I think one important piece, and you mentioned it, is that we need to stop thinking of bike theft as individuals and approach it as a community. If event organizers, bike shops, advocacy groups, retailers, chambers of commerce and, yes, police, start working on reducing bike theft together, we’d get a lot farther than what tends to happen all to often: blaming theft victims for using crappy locks. Great video, and thanks for raising these issues.
++ Fancy locks don't do shit if the community doesn't have decent infrastructure. I love the security of locking my hiplok to a decent rack, but most of the time I'm using a parking sign because that's all that's available :/
I've lived in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore; never crossed my mind to lock my bike. In some of those countries, bike theft is prosecuted the same as car theft; many people including myself use bike as a primary mode of transportation.
I’ve had a bike stolen 2 times in my life, and both times the bike was stolen from my home. First time it was an apartment patio. Dude climbed up to my back patio and cut the lock. Second time it was in a bike lockup room in my apartment building. Someone, maybe a tenant or a criminal who snuck in targeted my bike and used tools to strip everything that wasn’t locked down.
I have 2 and a half bikes stolen I say half because on the third bike they only stole the wheel set left the frame. The wheel set is the most valuable thing because it can't be traced like the frame and they sell for 80-150 bucks for a homeless dude this is lucrative.
@ yep I was on ground floor, though you would have to kinda hop some shrubs and climb up onto the patio. My bike was hidden by the fence of the patio, all but a tiny bit of the wheels you could see from the street. Like 2 inches where the wheels show under that fence. And the dude spotted my bike and took it
I hate spending my hard earned money to get a nice lightweight bike only to have to carry what feels like a 20lb lock to keep it safe anytime I want to use it as part of my daily routine. Unfortunately bike parking lots in the States will just become a concentrated theft zone for bike thieves. As for insurance.....well I think we all know now how we feel about insurance companies.
This is why I use my regular bicycle for recreational purpose now and bring the ebike with 2+ locks for errands and commuting. Weight don't matter as much on a ebike.
I had my really nice Trek stolen in 2017 and I almost never bought another bike because of that, just like you mentioned. But I finally bought more and even bought an e-bike 2 years ago but I still have that fear of leaving my locked bike. I carry all this extra weight around and spend quite a bit of time locking and unlocking my bike every time I park it. I put motorcycle locks into each brake disc that have alarms go off if touched. I lock the seat to the frame, wheels to the frame, the frame to something thicker than what thieves can cut with grinders. All so time consuming! My bike bags are bolted to my bike so they are pretty safe. It would be great to find safe places to park your bike securely with no worries of theft. Your video was spot on. I was unaware of all the work done for safe parking in the US.
I locked my bicycle to a signpost. I put my U-lock through my back wheel and seat post,tightly around the pole. Someone had lifted the bicycle 8 feet to the top of the signpost. The rubber coated U-lock had jammed the bicycle in place just below the sign. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk more than a few yards. The bicycle is basically my legs and my only means of private transport. It happened outside The Thomas Sheraton - JD Wetherspoon pub, 4 Bridge Rd, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1BH,England. Its the yellow sign with No waiting at any time accept for taxis. I was simultaneously shocked and amused,the bicycle is undamaged.
I had a similar thing happen to one of my older bikes. I was out visiting a friend in the local area. He lived in a block of flats and I was too lazy to carry my bike up 7 or 8 flights of stairs so I locked it to a signpost/telegraph pole with my D-lock near just in front of the block of flats where he lived. When It was time for me to go home. I had found out that these thieves had pulled the signpost/telegraph pole right out of the ground, tossed it aside and ran off with the bike despite the D-lock being locked through the frame and one of the wheels. Sometimes it doesnt matter how well your bike is locked up. People will still try and steal it.
Generally the lighter the bike the more valuable it can be, but even beyond 800$ locks won't really work well because they'll break them or dismantle the bike.
Part of the reason I bought a Brompton is to avoid bike theft. I never lock my Brompton outside. It comes in with me everywhere and I don’t need to worry.
If you leave your Brompton siting round unlocked long enough, it will get stolen. You can't sleep with your bike, shower with it or buy a ticket on the airline and reserve a seat for it! People simply cannot be with their bicycles 24/7/365. Almost everyone who owns a bicycle owns lock. Lock your bike when you leave it. Not that hard. And I say this as someone who's spent decades hearing stories about bicycles being stolen from homes, garages, apartments, and everywhere else with a perfectly good lock sitting unused 10 feet away!
The Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver has a bicycle parking lot with security guards watching over your locked bike while you shop and spend time at the market. Very forward thinking, more cities should have similar facilities.
Yes! I live in Vancouver and belive that monitored 'bike valets' are the most effective theft prevention strategy. I was hoping Chris would present it as an option in the video. Maybe the next one!
One of the things I brought up to the planning folks in my city (Los Angeles) when they are implementing new bike lanes is that they need to include bike parking - or at least solid racks to lock up to. It doesn't make sense to ride my bike somewhere on a nice bike lane and then not have a secure place to put it. A number of places here are happy to have me walk in with my bike though.
Great video Chris - I think your balanced view on these things is very justified. On law and enforcement here in the UK it’s less about the former and more about the latter. If you notify the police about a stolen bike they do little more than get a crime reference number for you. There are bike theft rings here and the police need to realise the impact this sort of loss has on people and treat it as seriously as other crimes.
In france and other countries in europe new bikes are sold engraved and registered, we can engraved old ones too. If thief wants to sell it, buyers will know and if police find the bike they will know who's the owner. Many bikes have been recovered after being stolen, but the police have never been able to find out to whom they were returned. And they is something I love, it's HEXLOX. These are magnets that fit into the allen key holes, they require specials keys. They can be used to secure bike accessories such as wheels, saddles, or anything with an allen key. Not cheap but i fell more secure with that
Even better solution would be to work with your city to provide bike valet locations throughout town. Our city does this right downtown with one location near city hall, around quite a number of stores: free to use, usually 8am til 8pm. You drop off your bike, get a tag, go shop, return the tag, bike valet working wheels your bike back out to you. If they paid a few businesses every 4-5 blocks with empty space in their overstock area to rent some bike parking space we could eliminate a huge number of bike thefts.
I have both of my trikes registered by Project 529/Garage 529. This has been used very successfully in Vancouver originally to address bike theft. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has put effort in to that project not far from where I live. Both my rides are off the deep end and I throw a lock on when ever I turn my back as I had my trike stolen while touring when I was in Hamburg and now my trike carried a motion sensitive alarm. I primarily use a big ABUS U lock.
I also use 529, I love that I can upload photos, and that it has accommodation for photos for accessories as well. I upload photos of all my maintenance receipts, so it serves as a kind of maintenance record as well. I wish they would add a maintenance log as a deliberate feature, not only so that everything is in the same place, but also it's important to keep the app updated with changes to your bike... got a new frame bag? different tires? repainted? now your bike looks different. maybe you're like me and you go bikepacking all the time so you've always got your camping gear on there... add those on as accessories too... camping gear isn't cheap either. my camping gear together costs more than the bike itself does
@@better.better When I had everything stolen in Hamburg back in 2013, my kit alone was way over $2K (my sleeping bag was over $900 and my tent was over $500), and my replacement trike was $7,500. The only thing I couldn't replace were all the photographs that were on my camera that were never published (on CGOAB). Now when ever I turn my back on my trike I put a lock on it even if it is only through one of my front wheels (to seal the trike then it has to be carried not dragged)
I'm sorry, but I'm pretty critical of this self-proclaimed "new idea." National Bike Registry was doing this FORTY YEARS ago and it didn't seem to put much of a dent in bike theft! Now don't get me wrong, I do indeed support bicycle registration, serial number database storage, theft reporting and bicycle recovery through this organization's efforts. But let's be clear: 529Garage DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT THEFT! I write this because I've been involved with bicycle theft prevention ever since my bike was stolen from the UC Berkeley campus in 1985. I went on to assist UCB police with their efforts in bicycle registration (CA bike license) as well as educating students on recommended security and effective locking techniques. I worked with the makers of Bad Bones, Kryptonite and other bicycle security companies to improve existing and develop new products to reduce or eliminate bicycle theft. But putting your bike details on a website is gonna stop a thief how, exactly?. Today, what WILL stop a thief is using EFFECTIVE security strategies. These include: . 1) Using today's crop of grinder-resistant locks. $$$$ but so worth it. 2) Effectively locking your bicycle properly. 3) Not locking overnight outside. 4) Locking your bicycle ALL THE TIME! You already own a good lock - use it! Most thefts occur from homes, garages, sheds, yards and the like. Nothing worse than letting a thief ride away on your bike with your lock siting on the ground next to it unused. 5) Lock in smart places. 6) Beef up your storage! Lock your bikes in your locked garage! 7) Use motion-sensing video surveillance on your bikes! Convert that old Iphone to a WiFi-enabled security measure! 8. Use GPS trackers. 9) Beef up your car rack security - the cables they come with are JUNK! 10) NEVER use only a cable to secure your bike!!! 11) Engrave your Drivers License number on your frame & fork. And/or put little tags with your contact info within the bike's parts. 12) Take ample pictures of all of your bikes. 13) Register them with online resources. 14) Use a motion-sensor alarm on your bike. 15) Secure your bike's parts. Losing components is expensive! 16) Look into insurance, either on an existing policy or as a separate bike policy. I visited a few bike retailers recently and NONE of them stock the much-needed locks in the Bay Area: Hiplok and Litelok. The Trek stores aren't stocking them AFAIK - at least mine in Oakland isn't. This is a HUGE disservice to bicyclists!!!! So I've given a BUNCH of free advice on how to PREVENT theft. And other advice on how to mitigate it. Sure, online bike registry is great - but really only AFTER your bike is stolen. Instead of focusing on "high tech distractions," let's instead put efforts into THEFT PREVENTION. Cities need to up their game providing safe bicycle storage. We've seen a hundred years of subsidized auto "FREE parking" (not free, by a LONG shot), why shouldn't cyclists expect a little public spending on safer bike parking? Parking meters? Not enough!
I live in London and bike theft is rife. It's very sad to see police and politicians caring very little, but if car theft was at the same level it would be a huge national scandal.
It's no coincidence that the UK and USA share similar trends in a growing wealth and income gap as well as ineffective "tough on crime" government. Property crime is high in these two anti-worker climates. Decades of falling opportunity for the bottom 50% of the economic demographic is the cause. You can't "prison" your way out of crime. When legitimate jobs pay more than crime the people will work 9-5. When workers are once again valued, their rights restored, their futures secured, they'll work. Until then, "right-to-work" laws only discourage proper employment and encourage crime.
