Cowsham wrote: 9 Dec 2025, 9:09pm For Organizers (Skyline Events/BHF):
Public Liability: Essential to cover claims for injury or damage to third parties (public, participants, property).
Event Cancellation/Contingency: Covers financial losses if the event must be called off due to unforeseen issues like extreme weather, pandemics, or riots (Force Majeure).
So if it's only public liability insurance why insist the cyclists wear helmets? ( further on down the conditions list )
because the cyclists are the participants?
Or am I confused?!
I'd thought about that too but doesn't really make sense ie Is that in case a cyclist falls on another cyclist? But the helmet the falling cyclist is wearing will do more harm to another cyclists body than his softer skull, unless he's managed to get some air and comes down from above.
And that's the Google bit -- not the conditions quoted lower down my post
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
Cowsham wrote: 10 Dec 2025, 9:14am
I'd thought about that too but doesn't really make sense ie Is that in case a cyclist falls on another cyclist? But the helmet the falling cyclist is wearing will do more harm to another cyclists body than his softer skull, unless he's managed to get some air and comes down from above.
And that's the Google bit -- not the conditions quoted lower down my post
The helmet is to protect the cyclist wearing it. The insurers think that the risk or amount they may be required to pay out if a participant bangs their noggin during the event is reduced if the participants are wearing a helmet, and therefore compel the organisers to require it.
Cowsham wrote: 10 Dec 2025, 9:14am
I'd thought about that too but doesn't really make sense ie Is that in case a cyclist falls on another cyclist? But the helmet the falling cyclist is wearing will do more harm to another cyclists body than his softer skull, unless he's managed to get some air and comes down from above.
And that's the Google bit -- not the conditions quoted lower down my post
The helmet is to protect the cyclist wearing it. The insurers think that the risk or amount they may be required to pay out if a participant bangs their noggin during the event is reduced if the participants are wearing a helmet, and therefore compel the organisers to require it.
The efficacy of noggin protection may be debated.
I think you've missed the point I was making. They don't have insurance for you as a participant only public liability insurance in the event you hit a member of the public or damage someone else's property.
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
Cowsham wrote: 10 Dec 2025, 3:10pm
They don't have insurance for you as a participant only public liability insurance in the event you hit a member of the public or damage someone else's property.
Please forgive me for doubting your research - and I may yet be proved wrong - but I'd be AMAZED if they don't have liability insurance that covers claims by participants for injury.
[The other parallel issue is that such cover IS available WITHOUT helmet requirements, but I don't think they care ... <sigh> ... ]
Straight from the terms and conditions page of their website for the 2026 event .....
IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Road cycling is an active sport and participation in such sports necessarily involves a risk of injury or
death regardless of the standard of the organisation of the event you are taking part in. I voluntarily
accept all the risks inherent in this event and I agree for myself and my personal representatives to
indemnify and hold harmless Skyline Promotions Ltd against any claim or claims whether on my own
account or from third parties arising out of any accident or incident resulting in any loss or damage
(including bodily injury and death). I confirm I have read all the sections of these Terms, and I
understand and agree to be bound to those terms and conditions and to comply fully with the same.
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
Cowsham wrote: 10 Dec 2025, 9:14am
I'd thought about that too but doesn't really make sense ie Is that in case a cyclist falls on another cyclist? But the helmet the falling cyclist is wearing will do more harm to another cyclists body than his softer skull, unless he's managed to get some air and comes down from above.
And that's the Google bit -- not the conditions quoted lower down my post
The helmet is to protect the cyclist wearing it. The insurers think that the risk or amount they may be required to pay out if a participant bangs their noggin during the event is reduced if the participants are wearing a helmet, and therefore compel the organisers to require it.
The efficacy of noggin protection may be debated.
Alternatively, the insurers think the event will be smaller and thereby less risky if they insist on helmets being required. And they may be able to weasel out of paying any claims if the organiser fails to enforce the requirement. Win either way, trebles all round!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Cowsham wrote: 10 Dec 2025, 4:18pm
Straight from the terms and conditions page of their website for the 2026 event .....
IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Road cycling is an active sport and participation in such sports necessarily involves a risk of injury or
death regardless of the standard of the organisation of the event you are taking part in. I voluntarily
accept all the risks inherent in this event and I agree for myself and my personal representatives to
indemnify and hold harmless Skyline Promotions Ltd against any claim or claims whether on my own
account or from third parties arising out of any accident or incident resulting in any loss or damage
(including bodily injury and death). I confirm I have read all the sections of these Terms, and I
understand and agree to be bound to those terms and conditions and to comply fully with the same.
