Same as the UK, I had a bike stolen, I knew where the bike was, I knew who stole it, I had witnesses. The police said (you don’t expect us to go looking for a bike do you?) No robbery has been solved in the country in over 3 years. This should tell you all you need to know
It's possible. Use a normally open relay to create a short across the motor phase wires when "armed". That will effectively lock the motor up while the relay is energized. But once de-energized, the motor will operate normally. Ideally, power to the relay would be provided by a hidden battery that can be stashed somewhere difficult to find in the bike, that way you also don't need to leave your main battery connected (which thieves also like to steal).
If I had one, I'd want an internal deadbolt like system and still want someplace dedicated to park bikes/e-bikes and not leave it alone long at all. If it's a spot where I'm worried it would be stolen, I'll take my car 100% of the time. I love (regular) bikes, but one thing they don't do is they do not replace cars. If they can supplement them for you, you are lucky.
@@SonnyDarvish On mine (a custom mid-drive) when the battery is dead, it's like trying to ride with the brakes partially engaged. It's miserable. But that's very different than intentionally locking the motor by shorting across the motor.
If you have insurance remember to use a lock that your insurance company approves for the value of the bike, normally a sold secure gold rated one due to the value, and it's locked to non removable object! if you don't they might not pay out.
I don't just use a decent d-lock. I use two. The way I figure it, the time and trouble of having to get through multiple locks means all but the most determined or desperate thief will simply look for an easier target. Worked pretty well for me, and I live in London.
If commuting leave 2 or 3 locks at destination... If going for a ride are you gonna leave your bike for more then 10 minutes unseen !? Most likely not.
I'd like manufacturers to look into a motor lock (as mentioned by jimkartalakis) where either the pedals can't turn or better yet, turn freely unattached to the chain ring. Another option is to lock the whole steering system so that the handlebar is either locked and unmovable or unlock the handle bar & stem so that it's not attached to the fork. In either case it would be impossible to ride the bike. There is much to be considered of course and it's not easy because the lock system cannot weaken the stem, steering tube and fork tube in any way.
You forgot the "take the battery with you" tactic for those bikes with a detachable battery. Of course in that case possibly leaving the battery in might mean finding the battery has been stolen.
Si is absolutely killing it lately!!! My two cents: the majority of bike theft is opportunistic. Reduce your risk drastically by using a very, very good lock. The only other tip I have is to spend some time finding safe parking spots for your most frequent destinations. Some car parking garages have bike racks, and those garages typically have cameras everywhere which deters many would-be thieves.
My insurance company requires a gold standard lock to be used. These are quite expensive and I know from experience that it takes about 20 seconds to cut it off with a grinder and a good cutting disc.
Padlock on chain and chain wheel...so can't cycle away, D lock to an immovable object and remove battery. Either that, or don't leave it unattended! 😁👍
thanks for this I have a Orbea Gain only had it for about 3 months , Having seen this Video cheked the app and I to can lock my bike with the Mahle app
Never i say never turn your back on your bike.......Leaving it unattended these days ,you may as well leave it unlocked. Blame battery powered grinders.
I simply ride my older , less valuable bike when I know I will be parking it somewhere and use my seriously costly e-bike when I am going to ride out and bring it back to its secure storage place at home. I would just not take the risk, as it is much too precious to me.
1:08 One big advice I can give you, that got my ordinary bike stealing rate to one per year, down to 1/10 years among the good bike I buy since then: Do lock your bike in the WEAKEST part of the frame ! Otherwise they will twist the whole bike to break your U shape locker (which is the only valid locker)
If you get insurance, check what lock they expect, Sold Secure let’s you check your bike and find appropriate locks. Beware, gold standard for e-bikes is different to gold standard for manual ones, so be sure to tick the right box. I’ve got massive motorbike chains at home, and for outside a combination of tracker, a diamond standard Litelock, hexlocks, a cheap padlock alarm, wheel lock, and I never leave it unattended for long. If you feel strongly about bike safety why not start a pop up bike creche in your town? I’m hoping to do one in Barnstaple Town ( Tarka Trail) next summer.
