I don't think that you'll get a free replacement (how do you prove that you lost it?), but you'd have to contact your insurer to be certain. But for only 6 Fr. per replacement it's probably not worth your breath.
They are not specific per canton - one vignette will cover you throughout Switzerland.
I believe they are based on the calendar year, ie 1.1.2010 to 31.12.2010, but if you have a 2009 vignette it will still cover you until May 2010. Makes sense as a lot of people won't get their bikes out until it warms up again. However, not 100% on this, but I'm sure ChrisW will be along shortly with the definitive answer
GenevaSculler is correct, the velo vignette is valid from January 1st of the year you buy it until May 31st of the following year, so you get a maximum of 17 months. Don't do what I tried to do and buy it near the end of December, attempting to get one that started on Jan. 1st the next year - they may instead sell you the one for the current year which will expire the next May. I discovered that unlike the Motorway vignettes for cars, velo vignettes do not go on sale until after Jan. 1st.
Having the vignette only valid for a certain canton would be quite amusing - I would then have to cover a significant portion of my bike with vignettes because I probably visit at least 15 cantons on my bike in one year. It could be quite a fun task to try to visit all of the cantons within a year by bike and have all of the stickers to show for it, but sensibly this is not the case, they are valid for all of Switzerland.
I have heard information that suggests that the vignette costs a different price in different cantons, with the reasoning being that the 3rd-party insurance that it provides costs a different amount in different places. However, I've never been able to make a direct comparison to verify this. My post office in Lausanne, Vaud, sold me mine for 2010 for 7 CHF - anyone pay something different?
The 2009's are valid for another 4 months! I'll be waiting to get mine.
Its not the canton that changes the prices its where you buy them. Denner, Migros, Your LBS, TCS or anyone else selling vignettes will all sell them for a slightly different price.
I bought another bike in late 2009 (a cyclocross). Since it's our 7th bike, I didn't want to bother getting another vignette until the 2010 version was available, which is why I discovered that you cannot buy these until after Jan 1st. I strongly feel that the vignette should belong to the person and not the bike, so we would only need 2 instead of 7. BTW, I had to buy another bike just to keep up with my wife - we now have three each plus a tandem
I read/heard somewhere that they were cosidering phasing out velo vignettes, as most people have personal liabililty insurance, which would cover them for any damage caused anyway.
Anyone else heard this and whether it's true or not?
You can buy these removable mounting plates. This would allow you to switch from one bike to the other.
Or my solution is to use a sheet of plastic with a hole that can be used to attach to the bike with a re-useable cable tie. Or put the sticket on the lock and transfer the lock.......
Migros online LeShop sells a pack of 4 vignettes in their stripy green and white value range for 20 chfs, which is a cheap and simple way to kit out a set of bikes.
The powers that be seem to agree with you - they are planning to get rid of them in a year or two. These things take time.
If I remember correctly the cantons once actually kept tabs on who had which number and if your bike got stolen, they knew it was yours - probably even let you know. Anybody else remember this? Or maybe it is just wishful thinking. Can't even look it up either as it was surely pG. (pre-Google)
Are vignete a must? Have been here nearly a year, my bike is my main transport and my 6 year old daughter also bikes along with me to all her activities. I've never intended to buy vignete ? do you all bikers have one?
Civil liability insurance is highly advisable but not mandatory. Hence, there can be bicyclists who are inadequately insured without the vignette sticker. Accident insurers can claim compensation from a bicyclist injuring the insured victim.
Moreover, the insurers will increase the civil-liability premiums to cover the additional risk, as soon as the vignette is abolished. That penalizes those who are not bicyclists.
I ride a mountain bike in the summer and look forward to the vignette abolition, hopefully in 2011
The police can fine you, if caught riding without. Much worse, you can be faced with enormous damage claims if you injure someone or cause damage while bicycling. The normal insurance does not cover bicycle accidents.