partnered with several organizations including CAF and Yield To Life and donate on a regular basis. I’m ALL about that.

Has purchasing insurance changed anything about my riding? In a sense, no.  I am still the cautious rider I have always been because the last thing I want is a problem.  But it does make it easier to enjoy my ride knowing that at least financially, my cycling does not put my family at risk.  To find out more visit BikeInsure and check out if this will give you some peace of mind as it did for me.