@@A.Servidor it's just a fenced area, that someone supervises on a volunteer basis but you can always have a tip hat 😁 I got the idea from Delft, NL. There's a very attractive outdoor enclosure of wrought iron railings, only one way in. It's controlled entry and exit by a chap who issues a pair of tickets, one for the bike and one to carry with you, they must match for him to allow you to exit with your bike. Most people lock their bikes as normal, at their own risk. The benefit comes from the reassurance that someone is there watching to make sure no one can just walk up with bolt croppers and make off with a bike as they could in an open street. The name bike crèche is made up, not trademarked, anyone can use it, or call it something else. Local councils have community grant budgets for this kind of thing, it can be as simple as hired herris fencing around bike racks, and an umbrella and stool for the volunteer 😂 I'm going to focus on supporting specific events or days, like when the pannier market is most busy etc. If it goes well it could become a regular thing with more volunteers. First steps are to select best locations and discuss your ideas with the council 😁
Forgot to add, Yellow Jersey insurance was expensive at first, but came down, with no claims and multiple bikes. It also waives the excess when I upgraded locks to Diamond standard instead of gold, otherwise I would lose a few hundred making a claim on the purchase price.
It’s all about layers of security. And it still might not be enough. Can’t rely on the police apart from them giving you a crime reference number and that’s only of use if the e-bike is covered by insurance and insurance company pays out.
I use Trelock u locks after seeing a video of a Norwegian police officer going at one with tools and getting red in the face with only a scratch to the lock. There are varying levels of protection in the Trelock range and I only use the higher ratings that do not include chains. Altgough I have one good lock supplemented with a chain for the other wheel to lock down the frame and both wheels.
My bikes have always had quick release wheels...when I lock my bike I pop off the front wheel and lock it onto my frame, back wheel and bike rack, and take the quick release skewer with me...if someone wants to steel my bike, they won't be pedaling it...
No discussion of the security of the ABUS front wheel clamp lock. My Tern GSD came with it and it seems good particularly for a very heavy E cargo bike. I saw these locks on the majority of bikes in Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
6:06 Did I hear you say premium subscription? No way, I will not pay for that, because in case of doubt I have a bike insurance. and if you are smart, you never leave your bike unattended and that costs nothing.
bike insurance are cheaper if you have a gps on it and most gps work with subscription so that make sens to pay the suscription and pay less insurance but in total pay the same or a bit more to get the protection that gps offer
Ride a basic single speed low value bike into town if you are planning leaving it outside shops in the public view. Preferably with a fair bit of rust and gunge on it.
I hate the idea of needing to insure a bicycle. as if car insurance isn't already bad enough, then we'd have to deal with predatory insurance for bikes and feel like we're being robbed trying to protect the bike from being robbed
I had what I thought was the ideal theft-prevention program: a ratty old sheepskin seat cover, a bent wire basket, and a bright pink flower on the handlebars that opened up into a shopping bag. Not pretty, but it worked. For years, actually, but in the end someone broke into my locked porch and stole the entire thing, including the abus lock. Sad.
One of the main attractions of cycling for me is the simplicity of it. This data / tech dependent model of cycling just takes the fun out it. I don't want my whole life connected to my smartphone.
Lock both rear wheel and frame to the rack. Lock front wheel and frame to the rack. Use angle grinder resistant locks (Litelock X3 or equivalent). Park your bike where it is easily seen by customers. If you can get permission from employers to store your bike inside their business, do so. If the thief can't steal the bike, they vandalize it. If they can't cut the lock in time, they will cut whatever it is locked to.
Check the small print on your insurance. Unless the e bike is secured with two gold locks, and you have a dated photo of how it was locked and to what, they will get out of paying up! The police report may get around this if they confirm extreme force was used, but they may just issue an incident number.
Apart from the great video, I noticed your trainers? Do you have a video in the library of recommended footwear for cycling. Besides the usual clip in shoes all the road cyclist use. Thanks
It should not only be pedal assist that is disabled. There should be a mechanical stop within that giant e-bike bottom bracket area setup that makes it physically impossible to turn the cranks without doing serious surgery or damage to what actually makes it worth it for some people to own one.
Any chance GCN will offer insurance to Canadians? Or to GCN members? Just wondering. I really need to ensure my bikes for sure. I do have the KIOX system on my eMTB so that is a start. Thanks for the tips Si. 👍
Bike commuter Si is my favorite Si. Surprised to see how controversial this comment section is turning out to be. Even more so than for videos talking about tubeless or rim brakes!
