I think my KBO Breeze is pretty well protected against theft now. I know nothing can be 100% secure but this is as close as I can get. First, the bike is stored in a locked shed in my back yard with two security cameras keeping watch. I installed an Apple Air Tag in a discrete location on the bike. The bike also has a motion sensitive alarm that will wake the dead if it goes off. Lastly, I have one of those U shaped cryponite locks. I only use the lock and alarm when I park the bike to run into a store for something. I never leave the bike out for long either. Of course the Air Tag would still work as well if someone were to snatch up the bike. Do I sound paranoid?! Ha, just taking precautions even though I live in a reasonably safe area. Anyone else taking similar precautions?
Smaug
Well-known member
Nothing like that for me. I live in a pretty safe side of a medium sized city. When I go in a store, I don't leave it for too long, and never overnight. At home, it lives in my garage.
When I go out on the town, I just lock the frame to something solid with an OnGuard U-lock. Sometimes, I can't find anything to lock to, so I put the U-lock through the rear wheel and lock it to the swingarm, then set the alarm. It would take some real guts to lift up the rear of this 120 lb. bike to roll it on the front wheel with the alarm screaming away. Picking it up whole would take some doing, as it is not only heavy, but also awkward and again, the alarm would be screaming away.
The bike doesn't have quick detach wheels, so I don't worry much about that. It also needs a key for the ignition, which they won't have.
I worry more about people stealing my luggage or helmet when I've parked the bike, so I added a helmet lock and a locking top case. Not super-high security, but it makes it not worth it.
My lighter eBikes, I'm sure to lock them to something, as they'd be easier to carry off.
I have an AirTag hidden in the eMoped too, so if someone DOES run off with it, I can just tell the cops where it is.
I need to get an AirTag hidden on my regular eBike now. I may add a folding lock to it, as most of the time, a U-lock is even overkill. I like that the folding locks' holders mount to water bottle bosses.
When I go out on the town, I just lock the frame to something solid with an OnGuard U-lock. Sometimes, I can't find anything to lock to, so I put the U-lock through the rear wheel and lock it to the swingarm, then set the alarm. It would take some real guts to lift up the rear of this 120 lb. bike to roll it on the front wheel with the alarm screaming away. Picking it up whole would take some doing, as it is not only heavy, but also awkward and again, the alarm would be screaming away.
The bike doesn't have quick detach wheels, so I don't worry much about that. It also needs a key for the ignition, which they won't have.
I worry more about people stealing my luggage or helmet when I've parked the bike, so I added a helmet lock and a locking top case. Not super-high security, but it makes it not worth it.
My lighter eBikes, I'm sure to lock them to something, as they'd be easier to carry off.
I have an AirTag hidden in the eMoped too, so if someone DOES run off with it, I can just tell the cops where it is.
I need to get an AirTag hidden on my regular eBike now. I may add a folding lock to it, as most of the time, a U-lock is even overkill. I like that the folding locks' holders mount to water bottle bosses.
NWA Cycling
Member
This is the lock I have. I live in NW Arkansas and it really is a cycling Mecca. But with that also comes high rate of bicycle theft. With the expense of e-bikes (I have a Trek Verve+3 and an Aventon Abound), I am not going to “trust” that I happen to live in a safe area-locks keep people honest. This is a Kryptonite gold level security lock (i.e., logging chain) I got from eBay.
Attachments
HoppyUK
Member
There's no such place that's safe to leave a bike. If you were a bike thief, would you go hunting in a skanky part of town or a nice leafy suburb with expensive bikes where everyone thinks there's no crime? Two guys with a van and the right tools can have any bike away in seconds.
And my strategy is not primarily about making the bike hard to steal (though that's important!) or to recover it after the event, but more focused on making the bike as unattractive a target as possible in the first place. Park where there are plenty of people, preferably near a security camera. Remove the battery - the bike is useless without it and they're very expensive to replace. Batteries also get stolen for their own sake and it doesn't matter if they're damaged in the process - they just want to cells to be repackaged. Remove everything of value.
Then if they still want to have a go, make it as hard as possible. A Gold Standard u-lock, locked to something very solid. Motion-detect alarm with warning sticker. HexLox security locks on bolt heads - wheels, brakes, handlebars/stem, seat and suspension seatpost.
Get insurance. Absolutely.
My RadRunner-Plus is Bike Register'd, but I'm not sure about AirTags or GPS trackers and stuff. Will they work? Will the police do anything? Do I actually want the bike back, damaged and abused? Or just make an insurance claim and buy a new one?
ps Note to self - will the insurance payout cover the large sums lavished on upgrades and accessories? Actually more than the cost of the bike itself. Probably not. Maybe rethink those AirTags!
