Not so great news in bike ville. In recent months, Joule has been getting more and more reports from customers about bike thefts. Although bike leasing includes bike insurance, it is always better to prevent theft.
So how do you make sure your steel steed is still there when you get back from work? Thanks to our tips, bike thieves wont stand a chance.
Lock your bike safely
This tip seems logical, and yet bikes are often not locked properly. Think of it as a challenge, make it as difficult as possible for thieves to take your bike. Even if you're only gone for a minute.
Here's how you do it:
- Use a quality lock: invest in a strong lock made of hardened steel, for example, such as an ART2 lock. You can easily lease or buy such a lock. View our range of locks here.
- Use multiple locks: this way you make it particularly difficult for thieves to quickly take your bike.
- Always attach your bike to an anchor point such as a bike rack, pole, etc. so that thieves cannot make off with your bike. If a thief can just pick up your bike and carry it away, insurance will not intervene.
- Carefully inspect the anchor point to make sure it is secure and certainly cannot be dislodged. Avoid thin tree trunks, for example. Another bike is not a fixed anchor point.
- Put your lock through both your wheel and frame. This will avoid having only your wheel hanging from the anchor point.
- Hang your lock high on the bike. Mounting your lock high on the bike and not on the ground can reduce the amount of force used in an attempted theft.
Take your accessories with you
There are accessories hanging from your bike that bike thieves are only too happy to claim. So make a (mental) list of all your valuable bike accessories and take them with you every time. For example:
- the battery of your electric bike;
- a gps or display;
- bike bags
- helmet;
- ...
Theft of loose accessories is never insured.
Choose a safe parking spot
When you ride your bike there's no struggling to find a parking space like with the car. Huray! Still, you better be picky about where you park your bike:
- At home: park your bike indoors if you can, such as in the hallway or (individual) garage. Can't do that? Then place your bike behind a locked gate or lock your bike to a fixed anchor point. (See tip 1) Please note that your bike should always be locked to a fixed anchor point when parked in a publicly accessible area. Even a shared garage is a publicly accessible space!
- On location: thieves like to work in dark, invisible corners. Therefore, always try to park your bike in a busy and visible location.
Register your bike on the national bike registry 'MyBike'
Federal government research found that there were 70 bicycle thefts a day in 2020, or 24,592 bicycles over the entire year. Only 48 percent of the victims of bike theft reported it to the police.
To do something about those numbers, the government will create a national bike register, based on the Brussels system that already exists under the name MyBike.Brussels.
Bicycle owners will be able to request a free sticker that can be attached to the frame. That sticker will contain a unique code that will allow the bike owner to store all the bike's data on the bike registry and easily report theft. Police departments will also be able to access that database to tackle bicycle theft more efficiently.
Write down your Joule ID
Do you have a joule bike? On the green sticker on your bike is your unique "Joule ID. This number combination allows us to quickly look up your information. So take pictures of your bicycle and the sticker. This way we can quickly find your data and consult your bicycle insurance.
