Many cyclists will want insurance for their tour to protect against medical problems and theft. Getting a policy for shorter trips is relatively straight forward as many companies will cover you but when you’re going on a world expedition, it’s far from obvious.

If you are based in the UK, consider the British Mountaineering Council. We found their prices competitive and because they are sports-focused they didn’t mind us being permanently on our bicycles. You could also ask local cycling groups for recommendations. With some companies, you may have to buy their package aimed at adventure or extreme activities.

No matter who you go with, make sure you ask the following:

• Will your policy cover me for cycle touring as a primary form of transport? Many travel policies aimed at gap year trips and backpackers only cover cycling as an incidental activity, not a primary one.
• Can I renew this policy after one year and from abroad? Some policies cannot be renewed or only from your country of residence.
• Will my policy be invalidated if I return home for a visit? The fine print may state that your policy becomes void if you go back home, even briefly. Because our trip started with a London-Montreal-London flight and then on to Europe, we had to exclude many potential policies.

The most important insurance you will need is medical, so that you will be properly taken care of if you are hit by a car or suffer some other tragedy on the road. For some countries, you may need to show an insurance policy as part of your visa application.

Some cyclists travelling in places like Thailand, where healthcare is relatively affordable and developed, prefer to go without insurance. This works fine for minor things like a broken leg or a toothache but in case of a serious accident it could be quite a burden on you and your family.

Although it is tempting to insure the bicycle itself, it will be very difficult to find a policy that will cover your bike except to a limited value and under certain circumstances. We did find one or two policies like this but the cost of insurance was almost equal to that of a new bicycle! Remember that you would also have to obtain a police report, which is not always easy outside of developed countries.

Cycle touring is relatively low-risk anyway so as long as you take due care (don’t leave your bike unattended outside a supermarket, for example) and bring a good lock you should be fine.

See also, Staying Healthy on a bike tour.