And my strategy is not primarily about making the bike hard to steal (though that's important!) or to recover it after the event, but more focused on making the bike as unattractive a target as possible in the first place. Park where there are plenty of people, preferably near a security camera. Remove the battery - the bike is useless without it and they're very expensive to replace. Batteries also get stolen for their own sake and it doesn't matter if they're damaged in the process - they just want to cells to be repackaged. Remove everything of value.
Then if they still want to have a go, make it as hard as possible. A Gold Standard u-lock, locked to something very solid. Motion-detect alarm with warning sticker. HexLox security locks on bolt heads - wheels, brakes, handlebars/stem, seat and suspension seatpost.
Get insurance. Absolutely.
My RadRunner-Plus is Bike Register'd, but I'm not sure about AirTags or GPS trackers and stuff. Will they work? Will the police do anything? Do I actually want the bike back, damaged and abused? Or just make an insurance claim and buy a new one?
ps Note to self - will the insurance payout cover the large sums lavished on upgrades and accessories? Actually more than the cost of the bike itself. Probably not. Maybe rethink those AirTags!
ronniebellie
Member
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Your approach to securing your e-bike is quite comprehensive, showing a proactive stance towards theft prevention. Good job! Here are the positives and some areas of caution in your strategy that are worth considering:
Good Points:
- Locked Shed Storage: Keeping your bike in a locked shed is a great first barrier against theft. It keeps the bike out of sight and adds a physical layer of security.
- Security Cameras: These act as a deterrent and can help in identifying thieves and retrieving your bike after the fact, even though they don't prevent the actual act of theft.
- Apple AirTag: A useful tool for tracking your bike if stolen, especially as you've hidden it discretely.
- Motion Sensitive Alarm: Likely to deter thieves on the spot and alert nearby people, providing an immediate defense.
- U-Shaped Lock: Known for their strength, making them a solid choice for securing your bike during short stops.
- Security Cameras Limitation: They record theft but don't prevent it. They are more effective when used in conjunction with other security measures.
- Risks with AirTag Tracking: Pursuing thieves using the AirTag can be dangerous. It's safer to provide location information to the police rather than confronting criminals yourself. However, ... (see next point below)
- Police Response: It's important to note that police very often have limited resources to follow up on bike thefts, as they have to prioritize crimes and hunting down a stolen bike is usually low on their priority. This makes personal theft prevention measures even more crucial.
- Visibility and Awareness: Continuously be aware of your surroundings and how exposed your bike might be to potential thieves, even in a seemingly safe area.
m@Robertson
Well-known member
Not if you have one of these on
Litelok X3 Review – From a Bike Owner’s Perspective
The angle-grinder-resistant Litelok X3 bicycle and motorcycle lock has been getting a lot of pre-release publicity. Here’s my take as an owner, not a professional trying to destroy one.
talesontwowheels.com
Sold Secure Motorcycle (and Bicycle) Diamond rated. Having one has really changed my comfort level on locking. While I lock the bike to a solid object with a chain because thats what it takes for my insurance to cover the theft loss, for quickee lockups where I am within a few dozen feet of the bicycle and keep it in sight, the thing can be deployed so fast (thanks surprisingly to the super smooth key lock mechanism) it has replaced my disc brake lock.
The drawback is of course the price. But for something protecting a very expensive custom ebike, that I lock up outdoors at least daily and often more than once daily, I get more than my money's worth.
You have to read your policy on that one. Mine does. I know of others who don't (Sundays Insurance in particular, and probably many homeowners policies that a bike owner is using to extend coverage out and over the bike). Don't trust what the agent says. They sell the insurance but have absolutely nothing to do with claims determination. Worst case, get a written opinion (an email will do) from an underwriter employed by the insurance company, not the insurance agency. Agents don't like doing this but you won't be the first person who has asked for this and they know how to go about getting the answer. The opinion of an agent is non binding on the carrier. Not so when an underwriter puts the answer down in writing. All of this applies to the USA only. UK, Canada et al are different worlds entirely.
HoppyUK
Member
Yes, true! But my point still kinda stands. Nothing is totally safe from grinder attack but if the lock itself is 'effectively' thief-proof - and these new ceramic/steel locks take so long to cut they are in practise - then what about that 'solid object' they're attached to? I've not seen a public bike rack that would resist a grinder for very long at all, and the ones I mostly use are just hoops of hollow stainless steel - hot knife through butter springs to mind. Some of those hoops are also very poorly installed and even easy to pull straight out of the ground! So maybe they're now the weakest link. Another mean trick is when thieves cut the bike rack under cover of night, then conceal the cut with tape ready for easy removal.Not if you have one of these on
Litelok X3 Review – From a Bike Owner’s Perspective
The angle-grinder-resistant Litelok X3 bicycle and motorcycle lock has been getting a lot of pre-release publicity. Here’s my take as an owner, not a professional trying to destroy one.