You can easily steal an e-bike with motor off, some good ebikes weight is almost on pair with normal bikes (15 kgs). Additionally if they can't steal the bike they can steal both front and rear suspension, wheels etc. so even if you've got the best security it's still fairly easy to steal the whole bike WITHOUT the frame.
In the 1970"s, my company allowed me to bring my bike into my work space and installed a shower and locker for clothing and anything else. I drove in on Fridays and commuted Mon through Thursdays for about 20 years.
Modern Buildings in Australia have very good end of trip facilities if they want to have a top environmental rating and attract top level tenants especially government. Mine has lockers, showers, clean towel service, hairdryers and ironing boards. The bike storage is swipe card protected and we have vending machines for supplies and tubes. There's a stand with tools for impromptu repairs and the building brings a guy in every 3 months for free bike servicing.
I know another way to make sure thieves don't like stealing your bike. If you have a chance. Get the battery out and keep it with you. An E- bike without the battery is harder to sell. Park the bike in range of another E-bike. A bike that has the battery present in the bike will be stole earlier than your bike without the battery.
Gangs are using hydraulic tools and grinders to cut away at whatever the lock is attached to - often in broad daylight! I simply wouldn't leave any valuable bike out in public. I think just buying a cheap bike off eBay or Aliexpress and treating it as a disposable "burner" bike would be the way to go these days.
Even if you take the battery and screen off people will still buy them in online auction sites. Buy a conversion kit and it will look and be less expensive.
Meh. With an e-bike weight isn't as much of an issue than on a normal bike. So my first tip is: buy&carry **two** locks. A sturdy U-type like shown, plus a decently long&heavy chain. Lock the bike frame with the U-lock to whatever is handy, then thread the chain through at least the back wheel & frame and lock that to whatever, too. And if you want to go all-out, get a really long chain and lock both front and back wheels to whatever ;) Also, you may want to make sure you can easily take out the battery and take that with you. (Comes in handy, too when you want to charge it without lugging the heavy e-bike to a power outlet.)
well in the states, car insurance is required by law, otherwise I wouldn't get insurance on my car that has built in location tracking on my phone and other anti-theft features
Hand-held grinders make even decent D locks almost useless these days. Only any good as a deterrent for a casual thief. The motor lock looks like a good idea though time will tell how effective it will be. Fingers crossed. The main problem though is the appalling attitude of the police and justice system towards bike theft. That leads to no major deterrent and rampant stealing.
In the UK, the Police don’t even pretend to care about theft. Whether it’s a car, a bike, or any personal belongings, you’ll just get a Crime Ref Number, so you can claim it on insurance (if you’re covered). That’s all.
E-bikes are as expensive as gas powered motorcycles but legally forbidden from keeping up with traffic. Gas bikes are also inherently harder to steal given you can't just pedal away with them and they commonly weight 400+ pounds
I'm about to get a Bosch ebike, but I wonder if the thief brings the bike to a faraday cage lorry, opens up some screws and detach that 600 euro motor from the 9000 euro ebike 🤷♂
LPL has several videos on them. Not that the typical bike thief will pick these locks, as they simply use battery-powered angle grinders that can destroy most locks in under a minute.
You would’ve thought the manufacturers could’ve developed a feature to totally lock up the crank/pedals, rather than just disable pedal assist. Without pedal assist it’ll still get stolen, but then prob dumped in a river. You still lose your beloved bike 🤷🏻♂️
Scooters can be nice for sure, but if I had the space I would much rather a e-cargo bike than the big scooter I got. With a scooter I can only carry what I can fit in my back pack, not to mention bikes are much less likely to be wrecked by a pebble or a big crack/pothole. The big scooter is good fun though, no trouble from police so far here in the states
@@bhoops13 Bike's still my 1st love but, we've been priced out recently since the Rona virus & it's since became an lifestyle hobby for the out-of-shape balding tech yuppy or the dad bod CEO who's never been to a proper bike park, zero riding skills, slow as molasses but, rides around the local garden park with full gear on just to show people he's got what they can't have. I know you know these kinds. I mean, a mid-range bike electric or acoustic now cost 6-7k usd I mean c'mon! I'll get 3 higher end scoots for that.
@@berengerchristy6256 I'll just get them all when I can afford them. My choice for scooters is 'cos they don't cost an organ.....yet. Otherwise, I prefer bikes too 'cos I get a workout & zero range anxiety.
owning a car is still heaps more expensive than owning an e-bike, considering the price of fuel, insurance (which is way more than bike insurance and mandatory), taxes and really expensive maintenance. a scooter though, maybe.
