Have you had your bike stolen? Have you had an accident? Or has your bike broken down and you’re standing helplessly on the side of the road? In the Netherlands, many people are afraid of such situations and pay for bike insurance.
Various types of insurance and additional services for cyclists (e.g. bicycle roadside assistance, similar to that used by drivers) are offered by, among others, the ANWB organisation.
You can insure all types of bikes (city, touring, road, electric, etc.), both new and used.
Also the company polisa.nl, which offers insurance services in the Netherlands in Polish, offers bicycle insurance: HERE.
ANWB insurance for a fixed term
ANWB is the largest Dutch association (with 4.5 million members) that brings together and represents the interests of drivers, cyclists and hiking enthusiasts, among others. ANWB members can count on roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown or accident (“Wegenwacht”), information on traffic jams, various types of advice and additional services. More on this topic:
The ANWB offers two main types of bicycle insurance: Aflopende Fietsverzekering (3 or 5 year term) and Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering (open for an indefinite period, until the customer cancels). The former also includes bicycle roadside assistance.
Aflopende Fietsverzekering insurance comes in two versions: basic (Basis) and complete (Compleet).
The basic version is 3-year theft insurance and insurance against damage to the bicycle in the event of attempted theft. The total version is 3-year or 5-year insurance, which includes, in addition to the basic package, accident insurance and legal assistance in obtaining compensation (e.g. from the perpetrator of the accident).
In both cases (Basis, Compleet) the client pays the entire premium in advance for 3 or 5 years.
Roadside assistance for cyclists
The Aflopende Fietsverzekering insurance does not include roadside assistance for cyclists. If you want to be sure that the ANWB specialist you call will be on site in the event of a breakdown on your bike, you should take out additional insurance Wegenwacht Fiets (Roadside Assistance Bike).
The person paying for Wegenwacht Fiets can call the ANWB emergency centre at any time and request help. An ANWB specialist will arrive on site. If the fault cannot be fixed on site, he will take the cyclist and his bike to a designated location (e.g. a bicycle workshop) – we read on the ANWB website.
Detailed information about ANWB roadside assistance for cyclists (in Dutch): HERE.
ANWB insurance permanently
Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering is more comprehensive than Aflopende Fietsverzekering and is concluded for an indefinite period (but at least one year). After one year, the client can cancel this policy at any time. Premiums are paid monthly or annually.
Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering is insurance against theft, damage and breakdown of your bicycle. It also entitles you to 24/7 bicycle roadside assistance in the Netherlands and Belgium.
A special chip is installed in a bike covered by this insurance, which makes it easier to locate in the event of theft (“track & trace”). If the stolen bike is not recovered within 48 hours, the insurer will pay compensation.
Detailed information about ANWB bicycle insurance (in Dutch): HERE.
How much is it?
A separate insurance giving the right to 24/7 bicycle roadside assistance in the Netherlands and Belgium, the aforementioned Wegenwacht Fiets, costs 20 euros per year in the first year and 30.40 euros thereafter (for a new ANWB member) (plus the ANWB membership fee).
But please note, this insurance is only available to ANWB members! Membership in the ANWB is subject to a fee and costs 15.50 euros per year (as of August 2020). A person who becomes a new ANWB member and decides on Wegenwacht Fiets will therefore pay a total of 35.50 euros (20 + 15.50 euros) in the first year and 45.90 euros (30.40 + 15.50 euros) in the following year.
The longer the membership period in the ANWB, the lower the annual fee for Wegenwacht Fiets.
When it comes to Aflopende Fietsverzekering (3 or 5 years) and Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering (for an indefinite period), the fees depend on the type of bike, its value and the address of the owner of the bike. There is a price calculator on the ANWB website that can be used to calculate the premium: HERE.
Example. If we enter the following data into the price calculator: city bike, value 500 euros, The Hague postal code, then the basic Aflopende Fietsverzekering insurance for 3 years will cost a total of 140.75 euros (3.34 euros per month), and for the Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering insurance we will pay 119.52 euros per year (10.47 euros per month).
For a €2,000 e-bike with the same address in The Hague, this would be €175.49 for 3 years of Aflopende Fietsverzekering insurance or €97.10 per year for Blijven Fietsen Fietsverzekering.
Other Dutch companies also offer cyclist insurance, sometimes for as little as 2-3 euros per month for basic packages. Some examples:
– HERE
– HERE
– HERE
The popular HEMA chain of stores also has its own bicycle insurance (premiums from 2.50 euros per month): HERE.