Spring and better weather are attracting many people to their two-wheelers again. Unfortunately, this also attracts more bicycle thieves. In 2022 alone there were 6,434 bicycle thefts in Rhineland-Palatinate. This represents an increase of 1,459 (+29.3 percent) compared to the previous year. At the moment, thieves are becoming very active again due to the large selection of bicycles in large parking spaces, such as train stations or sports and leisure facilities.

Tips from the LKA and the consumer advice center

They particularly like to strike in dark corners, in lonely places or on streets that are difficult to see. However, your own bike can be optimally protected against thieves if you follow the following tips from the State Criminal Police Office and the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center:

  • Protecting bicycles from theft starts with a good lock. Solid steel chain, folding, U-lock or armored cable locks are suitable for security. The bike should always be connected to a solid object with the frame, front and rear wheels so that it cannot be carried away.
  • A GPS tracker using a corresponding app makes it easier to locate the bike in the event of theft.
  • Have your bike coded or permanently individually marked in some other way. In the event of theft, the police need the bike's individual data, such as the frame or coding number. The bike owner should record this in a bike passport. Smartphone users can use the police’s free bike pass app for this purpose. The app can be used to save all data important for identification so that it can be forwarded immediately to the police or insurer if necessary.

Click here to download the bike pass app:

Insurance for the bike

The consumer advice center also recommends insuring expensive bicycles. There are various possibilities. With household contents insurance, the bike can be insured against burglary within and outside your own four walls. If you don't have household contents insurance or want more comprehensive services, you'll be better off with special bicycle insurance.

“Good special insurance often offers much more comprehensive protection than traditional household contents insurance. These policies also cover simple theft, vandalism, accident or electronic damage.”

Anna Follmann, insurance advisor at the consumer advice center

This damage is much more common than, for example, burglary from a bicycle cellar. Such two-wheeler insurance can make sense for more expensive bikes, such as city bikes or racing bikes. If the protection provided by household contents insurance is enough for you, you should just make sure that your policy includes the relevant bicycle clauses. Cycling fans can take out special policies online or from a bike dealer. However, the consumer advice center recommends a comprehensive price-performance comparison. Contributions for e-bike insurance have fallen dramatically in recent years.

Source:

Consumer advice center

Already read? Rip-off: Start of the season for dubious pest controllers


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )