AA spoke breaks on the tour, on the way to work there is an eight in the wheel after a fall – and there is no thought of continuing. In situations like this, cyclists need help. This is where bicycle protection letters come in.
Recently, even Germany’s car club with the most members went into business: since mid-2022, the ADAC has also been offering cyclists and e-bikers roadside assistance. The Auto Club Verkehr (ACV) has had a bicycle protection letter in its portfolio since 2016. The Auto- und Reiseclub (ARCD), the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) and, of course, the ADFC cycling club are also involved.
While the clubs all link services to memberships, the offers differ in detail. Elke Weidenbach from the NRW consumer center in Düsseldorf therefore advises comparing these with your own needs. Consumers should compare the following features, among others:
Scope of bike protection letters
The ACV also provides breakdown assistance in other European countries, while the ADAC only provides it within Germany, and the ARCD also in the case of damage events in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
In the event of breakdowns in the vicinity, the following applies: breakdown and accident assistance is usually only provided if the damage location is at least ten kilometers as the crow flies from your permanent place of residence. So if you only cycle to get bread rolls or take short tours in the area, you don’t need a letter of protection.
It could be interesting for bicycle commuters. The ADAC, on the other hand, provides help right from the front door.
towing bike
If the bike is no longer roadworthy and cannot be repaired on site by the roadside assistance, it will be taken away. A comparison should also be made here. Because often only the transport to the “nearest suitable” bicycle workshop is taken over and to the place of residence only if it is closer.
E-bike riders can even get help from the ADAC if the battery is flat. The ACV, for example, expressly does not accept this as a breakdown.
Another question is how quickly the wrecked two-wheeler can be removed: With the ACV, according to the conditions, this happens if the bike cannot be put back on the road “in a reasonable amount of time”.
The AvD promises that the bike will be transported back from the damage location to the workshop if the “bicycle at the damage location cannot be made roadworthy within three working days” – this could be quite impractical in this specific case. According to Weidenbach, also to be clarified: “Will the bike also be recovered if it lands in a body of water?”
For which persons does the bicycle protection letter apply?
There are differences here too. For example, the letter of protection for VCD and ARCD also applies to married or non-marital partners who live in the same household, as well as to minor children. With the ADAC, the protection only extends to the member in addition to the latter.
get a replacement bike
Important here: The providers do take over costs if you want to use a replacement bike in order to be able to stay mobile. However, another claim then often expires.
The ACV says: “If you use our service for a replacement bike, we will not cover the costs for the onward or return journey or for the overnight stay.” regulated differently.
Bicycle protection letter and theft
ARCD, AvD and ACE are also responsible for the theft of the bike – for overnight stays or luggage transport, onward or return journey that then become necessary. Depending on the provider, the cost cap for this ranges from 100 to 500 euros.
On the other hand, the ADAC bicycle breakdown service is useless if the bicycle has been stolen and you want it to be transported home. Note: Protection letters do not cover the theft of the bike itself, there are special insurance policies for this.
What is exempt from protection?
As a rule, rental bicycles are exempt from protection, as are bikes that require insurance or registration, such as speed pedelecs. If you take part in a bike race, breakdowns are not covered.
The same applies to damage caused by gross negligence. According to the insurance conditions, ACE and others also refuse to transport a damaged e-bike battery, for example: hazardous goods must be disposed of separately.
Cost of bicycle protection letters
Elke Weidenbach advises clarifying the “scope of the maximum reimbursement”. “Are accommodation costs also covered or those for a patient return transport?” The ARCD, for example, assumes costs of a maximum of 2000 euros per year.
With other providers, the assumption of costs for individual features is limited, such as bicycle transport to 150 euros. And: Spare parts are usually not paid for in the context of bicycle protection letters, at most their dispatch to the workshop.
For members of the car club, the bicycle protection letters are included at no additional cost. With the VCD you can insure yourself for an additional 9 euros per year, with the ADFC as an individual for an additional 11.90 euros, with family memberships there is an additional 19.90 euros per year.
“But some bicycle insurance policies also include such protection or at least add it up there,” says consumer advocate Weidenbach. If you only need it, you usually travel cheaper than in a package with memberships.
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