Bicycle Theft: How To Protect Your Bicycle?

Translated by Alexandra Igna (2019)

 

What can you do for the safety of your bike and what steps should you take when day X arrives and your bike is gone? Find out how to prevent your bike from getting stolen and how to act in case the dreadful thing happens.

Bicycle Protection

For true cycling fans, the investment they make in their favorite ride must be protected for as long as possible. Find out what you can do to keep your favorite protected now.

Bicycle Frame Number

Each bicycle has a so-called bicycle frame number. A bicycle manufacturer must print this number, consisting of numbers and letters, on each bicycle he produces. There are regulations for this procedure. Among other requirements they come with, each number of frames can be assigned only once. The frame number was once the most important aid for bicycle theft. Nowadays, not all manufacturers comply with this and duplications occur. However, the frame number is still basic ownership evidence. Make sure to write this number down and keep it safe. It is found only once on a bicycle in one of these locations:

• the frame tube

• the back abutments

• the seat post

• under the seat clip

• on the suspension

• below the bottom package

The frame number should be given to the insurance company, upon registration and in case of theft.

Bicycle Coding

If the frame number is not enough, you could also get another bike code. The frame protrudes straight up towards the seat support. This is where the police can also place their own bike ID tag. This number is as important for the bike as it is for your ID card - a unique identification option that the police or other authorized persons can assign. Bicycle coding is provided at indefinite intervals in each city. Men and women with blocks and stickers often walk on crowded streets or along bike paths. They will make you the official owner by writing the name, address and contact details of the block already mentioned, and your bike will receive its own ID. The data is then compared and stored in a FEIN coding database. Instead of labeling, the relatively new method involves grinding a number in a frame - the so-called FEIN coding. The owner's initials and address are used as components of the code. Different variants are, for example, initials including the year of birth. To provide your own bicycle with a FEIN code, you need the following documents:

• valid identity card

• proof of purchase

After creating the ID, milling takes place to a depth of up to 0.15 mm. The coding is then protected from the weather with a transparent adhesive film. FEIN coding takes place on certain dates. These are made by ADFC (General German Bicycle Club), among others. You can find out in which cities ADFC is represented here. FEIN is the identification number of the Friedberger and it is a procedure belonging to the Friedberg police department in cooperation with the Bergisch-Gladbach police. It is already used nationally. The milling of FEIN in a carbon frame and other types of light bicycles and very thin frames is controversial. Some manufacturers believe that the cutter violates the warranty conditions. The reason: there is a possibility that the frame will lose its stability due to the intervention, and the bicycle will no longer be safe to ride.

Therefore, you should contact your manufacturer in advance to find out if the warranty is still valid after the FEIN has been provided.

The Chip Procedure

Caution: attempted fraud is possible Another method that has failed in Germany is to attach a chip to the seat post. The reason for the failure is the cost-benefit calculation. Chip production and assembly costs a lot of money. It is also possible to completely remove the chip if the thieves are given enough time. Furthermore, reading a chip requires a compatible reading device, which should be created specifically for this purpose. Because every chip process can be different, lots of readers may be needed. To date, this method has been yet been successful.

Bicycle Pass

A fairly new method of registering a bicycle is the bicycle permit. It can be obtained from the Appstore and Google Play or completed, sent and printed as a PDF template.In the bicycle permit, enter the following data:

• Personal data (name, current address)

• Trader

• The purchase price

• Date of purchase

• Bicycle frame number

• Bicycle coding (FEIN, labeling, chip, etc.)

• Bicycle description: type, name, manufacturer, color, height, size, tire size, stickers, accessories and other special features

You also need to integrate a photo with the bike. Data is saved and / or printed. If your bike has been stolen, you can take the data to the police and check it against any found or confiscated bike. If you have home insurance, depending on the offer, you can extend it with a bicycle insurance. This means that you or your bike are insured up to a certain amount. In most cases, the policy is not a plus, but an extended insurance.

Bicycle insurance: what you need to know about it

Check the conditions of the bicycle insurance. There are different options. An example: the bike must be locked in a closed room from 22:00 until 6 a.m. In this case, this means that anyone who cannot store their bicycle in a room with a locked door loses the right to receive a replacement. The bike's value bike can be decisive for the value of the insurance. This is determined as a flat rate or percentage, depending on the total household items to be insured. The standard is 1%. In the worst case, you pay a standard fee that may not adequately cover replacement costs. Owners of very expensive bicycles, which have a material value of 1000 euros and more, should ask about the maximum amount of insurance before taking out the policy.

