ebike security

[Catalyzt]

And do not forget about thieves who will rip a bike right out from under you while you are riding it.

Hasn't happened to me in 50 years or so, but when it did, it was... memorable.

Generally, that will be two guys working on a narrow path with guard rails, walls, or no reasonable means of escape. In urban areas, just NEVER ride in places like that, it's really the only defense. (On Monday, I got lost by the LA River on an abandoned stretch of bike path that was just like that. First time I made that mistake in years. Burned a lot of calories and electrons getting out of there! Fortunately, no thieves, just some unhoused people who were down on their luck.)

The thieves will split apart-- one on the right, one on the left-- as you approach. The guys who took me off were total pros, better dressed than I was. There were no tells, no hint of what was going to happen. They only looked back once, and when they did, it was utterly normal. Nothing about their movements seemed unusual until I was flat on my back on the pavement.

Not much you can do short of carrying a weapon, and not much you can do even if you are. (I think I was carrying a switchblade, I did all the time in those days, for all the good it did me.)

One guy, working alone, on an open street, I could always get away from.

 

[ki11a]

And do not forget about thieves who will rip a bike right out from under you while you are riding it.

Hasn't happened to me in 50 years or so, but when it did, it was... memorable.

Generally, that will be two guys working on a narrow path with guard rails, walls, or no reasonable means of escape. In urban areas, just NEVER ride in places like that, it's really the only defense. (On Monday, I got lost by the LA River on an abandoned stretch of bike path that was just like that. First time I made that mistake in years. Burned a lot of calories and electrons getting out of there! Fortunately, no thieves, just some unhoused people who were down on their luck.)

The thieves will split apart-- one on the right, one on the left-- as you approach. The guys who took me off were total pros, better dressed than I was. There were no tells, no hint of what was going to happen. They only looked back once, and when they did, it was utterly normal. Nothing about their movements seemed unusual until I was flat on my back on the pavement.

Not much you can do short of carrying a weapon, and not much you can do even if you are. (I think I was carrying a switchblade, I did all the time in those days, for all the good it did me.)

One guy, working alone, on an open street, I could always get away from.

Mace, n dip....just don't get caught in the blast. Ouch.

 

[Luv2ride]

I rarely leave my bike unattended but did have one stolen out of a garage I carelessly left open. My homeowners insurance was ready to pay replacement value for it within two weeks but fortunately the police recovered it.

 

[m@Robertson]

I use the Kryptonite version for just a quick run inside the store/bank and back out again. Mostly the bank. But nowadays the bike goes into the lobby of the bank and I don't lock it inside... so I seldom use it anymore. I go full noose chain and u locks if its going to be out of my sight.

Amazon.com

 

[Stoneyrun]

Yesterday I helped release a bike from a ULock. The key was lost and the bike needing freeing. I've cut steel with my cordless DeWalt grinder before but never a lock, let alone a fairly heavy duty U Lock. I thought maybe the lock would be made of some kind of titanium alloy or something that would require Superman's heat vision to cut through, but no. It took about 10 seconds to cut the lock with my grinder w/cutting wheel. Maybe less. I guess I should have timed it. I think it was 1/2 inch steel, with a soft plastic cover to protect paint and make it look like a 5/8" lock. I didn't pay any attention the the lock brand, sorry.

I put on a nice little fireworks show for those few seconds, but that was over about the time it started. Because of that though, and because any reasonable person might have considered my behavior suspicious, we had a uniformed campus cop on site by prior arrangement.

The point is, use caution if you think a U Lock is enough to secure your bike. A bike thief could have done what I did yesterday in less time than a lot of people could get their cell phones out and start filming and he'd be gone before 911 answered the phone.

TT

In addition to the usual precautions I'm considering printing and laminating a fairly large sign to drape over the handle bar that reads "This bike is equipped with internal frame GPS tracking anti-theft protection." or similar.