Compare bike insuranceStreatham recovery
BackPedal vs Laka: recovery vs community pool.
Laka is one of the most-talked-about modern UK bike insurers — a community-pool model with no excess. BackPedal sits in a different category: recovery-first cover, with insurance as backup. Both modern, both UK-focused — but they solve the bike-theft problem in different ways.
- +80%Recovery rate
- ~48hTypical recovery time
- 24/7In-house ops team
Recovery with no exclusions
Even if you forgot to lock up — we still recover your bike.
Full insurance backup included
Underwritten by Sundays Insurance, FCA regulated.
Tracking kit & professional installation
Covert GSM, GPS & BLE tracking kit — expertly installed, all part of your subscription.
Watch one of our recoveries
Trusted by thousands of families, commuters, racers and delivery riders because we do more than just insure… we recover.
What Laka does well
Laka pioneered the community-pool model in UK bike insurance: members contribute to a shared pot, payouts come from the pool, no excess on claims. The model rewards low-claim behaviour and resonates with cyclists who like the community-aligned angle.
Their app, claims experience, and cycling-community focus are all strong. For cyclists who prefer no-excess cover and like the idea of community-pooled insurance, Laka is a serious option.
Where BackPedal differs
Laka pays you out when your bike is stolen. BackPedal sends a team to recover it. Different mechanisms for the same problem. Recovery is built around covert GSM, GPS, and BLE trackers fitted by our mechanics, a 24/7 ops team, and recovery agents that work UK-wide — we already protect thousands of ebikes nationwide for fleet partners. We've recovered over 80% of bikes reported to us. If you're looking for a Laka alternative that recovers the bike rather than pooling payouts, that's BackPedal.
Most BackPedal subscribers never claim because the bike comes back. Laka's payout model is built around the bike being gone for good — it's a different product. For most commuters and high-value cyclists, recovery typically wins. For cyclists who want a no-excess community-aligned policy, Laka is the better fit.
How BackPedal works
Three steps. Covert trackers go on your bike, you call us when it's stolen, and our agents go and get it back. We've recovered over 80% of bikes reported to us.
01
Install trackers
Our mechanics fit covert GSM, GPS & BLE trackers to your bike anywhere in London — at the time and place you choose, 8am to 8pm, every day.
UP TO £149 OF KIT8AM–8PM, DAILY
02
24/7 Recovery OpsReport a theft
When your bike goes, you call our 24/7 hotline. We deploy recovery agents the same hour and keep you updated until it's back.
24/7 HOTLINESAME-HOUR DEPLOY
03
RecoveredOn its way homeBike recovered
We track it down, check it for damage, return it to your door, and handle the police report and any insurance claim on your behalf.
+80% RECOVEREDCLAIM HANDLED
+80%
Recovery rate
~48h
Typical recovery time
24/7
In-house ops team
Real recovery footage · updated weekly
Watch us
get them back.
Every clip is real footage from a BackPedal recovery, filmed by our agents on the ground. New recoveries land every week.
Watch the recoveries
Streatham6 hours to recover1:19
Stratford22 hours to recover1:12
Brighton2 days to recover1:15
Twickenham13 hours to recover1:11
London9 days to recover1:06
Hounslow23 hours to recover1:11
Kensington10 days to recover1:03the wall
Traditional bike
insurance vs
BackPedal
A bike is stolen every 2 minutes in the UK. Fewer than 2% of thieves are ever caught. Traditional insurers don't care — they just price it into your premium. The thief profits. You start again. Nothing changes.
BackPedal is different. We track your bike, recover it, and return it to you — so the thief gets nothing. Insurance is our backup, not our business model.
What you get
RecommendedBackPedalRecovery + Insurance
Other Bike InsuranceTypical Policy
01Recovery & Protection
Get your actual bike back
Covert GPS tracking included
24/7 recovery team deployed
Bike stolen? One call and we take over
02No exclusions on recovery
Forgot to lock up? Still covered
Left outside your house? Still covered
Stolen whilst riding? Still covered
03Insurance
If we can't recover your bike, our backup insurance by Sundays kicks in — the same kind of cover you'd get from any other bike insurer. Standard terms apply and claims are subject to approval.
Financial cover for a replacement bike
Accessory cover
Theft damage cover
Excess
£50*
Varies
* No excess on recovery claims. £200 excess for battery-only insurance claims.
★ ★ ★ AS SEEN ON TV
On the hunt
with TV crews
Three film crews. Three networks. One question — what does it actually look like to recover a stolen bike? Press play and find out.
45 minFeatured · BBC One
Trace, Track, Get My Car Back
In London, bike recovery specialist Bilal hunts down an ebike's GPS signal to a block of flats — and is shocked to discover what looks like a bike chop shop inside.