I just saw Aventon has a new model (the Abound SR) that has a lot of security features - an alarm, GPS, locking kickstand, passcode/keyless battery, remote locking, and geofencing. Hopefully that kind of stuff will make it to more bikes.
really, while that all helps, much better to lock the wheels and saddle to the bike... the bike can still roll with the kickstand locked down, the wheels and saddle can still be stolen, and the frame left behind, if they're not locked to the frame. replacing the wheels is a little easier financially than replacing the whole bike, but that's not much help if you're stranded somewhere with only a frame left behind (I've been the victim of this, and have since always locked my wheels to the frame). I currently use a cable lock meant for kayaks which features one disc detainer lock and two cables intended to run around each end of a kayak. I pull both cables through their own loop ends around my frame beneath my saddle. when I'm riding they get coiled up and locked around itself to keep the coil together. when I lock it to something one cable goes through the back wheel, through the frame, the other one through the front wheel, and the frame, one of the cables goes around whatever I'm locking it to, the other one goes through the saddle, the cable through the back wheel then makes a pass through the the pedal and front wheel, both cable ends meet back at the center of the bike where they get locked inside the lattice of the frame so that it's difficult to manipulate it. because it's a Surly Big Fat Dummy, it's not an easy bike to carry around, so even if it wasn't locked to something the thief would need a partner to carry it away if the wheels are locked to the frame. because there's two cables and one of them goes through the egg beater pedal, they would have to cut two cables, not one, and it wouldn't be immediately obvious that it is two cables, so they probably wouldn't even figure that out until they cut the first one. honestly outside of a populated place like New York City I don't even think a heavy cable is even necessary... my opinion on this is that if they're going to have a tool to cut cables, they're going to have one that's capable of cutting the biggest cables, why bother with anything less? so similarly why bother with carrying a heavy cable when they can just cut it anyway? may as well find a lighter weight cable with a good lock on it instead. similarly if they're prepared enough to carry cable cutters then they've probably got a grinder and a safety vest too for the "social engineering" ... so my theory is when you're out and about all you really need is a basic cable with a disc detainer lock on it. obviously for the house, or an outside shed, if somebody is going to do a B&E, they'll probably have lots of time to work on it, so you need a more robust solution
@@better.better Yes, by no means are the features of it a substitute for a good lock and what not, but it is nice to have more features that make it harder to steal the bike as a whole.
This makes me think of Van Moof, which had a design where the e-bike would not run without the controller attached. Too bad they didn’t build them hardy enough to handle the Dutch climate, but it was always funny to run across one just brazenly propped up on its own with no visible lock (in Amsterdam, the kingdom of bike theft, no less). I do wish more brands would import the Dutch integrated lock style into their frames. You still need a hardy lock, but it’s nice to have something to prevent immediate rolling away.
From NY/living in Philly now,where bike theft is just as bad or I think worse, I've been using two locks forever.A couple months ago a couple kids tried stealing my bike while I was working and failed.they busted a key trying to unlock .Busted my king cage that I got from the bike expo and scratched the rim but overall the bike was fine to bad I had to pay 70 dollars to have the shop tune the wheel back up even though work security cams caught the whole thing.Get the best lock you can its worth it.🗽♥️🛸
Hi Chris! Local Detroit Boy here! (Lafayette Park resident, year-round bike commuter.) Loved your recent video on biking in the Motor City. 2024 was not a good year for me, bikewise. In March, I was struck by an automobile--I came out of it relatively uninjured, my steel-frame commuter/cyclo bike didn't fare as well. In August, my vintage racer was stolen--from the hatch of my car, in our building's "guarded" parking lot. Police reports made--not recovered. (We now hire a different security company.) Nevertheless, I would agree you that Detroit is a relatively safe city for bike-theft, at least in the central neighborhoods. As long as you have your urban smarts about you.
A couple stories about bike theft: About 15 years ago, while living in Cleveland, OH, my bike was stolen from in front of a public market. It later showed up for sale on Criaigslist (very big at the time). After considering various means of retrieval (an off-duty cop who worked security at my workplace offered to "run back-up".), I decided the best method was to just pay the asking price, and consider it "ransom." However, not once but twice I tried to arrange a meeting, but the "seller" never came to the door. I think they must have recognized me as the legal owner. And a couple years ago, here in Detroit, I was riding my racer (the one that was stolen in August), when I ran into the owner of the bike shop from which I had purchased the commuter (above). He asked me if I still had it--"no, I was just riding the other"--turns out, the owner of a different bike shop had contact him--someone had come into their shop trying to sell as bike; they suspected it was hot; knew that my guy's shop sold that brand, and had contacted him about it. A tight community, which, for the most part watches out for one another.
@@williamfaze2114 I sometimes have wondered about this regarding tracked down *stolen items* that the owners come to the police with such information with that they have appeared on Craigslist, especially when it comes to items like bicycles. It's not so much of a question of tracking it down. That is the hard part. It's the question of when it's been likely tracked down (and is almost certainly the item in question) via Craigslist and wondering if the police prioritize it or not)--people are not always apt to go on the internet and share how wonderful someone or something has been, it's often the opposite--in these potential cases the police. The key words you used were "off-duty cop" and from your workplace, in other words no stranger to you, and he or she was not a direct tax-funded police officer, they were more or less offering to do you a favor or whatever it was, I'm not going to take a bunch of guesses. My guess is the police generally don't care and I won't go on why that is. There are arguments to be made though on both sides but the item being tracked down via Craigslist is again, a big argument in favor of actually doing something.
I know exactly what you mean. I live in the Metro Vancouver area of BC, Canada which has a serious bike theft problem. It really discourages the use of a bike as regular transportation, It's one thing to just go out for fresh air and exercise and return straight home. Visiting places like shopping malls is just not worth it. Thanks for this roundup of anti-theft strategies.
My last carbon bike was stolen right from my apt bldg. It was the one time I didn't lock AND cover it. I will never make that mistake again. Here in LA, thieves use acid or liquid nitrogen to break U-locks...among other things. If you first lock your bike, then cover and lock down the cover, it makes it harder to see where to apply liquids or grinder. The more noise, the greater the chance I'll hear you...and that would be painful for you.
Thieves don't use either of those. This myth has been around 40 years and will probably be around 40 more! I ran the bike shop at the US's TOP chemistry university and even there, thieves didn't use liquid Nitrogen or chemicals. (They used car jacks.) The police just laughed at that one! They also don't pick locks, so you can stop watching Lock Picking Lawyer. Today they use grinders and bolt cutters.
@dudeonbike800 Actually, no one used a grinder on my bike, 'cause I would've heard that, and the cops would've needed a body bag. It was attached via U-lock to the wrought iron fence by our apt pool. I always cover it, too. I can't carry it upstairs. Due to a birth defect, both knees need replacement, one hip might and my lower back is damaged. The U-lock had a clean break. I showed the cops. It was probably liquid nitrogen. It's a favorite here in the Valley, 'cause it's relatively quiet. With my new bike, I'll be using 2 U-locks (one alarmed at 120db) and a cover. One guy told me he never had any trouble til the day he didn't use 2 U-locks. He was in a hurry and used just one. He said he'll never do that again, either. I didn't want to walk down and cover my bike. Big mistake, what's out of sight is often out of mind. Also considering SNIK. Here in the West side of the San Fernando Valley there's only 1 detective for all the stolen bikes over $950. You pretty much have to be your own detective. We didn't have any trouble here for 9 yrs, until our Mgr moved in a couple of Hispanic families...one guy doesn't have a job, loves his dope and is situated right above the bike docking area. My money's on doper boy. Will be putting a camera on my balcony when I bring my new bike home. It wasn't a homeless person. It was one of ours...and that really pisses me off.
I have a few suggestions 1) folding bike 2) lock the bike and ask someone who can see it’s yours! 3) put the modified ( speaker removed! ) AirTag in a secret location
This is a real problem, which unfortunately is becoming all too common. After getting my ten speed stolen from my college dorm room, I purchased a Dahon folding bike, which can be collapsed and brought inside with me. Today, I own two of them, which speaks volumes as to how well this solution has been for me. I can also put a slip around the bike and bring it on transit with me (like trains and buses). Hope this helps. 😇
Great video. Lots of suggestions. Failed to mention my two tricks. You did mention the biggest is to lock in a high foot traffic area if you can't store it inside, especially at home. FIRST is to make your bike LESS appealing or harder to steal than the bike next to it. I do this by first using a good u-lock, preferably, through the bike rack, a wheel, and the frame with a good cable attached to the u-lock and depth the second wheel. Second, if you can, lock it so the keyhole is harder to get to. Like you'd have to reach over a railing.
Finally, someone is showing interest in Bike theft,I appreciate you bringing this topic up, which more utuber would bring the discussion to table.what do you think of the Likelock X3 lock?
Good topic Chris. At the end, you spoke of societal issues. There’s growing disparity between the haves and the have nots. It seems easier these days for people to justify or rationalize bad behavior. I don’t have the answer… I thank you for opening up this topic. Maybe bikes will become the next car stereos.🙏🏼
Whenever I cannot bring my bike inside the workplace, I use one that I purchased for that purpose: a really good bike that didn't cost much because it's about 30 years old. So inexpensive I can afford to have it stolen at some point (even though I wouldn't like that). But that doesn't work with ebikes because the least expensive used ones are not desirable.
It will be interesting to see if Ebay's (UK) ban on selling secondhand ebikes and batteries will reduce the thefts here. ATM I live in one of the worst areas for bike theft: "Freedom of Information request revealed there were more bike thefts in Colchester than any other police district in the county in 2023."
@@Radders123 yeah it was about the e-bike fires that were happening, especially with custom e-bike builds and even some Chinese imported e-bikes, which defeats the purpose, as those business sellers on eBay that are selling the exact imported e-bikes that are currently selling on eBay. I've never known in my past 10 years or so of being an e-bike user of any of the well-known and established brands that supply e-bike batteries such as Bosch, Haibike and Specalized to name but a few of ever having battery fires.
Bike thefts do happen and in a lot of cities it's extra annoying because the police literally do not care. Even with that said if your bike stays inside with you when you aren't out somewhere and you always use a U-lock no matter how "safe" the location looks the percentages are in your favor. Just get in the habit of always throwing a u-lock on, even inside, with practice it only takes 5 seconds. Most theft stories start with "I usually lock my bike but this one time..." it was inside a car, or inside a store, or some place that felt safe but wasn't. (And make sure your bike has bolt on wheels and no quick release anything if you can help it.)
