Electric bikes have exploded in the past few years, so many people have bought or plan to buy electric bicycles. But from the moment you buy electric bikes, you will face a very important problem, how to prevent e bikes from being stolen.
Are Electric Bikes More Likely To Get Stolen?
According to statistics, electric bikes are three times more likely to be stolen than traditional bikes. There are more than 2 million bicycle thefts in the United States alone. A few years ago, France reported more than 400,000 bicycle thefts. And electric bikes in Amsterdam, the Netherlands bicycle theft has risen sharply over the past few years.
In addition, the value of electric bikes is higher than that of regular bikes, so the possibility of theft also increases.
Are Electric Bikes Easy To Steal?
Stealing an electric bike is no harder than stealing a conventional bike. And electric bikes have one more high-value thing than traditional bikes, such as controllers, batteries, etc. These valuable accessories are more prone to theft because they are easy to hide and sell.
How Do You Secure An Electric Bike?
There are many ways to protect an ebike from being stolen, the most common of which is to use an electric bike lock. In this article, I will give you 10 tips on how to prevent electric bikes from being stolen.
Tips 1- Use One Or More Bike Locks
Add a lock to your e-bike, which makes it harder for thieves to steal your bike. Because it takes time for thieves to pick locks or cut locks, this increases the risk of thieves being caught. And if you use more than one lock, it will undoubtedly make the thief retreat.
There are many kinds of locks on the market to prevent bicycle theft, which can be mainly divided into U-locks, chain locks, folding locks, and cable locks.
U-locks
U-shaped locks are the safest for electric bikes, try to pass the U-shaped locks through the rear tire/main frame and fixed objects when using them.
When purchasing a U-lock, choose one that locks into place on both sides. This way, the thief will need to make two cuts to steal the bike.
Chain Locks
The chain lock is very strong and can effectively protect your e-bike. In addition, the chain lock is easy to carry and can be wrapped directly on bicycles.
Folding Locks
The folding lock is very convenient to carry, but the quality of the products of different suppliers varies greatly. Please read user reviews carefully before purchasing.
Cable Locks
Cable locks are very common bicycle locks, and the price is also very cheap. However, this kind of lock is easy to cut, so please choose a lock that is thick enough when you buy it.
Gyroor provides 2 cable locks for you, 12mm cable lock with 4 number combo and keys, 15mm cable lock with 5 number combo.
Tips 2 - Choose A Safe Place To Park Your Bike
E-bikes are very convenient for commuting, shopping, traveling, etc., but we often need to stop. Even if you are away for a short period of time, such as for coffee, you should park your e-bike in a safe place. Therefore, you need to be careful when choosing a parking spot.
- Park your bike indoors or in a supervised parking space
- Do not park your bike in remote places
- Park your bike in a video surveillance area
- Park your bike indoors instead of outdoors at night
- If you must leave your bike outside, don't park it in the same area every day.
Tips 3 - Install A Burglar Alarm
Alarms, like locks, can act as a deterrent to thieves. Place a burglar alarm inside the battery housing or on other components, if a thief steals, it will sound.
If anyone is around, the siren will alert others to chase away the thief. If not, the siren will hopefully scare away thieves.
Tips 4 - Install a GPS
GPS tracking and positioning systems can be installed in many places, such as in batteries, saddles or lights.
And many GPSs come with APPs that get real-time information, you can alert cyclists when someone moves the e-bike, thereby reducing the chance of theft.
Even if your e-bike is stolen, installing GPS can greatly improve the chances of your bike being recovered.
Tips 5 - Disguise Your Electric Bike
Bikes are easy to steal because they have value and can be used by thieves for money. But if you camouflage the bike to make it look worthless, you can reduce the chances of being stolen.
You can age your e-bike by sacrificing some looks. Apply fake rust to the frame and handlebars, add paint spots to the seat, or stick a small piece of tape.
Tips 6 - Set Safety Signs
You can make your own warning labels, such as the bike has a GPS tracker on it, or that an alarm will sound if the lock is broken.
If parked outside your home or workplace, add that surrounding security cameras are monitoring them. You can do this even without a security camera. If thieves doubt the authenticity of these signs, they probably don't want to risk it.
Tips 7 - Register Your Electric Bike
There are some free registration service sites online, such as Bike Index and 529 Garage. All you need is the serial number and the make/model of your electric bike to get started.
Although we have added a lot of anti-theft measures to protect the electric bike, it can still be stolen. Let's say your e-bike is stolen, if you have registered your e-bike online, you have a better chance of getting it back!
Tips 8 - Buy Electric Bike Insurance
Electric bike insurance is your last hurdle. If your bike ends up being stolen, you can get some monetary compensation through insurance to keep the damage to a minimum.
Tips 9 - Protect The Bike Battery From Being Stolen
Not all thieves will simply steal your whole e-bike. Some thieves just steal your bike's battery.
Because the battery is a very expensive and valuable part of the bike.
Also, it's easier to steal the battery than to steal the entire bike.
Below are what you can do to prevent theft of electric bike batteries.
- Add a separate lock to your battery.
- Remove the battery when parked and take it with you。
- If there is a handle on the battery, when locking the electric bike with a lock, put the lock through the handle of the battery.
- Install an alarm over the battery.
Tips 10 - Buy A Folding Electric Bike
Due to its folding design, the folding ebike can be folded when you are not in use. It takes up little space which makes it easy to carry. Keeping the electric bike in your sight at all times is the most effective way to prevent theft.
Hopefully these tips will help keep your e-bike safe and away from thieves.
Related: What is the best electric bike lock