I’ve been considering an e-bike or similar for quick trips from my house to coffee shops, bars, the beach, etc. It seems like a great option to not worry about parking and avoid traffic. But I can’t figure out what I would do with such an expensive thing (compared to a regular bike) when I get there.
Do you lock them to bike rack, or whatever random thing you can find? What about scooters, can you even lock them? Is that secure enough?
I really enjoyed shared scooters since you don’t have to worry about that issue at all, until the city council in my city regulated them out of business.
You might try locking to gas pipes behind businesses. Yes, it’s security through obscurity, but it could work. And it means attacking the lock – rather than the gas pipe – is the only reasonable attack, although it does risk sparks near explosive fuel.
I appreciate the response even though it’s not quite what I expected, lol
My bike rides start and end in the same location - my shed, but if I were to leave it parked somewhere else I’d lock it using two kryptonite locks; chain and u-lock. That’s secure enough for me to feel comfortable leaving it out of my sight for about 5 minutes.
my shed
I don’t know about your city, but sheds and garages are being broken into left and right, specifically for the bikes. You can’t win against motivated degenerates.
I’m considering double-locking my bikes while they are inside my shed, just for peace of mind.
I have thousands worth of power tools there to distract them from my bike
I’d imagine they would go after whatever is easier to flip. I haven’t heard of any major power tool theft problems, but bike theft is still one of the largest industries for small-time crooks.
Either way, I hope they don’t go after any of what you’ve got. 🫰
Yeah I was just joking. I used to keep both of my bikes locked inside the locked shed but my ebike I keep in my warm tool shed now and it’s unlocked as I feel locking it is kind of pointless as there’s every tool you need to break the lock right there. Ofcouse the smart move would be to lock it nevertheless.
What’s noteworthy though is that both of my bikes are highly customized with a duct tape camo paintjob and even though that can be reversed with enough of time and patience I still feel like it’s probably not worth the trouble and selling them as is would be quite difficult not only because they’re very recognizeable but also nobody wants to buy a bike looking ridiculous like that.
Security through ugliness, got it
What’s noteworthy though is that both of my bikes are highly customized with a duct tape camo paintjob and even though that can be reversed with enough of time and patience I still feel like it’s probably not worth the trouble and selling them as is would be quite difficult not only because they’re very recognizeable but also nobody wants to buy a bike looking ridiculous like that.
That’s a good point. The more unique the bike is, the harder it is to sell without anyone noticing.
If someone tried to get to my stuff, there are no fewer than four security cameras (which alert me of movement) and motion sensing lights that I can see from inside. I am considering putting a lock on my gate, despite that being a total PITA for convenience.
Kryptonite is the best brand for bike locks and I use the NY Fahgettaboudit lock for my ebike. It’s rated 10/10 for security. This goes on the frame and a cable goes through both wheels.
The lock picking lawyer is the only person I’d trust in a brand recommendation.
They’re pretty good, but not the best: ABUS and Hiplok both make better stuff at the higher end of things. There’s also Skunk Lock, lol
I’m just a non-e-biker but here are some of my strategies:
- Always use two locks (wheel lock + chain for frame)
- Avoid the ends of bike racks, middle of the pack is best
- Park next to a more expensive looking bike if possible
- Park inside (or inside a fence/gate) if possible
- Keep bike next to me at the park/beach
It also kinda depends on what kind of theft you are deterring: opportunists (unlocked), lockpicks, boltcutters, on foot vs with a van, organized crime, junkie chop shop. It helps to read up on local sources to see what the highest risk is.
My city has decent bike rack coverage, but if I can’t find one I just look for the sturdiest thing I can lock my bike to. I’ve definitely just used trees before lol
I use drift skates, in part because I can easily slip them in and out of my bag.
Picture?
ok, so I looked up a video just to see what they were like when riding and that was probably the most 90’s thing I’ve seen in a while. Lol
So convenient! Do you ride them on streets?
Yeah, they’ve basically replaced my bicycle for commuting.
Register on https://project529.com/garage it is free and your best hope.
Locking up is a great way to get some piece of mind. Another way is insurance! It’s not too expensive compared to an expensive bike. You can also setup your own “insurance” by opening a savings account/index funds/rotating CoDs with some money and deposit a monthly value of your choice (gas money saved per month, what private insurance would be, or as a general savings goal).
IMHO, scooters are so inexpensive that it’s not a huge deal to buy a new one when it’s stolen. This is true for ebikes too, though it can be a little more painful. Try comparing such a loss to how much you’re paying for transportation and you’ll find that a bike isn’t the biggest slice of that pie. Use that knowledge to relish the thought with your coffee after not paying for gas or a parking meter.
I use two locks and a motion sensor alarm on the bike that I make stops with. It’s not an e-bike, but I wouldn’t do anything different, even if it was.
A few things I keep in mind:
Thieves are the scum of the earth, and even if your bike is secure, they may target quick-release wheels, quick-release saddle, any lights or accessories you have mounted, tools, and even accessory mounts. Do your best to either have non-removable versions of these, or secure them in some other way (even zip ties). You want to make it inconvenient for someone to try to steal stuff off your bike.
Although I haven’t done this, I know that it can also be a deterrent: get detachable pedal and remove them when you lock up your bike. Any thief that defeats your locks would have to push your bike around, which wouldn’t be ideal for them. Removing the saddle works the same way, but just keep in mind that anything you can easily remove can be removed by someone else, so make sure you do remove them when you walk away! I replaced the quick release clamp on one bike’s seat post with a bolt-on clamp, just to avoid having to worry about it.
To the best of my ability, I try to check ahead of time for bike racks and secure locations to part my bike before I head out to a destination. OpenStreetMap often lists bike parking, but I’ll also use Google Street View to “see” what’s there. Just keep in mind that these things can sometimes be inaccurate/outdated, but this isn’t as much of a concern if it’s a place you visit regularly.
If there is no bike parking, I’ve been known to walk my bike or e-scooter into a store. If someone says something, I’ll point out that they have no safe place for me to park my bike. I’ve only been asked to leave the store once, and was told I could lock my bike up to the grocery cart return area, which was fine.
If the places you frequent don’t have bike parking, let them know.
I ride a bicycle or an ebike and lock the frame for both with a ulock. I also carry some 10mm steel cable to help better secure things if needed. I also don’t ride expensive stuff so I figure it’s less likely to be targeted.
I have a GoTrax scooter and it folds up, so at work I’ll typically throw it under my desk. If I’m out and about, I’ll lock it up to a bike rack through the rear tire/brake folded up and I haven’t had any issues so far thankfully. Probably 600+ miles no issues. (So far)
Are you happy with the scooter instead of an ebike?
I think so mostly because the footprint of 2 bikes vs 2 foldable scooters. I’ll admit though, I’ve never owned an ebike, so I can’t say for sure which might be better. Ultimately, all my trips are 5 miles or less, so utilizing battery power 100% isn’t an issue, but I imagine with a bike, it’s easier to go much further.
Abus Granite lock(s) would probably be the protection you want.
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