Advertised thru email newsletter for an event, offer is valid for new Bike Assist members only.
Inclusions:
I already have Bike Assist, and have used it a few times for Taxis - made my money back 😉
I paid ~$24 last year during a half-price sale, and since then I've used it for two taxis valued at ~$40-50 each for flats and mechanical problems. That's 2 of my 8 callouts gone, and I broke even on the first callout.
It's valid for bad weather? That's kinda cool. Do you know the threshold for "bad weather"?
No clue, probably a question for the RACV. The intuitive answer is any weather I wouldn't keep cycling in hahah
Just tell them you're tuckered out and need to go for a nap. Rider fatigue is covered, are they going to get the taxi driver to confirm you're sufficiently fatigued to warrant it?
its valid even for just "unable to continue riding"
I've used it twice, an unexpected muscle cramps and flat tyres.
however, dont use their mechanics, always call for a taxi instead as they just send the same car mechanics and they are not trained for bicycles.
Do you need to call them before bookong taxi or just get a taxi and file claim?
Call the RACV roadside assistance line
How long did you wait for the taxi? Did a mechanic come out at all? Were you able to transport your bike?
You call RACV and either request a mechanic or a taxi. I'm not sure if it'd be a proper bike mechanic, it might just be someone in a ute with a selection of bike tires and tubes. If you ask for a taxi, they put in a request for a cab. Depending on the size of your bike, you can request either be a normal cab or a maxi taxi. Be mindful that a maxi will cost more which will eat into your $50 allowance and reduce the distance you can travel. When the cab arrives, it takes you to your destination with the meter running. If it ends up being below $50, you pay nothing, and the cab directly bills RACV. If it's above $50 you need to pay the difference on the spot. That's how it has worked for me in SE Melbourne 😄
@logwet: dont get the mechanic, they just send the same car mechanic and when he arrived he doesnt even know what tyre tubes size to use and only carried a hand pump for the bicycle… it's ridiculous.
get a taxi home or to the nearest train station instead.
@meong: Having someone to change the tube for you - even if you need to tell them the size, and how to use a hand pump - sounds like bliss to me.
@jackspratt: the actual experience was worse than that.
after waiting for 45 mins for them to send a mechanic like this, I cbf and just asked them to organise a taxi instead. I also wouldnt trust that he knows the required presssure to pump into the tyre as he doesn't even have a pressure gauge.
@dtrinh: Great question!
When i had the muscle cramps, they sent me a Ford Territory with a cage on the luggage area so they couldn't even fold the seats to fit my bike. I had to ask them to send another taxi. I ended up waiting more than an hour in total to get to my car (it was in Dandenong ranges area).
It looks like when RACV makes the call to the taxi company, they don't properly explain that they require Maxi Taxi like what they have mentioned in the marketing comms of Bike Assist (I even confirmed when i signed up).
So, when you call RACV and ask them to send a taxi, it's best to remind them that they need to tell the taxi company to send Maxi taxi.
@meong: I second @meong 's advice, definitely make sure to tell the person on the other end of the RACV roadside assistance line to order a taxi large enough to fit your bike.
Racv member discount also applies (saved 10% as silver member)
Is there anything similar for QLD?
Bicycle Network has a similar nationwide service for $50/year:
https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/our-services/rider-rescue/
But they just send an Uber or taxi to pick you up. No puncture repair service like the RACV offer.
They previously sent a small hatchback to pick me up and another time they couldn’t organise a taxi or uber and asked me to organise one myself and then request reimbursement - called a friend instead.
Great price for some peace of mind on the daily commute. Thanks for posting!
Getting a system error notification 😒
same
Left it a little while, tried again and presto,worked this time. Great deal!
Well worth it. Derailleur hanger snapped and I was an hour from home. Taxi shuttle back home with bike 15 mins after I called.
Seems if you use new email can open new policy
Damn derailleur hangers are the worst.
And yet UDH was a SRAM psiop in the end as well lol.