My daughter has a bike stolen at college some years back . She had a cheap cable lock . Now the bike was a $200 Walmart bike . Now it did have a nice look about it as far paint and style but if you were a established bike their you could tell the components were low end . I went a bought that very same bike which was a Schwinn varsity which the name use to entail high quality . I gave her a heavy duty chain used to maybe to pull heavy objects and a heavy duty keyed lock . She never had a problem after that and still has today that we converted to more of gravel capable . She went back to a more heavy duty cable lock . The chain was the ultimate deterrent but a bit bulky . Yeah if your riding or carrying anything at value you are at risk . Always be aware of your surroundings and the least amount of attention being drawn to you the better
I don't leave my ebike unattended outside. Most stores are cool with me bringing the bike inside and parking/ locking it up next to the cart corral area just inside the store. I've had a few people try to stop me from bringing it inside the store, I just told them I didn't want to lock it up outside because people will steal the battery right off the bike. But I feel it's safer locked up just inside the doors by the carts.
generally if you put it on them and ask them for a safe place to put it, under a camera, rather than choosing one on your own, they'll probably tell you to put it there anyway, or possibly even suggest someplace even better. the point here being that you are not appearing entitled just assuming you can put it anywhere you want, which allows them to be more gracious. it doesn't always work, but I've even parked my bike outside and had stores offer to allow me to bring it inside. one store gave me a spot in their back room. one mall here has a security entrance with the maintenance garage next door... if I go to that entrance and ask security, they tell me to put it in that maintenance garage. I've never ever seen another bike in there before, so I'm the only one who's ever thought of it, including even the mall staff
Yes, I always try to bring my ebike into stores and even restaurants. It works about half the time but of course it's a desperate individual solution - we can't all do it. I get my best response from bike sales/rental/repair businesses. I'm an octogenarian rider and I have to admit that I know how to play the grandma card .... :)
You can determine what apartment it's in the same way thieves get into a building. Follow someone in or go in after a car has entered the parking area, and the gate remains open. Homeless do it by me all the time. Then, you do what one guy online did. You go up and down the halls w/your tracking device. He found the apartment and knocked. The dude in the apartment realized he was caught and actually handed over the bike. It's an iffy approach. I probably would call the Police first.
Police don't even care when you file a report I had a registered bike and it wasn't even assigned a detective going a year now never recovered . it is probably chopped into different pieces by now. There should be security monitored lockers in cities to store bikes. My bike was also stolen in about 1 min in a crowded tourist park in long beach CA a city with professional bike thieves.
LOVE your videos. Thanks so much! When cycling in London, for my Ebike, I use both a heavy duty u lock and a 12 mm thick chain, both through the frame - and back wheel… plus long chain for front wheel. Small lock through quick release saddle.
Worked as a bike courier for several years in London using an expensive looking road bike (about £600). Didn't get stolen. I would usually only leave it for a few minutes, but I was locking it all over London, sometimes I would leave it for longer periods, I've left my bike for several hours before while out somewhere on many occasions, it STILL didn't get stolen. Yet I always hear from friends that they had their bike stolen. What was the problem? They ASSUMED they were using enough security, but in reality, their lock was dogshit. They probably spent £20 ($25) on a lock, I spent £60 ($75) on hiplok's DX Lock. It's £80 ($100) at full price. It really is that simple, just buy a good damn lock (feel free to use multiple to deter thieves even more). Hiplok DX is also two locks in one as they have to cut BOTH sides to get it open.
I’ve had seven bikes stolen over 25 years in London (UK). I even had two or three locks at one time. A D-lock, chain and even a thick chain lock sold for motorcycles. My last bike was stolen after I started working from home. I’m no longer commuting so I’ve given up. There’s no point in buying another bike just to provide a gift for thieves. It saddens me but I’m worn out by it so much that this video depressed me.
Preventing bike theft is easy compared to preventing bike accessory theft. I've given up. Lugging around a U-Lock while riding is bad enough, but then needing to strip my computer, lights, bags, and carry all that stuff around with me while I'm away from the bike? Forget it... Individual bike lockers, that can be unlocked through a phone app is just about the only thing that'll get me to bring my bike on my shopping trips.
Handlebar Throttle/Break Locks make for a good deterrent or second lock. * Motorcycle Disc-Lock (with the long curly Reminder Cable) should fit bikes. * If you have a 12v bike there are motorcycle trackers you could mount to the bike; thieves would have to know what they were looking at/for to distinguish it from just part of the bike. * Also get brightly colored locks so thieves can see them and hopefully give your bike a pass. * Spark Cycleworks puts VIN numbers on their e-bikes/e-moped so you can register and insure them like a regular vehicle. Hello Tempo sounds like a good deal.
Great video. I have thoughts on the mechanics of locking. I live in Oakland, CA and have locked up my whole life in the Bay Area, worked in bike shops. Cordless angle grinders really changed the game. Previously my best advice would be to use two distinct types of locks. A pocket Kryptonite and a good cable or chain. This would have required a leverage attack for the Kryptonite and a cutting attack on the cable/chain. These days, as mentioned, cordless grinders buzz right through both. The grinder's weak point is getting snagged, caught-up, binding on the lock at 10k RPM. Most recently I watched a brazen broad daylight attempt on my hitch mounted 1UP rack that was chained to the car with the largest NY series Krypotonite chain produced. The extreme hardness of the chain and the awkward nature of trying to secure the workpiece (floppy chain) while using a powerfull 2-handed tool definitely slowed them down. We watched as skimask posse was grinding for 5mins until the grinding disk blew up and the fled (8am Sunday). We thought the coast was clear, fell asleep, and woke up to them finishing the job a few hours later with a new grinding disk. I've had to retreat to using relatively worthlesss, awkward, annoying roof racks again because they aren't a target. Regarding the wet noodle defense against grinders, I'd be really curious if large diameter Dyneema/Amsteel rope would could be cut with a grinder. Or some Amsteel web that tangles around a Krypto to snag grinders.
In London bike thieves are reported to be bike jacking expensive bikes ridden around Regent’s Park. They then ship those bikes to order to Russia. Bike gone and police can do sweet FA to retrieve it. Conclusion: insure it and have layers of protecting your bike/ebike. No one way is full proof.
The skunk idea is good. I absolutely love the D1000 grinder resistant lock. The cost hurts but its like any investment! I watched a suspected thief bend down next to my bike with a backpack starting to pull it off and bring it around to open the pack and then all the sudden stopped and walked away. My bike was the only one on that rack but I guess it couldve been a mistake but I dont think so. That guy saw it and was like damn it, and kept movin. Bike thieves suck. He would've been tracked down with one of the 3 trackers anyway, but still, the lock saved me that hassle!
I use a folding electric Brompton, which allows me to store it at work, restaurant, home or in the car when I go on a trip, thank you for your great videos and advice 😊👍💫👌
I've never ridden a 16 inch wheel Brompton but would a cheap Walmart bike like a Huffy or Kent with 700c wheels ride better and more efficiently? I don't think thieves are interested in Walmart bikes but even if it did get stolen, it's cheap enough to replace.
@@johnstack5008 I bought a Walmart bike a few weeks ago and I'm mostly happy with it so far, the brakes do need adjusting and the drivetrain is limited. But yes larger tires are more efficient. Might not be a big concern for you, depending on the distance you are biking. Ozark Trail Ridge G.1 Explorer if you're interested, there's plenty of videos reviewing it and folks doing upgrades.
I would love to see my city up the game and offer theft preventing options like valet or specific rooms etc. Right now for my e-bike I use a d lock, chain lock, disc brake lock, alarm and gps tracker. And that’s just for quick in and outs.
Hi, FYI, Amazon sells a handle bar extension (C$18). That's where I have my mirrors and phone caddy mounted. And there is still room for other stuff like a ringer bell, etc. Regards
Hey Chris, welcome to metro Detroit. I've watched your videos for a long time. Apparently my notifications got turned off somehow. Cool to hear you moved to the Detroit area and you are now near me. Do you have a store here now? I would love to visit you if you do. Greg
The police auction the retrieved bikes off. If you get a bike stolen you have to hunt at the soup kitchens, shelters and areas known to have "open air markets". I had multiple bikes stolen in Kitchener Ontario Canada and most were found at the soup kitchens and churches that the homeless frequent
Agree, can only use bike for recreation, as no need to leave bike. Ride a lot, but don't use for practical purposes, due to theft. Business need to fund a system, if going to get done.
What about a fund to hire private investigators to uncover and bust professional bike theft rings in major cities? We might find that a small group of a dozen or so people might be behind most bike thefts in a lot of cities, or at the very least, providing a network for petty theifs to fence stolen bikes.
I'm dumbfounded to walk into SF Bay Area bike shops and see ZERO: Hiplok (pictured at 5:30) Litelok Altor (not really viable, but the first angle-proof lock on the market) These have been the only three locks in the past several years proven to provide excellent security. The lame-ass Trek store down the street from me STILL stocks $110 Kryptonite NY Fageddaboudit locks for sale on their shelves! (I own four of 'em and they WERE the best.) Useless and expensive today. Anyone worried about bicycle security will buy one of the top two locks on my list. $180-$350 but worth every penny. That chain pictured at 7:48? Totally inadequate for that e-bike. Modest bolt cutters will get through that in a jiffy. Shame on the bike biz for not providing what the customer needs today.
Here in Victoria BC we have implemented a bike valet program that was seen as the essential complimentary part of building bike lanes and other infrastructure. It has been a game changer. I'm no longer carrying an arsenal of bike U-locks and chains that weigh more than my bike and the bike is stored out of the elements. Instead of just recommending not using cable locks, why don't bike shops simply not sell them and stop supporting theft? Lastly, if all fails there has been a robust program to get riders to register their bikes with Garage 529 which was designed by a former police officer. It's free and international and as far as I know it is a go to for police when trying to return stolen bikes to their owners.
I just recovered a stolen unicycle. I put up some reward signs near where it was lifted. It took about 2 months, but I eventually got a text from someone who found it. A small reward, and I'm riding again.
Important topic a really great video! What are y'alls thoughts on taking your bike into a store, e.g home improvement store, grocery store. One should not do it at rush hour but maybe early morning. It is a little weird to do, eh?
