FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

The Fietsbieb is a project of beweging.net. For its operation, the Fietsbieb calls mainly on the commitment of volunteers, active in the local lending points.
As in any sharing system, the Fietsbieb relies on mutual respect, trust and solidarity.

The membership fee: the yearly cost for using a children's bicycle is € 30 (those entitled to an increased allowance will pay €10 per year). Persons donating a children's bicycle in good condition to the Fietsbieb (except a 12" or a walking bike), will receive a free one year membership, or a coupon to be used later or to be given to another person.

The deposit (warranty) amounts to € 20 per children's bicycle. This deposit will be reimbursed when returning the bicycle in time and in good condition (see below). De deposit will be payed back via bank transfer after an inspection of the bicycle.

Consequently, in total you pay € 50 the first time (€ 30 bicycle cost + € 20 deposit). The following years you only pay the yearly membership fee of € 30.
Those entitled to an increased allowance will pay € 30 the first time (€ 10 bicycle cost + € 20 deposit). The following years you only pay the yearly membership fee of € 10.

During the period you use a Fietsbieb bicycle, you, the user, are responsible for the maintenance of the bicycle and for repairing damage.
Repair costs not attributable to normal wear, but caused by careless usage, vandalism or theft of parts, shall be borne by the user.

This does not apply to costs resulting from normal wear and tear. These costs will be payed by the Fietsbieb.

At the user's expense:

• A few examples of repairs:
  missing parts (such as mudguards, lights, etc.), problems caused by lack of maintenance or by driving around too long with worn-out parts, pedal free play, broken grips, crooked wheels, forks and stays, etc.
• Some examples of maintenance:
  inflating the tires, ensuring proper braking and clearly visible and clean reflectors, lubricating the chain, etc.

It is not possible to pay with eco-vouchers at Fietsbieb.

At Fietsbieb, we deliberately keep things simple and accessible. Our operation is run by volunteers, and accepting eco-vouchers would create an additional administrative and financial burden.

Yes. You can decide for yourself which Fietsbieb you join. Your place of residence does't play any part in this.

No. As a user, you join one particular Fietsbieb lending location. This membership can't be transferred to another lending location.

This also means that your bicycle has to be returned to the location where you borrowed it.

Compare it to a regular library: membership of one library doesn't automatically imply membership of another one and your books can only be returned to the library where you borrowed them.

You should end your agreement with your current lending location and return your bicycle there. Next, you enter into a new agreement with another lending location.

The remaining duration of an ongoing membership can't be transferred. Consequently, it's best to wait to move to another location untill your current agreement has almost expired.

Yes. Every children's bicycle that is on loan at the Fietsbieb is all ready for use. The Fietsbieb ensures it meets legal requirements and quality standards.

As a user you should be aware of the fact that these are second-hand bicycles, which means they could have imperfections that are unknown to the Fietsbieb.

As user you yourself are liable for any damage caused by using the bicycle, both physical injury and material damage.

A children's bicycle can be exchanged for another one from the Fietsbieb's assortment during the term of the agreement. There is no limit on the number of swaps.

The bicycle should be returned at the latest during the month your membership expires.

If you are overdue in returning the bicycle, the agreement will be tacitly renewed for a year and you will have to pay the membership fee of € 30 again (those entitled to an increased allowance will pay €10). In case of premature return, the membership fee cannot be reimbursed.

The bicycle must be returned in good working order.

'Good working order' means the following:

• all bicycle parts (f.i. brakes, bell,reflectors, pedals, support wheels if appropriate and other accessories) are present and are working;
• lights and derailleurs are in working order (if appropriate);
• the tires are inflated and not punctured;
• the brake pads are not worn out.

Expenses caused by defects as listed above, will be substracted from the deposit or charged extra.

The bicycle is not insured against theft.

Theft or loss of the bicycle should be reported both to the local police and to the Fietsbieb within two working days. If the bicycle is not retrieved within six months of the declaration date, the value of the bicycle will be charged to you, the borrower. A children's bicycle will be billed € 50.

In case theft or loss was not reported, the Fietsbieb will file a report to the police and the bicycle's value will be billed to you straight away.

A standard one-year membership costs €30. The deposit is always €20 per bike.
In certain cases you can receive a discount on the membership fee (never on the deposit):

• Donate a children’s bicycle: if you donate a bike in good condition (from 14”) to the Fietsbieb, you receive 1 year of free membership.
  This can be deducted immediately, or you receive a voucher that you can use later. You may also give the voucher to someone else.
• For young children, Wiegwijs provides 50% discount vouchers on membership for borrowing bikes sized 12” and 12.5”.
• UiTPAS discount: in some Fietsbiebs you can receive a discount with an UiTPAS with reduced tariff.
  • You pay the reduced rate that applies in that region.
  • This is the most advantageous discount, so it is recommended to use your UiTPAS if you have one.
• Children entitled to supplemented refunds pay only €10 per year for their membership.

Important discount rules:

• All discounts are always granted by a Fietsbieb volunteer.
• All discounts, except supplemented refunds, are one-time per year and must be renewed each year at the Fietsbieb.
• Discounts cannot be combined; you always choose the most advantageous option.
• Discounts are only granted upon proof of eligibility, at the moment of activation.