Are Bosch being serious about it, because by what they put out as a product is simply laughable. And there they go with a subscription model for the Bosch Flow. How much is enough money to these big greedy corporations? It's a rhetorical question it's never enough. Nobody bats an eye these days at alarms and alerts, but the fact that when your bike gets stolen, whoever stole it, won't get power assist. Sad for the thief. 🤣 That will teach him not to steal another e-bike, for sure. Bosch don't be a clown at the circus where no one laughs. And the part with insurance ("you will always insure your car against theft, in spite of it having locks, in spite of it having other advanced security measures. At least when it's insured it gives you that peace of mind...) Ok. 3 things wrong here. 1. If locks and alarms are not useful, but insurance actually gives you peace of mind, let's all pay just insurance (at a reasonable price) and forget locking and mounting an alarm on it. 2. A bicycle is not a car. Stop pushing this narrative with insurance and taxes on the bicycle. The bicycle is freedom. It defeats the whole purpose of having a bike if we have to have insurance. It's maybe the last bastion of freedom regarding transportation (not taking walking into account). Some might say, it's a small amount. It doesn't matter. I won't ever pay taxes on a bicycle!!! 3. Speaking of freedom and then trying to sell the insurance you talked about. Sad...that it has come to this point in history. Have a nice evening!
@@charlie2066 and for taking money for a service that is not needed if you don't leave the bike unattended. You have to take care of your bike, not rely on some system to take care of it. It's called responsibility. Tired of these subscription models. They are pushing these everywhere. It's not even about the money. Is to change things and make you confortable with paying it. Imagine for a second a future in which you have to rent bikes for a subscription. Ohh...never mind, it's already happening. It's about control. It's about digital data, which is easier to steal. And about making what used to be a service you would have to pay once for, a recurring payment. A lot of companies nowadays are taking features out of their product, to later offer them as a subscription. Think about it.
Hiya, it's up to you as an individual what you want to do. I completely agree that bikes are freedom, but I also feel that investing thousands in a new bike might leave people wanting some additional peace of mind. Some people, like me, have insurance, others don't. It's not a new thing, it's something I've done for years, but it is, as I said, up to you. Cheers, Simon
@@gcn I know it's not a new thing, but that's not the point. Surely everyone is free to do what they want. But with the risk of repeating myself, if you don't leave the bike unattended you won't need it. Cheers!
@@W0lfytzu on my bike I have module installed from factory and 1 year for free then i`ll pay, also have a good ulock and separate chain, i did insure my bike and i don`t leave it alone, the cost of the above is my peace of mind, regarding price of ebike. I see why companies are wanting subscriptions for everything and in this case I don`t mind to pay for this feature
A thief wouldn’t get pedal assist. 😂 So everything will be fine as long as the thief is as lazy, or lazier, than the owner. And the cops these days will dispatch an emergency response team to the last known location? Maybe if you say a box of donuts was on the rack. Short of that, I don’t think so.
Kind of astonished at the lack of understanding here. And then even feeling the need to write a comment about it: 1) You dont have to have a subscription for the lock and key feature, which would disable pedal assist. Thats just for the alarm feature (which you can also get from buying an add-on alarm, like it comes on some locks, no need to give Bosch money for that) 2) Si specifically talks about the value of the lack of pedal assist in the resell value. They might just throw it out, if its not worth the hassle (had that happen on a bike once, found it with "just" the light stolen the next morning) And then lastly the comment about cops, which i get, but i already retrieved my phone with the findmy app, by just confronting the people that stole it. Just going there might not always be an option, but usually thieves are just as human as we and will readily hand stuff out, if threatened by calling the police (however realistic that is). Again, they dont want the hassle dealing with that at all.
You're selling insurance now, really? What happens when inevitably the claim is denied for a technicality or deam you at fault for not locking your bike up the way they want or some contract technicality just like happens with car, house, flood and other insurance? Who is really going to take them to court over a denied claim on their commuter bike? It's hard enough with other insurance as it is. I fear anyone who signs up will be hung out to dry, no bike, no money and no goodwill left.