I've gone back to a standard commuter bike after my e bike was stolen at a mall car park in Parramatta. Now I have an alarm and carry two locks. I wont be buying e bikes again. Its a real shame since parking spaces are charged at premium rates and alternative transport is limited.
Boise has a HUGE bike theft issue and police do little to nothing about it. Because of this, I lock both of my wheels to the bike while also locking my fork to the frame using heavy, well engineered chains and locks, I remove my saddle, thru axle, and QR and carry them with me, and I lock my bike exclusively to structural pillars or lamp posts, stuff that would be extremely dangerous to cut through just for a bike.
I feel like the pods and bike garages would be the best way to go since a)it's protected from the weather and b)thieves are less likely to steal the lights and accessories off your bike. It's kind of frustrating to have to remove everything off my bike even if I'm just going to the convenience store.
Never leave you bike, alone. Works like a charm! Had so many bikes stolen that I lost count a looong time ago. But ye what do you expect in the netherlands, exactly the same here highest crime is bikes of all shapes and sizes. Problem is for any chain lock you only need a strong cutter, any other lock you can just use a electric grinder bought from the action for €20. The chance that you get into trouble is almost 0 since no one cares as long it is not their own bike which is getting stolen. The police will never even try to search for them so it is like a open game for anyone to try out here. If you pay attention to who drives them fat bikes around here you will see 90% are shady types, it all comes around like a bad joke. (those are the bike thiefs, lol)
I have found that frame lock is a lot more work to get it of and it make bike a lot harder to take bike than just cut boke lock and pedal away. BTW in Oslo i saw lot of bike with out seat posts as suspension seatpost with good sadle could easy cost around 400 usd
I think I resonate with your mention of addressing the deeper issues but that calls for honest, transparent (not translucent), stricter system doing the governing. Only then will everything else begin to fall in place. It might be an ancient pattern that the infected rot at the core is not seen and only the slighter things, that are just resultants, are looked at and treated as the cause. I don't know what I just said 🥴
A really good lock helps, like a Litelok X1 or Hiplock D1000. Last year my kryptonite evolution lock was cut when I was in the supermarket for no more than 5 minutes and my ebike stolen.
I'm very lucky - only ever had one bike stolen, but it was in someone else's care at the time it got stolen (feel bad for the person that I loaned it too, but I (and them) recognize they also should not have left it unattended where they did).
I love it! Keep up the informative videos. I do find it interesting that theft in general isn't more of a blanketed term considering it shouldn't matter what you are stealing. But I hate to be the bad news guy, but people who use cars don't even know we bike people exist. I've lived all over the USA and pedestrians are treated worse than animals; Prime Example: People will spot a squirrel a mile away and swerve to miss them but ironically they just didn't see the 220 lb 6 foot tall man pedaling down the street. Interesting times, I can't wait to see what RFK will do for the already healthy people who get run off roads daily because we use bikes.
Cant really stop it. But heres what Ive done, beefy lock, infont of the store, alarm, airtag. I’ll also add that my bike lights are expensive aswell so even tho its a pita to take off put on I do it.
Sadly I have a bike for enjoyment of riding and a cheaper easy to replace bike for commuting/errands. No way would I try to retrieve a stolen bike from a thief. No matter the value….NOT worth the risk.
Here in the UK there is a popular trend called 'shyte-biking' which involves completely rebuilding a scrap-bike which has little to no value, replacing all quick-release hardware and stealthily covering and new/high quality components. It's sad that you have to do this, but that's the reality...
I had my bike stolen over the summer. Luckily it wasn’t my ebike (my main mode of transportation) but still it sucked. My big take away was don’t use a cable lock ever and ignore the flood of messages on Facebook from “professional trackers” who can hack into security cameras and locate your bike. Typing that last part out sounds dumb that I fell for it but if your someone who’s emotionally attached to biking and biking as a way of transportation it’s a little traumatic your bike is stolen
I never leave my bike unattended, period. It always goes into stores and public bathrooms with me. However, this doesn't prevent me from getting bike jacked, unfortunately. I'd need to carry something to prevent that.
Quick release wheels which get stolen are pointless unless you carry the tools to fix a flat. If you do then carry a spanner for the wheel nuts as well.
I think consumer grade bikes at least, specially e-bikes, should have built-in locking mechanisms. in fact I think it would be a lighter weight and more robust solution than lugging around a separate lock. it should be designed such that cutting the lock to enable the theft would devalue the bike, eliminating the brute-force option... so for example locking the wheels to the frame would ensure that it can't roll without unlocking it meaning the thief would have to carry it or put it in a vehicle, because grinding those locks would ruin the frame and/or the wheels. that of course doesn't solve preventing somebody from carrying it away, but if it has a disc detainer lock on both front and rear wheel, as well as the saddle, that means you can carry a much shorter cable lock that will also lock at those two points (see the cable lock designed to secure a kayak to a car roof rack sold by REI, this is the cable lock I use on my Surly Big Fat Dummy, if you imagine a single cable, but both ends have this locking end, and two of these locks keyed the same, mounted directly on the frame, and the retractable cores are what secures the wheels to the frame)
This idea is the opposite of how one would successfully change behavior. The first rule of behavior modification: consistent consequences. It's highly unlikely that anyone would be shot the first time they stole a bike. Or the second. Or even the 100th. By making the punishment severe, you lessen the chances that it will be implemented. If you want to change behavior, make the consequences easy to meet out and relatively low stakes for the person who has to implement them. Making bike theft annoying is going to go a much longer way than making it a capital offense.
@@HarryLovesRuth what does this even mean? where did you "learn" this? If the severe punishments don't get implemented then why does murder get solved and convicted more than bike theft? Would we solve more murders if getting caught for murder resulted in a small fine?
It definitely is an issue. I have some nice bikes and one of the best u locks on the market and I still worry about the situation if I go into the market for 10 minutes.
"Ask for a window near the table"?😅 Easier to get a table near the window! I've never owned a bike nice enough to garner attention from the nicer bikes around it, & I still use 2 horseshoe locks & a cable connecting the saddle to the locks. I did once (in the 80s) have a single pedal stolen🤨. Fortunately I was a strong enough cyclist & could pedal home with the one toe clip pedal.
I think bike manufacturers should be required to move to a proper VIN frame numbering system rather than their proprietary frame numbers Secondly all ebikes should be able to be electronically locked out in addition to a physical lock.
I take the battery with me figuring an e-bike without a battery is just parts and thieves have better targets. But i am in a reasonably low crime area so cannot say that theory has really been tested.
6:00 '...less attractive than the next bike...' is unfortunately a race to the bottom ( massive bike locks ). My principle security principle is to park close to people, eg at a cafe where plenty of people are 'watching' my bike. Keep a 'beater' bike to park at the station.
I appreciate this very thoughtful video. However, I strongly disagree with the sentiment in your "societal standards" section-- and repeated in a lot of videos about bike theft -- that sort of apologizes for being mad about bike theft, i.e., saying that economic necessity may drive bike thieves. There is absolutely no reason to be apologetic toward bike thieves. They aren't stealing loaves of bread to feed hungry children; they have just chosen a path to easy money with minimal work.
sadly, within the bicycle industry there is a strong incentive to leave bike theft unsolved... it's very good for sales. for every two or three bikes that are stolen, one will be sold. for this reason, no bicycle manufacturer will really try very hard to 'fix' bike theft.
Yeah bike shops can get cheap wheels sets,tires,seats,handle bars,stems from thieves. U lock companies could also build better locks or bike companies should integrate better tracking systems.
You’re definitely wrong. I work in a bike shop and people who get their bike stolen usually want to replace it with the cheapest bike they can get, assuming they replace it at all. Bike theft also discourages people who already own cheap bikes from upgrading. I doubt you could find find a single person in the industry who thinks theft helps sales
I've had the same thoughts especially in the months after my first ebike was stolen. Instead I've been putting my energy into advocating with a bike group for prevention of theft which makes me feel more productive.
@nommchompsky this is true I replaced a 600 dollar stolen bike with a 60 dollar beater from an outlet store I just added new parts to it for another 100 bucks like a 1 and 1/8 th stem converter. I also changed it from a cassette to a single gear .
The potential for theft is THE main reason I don't run errands by bike. The only effective solution is bonded, human-monitored parking. It's not like we don't have people not working (or getting free money from some level of government) who could be employed to do perform this valuable function.
Yes to allowing secure bike storage in exchange for a reduced number of automobile spaces. The urbanist push to do away with mandatory parking minimums really frustrates me because we shouldn't be giving developers something for nothing.
I think one important piece, and you mentioned it, is that we need to stop thinking of bike theft as individuals and approach it as a community. If event organizers, bike shops, advocacy groups, retailers, chambers of commerce and, yes, police, start working on reducing bike theft together, we’d get a lot farther than what tends to happen all to often: blaming theft victims for using crappy locks. Great video, and thanks for raising these issues.
++ Fancy locks don't do shit if the community doesn't have decent infrastructure. I love the security of locking my hiplok to a decent rack, but most of the time I'm using a parking sign because that's all that's available :/
Stores need to do more to add safe, protected bike areas to store and lock bicycles.
stores? how about cities?
we need to bring back coat rooms but for bikes.
@@cyanginpedro both. stores build entire parking garages for drivers. its the least they can do to get my business.
Not as big a beyond a good rack cause you're not storing your bike overnight.
I guess that store owners would rather you take your car than your bike to their shop so you can carry more goods home with you.
I've lived in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore; never crossed my mind to lock my bike. In some of those countries, bike theft is prosecuted the same as car theft; many people including myself use bike as a primary mode of transportation.
Strong laws, vigorous enforcement, and a culture that does not celebrate or tolerate antisocial behavior. There is no substitute.
I had a bike and some accessories stolen in Korea, so it does happen.
I’ve had a bike stolen 2 times in my life, and both times the bike was stolen from my home. First time it was an apartment patio. Dude climbed up to my back patio and cut the lock. Second time it was in a bike lockup room in my apartment building. Someone, maybe a tenant or a criminal who snuck in targeted my bike and used tools to strip everything that wasn’t locked down.
I have 2 and a half bikes stolen I say half because on the third bike they only stole the wheel set left the frame. The wheel set is the most valuable thing because it can't be traced like the frame and they sell for 80-150 bucks for a homeless dude this is lucrative.
@Dmatis-n4z over here in long beach they will steal bikes from 4th floor balconies.
