>> The ‚Rückenwind‘ initiative is giving away bicycles to refugees. Why?
We are a network of several initiatives and individuals in Wiesbaden who got together under the name of ‚Rückenwind-in-Wiesbaden‘. We know that nobody is leaving his or her home voluntarily. Many people are coming to Wiesbaden after a long, difficult, and often dangerous journey. This knowledge and the willingness to offer solidarity are the motivations for our initiative ‚Rückenwind‘.
We want to support refugees by selforganized commitment – we want to help them to make ‚good progress‘. A bicycle shall give you a chance to move around your new city more freely and cost-saving. A chance to get to know the new city, to visit the same nice places and events as the other inhabitants of Wiesbaden do, as well as a means to get new contacts.
The ‚Rückenwind-in-Wiesbaden‘-initiative is not an official or commercial institution. It is exclusively backed by voluntary helpers. It is supported by people donating used bikes as well as money for the necessary repairs.
>> What do you have to do to get a bicycle?
If you want to receive a bike, please send an e-mail to the following address (in German, English, or French): mail(at)rueckenwind-in-wiesbaden.de
We need the following information in order to find a suitable bike for you:
1. Your Name (in order to process your request)
2. Are you male or female (so that we can find a bike that is fitting in style and form)
3. Your size (so that we can find a bike fitting your size)
4. Your age (in order to find a bike suitable in style and form)
5. An e-mail address or preferably a telephone number where we can contact you when we will have found a bike for you. It would be helpful to have someone on the phone speaking a little bit of German or English.
>> How does Rückenwind organize the handover of the bicycles?
We hand over the bikes according to the incoming requests depending on the availability of a bike suitable in size and type. All the bicycles are donations and very different in type and age. It may take weeks until we will be able to find the right bike for you.
All the donated bikes are being checked by us for their safety and reliability. You will receive a lock and a Wiesbaden city map for a better orientation in the new city.
>> Who is the owner of the bicycle?
The bicycle that we will hand over to you will be your property from then on. You will receive a bike passport as a proof of you ownership and a confirmation that you have received this bicycle from ‚Rückenwind-in-Wiesbaden‘.
If you don’t need your bike anymore, you may give it back to us. Somebody else can surely make good use of it.
>> What can you do when your bicycle is in need of repair later on?
There are two repair-cafes in Wiesbaden where you can find know-how, tools and assistance. Repaircafes are working according to the principle of mutual assistance. People support each other with the repairs of everyday objects to help saving money and ressources.
These repair-cafes take place twice a month in the inner city of Wiesbaden. Please note that you can transport broken bicycles without additional cost on the ESWE-buses.
>> You don’t know the German traffic rules yet?
Who is new in Germany and wants to ride a bike here, may not know about the traffic regulations. We will offer courses if you are interested.
>> You want to learn how to drive a bike?
Some people coming to Germany never had a chance to learn how to ride a bike. We already successfully organized courses conducted by a teacher specializing in teaching adult beginners. We are planning to offer more courses in the future.