E-Bike theft

[llile]

I did not get my bike stolen. But suspiciously, a cable lock I have used for some years was all busted up when I returned to my bike one day. Possibly someone tried a hammer on it? Or perhaps it just failed of old age and getting beat around - I have had this lock for years.

I am not in a high bike theft area, but I have had locked bikes stolen out of my yard. Now I always store the bikes in the garage, out of sight. I always lock the bike if it is not in my possession.

There are plenty of super-duper locks out there. All the best ones have a key. That means I can lose the key, and end up stranded as I did regularly when I had such a lock. I'd ride to work, snap the lock shut, and then return to remember the key was on my dresser at home or something. Or I left it in the lock, and it rattled out end fell on the road. Or just feel around in my pocket and the key has jumped out somewhere. Or whatever, I was probably stranded several different times.

I've never been stranded since I went to combination locks. I'll never forget the combination until I get Alzheimers, since I use it every day. Right now I have a four-number cable lock. I also have a really stout Master lock. and I am thinking about getting a length of Fahgeddaboutit Chain for this lock. Kryptonite guarantees the Fahgettaboutit chain for $4500 against theft. For a custom E-Bike they told me if I could produce reciepts, they'd pay up.

This bike cost close to $5000 to build, it's got a lot of battery, a lot of range and a lot of speed, fairings, custom lights, the works. Not to mention a year's spare time to build. Using two locks, one to lock the bike to itself and one to lock the bike to an object, is an Idea I might use. I will also have a separate lock that just locks the batteries to the bike, as these are worth more than the rest of the machine put together. In a few cases I just lock the bike to itself, as the bike is heavy, but I am not keen on this idea.

I don't like Kryptonite U-Locks, they never reach anything, won't go around a telephone pole, and then there is that damned key to lose.

One can also get a device like spylamp that can track your bike if it is stolen. I am seriously considering one of these.

Thoughts? Many of the E-Bikes shown here are really wierd looking, and would attract thieves. Your batteries are worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. What do you use, what would you consider too inconvenient? Do you lock your batteries?

 

[davec]

wow at 5k i'd think about insurance and never let it out of my sight ( well not in my city anyway)
either that or depending where you leave it- i would store it in a facility
but if it's outside a stealthy gps- would at minimum provide some use just in case

 

[llile]

Where would I buy bike theft insurance? Not actually a bad idea if someone would sell it.

 

[llile]

New Start-up contemplating GPS Bike-Theft gadget: http://www.biketrak.com/.

 

[llile]

Here is the Head Tube bike tracking alarm: This looks liek the most stealth way to track a bike, about the same price as spylight.

 

[e-beach]

Home owners insurance sometimes covers things like bike insurance. If you have anything like that call your insurer and find out what you would need in case of theft.

As for locks, I use a heavy and long Kryptonite U lock that will go through my frame, spokes and bike lock poles. I augment that with a cable that will go around phone poles, light poles, trees etc. So when a thief sees a the bike locked up with a heavy u-lock and a cable through both tires they move on to easier pickings. Although I have been thinking of carrying a second heavy u-lock.

And yes, they have keys....

As an extra added feature, I sometimes carry a pair of dirty white socks and leave them over my watt meter and headlight. It kind of hides them and looks disgusting. Not many people, thief's included want to touch other peoples dirty socks. :lol:

As a side bar, I once met a guy who had a magic pie powered recumbent. He had the bike covered by a plastic tarp. I asked him why he covered his bike with a tarp on such a warm beautiful day and he told me that he thought thiefs don't think much about what they can't see. Out of sight, out of mind he thought.

So if you really want to go ready, two strong u-locks, a good cable or chain, a tarp and some dirty socks.

 

[DAND214]

Locks are great as long as you lock to a solid item,

On Critcal Mass they are talking about "dummy poles" or sign poles that have had thier bolts removed at the base. thief comes along and lifts the pole out the base move the bike, put the pole back and ride off.

So be sure the anchor point is secure and don't just secure the bike without using the frame and wheel to lock it.

Where is this, low stolen area at?

Dan

 

[davec]

oh you can always chain guard dogs around it

 

[dogman dan]

It's a dilemma. The argument that you can't leave a bike that valuable anywhere has merit. But you do have to pop into stores at least.

The key issue is easy, carry the lock differently. I can lose that dang key easy. I store the key in the lock, and then carry it in a bag on the bike. So I can't leave it at home, nor have it drop out on a bump and get lost. Sometimes I end up not having the lock or key on the bike. But I can't have the lock and not have the key.

Or, find a very good combination padlock. Not a bike lock, but a combination pad lock for construction tool boxes . NOT the cheap one on your high school gym locker. Those are easy to find the notches and crack. Then the good chain.

With 5 grand in it, some kind of gps would be a good idea. Just the dog finder kind could help you pinpoint where in the city it went, which block.

For additional locks, look at the frame mounted ones. Those look pretty convenient to use. That will be important if locking multiple locks. Carry those keys in a bag on the bike as well.