Still better than UDH exists than not, the transmission stuff is ridiculously tough.
Though ultimately I hope internal BB gears become more affordable just for servicing alone.
Are you even speaking English lol
UDH = Universal derailleur hanger.
A system introduced by SRAM some years ago with no clear intent that was adopted by a large number of frame manufacturers. The hanger comes directly off the axle instead of requiring a stupid derailleur hanger that is entirely unique to that bike model.
SRAM later introduced their "transmission" range that required no hanger at all as it used the UDH mount directly.
But no other drivetrain manufacturer is allowed to use this system.
Internal BB or bottom bracket are gearing systems that use rotary gearing internally in a modified bottom bracket.
Companies like pinion and even Shimano make them.
They are generally superior in almost every way to external derailleur gearing, but modify the bottom bracket which means it's no longer compatible with other brands.
Thank you for listening to my Ted talk
is this $47 for a year ?
Showing that to me as well, the discount code is giving system error
If you press back, it worked for me and showed $10
RAC WA have anything similar?
Can I just use this to pay for taxis and tell them I'm "fatigued" from riding? Seems worth it for the ten buckaroonios.
"Too tired to ride, lost or dehydrated
Whether you're exhausted or your plans change unexpectedly, we'll organise a maxi taxi1 to get you and your bike where you need to go."
edit: bring a little bike with you perhaps? kids trike? lol
Unethical, but possible. Keep in mind this policies have a reduced price as a subsidy for biking
It's a massive insurance company. Ethical does not factor
RACV is a massive company but they don't operate as a charity. Their actuaries have probably crunched the numbers for the behaviour and risk of your average cyclist, and adjusted the operating costs and revenue (thru the base price and promotional discounts like this) accordingly. The more people who use the product outside of its intended purpose (using all 8 taxis to get home from the pub after a big night out), the more likely it is those numbers will be thrown out of whack.
I'd genuinely love it if RACV would eat the loss but they're far more likely to either bin the product, crank up the price (or nerf discounts like these), reduce the quality of the service, or some shitty combination of the above. Given the general trend of enshittification of corporate behaviour across Australia, they might do all of that regardless. But I think there's a pretty logical link between misuse of products like these, and them gradually becoming worse, more expensive, and less accessible for cyclists who find them really quite useful.
To balance out the preachy wankiness: I'm no angel and I've had no shame maximally extorting big companies (GPS spoofing for the 7-Eleven price lock). But I don't think it's helpful to say "ethics does not factor". All hacks like these are to a certain degree unethical and will hurt somebody. That might just be a soulless billionaire investor (sign me up lol), or it might be a soulless billionaire investor and a random cyclist that can't afford Bike Assist after a price rise.
The point is that you should think about it critically for every situation and decide whether it's something you'd lose sleep over 🤷
I'd genuinely love it if RACV would eat the loss but they're far more likely to either bin the product, crank up the price (or nerf discounts like these), reduce the quality of the service, or some shitty combination of the above. Given the general trend of enshittification of corporate behaviour across Australia, they might do all of that regardless. But I think there's a pretty logical link between misuse of products like these, and them gradually becoming worse, more expensive, and less accessible for cyclists who find them really quite useful.
I genuinely wish more people would take heed of this - having previously been in the retail business, there's been a concerning trend over the past 15 years or so, where people have almost taken it as a sense of pride to "game the system" and exploit grey areas to push the limits of what they can exploit (sometimes not even for their own gain).
I've seen plenty of comparable examples when I was in retail. Ultimately, "hurting billionaire investors" is just something that people who are trying to exploit the system tell themselves to make them feel better.
In reality, it just creates huge amounts of friction and inefficiency - everything needs to follow stricter policies, which puts pressure on front-of-house staff, store managers are more frequently brought into customer interactions (usually because a customer believes they are entitled to something based on a particular reading of some policy), everything becomes more expensive because you need more lawyers at a corporate HQ to sign-off on all new store policies, you need more marketing people because everything needs to be reviewed more times and pass through more hoops…etc. You no longer can operate in good faith, you almost always have to operate with the level of distrust, attention to detail, and "cold heartedness" (for lack of a better word).