How many locks did the bike secure on the day of the theft? In cities with large numbers of bicycle theft, you should use more security locks. The more problems thieves have with manipulating your bike, the less likely it is to be stolen. Where to place the locks?

The safest way is to find a place on your bike:

• where the bicycle lock cannot be removed without cutting it

• which is an integral part of the bike

Types of locks

You can choose between cable lock, spiral lock, U-lock, chain lock and foldable lock. Cable and spiral locks as a second lock Basically, cable and spiral locks are suitable as a second lock. Thee rarely sufficient as the main protection for the bicycle. The lock does not withstand the screw cuts. It is recommended as the second or third lock due to light handling and lightweight.

Frame locks

These locks are already on the bike frame when you buy them or they can be refurbished. It is an efficient immobilizer, which is usually mounted directly above the rear wheel. The lock consists of a sliding, curved screw and a rail, which also serves as a cover and lock.

Chain locks

The chain lock consists of a metal chain and a padlock. If the chain is strong enough, the padlock may become a weak point. Therefore, in addition to the strength of the chain, you should pay special attention to the padlock. U-locks

U-locks are valuable main locks due to the hard material. However, their flexibility makes them more vulnerable. As the name suggests, the U-lock is a semicircular object that can be attached to wheels or a frame. Both ends contain a locking piston. A rectangular block with locking device completes the lock.

Folding locks The foldable lock has the stability of a hook lock and the flexibility of a cable lock. It owes the combination of these positive properties to its construction. The foldable lock consists of strong metal bars that are connected by links.

Alarm systems

For very expensive bikes, it is worth thinking about an alarm system. This must inevitably be a radio alarm system, as a wired version can hardly be used to secure a mobile device. Alarm systems basically consist of a control center, sensor and signal transmitter. They are the so-called danger detectors. The sensor informs the control center if there is any danger or not. If there is a danger, the control center sends this to the signal generator. The signal generator may be purely acoustic (siren) and / or may act as a silent alarm. In the latter case, you will be promptly informed of the incident by mobile phone, phone, pager or smartphone.

Stolen Bike – What To Do?

Report the bicycle theft

The police will initiate a procedure once you will provide them with your personal details and the theft you wish to report via phone or in person. You may also be invited to a separate room where you will be asked to answer some additional questions. You can also contact the police online and inform them about your problems.

Get in touch with the insurance company 

As already mentioned above, the insurance company needs the file number from you. This way, they will obtain information about the results of the investigation. When it comes to your insurance agent, the appearance of the bike is less important - they will not look for your bike, but the current value of the goods and how and with what you insured your bike. However, you must identify yourself as the owner. You will need:

• personal data

• file number

• bicycle frame number and bicycle coding

• the date of purchase/dealer details, copy of proof of purchase

• the value of the current goods of the bicycle and the value of the goods of the accessories

• how was the bike connected (itself or to a fixed object)?

Place and time of the theft

The time between 22:00 and 18:00: Has the bike been stored in a closed room/basement?

Find stolen bicycles

Searching is a great way to get the thief to leave the bike somewhere or find it in the hands of a fraudulent buyer.

List your stolen bicycle

There are now a number of websites on the Internet that have been created to help you find stolen bicycles. Register on the pages fill in the fields and you are in the database.

Bicycle Pass

This service is developed and supported by the police. It is recommended that you prepare a bicycle permit shortly after purchase (see the Bicycle Protection section). If the theft occurs, report the bike as stolen as the victim. The bicycle pass contains all the necessary data for identification. So, if you send it to the responsible official, either through the application, as an e-mail attachment or as a PDF, or present the PDF in printed form, the officials will have all the necessary data to initiate a search. The bicycle is also recorded as stolen in their database.

Use social media

In addition to the pages that were created specifically for such incidents, you can also use your social media. Post a picture of the bike on your Facebook wall, enter the frame number, crime scene and time, post a comment and share it. You can do the same with  Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. There are also many public or closed groups on Facebook where stolen bicycle owners and finders can communicate.

 

Source: 

*fahrradblog.de