<snip>
I was aware of the Hiplok and should have mentioned that, but those LiteLoks are new to me and seriously impressive, both in terms of security and, unlike the HopLok IMHO, in practical use. Your mighty LiteLok X3 is marginally too small for me, too heavy and too expensive, but the X1 - much cheaper, lighter and slightly bigger - looks like just the job. I really like my Abus Grantite X and it's been top-rated for many years, but its time has come and I've ordered a LiteLock X1.
BTW your website is a mine of great information, very well written and produced too
m@Robertson
Well-known member
Well, locking the bike is a process, and part of that process is using your brain and not doing stupid stuff. Indeed the rack is the weak point now, but that is part of your job as an owner to think thru where and how you lock it.
I take a pic every time I lock up for insurance purposes. This one was my 'new' locking setup with the X3. In this case its at the bank and I am locking to a stair railing. I doubt its hardened steel, but it is thick steel.
Lets say you cut thru the stair railing. Two cuts. Lots of sparks. At a bank downtown where btw there is an armed guard making daylight rounds around the building (both of my banks do this nowadays). So they get thru the stair railing and nobody has arrested them yet. What has removing that railing accomplished? The 18mm stainless U lock is still thru the tire. The chain is undisturbed, and that Litelok still immobilizes the bicycle. Is it ready to be carried away? Sure. Enjoy doing that on an 8 ft+ bike with a 35ah battery under the floor and a 15 lb chain dangling underneath. That bike is too long for pickup truck beds so unless you have three strong guys and a box truck with a lift, its still not going anywhere. And I'll be back from the teller window in less than 5 minutes, anyway.
This one was a few days later at REI. Less substantial stainless steel rack tubes. Same thing on being able to lug the bike away. They keep a doorman just inside the door to greet customers and he keeps an eye on the bikes parked there. Imperfect but also not a high risk location.
For me, its all about layering your locking scheme. Even if you don't have a behemoth bike that is effectively immune from being carried off, still do layers. I've been doing the multi-lock+chain thing for years dating back to before I got into cargo bikes as daily drivers.
HoppyUK
Member
Layering is a good word for it, but adding extra security also layers on inconvenience, yet more weight and clutter to carry, and extra cost. It's about peace of mind for me and I think I'll be near enough to that happy state with the grinder-proof LiteLok. Thanks for mentioning it
Smaug
Well-known member
Little known fact: the reason m@Robertson bought a bakfiets cargo bike was so he could carry his locks around. Previous bikes didn't have the weight capacity.
m@Robertson
Well-known member
Hah nope. I carried the chain when I was riding 2fat. But of course not either of the mtb's... but they are merely fun bikes. It had to go on rack center as panniers aren't strong enough to carry a 2-meter chain.Little known fact: the reason m@Robertson bought a bakfiets cargo bike was so he could carry his locks around. Previous bikes didn't have the weight capacity.
When you have to depend on a bike as a daily driver, what is reasonable is different. The level of inconvenience if the bike is lost goes thru the roof. With that said an angle-grinder-proof-ish lock is very liberating as you actually have an expectation of longer-term security that will last for a half-hour-plus just from that one item.
m@Robertson
Well-known member
Who says I'm not?
In some of my more boondock-level rides in the Lower Sierras I'm wearing an Aliengear chest rig with my old-standby Sig 220. Bear and mountain lion are a real risk out there. Sheriffs have to get out there on horseback and you can forget about having a cell signal.
More on topic: Yes the bike was expensive, but compare it to $5/gallon gas and insurance rated for daily use and the miles that come with that, not to mention the wear and tear I'm not putting on a car that is sitting in my driveway on a battery tender, it sits there so long... the bike isn't anywhere near as expensive s it seems when you stack up what I'm not spending by replacing the auto.
NWA Cycling
Member
I live in an apartment so I don’t have a storage building and I’m not entirely sure if I would feel that this would be secure (even with cameras) given the current climate of crime in the US. I do have my bikes registered and insured and I keep them inside my ground floor apartment (because houses here are just incredibly stupid expensive). I am not going to make it common knowledge to a passerby that I have two e-bikes on the outside of my apartment. I do have a camera on the outside of my apartment that will enable me to see who comes and goes. I also use hidden air tags on my bikes as well. Those won’t prevent theft but would be beneficial in recovering them.