In the end, the people who lose are the honest customers - they end up paying more, and they end up having to deal with a bureaucratic system and a distrustful relationship with retailers because of the precedent set by those who are just out to game the system.
The point is that you should think about it critically for every situation and decide whether it's something you'd lose sleep over 🤷
Ultimately, I think the world would be a better place if everyone just respected their own time. I mean, it's fun when you're a student with oodles of free time to find creative ways to scam free Ubereats vouchers with $2 SIMs (or whatever the game is), but at some point, you realise that you're better off spending that time on your hobbies, your family and friends, things that matter to you instead of a couple of food delivery vouchers.
@p1 ama: You make a good, well-reasoned point, and I'm ashamed to admit that you're probably right about this:
Ultimately, "hurting billionaire investors" is just something that people who are trying to exploit the system tell themselves to make them feel better.
You make a good, well-reasoned point, and I'm ashamed to admit that you're probably right about this:
Well I'm not against all "pushing of rules", but the way I see it is that there has to be some honour code.
Similar to casual sports - all competitors will try and push the rules a bit, but there's a limit to what's then just considered bad sportsmanship.
how about: i was planning to ride to the airport, but realised my luggage was to heavy for the bike…
This is going to be useful when it's raining and I can't be bothered getting the train. And when I get smashed at the pub
yes
Does it also apply to pedestrians seeking to remove Uber eats bikes and e-bikes from the footpath?
How do you put your bike in a taxi?
Angle grinder.
You ride a bike with angle grinder?
That's how they got the bicycle in the first place.
Fold the rear seats down. Not sure if this would reliably work for a sedan, would probably depend on both the model of car and proportion of bike. Should generally always work for SUVs. Usually also works for hatches, even my small i30 can fit quite a large road bike in the back.
When I've spoken to the person from RACV on their roadside assistance line, I've always made sure to be clear upfront and say that I need to fit a Medium-Large Road Bike in the back of the taxi. They've always requested a Maxi-Taxi for me 🤷
This would be great for airport transfer for the whole family ^^
Except you’d have to travel carrying bikes with something mechanically wrong with them.
Thx OP. worked
I think using this service would be classified as worse than the call of shame to the other half….But, kind of tempting, just depends what areas they cover (ie Somewhere out past the Dandenongs, or Warburton, if you like to push your limits & get out in the quieter areas etc)
Registered but never heard back…
RAA offer this as part of their standard road service. Couldn't find a bike only option
Bicycle road service
When a breakdown or puncture interrupts your ride, we'll do our best to get you rolling again. If repairs can't be carried out at the roadside, we'll arrange for a taxi to take you and your bike to a safe location or place of repair (up to $55 a year).
E-scooter valid?
Help for a range of bike types
We can help with mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, cargo bikes, speed bikes, e-bikes and many more.
Thanks, bought it.
Recently I went bike packing at French Island, which has very rough roads and thorns on the off-road tracks. Had a puncture almost immediately and only one spare inner tube. I don’t know whether they would come since access is only from a ferry, but I do remember being worried about being stuck out there, so this would be good peace of mind for bike packers on the longer journeys.
How was french island (besides the puncture)?
French Island is great. The camp ground is free, very tidy and close to the beach, but sheltered. The beach is sandy and pleasant. Theresa general store within cycling distance with beer for sale.
Pick a weekend with good weather, and enjoy the ferry ride
So… $10.
I could land at Melb Airport, bring along a 'broken' bike, make an RACV call-out… to then taxi me into the CBD!
Rinse and repeat.
What's to stop people from doing this?