This is about the best combo padlock I could find real quick. http://www.grainger.com/product/SESAMEE-Combination-Resettable-Padlock-3TMK4?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

http://www.grainger.com/product/AMERICAN-LOCK-Combination-Padlock-WP47341/_/N-b70?searchSortKey=priceDesc&s_pp=false

You don't want this, (above) the search I did included multiple pages on how to crack these in seconds.

 

[MadRhino]

I use a disc lock and a GPS tracker. Most of the time I don't even put the disc lock on.
My bikes are very aggressive 24s 150A with twitchy throttle, I know by experience that if someone tries to ride them without a "crash course", he will do a back flip right there on a start.

 

[23skidoo]

Make up a bike that costs way less. Figure $200 for the bike and $600 for the motor and controller. You already have the battery.

When you lock up, take the battery with you.

 

[cal3thousand]

Sorry to break it to you, but that MasterLock you linked to is NOT stout. Hand croppers are going to make short work of that.

Anything less than a Boron Alloy hardened shackle is not good enough for an ebike. I just put together a lock and chain using 3/8" Grade 120 chain and a MasterLock 6327 for about $75 shipped total (not from that site) that will withstand cutters up to 40". Only grinders are going to get through this and I will be there with my crowbar by then

Another design of my lock configuration is the difficulty to get a cutting clearance. The chain fills up the shackle to the point that it takes some practice to lock it and there is absolutely not enough room to get a large enough bolt cutter to fit. I'll post up a picture tonight after I get home.

One con of the lock is that it is quite heavy. The chain weighs in at over 5 lbs for 3 feet of length and the padlock weighs nearly 2 lbs.

This lock's purpose is to keep the bike safe at locations where it will be locked up for extended periods. I actually made 2 of them in 3/8" version and 2 of them in 5/16" version and will probably sell off any I don't use. The (2) 3/8" locks will be left at work and at home to be paired with a U-lock and a motorcycle cover. I might keep one of the lighter 5/16" versions for use on the road.


Moral of the story: If you value your bikes don't cheap out on a lock. I like to think of it as 10% value. If you can't invest 10% of your bike's value in a security system, be prepared to have it molested by a thief one day. I value my bikes at way over $2000 each, so more than $200 in security will be used. GPS tracking and a BIG ASS hardened lock and chain puts me over that but the piece of mind is priceless.

 

[John in CR]

What do you do about keys for your house? Do you have a number pad to turn your bike on? Get a good lock with a key and put a keyswitch on you bike too, and put the house key on the same ring if necessary.

If you have a $5k bike, then don't you think it's worth the relatively small amount extra for a GPS tracker and alarm system for it if you're going to leave it parked in public places?

 

[heavymetalthunder]

If you want a combination and key lock in the same chain/cable set you can always shackle the combination lock on the shackle of key lock. The locks would be shackled in tandem so either a key or combination could unlock the bike.

 

[slacker]

do you carry your house and car key's with you?myself i alway's carry my house and car key's and have key's for multiple lock's on my key ring and have never lost a key.I am not a fan of combonation lock's as i have multiple password's and other number's to remember and do not want more.also as i work in a educational setting i have found combo lock's very easy to break as the kid's are constantly forgetting their combonation.I alway's lock up in a busy public place and frequently check my bike if it is out of sight.hope you find a solution that work's for you.

 

[llile]

So if you really want to go ready, two strong u-locks, a good cable or chain, a tarp and some dirty socks.

Considering how some of my dirty socks smell, I'd argue that leaving them on the bike would be sufficient deterrent against even the most strong-stomached thief, even without a lock. No GPS tracker needed either, just follow the scent trail.

 

[justlooking]

Here is the Head Tube bike tracking alarm: This looks liek the most stealth way to track a bike, about the same price as spylight.

good item , but is there any charges after buying one ? also how long do the battery lasts ??

 

[llile]

If you want a combination and key lock in the same chain/cable set you can always shackle the combination lock on the shackle of key lock. The locks would be shackled in tandem so either a key or combination could unlock the bike.

hmm - leaving the combo lock as the weakest link. Apparently combo locks are more subject to brute force and bolt cutter attacks, per the previous thread, and that is why most high security locks are keyed. A short shackle lock leaves the thief trying to cut the cable or chain.

Maybe I should reconsider the whole key/combo prejudice in light of this thread. Certainly a short-shackle Kryptonite keyed U-lock fastening the bike to itself, plus a length of stout cable lock to attach it to a solid object, would be very secure, and I can get a high dollar theft guarantee for some of the better Kryptonite locks. Strapping the batteries into their baskets with a stouter permanent cable lock would be a good measure. There are several objects that are rarely out of my possession, such as house keys and wallet, and a spare key int he wallet might be one of the measures that won't leave me stranded. The (Duh? Why the hell didn't I think of this? ) rather obvious measure of keeping the bike key on my regular keyring, which I have never lost, would be a better idea. Going ahead and purchasing an extra key when I buy the lock would not be a bad idea either - I have a stash of original keys, only carrying copies on my keyring. Could there also be a stealth method of hiding a key on the bike itself, perhaps under a handlebar cover accessed by an allen wrench?

