ebike theft and precautionary measures

[Andy88]

I read a snippet from d8veh, which prompted me to post this, d8veh quote "If parking in public place while at work it won't last two weeks"

Is ebike/bike theft that rampant in the UK?

For short shopping trips are there no secure areas where the bike can be securely double locked and alarmed?

How good are these monitoring services that register or tag your bike?

For a 2k bike fully comprehensive insurance runs around £125 a year anyone had any claims experience?

Surely if we use two locks a D and a rope lock and also an alarm attached for normal 1 or 2 hour parking sessions within a populated area aren't we safe?

Do supermarkets have secure parking?

Thanks

Excuse me if I've posted this in the wrong section.

 

[soundwave]

 

[Andy88]

Yes, its worrying but two locks and a siren alarm may have deterred.
It looks like insurance is going to be compulsory.

 

[Andy88]

Secure Bike Lock

 

[soundwave]

if you leave it in the same place every day then no matter what lock you get they will cut through them in no time at all.

gubbins had his bike stolen out side his house and they held on to it from a open car window and drove off with it, he had it insured so did get a new bike.

to insure my bike is £45 a month so it lives inside my house and i will not leave it anywhere un attended.

best option is a tracker but as soon as they find it if there striping the bikes will not last long 24hrs if that.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The casual thieves have a hacksaw and side-cutters in their pockets. They walk around, and if they see a nice bike with a cable lock, they have it.

The semi-pros wait in a car outside the sports centre, gym, Halfords, etc with bolt croppers. As soon as you walk away they crop your padlock, cheap D-lock or chain.

If your lock can defeat those devices, you've got a pretty fair chance of keeping your bike. I often park my bike in places that are notorious bike theft spots when I go shopping. I've never had a problem.

The pros have angle grinders and liquid nitrogen. They'll have your bike whatever you lock it with. They would target nice bikes left in the same spot regularly, so that they can study the lock and bring the necessary tools.

Always lock your bike to something solid. Shopping, pubs, etc shouldn't be a problem if you have a reasonable lock. This is the lock that I use, which is reasonably light, fairly cheap, easy to carry and secure enough to defeat most attacks.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Oxford-Barrier-Armoured-Cable-Lock_28319.htm?sku=57865&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKEAiA4dPCBRCM4dqhlv2R1R8SJABom9pHeSur4SrhE1g96UVGw49t9RVOqL4DKDw_auHJnvBmsRoC4gPw_wcB#

 

[Andy88]

Hmm, got u, have to pick shops and coffee shops then where can possibly lock inside or where there is some sort of guard. Insurance seems a must.

 

[Andy88]

Thanks for that d8veh. I don't use pubs much but like a coffee shop the other excursion would be the local shop or tescos.

 

[soundwave]

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The best security is to park your bike where you can see it, but that's not always possible.

Parking at coffee shops, pubs won't be a problem if you have a reasonable lock, like the one I suggested.

 

[Andy88]

Available to pre-order now for shipping by the end of the year, this rubber-coated steel lock is the future of bike security. It’s unlocks from your smartphone, sends you a text when it detects it’s being tampered with and even notifies your family for you if you’re involved in an accident — and it’s solar-powered.

 

[soundwave]

https://www.cycleguard.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKEAiA4dPCBRCM4dqhlv2R1R8SJABom9pHUkRbiBE6ZkeW_4YlOd0wsTwJNR3OEPDv5b6yUrEv9RoC6qbw_wcB

If you leave your bicycle unattended away from the insured location it must:

• Be secured using one of our approved locks, through the frame, to an immovable object
• Not be left unattended for more than 18 hours.

 

[Tabs]

Al need to get a lock for my bike, tend not to let it out my sight at the moment.

 

[anotherkiwi]

The guide figure is spend 10% of the value of your bike on security. Buy locks that are Dutch insurance company approved and keep the bills and take a photo of your bike locked as you usually lock it to show your insurance company in case of incident.

I have a frame lock with plug in chain. As soon as I get off the bike, even if it will be in sight, I lock the frame lock and pocket the key. If I'm going into a shop for a bit longer I chain it to street furniture. It is chained to the stairs in my building when I am home.

I also have a Kryptonite D lock and flexy cable to attach the front wheel, battery box and trailor. The flexy cable is easy to cut: craft knife to remove the exterior rubbery coating and small bolt cutters to cut the 4 mm stainless cable which is inside. But it passes through the frame and wheels and battery box handle etc. etc. and is there to discourage the casual thief or at least make him spend more time getting rid of it. The D lock also goes to street furniture so the bike is attached to something solid in two different points.