@ yep I was on ground floor, though you would have to kinda hop some shrubs and climb up onto the patio. My bike was hidden by the fence of the patio, all but a tiny bit of the wheels you could see from the street. Like 2 inches where the wheels show under that fence. And the dude spotted my bike and took it
I hate spending my hard earned money to get a nice lightweight bike only to have to carry what feels like a 20lb lock to keep it safe anytime I want to use it as part of my daily routine. Unfortunately bike parking lots in the States will just become a concentrated theft zone for bike thieves.
As for insurance.....well I think we all know now how we feel about insurance companies.
Fuck! Exactly!
This is why I use my regular bicycle for recreational purpose now and bring the ebike with 2+ locks for errands and commuting. Weight don't matter as much on a ebike.
I had my really nice Trek stolen in 2017 and I almost never bought another bike because of that, just like you mentioned. But I finally bought more and even bought an e-bike 2 years ago but I still have that fear of leaving my locked bike. I carry all this extra weight around and spend quite a bit of time locking and unlocking my bike every time I park it. I put motorcycle locks into each brake disc that have alarms go off if touched. I lock the seat to the frame, wheels to the frame, the frame to something thicker than what thieves can cut with grinders. All so time consuming! My bike bags are bolted to my bike so they are pretty safe. It would be great to find safe places to park your bike securely with no worries of theft. Your video was spot on. I was unaware of all the work done for safe parking in the US.
Parked my bike by a bust stop and police station 4 bike locks two chain two u locks and the bike alarm
I locked my bicycle to a signpost. I put my U-lock through my back wheel and seat post,tightly around the pole. Someone had lifted the bicycle 8 feet to the top of the signpost. The rubber coated U-lock had jammed the bicycle in place just below the sign. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk more than a few yards. The bicycle is basically my legs and my only means of private transport. It happened outside The Thomas Sheraton - JD Wetherspoon pub, 4 Bridge Rd, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1BH,England. Its the yellow sign with No waiting at any time accept for taxis. I was simultaneously shocked and amused,the bicycle is undamaged.
I had a similar thing happen to one of my older bikes. I was out visiting a friend in the local area. He lived in a block of flats and I was too lazy to carry my bike up 7 or 8 flights of stairs so I locked it to a signpost/telegraph pole with my D-lock near just in front of the block of flats where he lived.
When It was time for me to go home. I had found out that these thieves had pulled the signpost/telegraph pole right out of the ground, tossed it aside and ran off with the bike despite the D-lock being locked through the frame and one of the wheels.
Sometimes it doesnt matter how well your bike is locked up. People will still try and steal it.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki Some people are strange perhaps through drink,drugs or mischief? If only their energies were directed to something wholesome.
There is an old saying: "The weight of a bicycle system is always the same - the lighter the bike the heavier the lock."
Generally the lighter the bike the more valuable it can be, but even beyond 800$ locks won't really work well because they'll break them or dismantle the bike.
Part of the reason I bought a Brompton is to avoid bike theft. I never lock my Brompton outside. It comes in with me everywhere and I don’t need to worry.
If you leave your Brompton siting round unlocked long enough, it will get stolen. You can't sleep with your bike, shower with it or buy a ticket on the airline and reserve a seat for it! People simply cannot be with their bicycles 24/7/365. Almost everyone who owns a bicycle owns lock. Lock your bike when you leave it. Not that hard.
And I say this as someone who's spent decades hearing stories about bicycles being stolen from homes, garages, apartments, and everywhere else with a perfectly good lock sitting unused 10 feet away!
The Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver has a bicycle parking lot with security guards watching over your locked bike while you shop and spend time at the market. Very forward thinking, more cities should have similar facilities.
Yes! I live in Vancouver and belive that monitored 'bike valets' are the most effective theft prevention strategy. I was hoping Chris would present it as an option in the video. Maybe the next one!
One of the things I brought up to the planning folks in my city (Los Angeles) when they are implementing new bike lanes is that they need to include bike parking - or at least solid racks to lock up to. It doesn't make sense to ride my bike somewhere on a nice bike lane and then not have a secure place to put it. A number of places here are happy to have me walk in with my bike though.
Great video Chris - I think your balanced view on these things is very justified.
On law and enforcement here in the UK it’s less about the former and more about the latter. If you notify the police about a stolen bike they do little more than get a crime reference number for you. There are bike theft rings here and the police need to realise the impact this sort of loss has on people and treat it as seriously as other crimes.
get that Backpedal insurance for peace of mind
In france and other countries in europe new bikes are sold engraved and registered, we can engraved old ones too. If thief wants to sell it, buyers will know and if police find the bike they will know who's the owner. Many bikes have been recovered after being stolen, but the police have never been able to find out to whom they were returned.
And they is something I love, it's HEXLOX. These are magnets that fit into the allen key holes, they require specials keys. They can be used to secure bike accessories such as wheels, saddles, or anything with an allen key. Not cheap but i fell more secure with that
Even better solution would be to work with your city to provide bike valet locations throughout town. Our city does this right downtown with one location near city hall, around quite a number of stores: free to use, usually 8am til 8pm. You drop off your bike, get a tag, go shop, return the tag, bike valet working wheels your bike back out to you.
If they paid a few businesses every 4-5 blocks with empty space in their overstock area to rent some bike parking space we could eliminate a huge number of bike thefts.
Yes, wonderful! What city? Maybe we can get some info to encourage ours to support bike valets.
@@melanieconn8454 Victoria BC (near Vancouver)
I have both of my trikes registered by Project 529/Garage 529. This has been used very successfully in Vancouver originally to address bike theft. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has put effort in to that project not far from where I live. Both my rides are off the deep end and I throw a lock on when ever I turn my back as I had my trike stolen while touring when I was in Hamburg and now my trike carried a motion sensitive alarm. I primarily use a big ABUS U lock.
I also use 529, I love that I can upload photos, and that it has accommodation for photos for accessories as well. I upload photos of all my maintenance receipts, so it serves as a kind of maintenance record as well. I wish they would add a maintenance log as a deliberate feature, not only so that everything is in the same place, but also it's important to keep the app updated with changes to your bike... got a new frame bag? different tires? repainted? now your bike looks different. maybe you're like me and you go bikepacking all the time so you've always got your camping gear on there... add those on as accessories too... camping gear isn't cheap either. my camping gear together costs more than the bike itself does
@@better.better When I had everything stolen in Hamburg back in 2013, my kit alone was way over $2K (my sleeping bag was over $900 and my tent was over $500), and my replacement trike was $7,500. The only thing I couldn't replace were all the photographs that were on my camera that were never published (on CGOAB). Now when ever I turn my back on my trike I put a lock on it even if it is only through one of my front wheels (to seal the trike then it has to be carried not dragged)
I'm sorry, but I'm pretty critical of this self-proclaimed "new idea." National Bike Registry was doing this FORTY YEARS ago and it didn't seem to put much of a dent in bike theft! Now don't get me wrong, I do indeed support bicycle registration, serial number database storage, theft reporting and bicycle recovery through this organization's efforts.
But let's be clear: 529Garage DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT THEFT!
I write this because I've been involved with bicycle theft prevention ever since my bike was stolen from the UC Berkeley campus in 1985. I went on to assist UCB police with their efforts in bicycle registration (CA bike license) as well as educating students on recommended security and effective locking techniques. I worked with the makers of Bad Bones, Kryptonite and other bicycle security companies to improve existing and develop new products to reduce or eliminate bicycle theft.
But putting your bike details on a website is gonna stop a thief how, exactly?.
Today, what WILL stop a thief is using EFFECTIVE security strategies. These include: .
1) Using today's crop of grinder-resistant locks. $$$$ but so worth it.
2) Effectively locking your bicycle properly.
3) Not locking overnight outside.
4) Locking your bicycle ALL THE TIME! You already own a good lock - use it! Most thefts occur from homes, garages, sheds, yards and the like. Nothing worse than letting a thief ride away on your bike with your lock siting on the ground next to it unused.
5) Lock in smart places.
6) Beef up your storage! Lock your bikes in your locked garage!
7) Use motion-sensing video surveillance on your bikes! Convert that old Iphone to a WiFi-enabled security measure!
8. Use GPS trackers.
9) Beef up your car rack security - the cables they come with are JUNK!
10) NEVER use only a cable to secure your bike!!!
11) Engrave your Drivers License number on your frame & fork. And/or put little tags with your contact info within the bike's parts.
12) Take ample pictures of all of your bikes.
13) Register them with online resources.
14) Use a motion-sensor alarm on your bike.
15) Secure your bike's parts. Losing components is expensive!
16) Look into insurance, either on an existing policy or as a separate bike policy.
I visited a few bike retailers recently and NONE of them stock the much-needed locks in the Bay Area: Hiplok and Litelok. The Trek stores aren't stocking them AFAIK - at least mine in Oakland isn't. This is a HUGE disservice to bicyclists!!!!
So I've given a BUNCH of free advice on how to PREVENT theft. And other advice on how to mitigate it. Sure, online bike registry is great - but really only AFTER your bike is stolen.
Instead of focusing on "high tech distractions," let's instead put efforts into THEFT PREVENTION. Cities need to up their game providing safe bicycle storage. We've seen a hundred years of subsidized auto "FREE parking" (not free, by a LONG shot), why shouldn't cyclists expect a little public spending on safer bike parking? Parking meters? Not enough!
I live in London and bike theft is rife. It's very sad to see police and politicians caring very little, but if car theft was at the same level it would be a huge national scandal.
It's no coincidence that the UK and USA share similar trends in a growing wealth and income gap as well as ineffective "tough on crime" government. Property crime is high in these two anti-worker climates. Decades of falling opportunity for the bottom 50% of the economic demographic is the cause. You can't "prison" your way out of crime.
When legitimate jobs pay more than crime the people will work 9-5. When workers are once again valued, their rights restored, their futures secured, they'll work. Until then, "right-to-work" laws only discourage proper employment and encourage crime.