Watch on BBC iPlayer Series 1 · Episode 15 · 45 min
Crime + Investigation · 60 min
Bike Theft: London's Recovery Crew
“A routine recovery spirals into public confrontations, police involvement and a chase across multiple thefts — showing how unpredictable stolen bike recoveries can be.”
Watch on YouTube
Channel 4 Dispatches · 30 min
Britain's Bike Theft Capital
“Dispatches secretly films suspected handlers and goes on the trail of stolen bikes with our team.”
Watch on YouTubeThe kit · £150 of trackers
Covert trackers,
disguised & hidden
Every bike we protect gets a covert tracking kit — hidden away within the bike itself, or tucked into one of 17 disguised casings, so no two bikes look alike and thieves never learn the hiding spots.
Depending on your bike, that's some mix of an always-on Live GPS, a no-wires Sleeper GPS that wakes the moment your bike's reported stolen, and a short-range Proximity Beacon that leads our agents to it indoors. Read more about the trackers.
Handlebar cable coverCovers any brake, gear and electrical cables whilst hiding the tracker
Browse the disguises · tap to preview
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Rated 4.7 · 35 reviews on Trustpilot
Our customers love us
July 2026
Not all heroes wear capes...
It was past midnight and I didn't have much hope of anything happening that night… Richard answered immediately… By 5pm, Edgar had delivered my bike to my home, in exactly the same condition as it was before.
I cannot recommend this service highly enough - if you care about your bike, it's a no brainer!
July 2026
Who are you gonna call?
My Canyon e-bike was stolen… they were professional, knowledgeable, reassuring and super responsive. They kept me informed throughout the process. Most importantly, they successfully recovered my bike within 10 hours of me contacting them.
…it was like a military operation and they won.
May 2026
I can't recommend backpedal enough
To my absolute amazement, they successfully recovered my bike within 2 hours. What really stood out was the customer service; they kept me updated the entire time, providing constant peace of mind during a chaotic situation.
They've earned a lifelong customer… Truly spectacular service!
November 2025
Game changer company!
Edgar from Backpedal got our bike back within an hour of reporting the theft. The whole process was caring, professional and fast - I'm so impressed. I'd highly recommend Backpedal - since police isn't going to do anything, these guys are absolute heroes! Thank you!
January 2026
A superb team. If you have a nice bike in London its a no brainer.
A superb team from start to finish. Everyone in the office was helpful, kind, and extremely supportive. Having people on your side who know what they're doing can completely change an otherwise frustrating and futile situation into a positive one. I called in the morning and had my bike back by the afternoon. Edgar is sharp, efficient, and exactly the person you want when it comes to recoveries.
June 2026
The BackPedal team is amazing
The BackPedal team is amazing! They retrieved my bike within hours of reporting it, and made the whole process look trivial and reassuring. The experience is really like their instagram videos.
These guys are clearly professionals that can be trusted and on top of that they are super nice!
See all 35 reviews on Trustpilot
Reviews shown verbatim from our public Trustpilot profile.
Laka vs BackPedal FAQs
What's the difference between Laka and BackPedal?
Laka uses a community pool model — members contribute to a shared pot and pay out together when claims happen. There's no excess. BackPedal runs an active recovery service: when your bike's stolen we deploy a team to recover it, with insurance as backup if recovery fails. Different models for the same problem.
What does Laka do well?
Laka has a strong cycling community focus, no-excess policies, and modern UI. They've pioneered the community-pool angle in UK bike insurance and many cyclists like the model. If your priority is a community-aligned insurer with no excess, Laka is a serious option.
Where does BackPedal differ from Laka?
Recovery service. Laka pays out when your bike is stolen; BackPedal sends a team to recover it. The covert GSM, GPS, and BLE tracker fitted by our mechanics powers the recovery. Most BackPedal subscribers never claim because the bike comes back — Laka's payout model doesn't apply when recovery succeeds.
Is BackPedal cheaper than Laka?
Headline prices vary by bike value. Laka pricing depends on community-pool contributions in any given month. BackPedal pricing is a flat subscription — annual upfront in year 1 (covers the tracker + install), monthly or annual at a discount from year 2. For a like-for-like comparison, get a real quote from both — for most subscribers, BackPedal's bundled tracker + recovery + insurance works out competitive, especially when the bike comes home and you never claim.
Can I switch from Laka to BackPedal?
Yes. Cancel your Laka membership and start a BackPedal subscription. Talk to us if you want help timing the switch — we can advise on cover gaps during the transition.
See your BackPedal price
If recovery is the angle you want, get a real price for your bike's value in 60 seconds.