I understand that, but you are promoting a service which on the surface you don't have a good way of scrutinising & holding accountable. This isn't like doing a sponsored ad for a bike or bike gear, items that are easily testable by the team at GCN before you take the sponsor, so you know what you’re advertising to your audience. This is a financial product that people rely on not only to cover theft but also personal liability and even healthcare if they add that option to the policy, so when you are selling these policies using your brand there has to be some checks & due diligence on the companies that you have partnered with and transparency around the deal you have made. As far as I can tell, GCN has one small 4min video outlining the basics of the insurance policies and options, and you name the companies that you have partnered with however there is no mention of any checks or review of these companies and their policies being done before you partner with them nor a proper explanation of how this partnership works. How do you know that they will be honest when evaluating claims, how was this whole partnership evaluated? You wouldn’t run an advertisement for a brand-new bike without actually getting to try it first, so I really hope that you haven’t started selling insurance without really knowing much about the companies you are working with and how trustworthy and reputable they are. If you’re going to sell this, do a video breaking down what exactly your role is along with the roles of the other companies involved & how claims are handled along with the process for complaints and issues, there needs to be more transparency. To be clear, I am by no means a hater of GCN, and the prices seem quite reasonable for the level of coverage, this could be a good option for some IF the financial providers of these policies are reliable and trustworthy, and right now I can’t see any evidence for either. If these companies are good enough to collaborate with, you should be able to sing their praises based of their history, right? If you’ve read to the end of this, I hope you have a lovely day.
In the UK bike can have all your details and tell police where it is and nothing will happen. You have to go and get it back your self. Which is again the law.😅
Thanks Si great information but I leave my bikes nowhere. As for getting police assistance you having a laugh. They'll do nothing because its easier for them to sit in a cosy office drinking tea browsing the net for those that are using naughty words and nicking them for doing so.
What would be nice is for the EU to create a computer API standard for EU police forces and bicycle computers to communicate. And then across Europe (and countries who want to follow the EU's leadership) the police forces can setup computer systems to report and trace stolen bikes. So that as soon as your bike is stolen all the police cars in the area will see it highlighted on their computer systems with a live map of the bikes current location and as the police chase the person riding your bike the map updates.
All the features are useless and made by the marketing team. A motor lock would be the minimum necessary and perhaps some system that listed the bike parts as stolen (motor, battery, display) when paried/scanned with a phone
I'm disappointed with the shots of the lock only being used on the top tube, rather than a more secure through-frame and wheel location. Otherwise the bike can easily be used as a lever to try to break the lock - which either works, or damages the frame.
My view is that if you leave anything carryable, worth upwards of over £1000, outside with a lock and whatever theft protection is on it, you are an absolute idiot and should expect it to be stolen. I have been riding cycles for 60 years or so, and I have never left a cycle unattended, apart from in my locked house and in my locked office at work. Unsurprisingly, I have never had one stolen either. It is obvious. Bottom line - don't leave it unattended. This is another of the reasons Bromptons are so good, you don't have to leave it behind.
Apart from the bike lock, how do you deter thieves from stealing your bike?🚲🔐
Indoor trainer 🎉
Not leaving it outside unattended in the first place.
I can't see the link for insurance in the description. Was it missed out?
I like to ride a 26-inch wheel mountain bike with a 3x7 drivetrain.
@@AlbertBergen 😅
In the US, the police aren't going to do anything about a stolen bike. You can show them the exact tracking location and they'll do nothing about it.
@JasonWade Unfortunately, you have to arm yourself w/a weapon and do it yourself. In LA, it's like the Wild West.
The percentage of bikes that are recovered vs those never found, leans heavily in favor of the latter in any place throughout the "civilized world".
We don't have police in the US.
Dito in Denmark
Same as the UK, I had a bike stolen, I knew where the bike was, I knew who stole it, I had witnesses. The police said (you don’t expect us to go looking for a bike do you?)
No robbery has been solved in the country in over 3 years. This should tell you all you need to know
they should make the motor lock the pedals so they won't turn
They're worried about the safety of the thief 😬
It's possible. Use a normally open relay to create a short across the motor phase wires when "armed". That will effectively lock the motor up while the relay is energized. But once de-energized, the motor will operate normally. Ideally, power to the relay would be provided by a hidden battery that can be stashed somewhere difficult to find in the bike, that way you also don't need to leave your main battery connected (which thieves also like to steal).
If I had one, I'd want an internal deadbolt like system and still want someplace dedicated to park bikes/e-bikes and not leave it alone long at all. If it's a spot where I'm worried it would be stolen, I'll take my car 100% of the time. I love (regular) bikes, but one thing they don't do is they do not replace cars. If they can supplement them for you, you are lucky.