I just saw Aventon has a new model (the Abound SR) that has a lot of security features - an alarm, GPS, locking kickstand, passcode/keyless battery, remote locking, and geofencing. Hopefully that kind of stuff will make it to more bikes.
really, while that all helps, much better to lock the wheels and saddle to the bike... the bike can still roll with the kickstand locked down, the wheels and saddle can still be stolen, and the frame left behind, if they're not locked to the frame. replacing the wheels is a little easier financially than replacing the whole bike, but that's not much help if you're stranded somewhere with only a frame left behind (I've been the victim of this, and have since always locked my wheels to the frame). I currently use a cable lock meant for kayaks which features one disc detainer lock and two cables intended to run around each end of a kayak. I pull both cables through their own loop ends around my frame beneath my saddle. when I'm riding they get coiled up and locked around itself to keep the coil together. when I lock it to something one cable goes through the back wheel, through the frame, the other one through the front wheel, and the frame, one of the cables goes around whatever I'm locking it to, the other one goes through the saddle, the cable through the back wheel then makes a pass through the the pedal and front wheel, both cable ends meet back at the center of the bike where they get locked inside the lattice of the frame so that it's difficult to manipulate it. because it's a Surly Big Fat Dummy, it's not an easy bike to carry around, so even if it wasn't locked to something the thief would need a partner to carry it away if the wheels are locked to the frame. because there's two cables and one of them goes through the egg beater pedal, they would have to cut two cables, not one, and it wouldn't be immediately obvious that it is two cables, so they probably wouldn't even figure that out until they cut the first one. honestly outside of a populated place like New York City I don't even think a heavy cable is even necessary... my opinion on this is that if they're going to have a tool to cut cables, they're going to have one that's capable of cutting the biggest cables, why bother with anything less? so similarly why bother with carrying a heavy cable when they can just cut it anyway? may as well find a lighter weight cable with a good lock on it instead. similarly if they're prepared enough to carry cable cutters then they've probably got a grinder and a safety vest too for the "social engineering" ... so my theory is when you're out and about all you really need is a basic cable with a disc detainer lock on it. obviously for the house, or an outside shed, if somebody is going to do a B&E, they'll probably have lots of time to work on it, so you need a more robust solution
@@better.better Yes, by no means are the features of it a substitute for a good lock and what not, but it is nice to have more features that make it harder to steal the bike as a whole.
This makes me think of Van Moof, which had a design where the e-bike would not run without the controller attached. Too bad they didn’t build them hardy enough to handle the Dutch climate, but it was always funny to run across one just brazenly propped up on its own with no visible lock (in Amsterdam, the kingdom of bike theft, no less). I do wish more brands would import the Dutch integrated lock style into their frames. You still need a hardy lock, but it’s nice to have something to prevent immediate rolling away.
From NY/living in Philly now,where bike theft is just as bad or I think worse, I've been using two locks forever.A couple months ago a couple kids tried stealing my bike while I was working and failed.they busted a key trying to unlock .Busted my king cage that I got from the bike expo and scratched the rim but overall the bike was fine to bad I had to pay 70 dollars to have the shop tune the wheel back up even though work security cams caught the whole thing.Get the best lock you can its worth it.🗽♥️🛸
Hi Chris! Local Detroit Boy here! (Lafayette Park resident, year-round bike commuter.) Loved your recent video on biking in the Motor City.
2024 was not a good year for me, bikewise. In March, I was struck by an automobile--I came out of it relatively uninjured, my steel-frame commuter/cyclo bike didn't fare as well. In August, my vintage racer was stolen--from the hatch of my car, in our building's "guarded" parking lot. Police reports made--not recovered. (We now hire a different security company.)
Nevertheless, I would agree you that Detroit is a relatively safe city for bike-theft, at least in the central neighborhoods. As long as you have your urban smarts about you.
A couple stories about bike theft:
About 15 years ago, while living in Cleveland, OH, my bike was stolen from in front of a public market. It later showed up for sale on Criaigslist (very big at the time). After considering various means of retrieval (an off-duty cop who worked security at my workplace offered to "run back-up".), I decided the best method was to just pay the asking price, and consider it "ransom." However, not once but twice I tried to arrange a meeting, but the "seller" never came to the door. I think they must have recognized me as the legal owner.
And a couple years ago, here in Detroit, I was riding my racer (the one that was stolen in August), when I ran into the owner of the bike shop from which I had purchased the commuter (above). He asked me if I still had it--"no, I was just riding the other"--turns out, the owner of a different bike shop had contact him--someone had come into their shop trying to sell as bike; they suspected it was hot; knew that my guy's shop sold that brand, and had contacted him about it. A tight community, which, for the most part watches out for one another.
@@williamfaze2114 I sometimes have wondered about this regarding tracked down *stolen items* that the owners come to the police with such information with that they have appeared on Craigslist, especially when it comes to items like bicycles. It's not so much of a question of tracking it down. That is the hard part. It's the question of when it's been likely tracked down (and is almost certainly the item in question) via Craigslist and wondering if the police prioritize it or not)--people are not always apt to go on the internet and share how wonderful someone or something has been, it's often the opposite--in these potential cases the police.
The key words you used were "off-duty cop" and from your workplace, in other words no stranger to you, and he or she was not a direct tax-funded police officer, they were more or less offering to do you a favor or whatever it was, I'm not going to take a bunch of guesses.
My guess is the police generally don't care and I won't go on why that is. There are arguments to be made though on both sides but the item being tracked down via Craigslist is again, a big argument in favor of actually doing something.
I know exactly what you mean. I live in the Metro Vancouver area of BC, Canada which has a serious bike theft problem. It really discourages the use of a bike as regular transportation, It's one thing to just go out for fresh air and exercise and return straight home. Visiting places like shopping malls is just not worth it. Thanks for this roundup of anti-theft strategies.
My last carbon bike was stolen right from my apt bldg. It was the one time I didn't lock AND cover it. I will never make that mistake again. Here in LA, thieves use acid or liquid nitrogen to break U-locks...among other things. If you first lock your bike, then cover and lock down the cover, it makes it harder to see where to apply liquids or grinder. The more noise, the greater the chance I'll hear you...and that would be painful for you.
You kept it... not in your apartment? Wow
Thieves don't use either of those. This myth has been around 40 years and will probably be around 40 more! I ran the bike shop at the US's TOP chemistry university and even there, thieves didn't use liquid Nitrogen or chemicals. (They used car jacks.) The police just laughed at that one! They also don't pick locks, so you can stop watching Lock Picking Lawyer.
Today they use grinders and bolt cutters.
@dudeonbike800 Actually, no one used a grinder on my bike, 'cause I would've heard that, and the cops would've needed a body bag. It was attached via U-lock to the wrought iron fence by our apt pool. I always cover it, too. I can't carry it upstairs. Due to a birth defect, both knees need replacement, one hip might and my lower back is damaged. The U-lock had a clean break. I showed the cops. It was probably liquid nitrogen. It's a favorite here in the Valley, 'cause it's relatively quiet. With my new bike, I'll be using 2 U-locks (one alarmed at 120db) and a cover. One guy told me he never had any trouble til the day he didn't use 2 U-locks. He was in a hurry and used just one. He said he'll never do that again, either. I didn't want to walk down and cover my bike. Big mistake, what's out of sight is often out of mind. Also considering SNIK. Here in the West side of the San Fernando Valley there's only 1 detective for all the stolen bikes over $950. You pretty much have to be your own detective. We didn't have any trouble here for 9 yrs, until our Mgr moved in a couple of Hispanic families...one guy doesn't have a job, loves his dope and is situated right above the bike docking area. My money's on doper boy. Will be putting a camera on my balcony when I bring my new bike home. It wasn't a homeless person. It was one of ours...and that really pisses me off.
I have a few suggestions
1) folding bike
2) lock the bike and ask someone who can see it’s yours!
3) put the modified ( speaker removed! ) AirTag in a secret location
This is a real problem, which unfortunately is becoming all too common. After getting my ten speed stolen from my college dorm room, I purchased a Dahon folding bike, which can be collapsed and brought inside with me. Today, I own two of them, which speaks volumes as to how well this solution has been for me. I can also put a slip around the bike and bring it on transit with me (like trains and buses). Hope this helps. 😇
Great video. Lots of suggestions. Failed to mention my two tricks. You did mention the biggest is to lock in a high foot traffic area if you can't store it inside, especially at home. FIRST is to make your bike LESS appealing or harder to steal than the bike next to it. I do this by first using a good u-lock, preferably, through the bike rack, a wheel, and the frame with a good cable attached to the u-lock and depth the second wheel. Second, if you can, lock it so the keyhole is harder to get to. Like you'd have to reach over a railing.
Finally, someone is showing interest in Bike theft,I appreciate you bringing this topic up, which more utuber would bring the discussion to table.what do you think of the Likelock X3 lock?
I got two Litelok X1 for my new Vello SUB.
Nice, I am looking into purchasing the X3 and a heavy-duty chain to go along.
London UK has back pedal which is a bike recovery insurance. with an 80%+ retrieval rate.
Good topic Chris. At the end, you spoke of societal issues. There’s growing disparity between the haves and the have nots. It seems easier these days for people to justify or rationalize bad behavior. I don’t have the answer… I thank you for opening up this topic. Maybe bikes will become the next car stereos.🙏🏼
Whenever I cannot bring my bike inside the workplace, I use one that I purchased for that purpose: a really good bike that didn't cost much because it's about 30 years old. So inexpensive I can afford to have it stolen at some point (even though I wouldn't like that). But that doesn't work with ebikes because the least expensive used ones are not desirable.
Thanks, Chris, for telling the awesome Propel community about Tempo. We would love to help everyone here protect their next ebike.
It will be interesting to see if Ebay's (UK) ban on selling secondhand ebikes and batteries will reduce the thefts here. ATM I live in one of the worst areas for bike theft:
"Freedom of Information request revealed there were more bike thefts in Colchester than any other police district in the county in 2023."
I didn’t know about that policy. Good for eBay.
Doubt it'll make too much difference for the bigger players, often bundled up in vans and off in to Europe
@@Radders123 yeah it was about the e-bike fires that were happening, especially with custom e-bike builds and even some Chinese imported e-bikes, which defeats the purpose, as those business sellers on eBay that are selling the exact imported e-bikes that are currently selling on eBay. I've never known in my past 10 years or so of being an e-bike user of any of the well-known and established brands that supply e-bike batteries such as Bosch, Haibike and Specalized to name but a few of ever having battery fires.
Who is still selling anything on Ebay? It's Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree these days.
Bike thefts do happen and in a lot of cities it's extra annoying because the police literally do not care. Even with that said if your bike stays inside with you when you aren't out somewhere and you always use a U-lock no matter how "safe" the location looks the percentages are in your favor. Just get in the habit of always throwing a u-lock on, even inside, with practice it only takes 5 seconds. Most theft stories start with "I usually lock my bike but this one time..." it was inside a car, or inside a store, or some place that felt safe but wasn't. (And make sure your bike has bolt on wheels and no quick release anything if you can help it.)
