Weighing up Bikmo insurance against BackPedal? Bikmo is the incumbent: three cover tiers, multi-bike discounts, worldwide add-ons, prices that scale with your bike. BackPedal bins the menu. One flat bundle, built to get the stolen bike back. Same problem, opposite blueprint.
And the problem is real: 66,960 bikes were reported stolen in England and Wales in 2023/24. What matters isn't the monthly figure — it's whether a policy answers a theft with a cheque or with your bike. Here's how the two compare on cover, tiers, price, and what happens the day yours vanishes.
What Does Bikmo Insurance Cover?
Bikmo is an established UK cycle insurer, authorised and regulated by the FCA (ref 745230) and rated 4.0/5 on Trustpilot from 455 reviews. Cover starts from £3.73 a month across three tiers:
- CLIK — theft-only cover, with optional personal upgrades
- GO — theft, accidental damage and vandalism, plus kit cover and legal expenses
- PLUS — full protection including £2m public liability and £25k personal accident cover
All tiers pay out new-for-old with no depreciation, and Bikmo offers 50% off additional bikes and 25% off e-bike premiums. To stay covered, your bike must be secured with a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated lock.
It's a solid, transparent product. But pick any tier and theft ends the same way: bike gone, money paid.
How BackPedal Works: Recovery Before Payout
BackPedal doesn't do tiers. One bundle, one price, everything in — and a different premise underneath: you don't want the money, you want the bike.
Every subscription includes a covert GPS tracker, professionally hidden on your bike. Stolen? A dedicated recovery team goes after it, and typically has it back within around 48 hours — a 79.7% recovery rate across more than 1,000 bikes recovered so far. See how it works on the bike recovery service page.
If it can't be recovered, you're paid out like any standard insurer — cover underwritten by FCA-regulated Sundays Insurance. Recovery sits on top of conventional cover, not instead of it.
Honest caveat: tracker fitting for individual riders is currently London-only (zones 1–4), with wider rollout through 2026.
Want the tier-by-tier detail against your bike? See our Bikmo comparison page, or get a quote for your bike in a couple of minutes.
Bikmo vs BackPedal: The Key Differences
What happens after a theft
With Bikmo, you file a claim, prove ownership and lock compliance, and receive a payout. With BackPedal, the recovery team moves first — and in roughly four out of five cases, the original bike comes home. The payout is the safety net, not the whole product.
Tiers vs one flat rate
Bikmo starts at £3.73 a month and climbs with your bike's value and tier. BackPedal is £12.75 a month (£153 a year), flat — the £150 covert tracker kit and the recovery service included. Excess: £50 on a payout claim, nothing at all on a recovery.
Regulation
Both routes are FCA-regulated: Bikmo directly (ref 745230), and BackPedal through its underwriter, Sundays Insurance.
Who Is Bikmo Best For?
Bikmo is a strong fit if you:
- Own several bikes — the 50% multi-bike discount adds up quickly
- Travel or race — worldwide cover and racing add-ons are built in
- Want the lowest possible entry price for straightforward theft cover
It holds a 4.0/5 on Trustpilot — one of the better-known names for conventional payout cover, though BackPedal rates higher on Trustpilot, at 4.6/5.
When a Bikmo Alternative Makes More Sense
If you ride and park in a city — especially London — a Bikmo alternative built around recovery may fit better. Consider BackPedal if you:
- Ride one bike you love, where a payout would never quite replace it
- Commute daily and park in theft hotspots like stations and city centres
- Want a deterrent as well as a policy — a tracked bike is a recoverable bike
The maths is short. A payout replaces your bike eventually. A 79.7% recovery rate gets the actual bike back, usually in about 48 hours. Learn more about bike insurance built around recovery.
Bikmo Insurance FAQs
Does Bikmo insurance include a GPS tracker?
No. Bikmo's policies cover theft, damage and related costs, but no tier includes tracking hardware or a recovery service. BackPedal includes a covert GPS tracker and a professional recovery team as standard with every policy, alongside conventional insurance cover.
Is Bikmo FCA-regulated?
Yes — Bikmo Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (ref 745230). BackPedal's cover is underwritten by Sundays Insurance, which is also FCA-regulated, so both options give you regulated UK insurance protection.
What happens if BackPedal cannot recover my stolen bike?
You use the bundled insurance, exactly as you would with a standard insurer. Recovery comes first — with a 79.7% success rate — but if the team cannot retrieve your bike, the underwritten policy pays out so you can replace it.
Is BackPedal available outside London?
Recovery operates UK-wide and fleet cover is available nationally. For individual riders, covert tracker fitting is currently offered in London zones 1–4, with expansion planned through 2026. If you're outside London, check the latest availability before taking out a policy.
The Verdict
On paper, both look after you. The difference is what “looked after” means. Bikmo hands you a well-priced menu and a payout. BackPedal hands you one bundle — and, four times out of five, your own bike back. If you want low-cost, flexible cover for several bikes, Bikmo insurance is a credible pick. If you want to keep the bike you ride, that's the job BackPedal was built for.
Get a quote for your bike — it takes a couple of minutes.