What to do if the bike has been stolen?

Published 04/23/2021 · Updated 01/07/2022

You come back from shopping and your beloved bike is gone! What do you do now? The first thing you should do is report the theft to the police. Only then will the bicycle insurance take effect and you will be reimbursed for the value. A bicycle theft cannot be prevented 100 %, but it can be made more difficult.

Important data for the police and insurance company:

Frame number
Model, manufacturer, size
Characteristics such as damage, colour, etc.
Photos of the bicycle
Purchase receipt
Coding
GPS coordinates (if a GPS tracker was used)

Create a bike passport!

A bike passport contains all the important information about the bike. It can be printed out free of charge and stored safely with other documents. A free bike passport app gives faster access to the information needed for identification with the police.

Why should I have my bike coded?

A unique code for your bike ensures quick recognition and makes it difficult for a thief to resell the bike, as the code is engraved into the frame with a special machine and is very difficult to remove.Comparable to a car registration number, the police can quickly check who owns the bike. A bicycle code costs about 15 EUR and can be obtained from the local police, the ADFC(Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e. V. ) or a bicycle dealer.

Notify your insurance company!

After the theft has been reported to the police, the insurance company should be informed. The insurance company also needs the important data and the police report number. If you act quickly and correctly, you can be sure that the insurance company will process the claim quickly. If the bicycle was stolen from closed rooms, e.g. from the cellar, then the household insurance will apply. For stolen bicycles on the open road, there are additional clauses within the household insurance or supplementary insurances. The bicycle must be secured with a customary lock, otherwise there will be problems with the claim settlement. Normally, the insurance company should now pay out the replacement value of the bicycle. In the case of very high-quality/high-priced e-bikes, you should always consider additional insurance. This will even cover repair costs.

Insure your bike correctly!

It is best to attach the bicycle to a fixed object such as a fence or a street light. Never lock only the front tyre. This can be easily opened with a standard quick release and the bike is gone. The more solid the lock, the greater the security. A secondary lock can make theft even more difficult and the two wheels can be secured with a loop cable, for example. It is said that a bicycle lock should cost about 10 % of the purchase price.

There are smart locks that are locked by app and do not require a key or numerical code. There are alarm locks that are supposed to scare away thieves with loud alarm signals and even locks that are supposed to deter unwanted long-finders with gas.

Here you can find numerous locks to securely lock your bike!

Secure your attachments!

Quick release skewers are easy to use but carry a higher risk. Wheels or saddles can be easily removed. By replacing them with hexagon bolts or lock nuts, you can ensure additional security. They can only be fitted with special tools or with great effort.

You should also change parking places regularly. Especially in urban areas, there are thieves who are very good at keeping an eye on things. Don’t give them a chance and park your bike in a different, safe place every now and then. If you share your activities online or in apps, you should hide your location to avoid attracting thieves unnecessarily.

Here you can find many different attachments from stands to handlebar tape!

Caught red-handed

If you catch an offender, you should immediately inform the police. Of course, you are allowed to try to dissuade the perpetrator from stealing the bike, but this can be dangerous. If you have the opportunity, you can chase the thief and then call the police. This is probably the safest option. Please don’t take any risks – in the end, your own safety is more important.

GPS tracker

A built-in tracker allows the owner to track the bike using GPS. These trackers are now very small and can be easily hidden and attached to the bike. In most cases, the position can be tracked live via an app and then transmitted to the police. The disadvantages are the price, battery life and size. The technology is improving all the time and the design is getting smaller. The latest invention is a GPS tracker that is invisibly installed in the bottom bracket of the bicycle.