When you leave your bike unattended you need to consider three things:
The quality of the lock, and what you lock your bike too
Where you are locking your bike and who has access.
What type of bike you have and what package you are on - cargo bikes have additional locking requirements for laka core customers.
Quality of your lock and what you lock it to
Whenever you leave your bike unattended away from your home you’ll need to secure your bike to an immovable object using a Sold Secure Gold-Rated lock through the frame of the bike. If you have a cargo bike, and you are locking it overnight you'll need two Secure Gold-Rated locks.
We’ll need to see evidence that you owned a Sold Secure Gold rated lock before we can settle your claim.
The simplest way to provide this evidence is to add original photos to your Laka account. Photos must allow us to see the make and model of the lock and must have been taken before a claim took place.
What’s a Sold Secure Gold Lock?
Sold Secure is an independent, not for profit organisation that tests locks according to their strength, reliability and sophistication, ranking them either Diamond, Gold, Silver or Bronze.
You MUST use an at minimum Gold-rated lock through the frame of the bike if you want your theft claim to be covered by Laka.
Finding out which rating your lock is can be a bit of a minefield. So if you’re not sure whether your lock is a Sold Secure Gold-rated, you can type your make and model in here.
You can add your lock and upload an image as an accessory on your policy.
We also collate the best deals on Sold Secure Gold locks from around the web to give you a little extra help when choosing the right one for you. Check out the best deals on Sold Secure Gold locks here.
Please note: Many Gold locks come with steel cables for securing your wheel. These are not gold rated. If a thief only has to cut the steel cable you have not secured the bike with a gold lock, and your claim may be rejected.
What you lock your bike to
You must lock your bike to an immovable object - An immovable object is any fixed or solid object not capable of being undone, removed with or lifted under/over the bicycle, except through the use of specialist tools or equipment.
Where you lock your bike
There are 3 classifications of storage location:
Private storage location
Communal storage location
Public storage location
Each one has different locking and abandonment requirements for your cover to be valid.
To change your overnight storage location, please contact us.
Private storage locations
A private storage location is a secure, locked location, the access to which is controlled solely by you. So your bike would be covered in a house, locked shed, garage, garden or balcony – provided only your household has access. If multiple households have access, see the communal storage location.
You do not need to lock your bike in private storage locations.
If you’re travelling with your bike, we’ll consider wherever you’re staying to be your home temporarily for up to 120 days. This includes Hotel rooms.
Communal storage location
A communal storage location is “A secure location, access to which is limited and controlled, but not solely by you” - this might include a bike hanger on the street that is used by you and your neighbours or a shared bike park as part of your block of flats or at your office.
You need to lock your bike when using communal storage locations.
Public storage location
A public storage location is “any location that is not secure, access to which is not controlled and that is in the open and/or publicly accessible” - this will include any time you leave your bike on the street, train station etc.
You need to lock your bike when using public storage locations and not leave it unattended for more than 24 consecutive hours. After 24 hours we will consider your bike abandoned and you may have your claim rejected.