What kind of e-bikes do thieves prefer?

[breadfan85]

Looking to buy an e-bike but live in kind of a bad neighborhood. What kind of e-bike should I be looking for to help reduce the risk of it being stolen? And/or how should I modify my e-bike to make it less appealing? Would something that looks like a regular bike be better (though those tend to still look like nice non-e-bikes), or would something that's obviously an e-bike, but a cheap one like Rad bikes be better? Etc.

I read that cheap/junky looking bikes can also be appealing to thieves because they might think the likelihood of it being reported stolen is lower. Any truth to that?

Thanks.

 

[tomjasz]

60 years, no stolen bikes. Use common sense. Ride in high crime areas? Consider a rat rod. Me? my bikes came with me or I shopped elsewhere. Get the best lock you can afford. Look for CCTV coverage, and consider there are places with far lower crime levels.

 

[indianajo]

The first e-bike I saw in this flyover state was a Pedego that had fat tires & purple rims. The owner chased me down and asked me if I had seen his stolen bike. This was a replacement. Thieves carried his bike out over a 4' chain link fence. It wasn't locked.
My bike has aluminum rims, 2.1" tires, and is painted girly green. It has a girly drop frame. See the avatar. I've been riding it for 4.2 years, locking it up 2 - 4 times a week in front of grocery & dollar stores, churches, restaurants, my volunteer job. I use a 1/2" x 6' stainless steel cable sliing. Also a Abus 92/80 lock. Screws have been removed from the battery mount twice, and the tire has been knifed twice. I don't lock the bike in my garage.

 

[Taylor57]

Looking to buy an e-bike but live in kind of a bad neighborhood. What kind of e-bike should I be looking for to help reduce the risk of it being stolen? And/or how should I modify my e-bike to make it less appealing? Would something that looks like a regular bike be better (though those tend to still look like nice non-e-bikes), or would something that's obviously an e-bike, but a cheap one like Rad bikes be better? Etc.

I read that cheap/junky looking bikes can also be appealing to thieves because they might think the likelihood of it being reported stolen is lower. Any truth to that?

Thanks.

Use common sense. If you live in a crappy area, take the bike into your house when you are not riding it. If you ride it somewhere and need to park it, make sure it is as secure as possible with ULock, Cable and an alarm. Even with that said, don't plan on leaving it alone too long. Take it with you wherever you go...

 

[sc00ter]

Strange question but I'll give a answer. ANY ebike thieves like! Don't matter if it's a Lectric or a Specialized, if you make it easy to steal the thieves will get it! A huge majority of thefts are opportunity thefts, easy and quick. And pro level thieves? If they want it, they'll take it. Battery powered angle grinder anyone?

You goal as a owner is to make you bike "harder" to steal than the one next to you. Secure it at all times, even in your garage.

My security level for every ebike I've owned is the same, FoldyLock. I live in a medium crime level area. Now if I go into Richmond VA or Washington DC I bring my Abus U-lock and New York chain. Also pack a Kryptonite Evo U-lock if I'll be out after dark.

 

[breadfan85]

So it sounds like the look/style/type of bike doesn't really matter much and that my priority should just be on making sure it's very secure. Thanks for your help everyone. Tomjasz, sorry for coming at you hard earlier. Your initial reply just came off very sarcastic to me.

 

[Rich W.]

I was in a nice campground in downtown Crescent City, Ca recently and was told by the management that a ring of professional e-bike thieves is paying local transients (homeless, unhoused, whatever) to steal e-bikes from campgrounds all along the West Coast. I have a hard time imagining that these enterprising individuals could or would make the distinction between expensive and cheap bikes - I’m sure they just steal anything that fits the general description. So yes, make it as difficult as possible and take whatever other security measures you can. There’s also insurance, and as one might expect, it’s expensive.

 

[sc00ter]

The worst part of getting a bike stolen is the police report. They have better things to do and treat your "bicycle" theft as such. It's either "Its a cheap bike, no biggie." or "Why did you spend that much on a bicycle and not have better security?". I don't blame them at all for that general approach. Your friends will say the same thing when you tell them your X dollar amount bike got stolen. And don't bother going all vigilante. Running the thief over while their on your ebike might seem like a good idea in the moment but most of us are to pretty to survive in prison. My wife has some good stories from her days working at a Level 5 max scum prison.

 

[Taylor57]

The worst part of getting a bike stolen is the police report. They have better things to do and treat your "bicycle" theft as such. It's either "Its a cheap bike, no biggie." or "Why did you spend that much on a bicycle and not have better security?". I don't blame them at all for that general approach. Your friends will say the same thing when you tell them your X dollar amount bike got stolen. And don't bother going all vigilante. Running the thief over while their on your ebike might seem like a good idea in the moment but most of us are to pretty to survive in prison. My wife has some good stories from her days working at a Level 5 max scum prison.