I heared one of these ebike systems actually make pedalling very very hard, but not fully locked.
@@SonnyDarvish On mine (a custom mid-drive) when the battery is dead, it's like trying to ride with the brakes partially engaged. It's miserable. But that's very different than intentionally locking the motor by shorting across the motor.
If you have insurance remember to use a lock that your insurance company approves for the value of the bike, normally a sold secure gold rated one due to the value, and it's locked to non removable object! if you don't they might not pay out.
I don't just use a decent d-lock. I use two. The way I figure it, the time and trouble of having to get through multiple locks means all but the most determined or desperate thief will simply look for an easier target. Worked pretty well for me, and I live in London.
If commuting leave 2 or 3 locks at destination... If going for a ride are you gonna leave your bike for more then 10 minutes unseen !? Most likely not.
@@bicyclingbum1551 I double lock it if I'm just going into a shop for 30 seconds. Can't be too careful around here.
The E-bike shown has what looks like a frame mounted wheel lock and most of these can have a chain added. I use one of these with a good U Lock.
Loving the Bosch modifications to deter bike theft. Need more companies to act in the same way. Great video.
I'd like manufacturers to look into a motor lock (as mentioned by jimkartalakis) where either the pedals can't turn or better yet, turn freely unattached to the chain ring. Another option is to lock the whole steering system so that the handlebar is either locked and unmovable or unlock the handle bar & stem so that it's not attached to the fork. In either case it would be impossible to ride the bike. There is much to be considered of course and it's not easy because the lock system cannot weaken the stem, steering tube and fork tube in any way.
You forgot the "take the battery with you" tactic for those bikes with a detachable battery. Of course in that case possibly leaving the battery in might mean finding the battery has been stolen.
Leaving your battery in situ could invalidate any insurance policy too.
Si is absolutely killing it lately!!!
My two cents: the majority of bike theft is opportunistic. Reduce your risk drastically by using a very, very good lock. The only other tip I have is to spend some time finding safe parking spots for your most frequent destinations. Some car parking garages have bike racks, and those garages typically have cameras everywhere which deters many would-be thieves.
Explaining the best theft prevention measure in UK would put you in jail.
Some bike thieves will vandalise the bike if they can't steal it.
This.
It's like they are angry that you didn't allow them to steal something that clearly isn't theirs.
Some Mahle motors have a bike lock feature too
My insurance company requires a gold standard lock to be used. These are quite expensive and I know from experience that it takes about 20 seconds to cut it off with a grinder and a good cutting disc.
Padlock on chain and chain wheel...so can't cycle away, D lock to an immovable object and remove battery. Either that, or don't leave it unattended! 😁👍
Great video with lots of very good advice!! Just had an ebike stolen :(
thanks for this I have a Orbea Gain only had it for about 3 months , Having seen this Video cheked the app and I to can lock my bike with the Mahle app
Never i say never turn your back on your bike.......Leaving it unattended these days ,you may as well leave it unlocked. Blame battery powered grinders.
I simply ride my older , less valuable bike when I know I will be parking it somewhere and use my seriously costly e-bike when I am going to ride out and bring it back to its secure storage place at home. I would just not take the risk, as it is much too precious to me.
1:08 One big advice I can give you, that got my ordinary bike stealing rate to one per year, down to 1/10 years among the good bike I buy since then:
Do lock your bike in the WEAKEST part of the frame !
Otherwise they will twist the whole bike to break your U shape locker (which is the only valid locker)
If you get insurance, check what lock they expect, Sold Secure let’s you check your bike and find appropriate locks. Beware, gold standard for e-bikes is different to gold standard for manual ones, so be sure to tick the right box. I’ve got massive motorbike chains at home, and for outside a combination of tracker, a diamond standard Litelock, hexlocks, a cheap padlock alarm, wheel lock, and I never leave it unattended for long. If you feel strongly about bike safety why not start a pop up bike creche in your town? I’m hoping to do one in Barnstaple Town ( Tarka Trail) next summer.
How does a bike creche work?