No. Discounts cannot be combined. Therefore, it is not permitted to combine different discounts to determine the membership fee. Fietsbieb will only apply the most favorable discount when multiple options are available.

You can become a member by visiting a Fietsbieb during opening hours.
A volunteer will register you on the spot. You can find the opening hours of each Fietsbieb on their information page.

Want to save time? Then you can already register online in advance at the Fietsbieb of your choice. This makes things easier for you and for our volunteers.

You can arrange your membership online in advance. This is not required, but it makes your first visit faster and easier — for you and for our volunteers.
No payment is requested online and you are not committed to anything.

Here’s how to register online:

• Click on ‘Membership’ at the top.
  You’ll land on a page with information and a short video that guides you step by step.
• Then click the green button ‘Register online’.
• Fill in the form. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
  You’ll fill in information such as: name, email address, password, address, postal code, municipality, phone number and bank account number.
  You can always change or have this information deleted later.
• Under ‘loan point’, choose the Fietsbieb where you want to become a member.
• Tick ‘TOS’ (Terms of Service). You can read the “Regulation: General Terms and Conditions” via the link.
• Click the blue button ‘Register’.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with your details and more information.

Your password has to meet a few requirements:

• At least 10 characters long
• At least 1 number
• At least 1 special character (for example ! @ # $)
• At least 1 capital letter

If your password doesn’t meet one or more of these requirements, you’ll see a message explaining what still needs to be adjusted.

We ask for your bank account number in order to refund your deposit. The deposit is not paid back in cash when you return a bike. A technician will first check the bike. Only then will we transfer the deposit back to your account.

There is a validation check on the input field, so you can’t enter an incorrect account number.

No bank account? You can still become a member, but then your registration must always be handled in person at the Fietsbieb by a volunteer — not online.

Correcting or updating a bank account number

• You can only replace an entered valid account number with another valid number.
• You cannot remove the number yourself — only a manager can do that at the Fietsbieb.

No number entered yet but you do have one? Give your bank account number to the Fietsbieb and a volunteer can add it.

If you are already a member and, for example, want to register a child or make a payment, log in via ‘My Fietsbieb’ at the top of the page.
Enter your email address and password, then click ‘Log in’.
Note: if you try to register again using the same email address, you will automatically receive an error message.

Your username is the email address you (have) used to log in.

• Click “Forgot your password?”
• Enter the email address linked to your account. You will then receive an email with a verification code.
• On the page that opens, you have two options:
  • Option 1: Copy the verification code from the email and paste it into the ‘verification code’ field.
  • Option 2: Click on the link in the email and follow the instructions on the screen.
• A window will then open where you can choose a new password.
  Enter it twice in exactly the same way. The password must meet the standard security requirements (at least 10 characters, 1 number, 1 capital letter and 1 special character).

Log in to your account via ‘My Fietsbieb’ at the top of the page and go to ‘My memberships’.
Here you will see a list of the memberships (users/children) linked to you.

• If the list is empty, it means no users have been added yet.
• You can always add new users via the ‘Add a user’ button.

A new window will open. Enter your child’s name and date of birth (required fields).
The membership number is assigned automatically; you do not need to enter it.
Click ‘Save’. The users you added will now appear in the list.

Note: For your first membership you cannot pay online. You will pay in cash or electronically when you pick up your bike at the Fietsbieb. Membership renewal can be paid online.

Log in to your account via ‘My Fietsbieb’ at the top of the page and go to ‘My memberships’.
Choose the user for whom you want to renew the membership and click ‘Renew membership’.
A window will open with all information about your membership. The amount due can only be paid via Bancontact.

Tick ‘TOS’ (Terms of Service). You can read the “Regulation: General Terms and Conditions” via the link.
Click ‘Renew’ and follow the instructions for the online payment.
Once completed, you will receive a confirmation message and an automatic email with the payment confirmation for your renewal.

For users approved for supplemented refunds, the €10 annual membership rate is applied automatically. This also applies when renewing membership online.

You can prove entitlement with:

• The health insurance sticker of your child showing the code, or if no code appears…
• A certificate for supplemented refunds  listing the child.

There are two ways to activate this discount: on site or online in advance.

1. On site at the Fietsbieb:
   • Bring the sticker or certificate when you come to lent a bike.
   • A volunteer will check it and approve the discount.
2. Online in advance:
   • Register yourself as a member and add your children (users).
   • Upload a photo of the sticker or certificate when adding the user.

You can show your entitlement to supplemented refunds online in advance, so you don’t have to present the sticker or certificate on site at the Fietsbieb.

Here’s how:

• Log in to your account and add a user (child).
• In the field ‘Upload sticker of the Health Insurance Fund’, select ‘Yes’.
• A window will appear where you can upload a photo of the sticker or certificate via ‘Choose file’.
• Click ‘Save’.

Important:

• The discount does not apply automatically when you upload the document.
• A Fietsbieb volunteer will first check the document. Only then will the discount be activated.
• After uploading, you will receive an automatic confirmation email.
• Once the volunteer approves the discount, it will appear in the user account with the message: “The supplemented refunds discount has been approved.” (You will not receive a separate email for this.)
• If you are no longer entitled to supplemented refunds, notify the Fietsbieb so the discount can be removed.