Bicycle theft remains a major and growing problem in the Netherlands. With the rising popularity of expensive e-bikes, fat bikes, and cargo bikes, the financial losses are also increasing every year. This article outlines the current state of affairs, recent developments, and the role of new technology such as bicycle alarms.
The current state of affairs: bicycle theft in figures
- According to the CBS are in 2023 more than 928,000 bicycles stolen in the Netherlands — that's almost 30% more than in 2021.
- The financial damage amounted to approximately 2023 €698 million. For comparison, that is more than four times the total damage caused by car theft in the same year.
- Electric bicycles and other more expensive models (such as fat bikes and cargo bikes) are the most popular targets.
- Major cities and the Randstad remain the biggest hotspots, but also student cities such as Nijmegen, Delft, Groningen and Eindhoven score high when you look at thefts per inhabitant.
Measures and developments
In recent years, various initiatives have been taken to tackle bicycle theft:
- Awareness campaigns, such as “State-E-Tasty”, which encourage owners to better secure their bicycles.
- Insurers are increasingly imposing requirements, such as the use of at least two locks or a ART-certified lock, especially with expensive bicycles.
- Municipalities Improve the infrastructure with secure parking, additional bicycle racks or wall anchors, surveillance, and the removal of abandoned bicycles that provide thieves with a parking space.
- Technology is gaining ground: GPS trackers, motion detectors, alarm systems, and apps help to locate stolen bicycles more quickly or prevent thefts.
The role of bicycle alarms
A bicycle alarm provides an important additional layer of security. It typically works with motion detection and emits a loud sound if tampered with.
The benefits:
- Deterrence: A loud alarm immediately attracts attention and increases the chance that a thief will abandon his attempt.
- Rapid detection: you immediately hear that something is wrong, or you receive a notification via an app.
- Addition to locksA lock slows down the thief, but doesn't alert anyone. An alarm adds that visual and audible warning.
Innovations are increasingly combining different functions. This is how Loxure currently a bicycle alarm that not only makes a sound, but also GPS tracking (e.g. via AirTag integration) offers. This significantly increases the chance of recovering a stolen bicycle.
Conclusion
The figures are clear: bicycle theft in the Netherlands is still a growing problem. Nearly a million bicycles are stolen each year, resulting in damages of almost €700 million make this one of the most expensive forms of property crime.
The causes are known:
- the huge increase in expensive and electric bicycles
- the low chance of being caught
- and the easy availability of tools that crack locks in minutes
A double lock remains important, but will simply no longer be enough in 2025. Criminals are too well equipped and organized. The only effective approach is a combination of physical security and technology:
- at least two sturdy, ART-approved locks
- visible security
- and a bicycle alarm with motion sensor or GPS tracking
Only in this way can the risk of theft be substantially reduced and thieves truly deterred.