@@A.Servidor it's just a fenced area, that someone supervises on a volunteer basis but you can always have a tip hat 😁 I got the idea from Delft, NL. There's a very attractive outdoor enclosure of wrought iron railings, only one way in. It's controlled entry and exit by a chap who issues a pair of tickets, one for the bike and one to carry with you, they must match for him to allow you to exit with your bike. Most people lock their bikes as normal, at their own risk. The benefit comes from the reassurance that someone is there watching to make sure no one can just walk up with bolt croppers and make off with a bike as they could in an open street. The name bike crèche is made up, not trademarked, anyone can use it, or call it something else. Local councils have community grant budgets for this kind of thing, it can be as simple as hired herris fencing around bike racks, and an umbrella and stool for the volunteer 😂 I'm going to focus on supporting specific events or days, like when the pannier market is most busy etc. If it goes well it could become a regular thing with more volunteers. First steps are to select best locations and discuss your ideas with the council 😁
Forgot to add, Yellow Jersey insurance was expensive at first, but came down, with no claims and multiple bikes. It also waives the excess when I upgraded locks to Diamond standard instead of gold, otherwise I would lose a few hundred making a claim on the purchase price.
It’s all about layers of security. And it still might not be enough. Can’t rely on the police apart from them giving you a crime reference number and that’s only of use if the e-bike is covered by insurance and insurance company pays out.
I use Trelock u locks after seeing a video of a Norwegian police officer going at one with tools and getting red in the face with only a scratch to the lock. There are varying levels of protection in the Trelock range and I only use the higher ratings that do not include chains. Altgough I have one good lock supplemented with a chain for the other wheel to lock down the frame and both wheels.
As well as locking my bike i have mks removable pedals that i remove and also remove my seatpost and saddle . Bob
My bikes have always had quick release wheels...when I lock my bike I pop off the front wheel and lock it onto my frame, back wheel and bike rack, and take the quick release skewer with me...if someone wants to steel my bike, they won't be pedaling it...
Wouldn't stop Dan, he has got a hack for that ruclips.net/video/C2JZ31B4FBs/видео.html
No discussion of the security of the ABUS front wheel clamp lock. My Tern GSD came with it and it seems good particularly for a very heavy E cargo bike. I saw these locks on the majority of bikes in Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
Different types of secure locks are the best when it comes to securing your bicycle.
6:06 Did I hear you say premium subscription? No way, I will not pay for that, because in case of doubt I have a bike insurance. and if you are smart, you never leave your bike unattended and that costs nothing.
Tell me, how do you attend to a bike all day if you got work to do inside a building? don't curse me out just explain it to me.
bike insurance are cheaper if you have a gps on it and most gps work with subscription so that make sens to pay the suscription and pay less insurance but in total pay the same or a bit more to get the protection that gps offer
Ride a basic single speed low value bike into town if you are planning leaving it outside shops in the public view. Preferably with a fair bit of rust and gunge on it.
You are right I have just bought an ebike and fear leaving it anywhere.
I hate the idea of needing to insure a bicycle. as if car insurance isn't already bad enough, then we'd have to deal with predatory insurance for bikes and feel like we're being robbed trying to protect the bike from being robbed
I had what I thought was the ideal theft-prevention program: a ratty old sheepskin seat cover, a bent wire basket, and a bright pink flower on the handlebars that opened up into a shopping bag. Not pretty, but it worked. For years, actually, but in the end someone broke into my locked porch and stole the entire thing, including the abus lock. Sad.
The little “whoop whoop” when I unlock my bike is quite satisfying
One of the main attractions of cycling for me is the simplicity of it. This data / tech dependent model of cycling just takes the fun out it. I don't want my whole life connected to my smartphone.
@@Bobafe77a exactly! Mechanical shifting and no electrical system. Just the freedom of riding a bicycle!
Lock both rear wheel and frame to the rack. Lock front wheel and frame to the rack. Use angle grinder resistant locks (Litelock X3 or equivalent). Park your bike where it is easily seen by customers. If you can get permission from employers to store your bike inside their business, do so. If the thief can't steal the bike, they vandalize it. If they can't cut the lock in time, they will cut whatever it is locked to.
Check the small print on your insurance. Unless the e bike is secured with two gold locks, and you have a dated photo of how it was locked and to what, they will get out of paying up! The police report may get around this if they confirm extreme force was used, but they may just issue an incident number.
