Protect your cargo bike

Your cargo bike is probably the most expensive thing you regularly leave outside. €3,000 to €10,000, locked to a post, while you're inside buying groceries or dropping the kids off. That's a used car sitting on the street with a chain around it.

This guide covers three things: how to insure it properly, how to reduce your chances of losing it, and exactly what to do if it gets stolen.

Get insured before you need it

Every cargo bike owner thinks about insurance after the first close call. The near-miss where you come back and the lock has scratch marks. Or the friend who lost theirs. Don't wait for that moment.

The specifics depend on where you live. We've written detailed country guides:

The universal basics

Your home insurance probably isn't enough. Most household policies cap bicycle payouts far below a cargo bike's value. A €6,000 cargo bike on a policy that covers €1,200 for bicycles means you eat €4,800 on a theft. Check your policy limit today.

Standalone bike insurance exists and is worth it. Providers like Laka (active in 9 European countries), plus country-specific specialists, offer comprehensive coverage including theft, accidental damage, battery failure, and vandalism. From around €7/month. That's less than one coffee a week.

If your bike came through leasing, your insurance ends when the lease ends. This catches thousands of people every year. Sort your own insurance before you sign the buyout.

New-for-old replacement matters. Without it, your insurer depreciates from day one. A 3-year-old bike worth €6,000 might only pay out €3,500. Read the fine print.

Reduce your risk

Get the right lock

This is the single most impactful thing you can do. And the most common reason insurance claims get denied.

Minimum standard: Sold Secure Gold (UK, Laka), VdS Class A (Germany), ART-2 (Belgium, Netherlands), or Varefakta-approved (Denmark). For bikes over €5,000, look for Sold Secure Diamond or ART-3/4.

Lock it TO something, not just lock it. Your bike must be physically attached through the frame to an immovable object. Two locks for bikes over €4,500.

Read our full lock and security guide →

Record everything now

Do this today, not after a theft:

• Frame number / serial number: Usually on the bottom bracket or headtube. Photograph it.
• Battery serial number: On the battery itself or in the bike's app.
• Purchase receipt: Digital copy stored somewhere that isn't on the bike.
• Photos of the bike: Multiple angles, showing colour, accessories, distinctive features.
• Lock proof of purchase: Many insurers require this for claims.

Register your bike

• Denmark: Politi.dk stolen bike registry
• Germany: Local police registration, or fahrradpass.de
• UK: BikeRegister
• Belgium: MyBike.brussels or local police registration

Registered bikes are recovered significantly more often. In Belgium, MyBike has increased recovery rates by 3.5×.

GPS tracking

Bikes with active GPS have recovery rates of up to 80%, compared to ~15% for untracked bikes. Some insurers offer 20% premium discounts for tracked bikes.

Your bike just got stolen. Now what.

1. Report it to the police. Immediately.

You need a police report number for any insurance claim. Without it, your insurer won't process the claim. Bring: frame number, battery serial, photos, receipt. Yes, the clearance rate is terrible. Report it anyway.

2. Activate GPS tracking

If your bike has GPS, check the app immediately. Share the location with police. Do not attempt to recover the bike yourself.

3. Contact your insurer

File the claim the same day. Most specialist providers have digital claims processes that take minutes. The better providers settle within 1-5 days.

4. Post in the community

This is the step most people skip, and it's often the one that actually gets bikes back. Cargo bikes are distinctive. They're hard to hide, hard to repaint, and hard to sell without someone in the community recognising them.

Facebook groups to post in:

• Bullitt Universal Owners' Group (12,000+ members)
• Local city cycling groups

Include: photos, colour, model, frame number, when and where stolen, your contact info.

5. Check online marketplaces

Stolen bikes frequently appear within days. Denmark: DBA. Germany: eBay Kleinanzeigen. UK: Gumtree. Belgium: 2ememain. All: Facebook Marketplace. If you find it, contact police with the listing. Do not arrange a meetup yourself.

6. Don't give up immediately

Bikes are sometimes recovered weeks or months later during police raids, through GPS tracking triggered by movement, or when someone in the community spots it.

The emotional part

Getting your cargo bike stolen is pretty shite. You'd never do it to someone else. And it's not like losing a phone or a jacket. It's your every day. The school run, the grocery run, the weekend trips. It's the thing that makes car-free life actually work. It brings so much everyday joy that it hurts deep when it's gone.

Insurance doesn't stop that feeling. But it does get you back on a bike. Fast. That's the whole point. To dampen that pain and get you riding again as soon as possible on your next cargo bike.

If you're not insured yet: fix that today. Not after the first close call. Today.

Country guides

Coming soon: GPS trackers for cargo bikes →

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Thanks for riding cargo bikes.