Searching Bikmo vs Laka usually means you have narrowed UK bike insurance to the two names cyclists talk about most, and you want someone not selling either to lay them side by side. One disclosure first: BackPedal sells bike insurance too, so we compete with both. Our own product gets one section at the end, and everything else comes from what each company publishes.
Below: how the two pricing models work, what Laka Core vs Complete and Bikmo's CLIK, GO and PLUS include, lock rules and claims, what Bikmo reviews and Laka reviews say, and the one thing neither offers.
How the Bikmo and Laka pricing models differ
This is the real difference between them, and it matters more than any feature list.
Laka: a collective with a monthly cap
Laka has no fixed premium. You pay nothing upfront. At the end of each month the cost of the collective's claims is split between members, and your share is based on your bike's value. Laka states that bicycle insurance starts at £5 a month and every member is given a monthly cap, the most you can ever pay in a month. Your cap depends on where you live, your insured value and your cover level. London caps run higher than rural ones.
If you're budget conscious, you could view your cap as what you expect your premium to be with anything lower being an unexpected saving.
Upside: cheap months when few people claim. Downside: you know your ceiling, not your annual cost.
Bikmo: a fixed premium, new-for-old
Bikmo works like conventional insurance. Bikmo quotes from £3.73 a month based on your declared bike value. The bike is covered new-for-old with no depreciation. Extra bikes get 50% off and e-bikes 25% off. Bikmo states there are no price increases or penalties when you claim. The underwriter is Hiscox.
Takeaway on Bikmo vs Laka pricing: if you want a known cost, Bikmo. If you will trade certainty for a variable bill with a ceiling, Laka.
Laka Core vs Complete against Bikmo CLIK, GO and PLUS
What Laka's two plans include
Core covers theft at home and away, including mugging and theft from a vehicle. It replaces gear and accessories with the latest model, covers sportives and events, and includes up to £200 towards a rental bike, legal assistance and £2 million liability. Complete adds crash and accidental damage and £200 emergency travel cash. Licensed racing cover and worldwide travel (up to 120 consecutive days) are optional extras.
What Bikmo's three plans include
- CLIK: theft only, with accessory cover, £250k legal expenses and 365-day worldwide cover.
- GO: adds accidental damage and vandalism, public liability, and medical, dental and optical cover.
- PLUS: adds £25k serious personal accident cover, £2m public liability and optional road, crit and circuit racing.
Takeaway: Laka's Core includes liability, which Bikmo reserves for GO and PLUS. Bikmo's CLIK is the only theft-only plan of the five.
Lock rules, excess and claims
Lock requirements
Both ask for a Sold Secure Gold lock through the frame to an immovable object. Laka & Bikmo both add a rule worth knowing: a bike left in a public place for more than 24 consecutive hours is treated as abandoned and the claim may be rejected. Laka does not require locking in private storage only you control, such as a garage. Our best bike lock guide lists Gold-rated options.
Excess
Laka advertises £0 excess on Core and Complete. Bikmo's product pages and policy wording do not publish a standard excess figure, so check your quote before you buy.
Making a claim
Laka asks you to upload photos of your bike and lock to your account before any claim. Bikmo claims go through an online form and need a police crime reference number. Bikmo says a fully documented claim is typically processed in 5 to 7 working days.
Want both next to a recovery-first policy on one page? Our bike insurance comparison puts cover, conditions and price side by side.
Bikmo reviews vs Laka reviews
Laka shows a 4.9 Trustpilot rating and says it has been named Best Cycle Insurance Provider eight years running. Bikmo reviews sit on Feefo, with a Platinum rating from 3,308 reviews. The company is B Corp certified. Both are FCA regulated. Star ratings say more about service than about payouts. On payouts, Laka is unusually open: it names an unapproved lock as the top reason it rejects a claim. Bikmo requires the same Sold Secure Gold rating. The lock, not the brand, is what decides whether you are covered.
Where BackPedal differs from both
The section we promised. However you settle Laka vs Bikmo, both are payout policies: bike stolen, conditions met, you claim, you are paid. Neither product page mentions getting the bike back. BackPedal starts with recovery: a covert tracker is fitted at install, and when a bike is stolen the recovery team goes after it, typically within around 48 hours, with over 1,000 bikes recovered at a 79.7% recovery rate. If a bike cannot be recovered, there is cover you can claim on for its value.
The trade-off is geography: consumer installs are London zones 1 to 4 only, so outside London Bikmo or Laka is the practical choice. Full write-ups: Laka against BackPedal and Bikmo against BackPedal.
In short: Bikmo vs Laka comes down to pricing model. Laka gives you a variable cost with £0 excess and a monthly ceiling; Bikmo gives you a fixed premium, new-for-old and a stated 5 to 7 day claim. Both need a Gold lock, and both pay out rather than recover.
If you ride in London and would rather get the bike back than the money, get a BackPedal quote and compare it against the two above.
FAQs
Is Laka cheaper than Bikmo?
Not reliably. Laka's cost varies month to month with the collective's claims, from around £5 a month up to your personal cap. Bikmo is a fixed premium from £3.73 a month. Compare Laka's cap, not its starting price, against Bikmo's fixed quote.
What is the difference between Laka Core and Complete?
Core covers theft, accessories, events, £200 towards a rental bike, legal assistance and £2 million liability. Complete adds crash and accidental damage, £200 emergency travel cash, optional licensed racing cover and optional worldwide travel for up to 120 consecutive days. Theft only: Core. Racing or crash damage: Complete.
What lock do Bikmo and Laka require?
Both require a Sold Secure Gold lock through the frame to an immovable object whenever the bike is left in a public or communal space. Bikmo also accepts Diamond-rated locks. Laka treats a bike left in public for more than 24 consecutive hours as abandoned. A cable lock on its own does not satisfy either policy.
Do Bikmo or Laka recover stolen bikes?
Neither company's product pages mention a recovery service. Both are payout policies: if the bike is stolen and the lock conditions were met, you claim and are paid the bike's value. BackPedal is the UK insurer built around recovery first, with a tracker fitted at install and a recovery team, currently for London riders.