Expensive to fly with a bike though
Don't bother hauling a broken bike - say it got stolen off the baggage carousel. You will probably need to be wearing your cycling nicks and Credit Agricol jersey to avert suspicion from the RACV rescue person though…
Or maybe from CBD-to-airport. Find a derelict broken bike, claim I was going to cycle to the airport, free taxi to the airport.
How do I remove e-bikes from busy pedestrian areas?
We should have this service in Queensland. We do have a free service, but it's not without pain.
If you're fatigued or get a flat, just throw yourself and bike in front of the nearest motor vehicle and you will get a free trip via ambulance.
Damn, that seems like crazy value for $10 if you cycle enough
If I have just a flat tyre tube (and not the rest of the bike) would that qualify me for the taxi? :D
gotta keep on kungfu fighting
By your logic, everyone that walks on the road should also pay road walking registration too.
@tap: Bikes want to use the road on a regular basis they want to obey the road rules there for they need to pay rego simple as that. Don't be stupid.
@kungfuman: I think this is a fundamentally massive misunderstanding of what rego is for and where that money goes, and how public infrastructure like our roads is funded.
In Victoria, the vast majority (>$900 in metro areas) of your rego fees goes directly to fund the TAC, the independent insurer for all injuries caused on Victorian roads. The TAC will pay out claims for all injuries as long as they involve a motor vehicle accident.:
Ok, what about accidents caused by misbehaviour of cyclists? Isn't it unfair that cyclists don't have to pay towards funding the TAC to account for claims they cause by riding dangerously?
Ok, what about road upkeep and maintenance? Cyclists use roads but don't pay for them!
But all of this is a moot point because: like the vast majority of Australians, most cyclists are also drivers, myself included. We pay rego and the fuel excise, just like you do.
I want to use that road on a regular basis, I want to obey the road rules (and happily do). And I pay rego. But even if I didn't, my bike is 600000x less of a leech on the public purse than your car is. Don't be stupid.
@logwet: "Remember, I'm paying the same ~24% income tax that you are" - is everyone earning the same $140k a year?? I doubt it.
@kungfuman: Please bring rego on. Let me use ALL of the road I will be paying for, I would be more than happy to have full use of the lane. Also I might fully use car parking bays for my bike as well! That would be brilliant, I mean I am paying for them right?
Hah! Another one, where are you keep coming from?
Discussed like million times what budget pays for the road, don't worry as a rider I'm paying for my road and your road, probably more than you.
Checked my current RACT cover and bicycle assist is covered under my roadside, nice..had no idea
Do you have comprehensive car insurance with them?
Is there anything like this for NSW that is on sale too?
RAA for bikes?
With your regular membership:
RAA may be synonymous with helping members when their car breaks down, but our patrols also assist more than a dozen cyclists a month to get back on their pushbikes.
Yet many people are still unaware our roadside assistance extends to members when their bike breaks down, according to RAA’s Senior Manager of Road Service Julie Bates.
Silly question, but does getting this give you access to other RACV benefits? Eg cheaper racv hotels etc?
yes
Yes. Used mine yesterday for a discount at repco and had previously used for Discount at OPSM
what % discount did you get at repco?
5% I belive
best deal to get racv card to use their benefits
if you're a existing membership are you able to renew the membership with the discount code?
cant find it anywhere when logging in the account page
not sure if it worked but I signed up again with same details and current membership number and paid $10
Were you specifically a pre-existing Bike Assist member or a general RACV member through one of their other products?
How do you actually use this if you have an issue or want a taxi? Do you just call RACV?
Yes, call RACV and they will order you a taxi.
Source: Crashed this morning, road bike not rideable. Maxi Taxi home was there within 15 minutes, I had to pay $10 out of pocket via credit card directly to the cab driver. Great service (but I wish I didn't need to use it…)
Just purchased as a lapsed member. Thanks OP!
![[VIC] RACV Bike Assist - $10 for 12 Months (New Bike Assist Members Only) @ RACV](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/75/873675.jpg?h=46389354)
I already have Bike Assist, and have used it a few times for Taxis - made my money
What you mean by that?