My daughter has a bike stolen at college some years back . She had a cheap cable lock . Now the bike was a $200 Walmart bike . Now it did have a nice look about it as far paint and style but if you were a established bike their you could tell the components were low end . I went a bought that very same bike which was a Schwinn varsity which the name use to entail high quality . I gave her a heavy duty chain used to maybe to pull heavy objects and a heavy duty keyed lock . She never had a problem after that and still has today that we converted to more of gravel capable . She went back to a more heavy duty cable lock . The chain was the ultimate deterrent but a bit bulky . Yeah if your riding or carrying anything at value you are at risk . Always be aware of your surroundings and the least amount of attention being drawn to you the better
I don't leave my ebike unattended outside. Most stores are cool with me bringing the bike inside and parking/ locking it up next to the cart corral area just inside the store.
I've had a few people try to stop me from bringing it inside the store, I just told them I didn't want to lock it up outside because people will steal the battery right off the bike. But I feel it's safer locked up just inside the doors by the carts.
generally if you put it on them and ask them for a safe place to put it, under a camera, rather than choosing one on your own, they'll probably tell you to put it there anyway, or possibly even suggest someplace even better. the point here being that you are not appearing entitled just assuming you can put it anywhere you want, which allows them to be more gracious. it doesn't always work, but I've even parked my bike outside and had stores offer to allow me to bring it inside. one store gave me a spot in their back room. one mall here has a security entrance with the maintenance garage next door... if I go to that entrance and ask security, they tell me to put it in that maintenance garage. I've never ever seen another bike in there before, so I'm the only one who's ever thought of it, including even the mall staff
Yes, I always try to bring my ebike into stores and even restaurants. It works about half the time but of course it's a desperate individual solution - we can't all do it. I get my best response from bike sales/rental/repair businesses. I'm an octogenarian rider and I have to admit that I know how to play the grandma card .... :)
You can determine what apartment it's in the same way thieves get into a building. Follow someone in or go in after a car has entered the parking area, and the gate remains open. Homeless do it by me all the time. Then, you do what one guy online did. You go up and down the halls w/your tracking device. He found the apartment and knocked. The dude in the apartment realized he was caught and actually handed over the bike. It's an iffy approach. I probably would call the Police first.
Police don't even care when you file a report I had a registered bike and it wasn't even assigned a detective going a year now never recovered . it is probably chopped into different pieces by now. There should be security monitored lockers in cities to store bikes. My bike was also stolen in about 1 min in a crowded tourist park in long beach CA a city with professional bike thieves.
LOVE your videos. Thanks so much! When cycling in
London, for my Ebike, I use both a heavy duty u lock and a 12 mm thick chain, both through the frame - and back wheel… plus long chain for front wheel. Small lock through quick release saddle.
Worked as a bike courier for several years in London using an expensive looking road bike (about £600). Didn't get stolen. I would usually only leave it for a few minutes, but I was locking it all over London, sometimes I would leave it for longer periods, I've left my bike for several hours before while out somewhere on many occasions, it STILL didn't get stolen.
Yet I always hear from friends that they had their bike stolen. What was the problem? They ASSUMED they were using enough security, but in reality, their lock was dogshit.
They probably spent £20 ($25) on a lock, I spent £60 ($75) on hiplok's DX Lock. It's £80 ($100) at full price.
It really is that simple, just buy a good damn lock (feel free to use multiple to deter thieves even more).
Hiplok DX is also two locks in one as they have to cut BOTH sides to get it open.
I ride a 30 year old steel mountain bike i bought for $100 on fb marketplace. If it gets stolen its easily replaced.
This is the way for daily drivers, or if you are lucky enough, use the city bike scheme.
I’ve had seven bikes stolen over 25 years in London (UK). I even had two or three locks at one time. A D-lock, chain and even a thick chain lock sold for motorcycles. My last bike was stolen after I started working from home. I’m no longer commuting so I’ve given up. There’s no point in buying another bike just to provide a gift for thieves. It saddens me but I’m worn out by it so much that this video depressed me.
Preventing bike theft is easy compared to preventing bike accessory theft.
I've given up. Lugging around a U-Lock while riding is bad enough, but then needing to strip my computer, lights, bags, and carry all that stuff around with me while I'm away from the bike? Forget it...
Individual bike lockers, that can be unlocked through a phone app is just about the only thing that'll get me to bring my bike on my shopping trips.
Handlebar Throttle/Break Locks make for a good deterrent or second lock. * Motorcycle Disc-Lock (with the long curly Reminder Cable) should fit bikes. * If you have a 12v bike there are motorcycle trackers you could mount to the bike; thieves would have to know what they were looking at/for to distinguish it from just part of the bike. * Also get brightly colored locks so thieves can see them and hopefully give your bike a pass. * Spark Cycleworks puts VIN numbers on their e-bikes/e-moped so you can register and insure them like a regular vehicle.
Hello Tempo sounds like a good deal.
Great video. I have thoughts on the mechanics of locking. I live in Oakland, CA and have locked up my whole life in the Bay Area, worked in bike shops. Cordless angle grinders really changed the game. Previously my best advice would be to use two distinct types of locks. A pocket Kryptonite and a good cable or chain. This would have required a leverage attack for the Kryptonite and a cutting attack on the cable/chain. These days, as mentioned, cordless grinders buzz right through both. The grinder's weak point is getting snagged, caught-up, binding on the lock at 10k RPM. Most recently I watched a brazen broad daylight attempt on my hitch mounted 1UP rack that was chained to the car with the largest NY series Krypotonite chain produced. The extreme hardness of the chain and the awkward nature of trying to secure the workpiece (floppy chain) while using a powerfull 2-handed tool definitely slowed them down. We watched as skimask posse was grinding for 5mins until the grinding disk blew up and the fled (8am Sunday). We thought the coast was clear, fell asleep, and woke up to them finishing the job a few hours later with a new grinding disk. I've had to retreat to using relatively worthlesss, awkward, annoying roof racks again because they aren't a target. Regarding the wet noodle defense against grinders, I'd be really curious if large diameter Dyneema/Amsteel rope would could be cut with a grinder. Or some Amsteel web that tangles around a Krypto to snag grinders.
In London bike thieves are reported to be bike jacking expensive bikes ridden around Regent’s Park. They then ship those bikes to order to Russia. Bike gone and police can do sweet FA to retrieve it.
Conclusion: insure it and have layers of protecting your bike/ebike. No one way is full proof.
The skunk idea is good. I absolutely love the D1000 grinder resistant lock. The cost hurts but its like any investment!
I watched a suspected thief bend down next to my bike with a backpack starting to pull it off and bring it around to open the pack and then all the sudden stopped and walked away. My bike was the only one on that rack but I guess it couldve been a mistake but I dont think so. That guy saw it and was like damn it, and kept movin. Bike thieves suck. He would've been tracked down with one of the 3 trackers anyway, but still, the lock saved me that hassle!
I use a folding electric Brompton, which allows me to store it at work, restaurant, home or in the car when I go on a trip, thank you for your great videos and advice 😊👍💫👌
I've never ridden a 16 inch wheel Brompton but would a cheap Walmart bike like a Huffy or Kent with 700c wheels ride better and more efficiently?
I don't think thieves are interested in Walmart bikes but even if it did get stolen, it's cheap enough to replace.
@@johnstack5008 I bought a Walmart bike a few weeks ago and I'm mostly happy with it so far, the brakes do need adjusting and the drivetrain is limited. But yes larger tires are more efficient. Might not be a big concern for you, depending on the distance you are biking.
Ozark Trail Ridge G.1 Explorer if you're interested, there's plenty of videos reviewing it and folks doing upgrades.
I would love to see my city up the game and offer theft preventing options like valet or specific rooms etc. Right now for my e-bike I use a d lock, chain lock, disc brake lock, alarm and gps tracker. And that’s just for quick in and outs.
Hi,
FYI, Amazon sells a handle bar extension (C$18). That's where I have my mirrors and phone caddy mounted. And there is still room for other stuff like a ringer bell, etc. Regards
Laws that don't punish the victim when they catch the thief.
The consequence for crimes are either gone or minimal these days.
Hey Chris, welcome to metro Detroit. I've watched your videos for a long time. Apparently my notifications got turned off somehow. Cool to hear you moved to the Detroit area and you are now near me. Do you have a store here now? I would love to visit you if you do.
Greg
The police auction the retrieved bikes off. If you get a bike stolen you have to hunt at the soup kitchens, shelters and areas known to have "open air markets". I had multiple bikes stolen in Kitchener Ontario Canada and most were found at the soup kitchens and churches that the homeless frequent
Agree, can only use bike for recreation, as no need to leave bike. Ride a lot, but don't use for practical purposes, due to theft. Business need to fund a system, if going to get done.
What about a fund to hire private investigators to uncover and bust professional bike theft rings in major cities? We might find that a small group of a dozen or so people might be behind most bike thefts in a lot of cities, or at the very least, providing a network for petty theifs to fence stolen bikes.
Even if you caught the whole ring the police and courts would do very little
I'm dumbfounded to walk into SF Bay Area bike shops and see ZERO:
Hiplok (pictured at 5:30)
Litelok
Altor (not really viable, but the first angle-proof lock on the market)
These have been the only three locks in the past several years proven to provide excellent security. The lame-ass Trek store down the street from me STILL stocks $110 Kryptonite NY Fageddaboudit locks for sale on their shelves! (I own four of 'em and they WERE the best.) Useless and expensive today.
Anyone worried about bicycle security will buy one of the top two locks on my list. $180-$350 but worth every penny.
That chain pictured at 7:48? Totally inadequate for that e-bike. Modest bolt cutters will get through that in a jiffy.
Shame on the bike biz for not providing what the customer needs today.
Here in Victoria BC we have implemented a bike valet program that was seen as the essential complimentary part of building bike lanes and other infrastructure. It has been a game changer. I'm no longer carrying an arsenal of bike U-locks and chains that weigh more than my bike and the bike is stored out of the elements. Instead of just recommending not using cable locks, why don't bike shops simply not sell them and stop supporting theft? Lastly, if all fails there has been a robust program to get riders to register their bikes with Garage 529 which was designed by a former police officer. It's free and international and as far as I know it is a go to for police when trying to return stolen bikes to their owners.
It's wonderful to hear that Victoria has a bike valet program and it sounds like it's throughout the year, not seasonal!
I just recovered a stolen unicycle. I put up some reward signs near where it was lifted. It took about 2 months, but I eventually got a text from someone who found it. A small reward, and I'm riding again.