 

[llile]

If you want a combination and key lock in the same chain/cable set you can always shackle the combination lock on the shackle of key lock. The locks would be shackled in tandem so either a key or combination could unlock the bike.

hmm - leaving the combo lock as the weakest link. Apparently combo locks are more subject to brute force and bolt cutter attacks, per the previous thread, and that is why most high security locks are keyed. A short shackle lock leaves the thief trying to cut the cable or chain.

Maybe I should reconsider the whole key/combo prejudice in light of this thread. Certainly a short-shackle Kryptonite keyed U-lock fastening the bike to itself, plus a length of stout cable lock to attach it to a solid object, would be very secure, and I can get a high dollar theft guarantee for some of the better Kryptonite locks. Strapping the batteries into their baskets with a stouter permanent cable lock would be a good measure. There are several objects that are rarely out of my possession, such as house keys and wallet, and a spare key int he wallet might be one of the measures that won't leave me stranded. The (Duh? Why the hell didn't I think of this? ) rather obvious measure of keeping the bike key on my regular keyring, which I have never lost, would be a better idea. Going ahead and purchasing an extra key when I buy the lock would not be a bad idea either - I have a stash of original keys, only carrying copies on my keyring. Could there also be a stealth method of hiding a key on the bike itself, perhaps under a handlebar cover accessed by an allen wrench?

 

[llile]

Here is a very innovative lock:

http://tigrlock.com/product/

Made of titanium, long like a cable to lock lots of parts down, yet relatively indestructible. Very easy to use.

 

[llile]

Here is a locking solutions more along the lines of folks at Endless Sphere:

1. Titanium strip, 24" long, 1.4" wide, 3/16" thick $36 Ebay

Now all you gotta do is drill a hole in each end for a stout lock. Impossible, right, it's freakin' titanium! Not so: [url-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e_-B0gl6is]Watch cutting titanium with conventional tools[/url]

Here is a video of drilling a hole in thick titanium and more information about keeping the drill cool and feeding

No guarantee from Kryptonite, but wicked cheap, and really hard to force open!

 

[EldRick]

Titanium (alloy) is not particularly hard - not much more difficult to cut than aluminum, manufacturers claims to the contrary. An angle grinder will make short work of it. It is only strong when the same weight of metal is compared vs. steel, because Ti is light...

 

[spisska]

I'm a bit wary of titanium for a lock. It's very strong, obviously, but it's also very brittle. You might not defeat that titanium strip with a cutter easily, but could you just cool it with spray and whack it with a hammer?

I was thinking about the tigr that someone linked to above, but went with the decision that my bike is already heavy as hell, so a heavy lock doesn't make that much difference. So I got this beast of a chain:

combined with this lock:

and a Fahgettaboudit just for good measure.

Yes, all of this is very heavy, and both locks are probably overkill. But I'm not really bothered by the weight, and there's no question that your basic bike thief with hand-tools isn't even going to bother.

A key switch will be the next addition, as soon as I can figure out how and where to mount it. Not that that's much security, but it looks cool. I'm actually thinking a key switch and an old-school airplane-style master-switch:

Now THAT'S cool.

 

[llile]

Hal grades bike locking on the Street of New York.

Hal recommends locking down expensive parts, either with multiple locks or one really good lock that can strap it all down. I don't really have any quick release parts, but I do have small stuff that is easily stolen - pannier bags, tool kit, and the like. But let 'em have that stuff if the bike is still there when I get back. One site recommends hot-gluing a BB inside allen head bolts, make it just that much harder to remove with a handy 5mm wrench, however not too hard to remove in the shop. Most thieves would just move on, not realizing why they could not work the bolt.

I have imagined replacing the cloth panniers with hard-sided lockable waterproof boxes, ammo boxes, motorcycle hard sided trunks, or some custom item, but haven't made a decision yet. If I ever build a full fairing I will incorporate permanent lockable waterproof cargo storage.

But using Hal's basic principle - lock down all the most expensive parts, I'd need several locks.

Playing around with an old U-lock, I could U-lock each expensive motorized wheel to the frame (I have an E-Trike, so there are two motors), and leave a cable and short-shackle lock permanently attaching the batteries to the frame. Then a regular cable with eyes can attach one of the U-locks to a handy solid object. Bike would be impossible to ride away without defeating two kryptonite locks and a cable. At 350Lbs, also difficult to carry away once defeating the cable lock. This might not be a bad solution that doesn't cost a mint. I'm still considering a GPS tracker, would be easy to stash inside a battery compartment or some tube.



Cable locks aren't considered very stout, however I tried to cut an old broken one laying around, with bolt cutters (I am a bike parts hoarder and will not even throw away a broken bike lock, as it "might come in handy some day), and found it quite difficult.

 

[llile]

Master combination padlocks - picked in 3 seconds

Bust a lock with ahammer and compressed air

Pick a $150 kryptonite lock with a bic pen

Heres a $50 tracker meant for a 12V vehicle. Good recommendations. Uses a cheap SIM card. Add a DC-DC converter to your traction battery, tuck the GPS antenna under the seat and you are good to go. Sand off the "GPS TRACKER" logo and it won't look any wierder on your E-bike than any of the motor controllers or other custom components. At least it would track your bike to the chop-shop.