I leave the bike locked like that in a card access only locked bike garage in the city and never more than 6-8 hours at a time.

 

[Andy88]

Great input, I like the insurance pics, receipts never thought of that.

 

[flecc]

Is ebike/bike theft that rampant in the UK?

It's all bike theft that's rampant, not just e-bikes. It's because bikes are about the only high-value, unregistered, virtually untraceable things we leave out on the streets.

For short shopping trips are there no secure areas where the bike can be securely double locked and alarmed?

We do have loads of pavement bike stands and even pavement bike shelters in London, due to a healthy local government cycling budget. Some of our supermarkets are good too. My nearest Sainsburys has a very stylish architect designed* 12 position bike shelter right by the front entrance. Car drivers have to go into the car park round the rear and have a longish walk.

* It has a swept roof like an aircraft wing section in profile, and the stand hoops are all very robust and in gleaming stainless steel. And backing onto it is a maintained garden!

It's one of the few bike stands that haven't made me feel like a second-class citizen.
.

 

[Andy88]

All great input, very grateful, when I return to the UK I will be looking to rent property in either Durham County or Cumbria, I'll be looking at towns in those regions that have bike friendly supermarkets and coffee shops.

Using a DLock and Chain Lock at all times secured where possible to an immovable object won't make theft impossible but should deter the opportunist thief into looking for easier targets.

I also suspect, mountain bikes, road bikes and hybrids will be easier to sell than a step through pashley…

 

[cyclebuddy]

Using a DLock and Chain Lock at all times secured...

Having a proper D-Lock to strap the bike frame onto immovable street furniture, plus an extra cable thingy to tie in the front wheel et al is all cool and groovy in theory... but has anybody considered carting this weight around?

My own “Thatcham” and “Sold Secure Gold” Approved Kryptonite New York D-lock (at about £60+, but insisted upon by my bike cover included with my Household insurance when the bike is taken away from the insured premises) weighs in at a very hefty 1.95kg alone... then add the weight of the KryptoFlex cable thing... and that’s about the same total weight as my e-bike battery!

The lock does at least come with a handy frame-mount bracket so you can carry it around with you on the bike frame... except that the battery and controller on my e-bike excludes that possibility (the electrics and cables making it quite difficult to strap the D-lock snugly around the frame and a post/rack anyway).

Given that most major supermarkets, larger out-of-town retail stores, DIY sheds etc have manned door security (to stop the wags speeding out with trollies full of pilfered contraband) I’d like to see lockable/secure key/card operated bike racks placed right there at the front door under the watchful eye of this security... then you wouldn’t need to lug the weight of a decent lock around with you in the first place. It might encourage more people to use their bikes instead of their cars for more practical uses rather than simply leisure (as I do at the moment)?

 

[Andy88]

Having a proper D-Lock to strap the bike frame onto immovable street furniture, plus an extra cable thingy to tie in the front wheel et al is all cool and groovy in theory... but has anybody considered carting this weight around?

My own “Thatcham” and “Sold Secure Gold” Approved Kryptonite New York D-lock (at about £60+, but insisted upon by my bike cover included with my Household insurance when the bike is taken away from the insured premises) weighs in at a very hefty 1.95kg alone... then add the weight of the KryptoFlex cable thing... and that’s about the same total weight as my e-bike battery!

The lock does at least come with a handy frame-mount bracket so you can carry it around with you on the bike frame... except that the battery and controller on my e-bike excludes that possibility (the electrics and cables making it quite difficult to strap the D-lock snugly around the frame and a post/rack anyway).

Given that most major supermarkets, larger out-of-town retail stores, DIY sheds etc have manned door security (to stop the wags speeding out with trollies full of pilfered contraband) I’d like to see lockable/secure key/card operated bike racks placed right there at the front door under the watchful eye of this security... then you wouldn’t need to lug the weight of a decent lock around with you in the first place. It might encourage more people to use their bikes instead of their cars for more practical uses rather than simply leisure (as I do at the moment)?

For road and mtb don't think it would work but if its a dutch or city bike with a rear pannier saddle attached then couldn't the locks live in there between lock ups?

 

[Andy88]

I suppose would need to secure the pannier bags to something otherwise they would walk ?