The fact of the matter is that bike thieves are just about everywhere these days. With Electric Bicycles, and VoltBike specifically, entering a Golden Age there are more bikes out there than ever. Unless you live in an extremely high-trust community, it’s time to Lock Up That Bike!
In this article, we will discuss the many things you can do to avoid being a victim of these sticky-fingered bike snatchers. VoltBike’s Blog is being filled out with fantastic content, with regular blog posts covering all sorts of topics, from choosing the right electric bike to getting the most out of your VoltBike ownership.
For all the fear and grief that bike thieves have cause us bike owners, let’s not forget that very few of you will ever have a bike stolen… it’s still a great world after all. So let’s get to discussing the many things you can do to make your bike less likely to be messed with in the first place.
Knowing your bike is as safe as possible lets you rest easy while you run errands or do quick grocery shops on your bike. Our ebikes make it convenient to cut out car trips, so you can go out and get the things you need while having a great time riding around on your electric powered bicycle.
An unattended bike left unlocked is a soft target. Using the tips below, we can work to harden the target, making it so risky and difficult as to encourage the would-be thief to move on to easier targets. VoltBike’s got your back with a choice of gorgeous bike locks.
The Two P’s of Bike Thievery
Portable Tools
The same top-quality Lithium-Ion batteries that grace our bike’s battery packs are now used in all sorts of Power Tools. These tools are just as powerful as the plug-in counterparts, and can unfortunately cut through just about anything if given enough time. While the tools are portable and effective, they’re still very noisy and costly.
Investing in a quality lock is your best bet in the arms race we’re describing here. Locks that use high-strength materials are the way to go. As the saying goes, “buy cheap, buy twice”. But when your bike is on the line, you may only have one chance so make sure your lock is a good one. Check out our Accessories section for all sorts of products that go great with our VoltBikes, including Locks of course.
Make sure your lock is tough enough for a bike thief to require power tools, as most of your low-end thieves will only have bolt cutters and hack-saws at their disposal.
Poor Character
Most of us couldn’t imagine stealing a bike. Maybe in an emergency, perhaps, but we’d at least return the bike. Taking someone’s property is wrong.
For the bike thief community, morality is perhaps less of a consideration than the concept of Risk vs Reward. Making a quick buck at someone’s expense is a problem at all levels of society, with bike thievery being a low-end, low-IQ crime. A stolen bike is usually either sold off on Marketplace, or stripped for parts to be sold off for far less than they’re worth. The bike owner suffers, and the thief gets quick cash to buy fruit and veggies (yeah right!).
Now, here’s the part where we soften our hearts and have sympathy for someone whose joie-de-vivre is stealing a shiny new bike. Let’s hope they can get their act together, there’s lots of great productive work to be done out there building a future we can all be proud of. Here’s to hoping that your bike, so well protected, will be the reason these bike thieves retire from their nefarious ways, throwing in the towel, and finding highly productive endeavours to explore instead.
The Many Ways to Secure Your Bike
Bike Locks
Locking up the bike is your first line of defense. A study by Arizona State University considers a bike to be “secure” if it can withstand an attack for 3 minutes or longer using common hand tools. While there is a huge range of locks out there, offering varying amounts of protection, having a lock that can stand up to striking, levering, and cutting for long enough for the thief to give up and move-on is what you need.
Fortunately, VoltBike offers two main types of locks, which work wonderfully with our bikes.
|
First is the U-Lock Vandal, a classic 11.5 inch long lock, perfect for securing the e-bike to a Bike Rack. It has no moving parts other than the lock mechanism, and is made of a coated hardened steel, described by our customers as Heavy-Duty. When not in use, it fits onto the rear-rack of many of our bikes, and can either be attached to the rack, or packed away in one of our Pannier Bags. |
|
For those looking for something a little longer to be able to attach to a wider range of fixed objects, have a look at the VoltBike Foldable Lock V-Link. As the name suggests, it folds up small, being able to attach to the drink holder or front rack attachment points on most our bikes. It’s small enough to put into a Trunk Bag, making it more convenient to transport than the U-Lock. This lock is made up of rubber-coated 6mm steel plates which are riveted. |
 |
Using a combination of locks will yield the best result, so that even if they get through one lock, they’ll still have another to contend with. Now let’s explore some of the softer forms of bike security.
Alarm Systems
Annoying and Loud! Motion activated alarms are an affordable way to add a layer more to the Bike Locks alone. The would-be thief will be sure to trigger this alarm if they don’t see it, so try your best to put it somewhere less obvious, but even having it on the frame will serve as a deterrent.
Alarms draw attention, giving you a heads up. Remember, bike thieves want an easy target, so alarms show that you mean business.
Battery Locking & Removal
Our batteries come with a Key Lock mechanism, this allows you to disable the battery so it can’t be ridden away with the powered motors that make VoltBikes so fun to ride. Even more, this key is used to lock and remove the battery, allowing you to take it with you. The battery can also be charged off the bike which is great if you’re parking your bike away in a garage or storage room.
A bike missing the battery is a lot less valuable to a bike thief.
Front Tire Removal
This one’s lower down the list as it’s a bit of a hassle, and it still leaves you with the risk that the whole bike can be picked up and taken away. For longer-term storage, this method is yet another thing that can be done to make the bike less attractive to steal.
Setting a Password
Our keypads can be programmed with a new password than the password it comes with, Set a new password today if you haven’t already. This simple solution is yet another little thing that can be done to make the bike a little less useful.
Our Owner’s Manual section features our latest editions of the manuals for your bike.
Tracking Tools & Bicycle Registries
By the time these tools really come in handy, the bicycle has probably already been taken. By using a “GPS” tag such as Apple’s AirTag, you can hopefully find a missing bike. The key is to make sure you’ve hidden the tag properly, so make sure you pick somewhere that’s inconspicuous.
A bicycle registry, for example 529 Garage, can be used to find your bike in the event that it’s taken. If your bike is taken for a joy ride and left, hopefully it will be turned in somewhere. Using this service, or others like it is a great spot to post about your missing bike.