Best Bike Insurance in Germany
This page provides a review of bike insurance from Feather, our favourite choice for covering your sparkling new two-wheeler in Germany
Why get bike insurance in Germany?
While famed for its cars and Autobahn, Germany is also filled with bike lovers and boasts a world-leading bike network criss-crossing its cities, towns and countryside. With environmental concerns on the rise, interest in biking continues to grow as German residents increasingly look to lessen their carbon footprint.
Millions of new bikes are flooding onto the streets every year and a larger proportion of the German population are choosing biking as their preferred method of transport. As a consequence, there is sadly also an ever-growing occurrence of theft, vandalism, damage and wear.
With around 600,000 bike thefts in Germany each year, it is natural to feel worried about your treasured bike, especially if you rely on it for commuting or getting around town.
Thankfully, there is an inexpensive and comprehensive solution to this problem in the form of bike insurance from Feather. Read on to find out all you need to know about this all-important insurance…
What types of bikes are covered?
With respect to bike insurance (Fahrradversicherung) in Germany, the policies are almost entirely geared towards new bike purchases. This also applies to Feather’s bike insurance, which requires that your bike meets some basic criteria:
Your bike must be no older than 6 months when signing up for the insurance.
The total value of your bike (including accessories) must be below €10,000.
Your bike must be purchased from an official retailer and not from a private seller.
Your bike must be used in a private capacity (i.e. not for work).
Both standard bikes and e-bikes are covered.
Carbon-framed bikes and customised bikes are currently not eligible.
So, if your bike is eligible, the next thing you need to know is what is covered by Feather’s bike insurance.
What is covered by Feather’s bike insurance?
When considering Feather’s bike insurance, you can choose between two levels of cover; Basic and Comfort. While Basic will provide cover against theft, we much prefer Comfort as it provides you with much wider cover against:
Theft including theft of bike parts
Vandalism
Damage (e.g. from accidents and falls)
Wear and tear (even including brakes, tires and underperforming batteries)
Battery protection for e-bikes in the event of theft, damage or wear and tear
Feather’s Comfort bike insurance helps ensure you quickly get back out on the road in the event of any mishaps, accidents or robberies.
What’s not covered?
It is important to note that bike insurance in Germany only covers theft, damage and vandalism to your bike – it does not cover you if you cause damages to other people or their property while using your bike. For example, if you collide with a pedestrian or vehicle while on your bike, you may be held liable for the damages.
In Germany, these penalties can be severe, especially if you collide with a pedestrian who then needs extensive treatment/rehabilitative care or is unable to work because of their injuries.
To ensure you are covered in the event of causing damage to others when using your bike, you will instead need private liability insurance. Check out our private liability insurance guide to see why this insurance is essential to have when living in Germany.
How much does Feather’s bike insurance cost?
The cost of Feather’s bike insurance in Germany is determined by the price of your bike as well as the type of bike (standard bike or e-bike). They have a simple price calculator on their website that allows you to quickly calculate the monthly cost for the insurance:
With prices starting at just €2.90 per month, this is a small fee to pay for the comfort of having your shiny, new bike covered in Germany, especially considering that many e-bikes are costing in excess of €2000.
Are there any extra conditions for making a claim?
As with all bike insurances in Germany, there are some basic conditions for making a claim to Feather. In order to claim for theft, you must:
Use a high-quality lock
Secure your bike to an immovable object
Ensure bike parts are securely attached
In the unfortunate event that you do need to make a claim, you will always need to present the sales invoice, purchase receipt or repair invoice, so always keep the originals handy after purchasing/repairing a bike.
One of the great aspects of Feather’s bike insurance is that they will compensate you based on the purchase price of the bike/bike parts, rather than the estimated current value at the time of the claim – this is particularly important when you consider that bikes quickly depreciate in value after they are purchased.
As you have read above, it is important to get your new, shiny bike insured in Germany. For just a few euros a month, you can ensure your wheels keep spinning for years to come! To sign up for bike insurance with Feather, click here.
We hope you have found this guide helpful – for more information about living in Germany, check out our other free relocation resources.