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.
We are also here to show you the growing selection of locks, and security items to help keep your electric bike safe. Take a look here at our Bike Locks, which when used in combination with the common sense tips in this article, you'll have the best chance of keeping your bike safe and sound.
For all the fear and grief that ebike 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 an easy target 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 ebike 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 ebike’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 electric 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 your VoltBike, including Bike 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. Better yet, using two locks is even better, making it all the more difficult to get through.
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 ebike 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 thrive in. 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 defence. 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 now offers FOUR distinct types of locks, which work wonderfully with our bikes.
U-Lock Vandal
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.
V-Link Lock
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.
Cable Lock Protector
Our new Cable Lock Protector is a great lock to carry with you, and lock up your VoltBike. This affordable lock also makes a great secondary lock, which can be used to secure the wheels or suspension fork of the bike, which will give you an extra layer of security, while the main lock, such as a V-Lock or U-Lock will secure the frame of the bike to the bike stand.
Chain Lock Defender
Another great new lock we've started offering is the Chain Lock Defender, which is a chain-link wrapped in a VoltBike branded fabric sleeve. Like our other locks, this sleeve works to protect your paint-job from getting scratched or marked when locking up your bike.
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, ebike 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, and may not even be bothered with given the risk/reward ratio of stealing a bike that's missing an essential component that's expensive to replace.
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 GPS tags such as Apple’s AirTag, Tile Trackers, or BikeBac, 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.
Finally, please make sure your home insurance policy has adequate coverage for your bike, as bike can and do get stolen out of garages and sheds.
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