By Tory Hendelman, Bike Virginia Blogger and Rider Support Services Coordinator at the Bike Virginia Tour
Ride A Little Easier: You’re Covered.
If you’ve ridden a bicycle, you recognize the risks: Roads can be rough, gravel seems to migrate, and the behavior of some drivers can get downright vindictive. But it’s never enough to dissuade the true enthusiast. The thrill of the breeze and the catharsis of cranking pedals trump whatever hesitation and fear those risks may instill.
Usually, this approach works, and we park our bikes safely in the nook from which they were removed. On rare ocassions, this isn’t the case. Jay Paul from BalanceForCyclists knows this. He knows that accidents happen, has friends that have suffered serious brain injury in cycling accidents, and cites readily the statistics surrounding cycling in the state. The bottom line is that traumatic injury and deaths can occur, and that it’s a reality that isn’t going away.
“I had a career that I loved for years, but I looked around me at fellow cyclists that were getting hurt and suffering traumatic injuries, and there just wan’t something there for them,” Paul says. That’s why he has partnered with the Zurich Insurance company to create an insurance policy designed for cyclists by a cyclist. “I’ve been riding for years. I participate in Bike Virginia, do at least five century rides a year, and even recently completed El Tour De Tucson. I’ve seen enough injuries and know enough sad stories to have recognized that this is an incredibly helpful and comforting idea for many cyclists.”
Aptly named “BalanceForCyclists”, his program offers coverage in the case of traumatic injury that occurs while cycling. “This isn’t about broken arms and broken legs—you have insurance already that covers those things. This is about the traumatic injury that those policies sometimes fail to adequately support.”
The policy covers catastrophic accidents that result in permanent damage. Brain trauma, paralysis, and even death would be covered, providing a fixed, lump-sum payout for the policy holder. It also includes a $100/day payment assistance for any time spent in the hospital.
As he points out, “Brain trauma injuries require hundreds of visits to the hospital. Most policies cover no more than 50. I’ve seen people go up against that sort of thing, and it’s incredibly difficult. That’s why I stepped away from my job two years ago and took up this cause. There just wasn’t anything else like it out there. Until now.”
The policy covers a cyclist at any time they are riding, day or night. Perhaps most appealing is the fact that the policy has no underwriting and requires no qualifying physical. It is, after all, catastrophic injury insurance, and covers the policy holder regardless of prior health conditions.
There are only two stipulations in order to qualify for the benefits. First, the rider must be wearing his or her helmet. And second, the policy does not cover injuries that occur while a rider is performing stunts. As Mr. Paul clarifies, a stunt is the intentional removal of both the front and back tire from the ground. “A mountain biker who happens to be clearing a stump with both wheels off the ground has nothing to worry about: They are most certainly covered.”
Coverage comes at a low premium and may be purchased online at www.balanceins.com, and is available in coverage increments of $50,000. In discussing the project, Mr. Paul is clearly enthusiastic and motivated to get the word out. “We’re public in six states today,” he told me, “By the end of next week, it will be 28!” But profit is by no means the sole motivator for BalanceForCyclists. “Our passion for riding is at the core of what we’re doing. We want this to be successful enough to sustain itself, certainly. But beyond that, we want to be able to fund bicycle advocacy and awareness just as successfully.”
To learn more about this great new program and to sign up for a policy please visit www.balanceins.org
Balance for Cyclists is one of the 2013 sponsors for the Bike Virginia Tour.