Many cyclists have turned to Strava to keep motivated during the coronavirus pandemic, and to keep in touch with their regular cycling clubs until social distancing restrictions are lifted. However, according to British Cycling, it's not always as straightforward as clipping in and heading out; some virtual club challenges are classified as 'races' and could invalidate your regular insurance.
As BikeRadar reports, Strava segment challenges (which involve competing to achieve the best time over specific portions of road) can be classed as races if they include either a prize or leaderboard.
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Taking part in such a challenge could invalidate any individual, club or event insurance you've already taken out.
Play it safe
According to British Cycling, that's because such ad-hoc races aren't registered as official events, and haven't undergone the course inspections and risk assessment that would be necessary for them to be covered.
Your regular insurance is unlikely to help, either; many cycling insurance policies don't cover races of any kind, which would mean you'd be unable to claim if you had an accident taking part in a segment challenge.
If you're not sure whether you'd be covered, it's best to contact your insurance provider to find out their official stance. If not, you might be best sitting such challenges out, frustrating as that may be.
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