So even if you put an Air Tag in your Ebike somewhere and you are able to track it-what next? Break down the door? Call the cops? It sounds good on paper but once your bike is stolen, it's probably gone for good. If you want to keep it, keep it close by and chained up. When I go to the golf course to hit balls, my bike is right behind me. If I need to walk 50 yards down the range to clean a club, I activate my alarm. We live in a fairly nice area with a 2 car garage and I chain and Ulock my bikes up every night or make sure they are in the house. Bike thieves are everywhere. Especially here in the desert in the winter...

 

[tomjasz]

So it sounds like the look/style/type of bike doesn't really matter much and that my priority should just be on making sure it's very secure. Thanks for your help everyone. Tomjasz, sorry for coming at you hard earlier. Your initial reply just came off very sarcastic to me.

No problem. I'm often too sardonic with my replies making them easily misunderstood.

 

[Rexlion]

What kind of ebikes do thieves prefer? I guess we all could go out and steal a few, and let you know.

Just kidding!!!

 

[rich c]

You really think people in this group think like bicycle thieves? There were 190,000 bicycle thefts reported last year in the US. One of my good friends had a car stolen. They found the $5,000 traditional road bicycle thrown in a ditch with some of his clothes. I get the idea that thieves don't give two shakes about what the bicycle or eBike looks like. Unless of course they have a list of parts wanted by a chop shop. Hey wait a minute, college students want to do research papers all the time and request our help. Maybe have one of them do research on thefts!

 

[PedalUma]

I will address the opening paragraph without covering the obvious. 1) Make your bike very distinctive, uniquely identifiable. Even god awful as with the rat rod suggestion. Individual parts could be painted, including the tires. It would be fun to add lumps of caulk before painting, making them look like zits or barf. 2) Have an easily removable external battery that you can take with you.
I know a guy who had a bike stolen just for a tube.

 

[tomjasz]

You really think people in this group think like bicycle thieves?

They’re here. Don’t be naive.

 

[Taylor57]

I will address the opening paragraph without covering the obvious. 1) Make your bike very distinctive, uniquely identifiable. Even god awful as with the rat rod suggestion. Individual parts could be painted, including the tires. It would be fun to add lumps of caulk before painting, making them look like zits or barf. 2) Have an easily removable external battery that you can take with you.
I know a guy who had a bike stolen just for a tube.

I prefer to keep my bikes stock and not distinctive. To advise others to make your bike a rat rod or paint the tires is silly . I know you are good at fixing and assembling bikes but that is just plain horrible advise. Most bikes are stolen because the owner is not paying attention or doesn't care enough about it to protect it. If you take care about your bike, you will take it with you wherever you go. I took mine into a public restroom today at the ballgame.
If you have to chain it up for whatever reason, pay the $ to insure it and get plenty of pictures and save all receipts.

 

[goducks21]

I have mine in my garage when not riding them. I still use a cable lock in the garage and lock both together. I live in a relatively crime free neighborhood but there's times when my garage doors open and I'm in the backyard. Wouldn't take but a few seconds for some nothead walking by to walk up and ride off with one while I was in the back.
I had a bike stolen many years ago. Brand new Peugeot. I was inside my parents house and the bike was right outside the front door. Went out later and it was gone. Just never no.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

If you live in a bad neighborhood bring your bike indoors (not in your garage) when you aren't riding it.

 

[PedalUma]

I still think it would be fun to do a bike with under coater. Then spray paint rust brown. Is there a Special bike in E. Europe we could bata test the technique?

 

[Taylor57]

I still think it would be fun to do a bike with under coater. Then spray paint rust brown. Is there a Special bike in E. Europe we could bata test the technique?

You may not be good at risk advise for bikes but your food porn around Petuluma is still top notch!

 

[mschwett]

The worst part of getting a bike stolen is the police report. They have better things to do and treat your "bicycle" theft as such. It's either "Its a cheap bike, no biggie." or "Why did you spend that much on a bicycle and not have better security?". I don't blame them at all for that general approach. Your friends will say the same thing when you tell them your X dollar amount bike got stolen. And don't bother going all vigilante. Running the thief over while their on your ebike might seem like a good idea in the moment but most of us are to pretty to survive in prison. My wife has some good stories from her days working at a Level 5 max scum prison.

not my experience. have had a bike and a scooter stolen, police. did an e-report for one, totally trouble free, the other was part of a larger burglary of a common garage area and the police were prompt, professional, and got the report back in a few days, no editorializing. insurance paid promptly, bike replaced.

to answer the OP - most e-bikes are reasonably good theft targets. very cheap ones have the benefits of being anonymous and easy to sell. expensive ones are, well, expensive, and more targeted by experienced/professional thieves. use good locks (the heaviest u-lock you are comfortable carrying, at the very least one where both sides have to be cut), park in high traffic areas (a couple minutes of sparks flying from an angle grinder will get a lot of attention in an urban area), within direct sight of lobbies, crosswalks, etc, and don't leave your bike unattended for days on end. that's just asking for someone to see it multiple times and come prepared. no lock will stop a prepared, planned theft... and that's why you have insurance, which is the last layer of defense.