With respect, do you honestly think this means no claim can ever be made against them by participants?
(I can't think why else you would have made this post... )
Cowsham wrote: 9 Dec 2025, 9:09pm For Organizers (Skyline Events/BHF):
Public Liability: Essential to cover claims for injury or damage to third parties (public, participants, property).
Event Cancellation/Contingency: Covers financial losses if the event must be called off due to unforeseen issues like extreme weather, pandemics, or riots (Force Majeure).
i'll again quote your post where you confirmed what public liability covers........
mattheus wrote: 11 Dec 2025, 10:38am
With respect, do you honestly think this means no claim can ever be made against them by participants?
(I can't think why else you would have made this post... )
Insurance is there to cover the organisers in respect of claims of negligence etc. Not sure about this particular instance but I know that British Cycling event insurance specifically does not cover rider on rider claims partly because in a race or sportive it's often very difficult to establish blame, it becomes a he said / she said scenario and partly because British Cycling would be representing both the claimant and the defendant.
Against an event organiser, I suspect a claim would be difficult but not impossible - however so long as the event organiser has a risk assessment and an audit trail, a participant would have a hard time suing for coming off on a pothole for example.
Cowsham wrote: 9 Dec 2025, 9:09pm For Organizers (Skyline Events/BHF):
Public Liability: Essential to cover claims for injury or damage to third parties (public, participants, property).
Event Cancellation/Contingency: Covers financial losses if the event must be called off due to unforeseen issues like extreme weather, pandemics, or riots (Force Majeure).
So if it's only public liability insurance why insist the cyclists wear helmets? ( further on down the conditions list )
because the cyclists are the participants?
Or am I confused?!
You're confused ( but you probably should be I'm still confused myself cos of their t&c's ) what you've quoted there and emboldened is the Googled summary which only assumes ( I assume ) ( which is not in the t&c's ) but reading the t&c's it seems no they don't insure you and it seems to be recommended in their t&c's that you take out your own insurance though even that's not very clear either. ( ie it may only be suggested you get insurance against a force Majeure event where you won't get your money back if the event is cancelled ie only to cover that loss -- it's not a well written t&c's document ).
This is my point -- I'm confused about what it means.
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
I was always under the impression that LtoB wasn't intended to be, and wasn't described by the organisers as a 'race'.
Maybe I'm incorrect.
Many years ago, the President of my cycling club asked if I was going to join the members on the L to B. I declined, stating my concern that many riders, unknown to us and who may not be skilled in bike riding would be taking part. After the event, he agreed that my concerns were correct and said he witnessed riders flying through the air in the first mile!
fastpedaller wrote: 14 Dec 2025, 6:30pm
I was always under the impression that LtoB wasn't intended to be, and wasn't described by the organisers as a 'race'.
Maybe I'm incorrect.
Many years ago, the President of my cycling club asked if I was going to join the members on the L to B. I declined, stating my concern that many riders, unknown to us and who may not be skilled in bike riding would be taking part. After the event, he agreed that my concerns were correct and said he witnessed riders flying through the air in the first mile!
From what I can see it's titled "Ride" so not a race ( I may have mentioned "Race" when mentioning Googling it - serves the purpose to find what Google says about the insurance ( which is different to the T&C's ) but can't see anything about a Race. Others mentioned Race further up thread but that may have been in reference to a previous time where there may have been a race at one time ( cue cycle historians )
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
it's probably one of those rides, that's not a race but they record your time and position finished so certain people treat it as such.
In my experience of doing some charity rides and such, its not the "inexperienced" riders who are the problem but the club riders who are treating it as a race, who blast past too close in packs, antisocially stick to your rear wheel etc.
deeferdonk wrote: 15 Dec 2025, 8:01am
it's probably one of those rides, that's not a race but they record your time and position finished so certain people treat it as such.
Maybe it's cos if it was designated a race it would need insurance for participants which it does say in the T&C's it doesn't have ( though that's not completely clear although what is clear is that they have public liability insurance ) so my original point was why enforce the wearing of helmets to participate. ( I wear a cycle helmet but wouldn't want it to be mandatory -- as far as I'm concerned it's your head and I don't care about it and I don't have hair to mess up )
"Lifted like a kite from the ground both wind and string we need."