Important topic a really great video! What are y'alls thoughts on taking your bike into a store, e.g home improvement store, grocery store. One should not do it at rush hour but maybe early morning. It is a little weird to do, eh?
As long as the aisles are wide enough and management is OK with it. Who cares what the other customers think =)
Bike racks should have universal locking interfaces that allow you to lock the bike connected to an app on your phone.
The low cost and quickness of a battery powered angle grinder has made locking one’s bike a waste of time.
I've gone back to a standard commuter bike after my e bike was stolen at a mall car park in Parramatta. Now I have an alarm and carry two locks. I wont be buying e bikes again. Its a real shame since parking spaces are charged at premium rates and alternative transport is limited.
Boise has a HUGE bike theft issue and police do little to nothing about it. Because of this, I lock both of my wheels to the bike while also locking my fork to the frame using heavy, well engineered chains and locks, I remove my saddle, thru axle, and QR and carry them with me, and I lock my bike exclusively to structural pillars or lamp posts, stuff that would be extremely dangerous to cut through just for a bike.
I feel like the pods and bike garages would be the best way to go since a)it's protected from the weather and b)thieves are less likely to steal the lights and accessories off your bike. It's kind of frustrating to have to remove everything off my bike even if I'm just going to the convenience store.
Never leave you bike, alone.
Works like a charm!
Had so many bikes stolen that I lost count a looong time ago.
But ye what do you expect in the netherlands, exactly the same here highest crime is bikes of all shapes and sizes.
Problem is for any chain lock you only need a strong cutter, any other lock you can just use a electric grinder bought from the action for €20.
The chance that you get into trouble is almost 0 since no one cares as long it is not their own bike which is getting stolen.
The police will never even try to search for them so it is like a open game for anyone to try out here.
If you pay attention to who drives them fat bikes around here you will see 90% are shady types, it all comes around like a bad joke. (those are the bike thiefs, lol)
I was at a flea market in Jersey.. there were a lot of "used" bikes. I won't speculate beyond that but the 2nd hand bike market is very healthy
Tempo sounds interesting EXCEPT $2500 coverage limit. My emtb was $6500.
norway and sweden and specially finland has high amounts of bike thefts. at least one of my bike gets stolen every 2 years in helsinki
I live in rural area so not as concerned but i would love to ride around in cities and visit shops etc but do fear theft
I have found that frame lock is a lot more work to get it of and it make bike a lot harder to take bike than just cut boke lock and pedal away. BTW in Oslo i saw lot of bike with out seat posts as suspension seatpost with good sadle could easy cost around 400 usd
I think I resonate with your mention of addressing the deeper issues but that calls for honest, transparent (not translucent), stricter system doing the governing. Only then will everything else begin to fall in place.
It might be an ancient pattern that the infected rot at the core is not seen and only the slighter things, that are just resultants, are looked at and treated as the cause.
I don't know what I just said 🥴
A really good lock helps, like a Litelok X1 or Hiplock D1000. Last year my kryptonite evolution lock was cut when I was in the supermarket for no more than 5 minutes and my ebike stolen.
I'm very lucky - only ever had one bike stolen, but it was in someone else's care at the time it got stolen (feel bad for the person that I loaned it too, but I (and them) recognize they also should not have left it unattended where they did).
HelloTempo, wow.👍
I love it! Keep up the informative videos. I do find it interesting that theft in general isn't more of a blanketed term considering it shouldn't matter what you are stealing. But I hate to be the bad news guy, but people who use cars don't even know we bike people exist. I've lived all over the USA and pedestrians are treated worse than animals; Prime Example: People will spot a squirrel a mile away and swerve to miss them but ironically they just didn't see the 220 lb 6 foot tall man pedaling down the street. Interesting times, I can't wait to see what RFK will do for the already healthy people who get run off roads daily because we use bikes.
Cant really stop it. But heres what Ive done, beefy lock, infont of the store, alarm, airtag. I’ll also add that my bike lights are expensive aswell so even tho its a pita to take off put on I do it.
Sadly I have a bike for enjoyment of riding and a cheaper easy to replace bike for commuting/errands.
No way would I try to retrieve a stolen bike from a thief. No matter the value….NOT worth the risk.
10:10 checkout "backpedal" - they do bike retrieval in the UK
One of the best things about living in a society that's more equal, like Japan, is that you don't ever have to worry about getting your bike stolen.
There's a lot in this video where he says I won't get into this controversial topic right now.
Here in the UK there is a popular trend called 'shyte-biking' which involves completely rebuilding a scrap-bike which has little to no value, replacing all quick-release hardware and stealthily covering and new/high quality components. It's sad that you have to do this, but that's the reality...
Figuring out secure, weatherproof storage, especially for people without a yard or garage, is existential to urban cycling going mainstream.
I live in Leicester UK. Some places to park don't allow electric bike. So store inside
I had my bike stolen over the summer. Luckily it wasn’t my ebike (my main mode of transportation) but still it sucked. My big take away was don’t use a cable lock ever and ignore the flood of messages on Facebook from “professional trackers” who can hack into security cameras and locate your bike. Typing that last part out sounds dumb that I fell for it but if your someone who’s emotionally attached to biking and biking as a way of transportation it’s a little traumatic your bike is stolen
I don’t shop with my bike because of my concerns regarding bike theft.
Ask manufacturers to register frame numbers to owners and keep a database so people can check if it's stolen
Bike registration is likely the answer. Buyers would see if the bike is stolen before they buy it.
Exactly
I never leave my bike unattended, period. It always goes into stores and public bathrooms with me. However, this doesn't prevent me from getting bike jacked, unfortunately. I'd need to carry something to prevent that.
Quick release wheels which get stolen are pointless unless you carry the tools to fix a flat. If you do then carry a spanner for the wheel nuts as well.
I think consumer grade bikes at least, specially e-bikes, should have built-in locking mechanisms. in fact I think it would be a lighter weight and more robust solution than lugging around a separate lock. it should be designed such that cutting the lock to enable the theft would devalue the bike, eliminating the brute-force option... so for example locking the wheels to the frame would ensure that it can't roll without unlocking it meaning the thief would have to carry it or put it in a vehicle, because grinding those locks would ruin the frame and/or the wheels. that of course doesn't solve preventing somebody from carrying it away, but if it has a disc detainer lock on both front and rear wheel, as well as the saddle, that means you can carry a much shorter cable lock that will also lock at those two points (see the cable lock designed to secure a kayak to a car roof rack sold by REI, this is the cable lock I use on my Surly Big Fat Dummy, if you imagine a single cable, but both ends have this locking end, and two of these locks keyed the same, mounted directly on the frame, and the retractable cores are what secures the wheels to the frame)
Much stronger punishments for stealing bicycles. Just like they had for stealing a horse in the Wild West…
This idea is the opposite of how one would successfully change behavior. The first rule of behavior modification: consistent consequences. It's highly unlikely that anyone would be shot the first time they stole a bike. Or the second. Or even the 100th. By making the punishment severe, you lessen the chances that it will be implemented. If you want to change behavior, make the consequences easy to meet out and relatively low stakes for the person who has to implement them. Making bike theft annoying is going to go a much longer way than making it a capital offense.
@ we have that policy in the Netherlands and it’s not working.
@@HarryLovesRuth what does this even mean? where did you "learn" this? If the severe punishments don't get implemented then why does murder get solved and convicted more than bike theft? Would we solve more murders if getting caught for murder resulted in a small fine?
Lost 2 bikes this past summer.
It definitely is an issue. I have some nice bikes and one of the best u locks on the market and I still worry about the situation if I go into the market for 10 minutes.
"Ask for a window near the table"?😅
Easier to get a table near the window!
I've never owned a bike nice enough to garner attention from the nicer bikes around it, & I still use 2 horseshoe locks & a cable connecting the saddle to the locks. I did once (in the 80s) have a single pedal stolen🤨. Fortunately I was a strong enough cyclist & could pedal home with the one toe clip pedal.
It's a bit of a nuisance, but you could remove your pedals when doing long term parking/storage.
I think bike manufacturers should be required to move to a proper VIN frame numbering system rather than their proprietary frame numbers
Secondly all ebikes should be able to be electronically locked out in addition to a physical lock.
I take the battery with me figuring an e-bike without a battery is just parts and thieves have better targets. But i am in a reasonably low crime area so cannot say that theory has really been tested.
6:00 '...less attractive than the next bike...' is unfortunately a race to the bottom ( massive bike locks ). My principle security principle is to park close to people, eg at a cafe where plenty of people are 'watching' my bike. Keep a 'beater' bike to park at the station.
Recumbents are stolen less often.
If your bike is obviously unique it's less likely to be stolen.
I appreciate this very thoughtful video. However, I strongly disagree with the sentiment in your "societal standards" section-- and repeated in a lot of videos about bike theft -- that sort of apologizes for being mad about bike theft, i.e., saying that economic necessity may drive bike thieves. There is absolutely no reason to be apologetic toward bike thieves. They aren't stealing loaves of bread to feed hungry children; they have just chosen a path to easy money with minimal work.
sadly, within the bicycle industry there is a strong incentive to leave bike theft unsolved... it's very good for sales. for every two or three bikes that are stolen, one will be sold. for this reason, no bicycle manufacturer will really try very hard to 'fix' bike theft.
Yeah bike shops can get cheap wheels sets,tires,seats,handle bars,stems from thieves. U lock companies could also build better locks or bike companies should integrate better tracking systems.
You’re definitely wrong. I work in a bike shop and people who get their bike stolen usually want to replace it with the cheapest bike they can get, assuming they replace it at all. Bike theft also discourages people who already own cheap bikes from upgrading. I doubt you could find find a single person in the industry who thinks theft helps sales
@ no, I’m not
I've had the same thoughts especially in the months after my first ebike was stolen. Instead I've been putting my energy into advocating with a bike group for prevention of theft which makes me feel more productive.
@nommchompsky this is true I replaced a 600 dollar stolen bike with a 60 dollar beater from an outlet store I just added new parts to it for another 100 bucks like a 1 and 1/8 th stem converter. I also changed it from a cassette to a single gear .
The potential for theft is THE main reason I don't run errands by bike. The only effective solution is bonded, human-monitored parking. It's not like we don't have people not working (or getting free money from some level of government) who could be employed to do perform this valuable function.
Yes to allowing secure bike storage in exchange for a reduced number of automobile spaces. The urbanist push to do away with mandatory parking minimums really frustrates me because we shouldn't be giving developers something for nothing.
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