Compare bike insuranceStreatham recovery
BackPedal vs PedalSure: recovery-first vs payout cover.
PedalSure is a modern UK bike insurer with simple, straightforward policy wording. BackPedal is the recovery-first alternative: a covert tracker, a 24/7 ops team, and recovery agents who go and get the bike back. Different products, same problem.
- +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 PedalSure does well
PedalSure is part of the new generation of UK bike insurers — straightforward digital-first policies, modern UI, simpler claims experience than legacy insurers. They focus on clear cover with fewer surprises than older policies.
If you want a straightforward payout-style policy with a modern interface and don't need the recovery angle, PedalSure is a reasonable choice.
Where BackPedal differs
PedalSure pays you out when your bike's stolen. BackPedal sends a team to recover it. The tracker hardware (covert GSM, GPS, and BLE — about £150 worth) and the 24/7 recovery team are bundled into the subscription. They're not add-ons; they're the product. If you're after a PedalSure alternative with recovery built in, that's BackPedal.
For most BackPedal subscribers, the insurance side never triggers — the bike comes back. That's a different outcome from a payout. PedalSure's headline premium often looks lower because it doesn't include the tracker or recovery service; BackPedal's bundled price is the apples-to-apples comparison.
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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Our customers love us
My bike was stolen… BackPedal took over the whole operation to get my bike back. Kind and caring and excellent at their job!
Alexandra Stratos
Chef, Highbury
My ebike is essential to our lives so I love the peace of mind knowing you've got a team there ready to go if the unthinkable happens.
Elan TamSey
Musician, Walthamstow
BackPedal gives me a way to protect my kit and fight back against bike theft at the same time.
Mat Shreeve
Engineer, Camden Town
BackPedal have recovered my ebike twice now. It is still a horrible experience having my bike stolen but the team are so resourceful they got a quick result.
They could not have been more conscientious on my behalf.
Frances Kelly
Kensington
PedalSure vs BackPedal FAQs
What's the difference between PedalSure and BackPedal?
PedalSure is a modern bike insurance provider with a straightforward payout model. BackPedal is recovery-first: we deploy a team to retrieve your stolen bike, with insurance as backup. PedalSure replaces the bike; BackPedal returns the bike.
What does PedalSure do well?
PedalSure offers clean, modern bike insurance with simpler policy wording than legacy insurers. They've focused on a digital-first claim experience. If your priority is a straightforward payout-style policy with a modern UI, PedalSure is a reasonable option.
Where does BackPedal differ from PedalSure?
Active recovery. PedalSure pays out when the bike's gone; BackPedal tries to bring it back. Recovery operations run UK-wide (we already recover thousands of bikes nationwide for fleet partners) with an 80%+ success rate. For most subscribers the bike comes home, which means no claim, no excess, no waiting.
Is PedalSure cheaper than BackPedal?
Compare like-for-like. PedalSure's headline premium often looks lower because it doesn't include tracker hardware or recovery service. BackPedal bundles both into the subscription, which means the cost-per-good-outcome (bike actually returned) is usually better with BackPedal.
Can I switch from PedalSure to BackPedal?
Yes. Cancel your existing PedalSure policy and start a BackPedal subscription. Talk to us if you'd like help timing the switch around your renewal date.
See your BackPedal price
Get an instant price — tracker, install, recovery, insurance, all bundled.