Apart from the great video, I noticed your trainers? Do you have a video in the library of recommended footwear for cycling. Besides the usual clip in shoes all the road cyclist use. Thanks
It should not only be pedal assist that is disabled. There should be a mechanical stop within that giant e-bike bottom bracket area setup that makes it physically impossible to turn the cranks without doing serious surgery or damage to what actually makes it worth it for some people to own one.
The angle grinder resistant locks are a must imo.
They’d have to be made out of diamonds
Any chance GCN will offer insurance to Canadians? Or to GCN members? Just wondering. I really need to ensure my bikes for sure. I do have the KIOX system on my eMTB so that is a start. Thanks for the tips Si. 👍
hi, thanks for the comment! hopefully in the future we can offer it to Canadians, watch this space!
You just had a show about hackers getting into electronic drive trains, I assume that they could hack into an ebike security system also.
Bike commuter Si is my favorite Si. Surprised to see how controversial this comment section is turning out to be. Even more so than for videos talking about tubeless or rim brakes!
Well, nothing beats the rim brakes debate just yet.
You can easily steal an e-bike with motor off, some good ebikes weight is almost on pair with normal bikes (15 kgs).
Additionally if they can't steal the bike they can steal both front and rear suspension, wheels etc. so even if you've got the best security it's still fairly easy to steal the whole bike WITHOUT the frame.
In the 1970"s, my company allowed me to bring my bike into my work space and installed a shower and locker for clothing and anything else. I drove in on Fridays and commuted Mon through Thursdays for about 20 years.
Modern Buildings in Australia have very good end of trip facilities if they want to have a top environmental rating and attract top level tenants especially government. Mine has lockers, showers, clean towel service, hairdryers and ironing boards. The bike storage is swipe card protected and we have vending machines for supplies and tubes. There's a stand with tools for impromptu repairs and the building brings a guy in every 3 months for free bike servicing.
I know another way to make sure thieves don't like stealing your bike.
If you have a chance. Get the battery out and keep it with you.
An E- bike without the battery is harder to sell.
Park the bike in range of another E-bike. A bike that has the battery present in the bike will be stole earlier than your bike without the battery.
Gangs are using hydraulic tools and grinders to cut away at whatever the lock is attached to - often in broad daylight! I simply wouldn't leave any valuable bike out in public.
I think just buying a cheap bike off eBay or Aliexpress and treating it as a disposable "burner" bike would be the way to go these days.
Don't forget pipe cutters. They are using those also.
Where do these gangs come from I wonder? Tunbridge Wells!?
It’s sad not being able to ride the bike we want because of these kinds of problems.
Even if you take the battery and screen off people will still buy them in online auction sites. Buy a conversion kit and it will look and be less expensive.
Meh. With an e-bike weight isn't as much of an issue than on a normal bike.
So my first tip is: buy&carry **two** locks. A sturdy U-type like shown, plus a decently long&heavy chain.
Lock the bike frame with the U-lock to whatever is handy, then thread the chain through at least the back wheel & frame and lock that to whatever, too. And if you want to go all-out, get a really long chain and lock both front and back wheels to whatever ;)
Also, you may want to make sure you can easily take out the battery and take that with you. (Comes in handy, too when you want to charge it without lugging the heavy e-bike to a power outlet.)
well in the states, car insurance is required by law, otherwise I wouldn't get insurance on my car that has built in location tracking on my phone and other anti-theft features
Just one point:- Its better to put a D-lock through THE WHEEL as well as THE FRAME. (It's just more hassel for the enemy.)
Hand-held grinders make even decent D locks almost useless these days. Only any good as a deterrent for a casual thief. The motor lock looks like a good idea though time will tell how effective it will be. Fingers crossed. The main problem though is the appalling attitude of the police and justice system towards bike theft. That leads to no major deterrent and rampant stealing.
You can get angle grinder resistance locks which require a lot of time and discs to get through. Thieves are not usually that determined.
What bike is Si riding here?
In the UK, the Police don’t even pretend to care about theft. Whether it’s a car, a bike, or any personal belongings, you’ll just get a Crime Ref Number, so you can claim it on insurance (if you’re covered). That’s all.
E-bikes are as expensive as gas powered motorcycles but legally forbidden from keeping up with traffic. Gas bikes are also inherently harder to steal given you can't just pedal away with them and they commonly weight 400+ pounds
I'm afraid there's quite a trade in stolen motorbikes these days as well.
@@gcn Unfortunately so, but at least I can't be ticketed for going the speed limit
Plenty of motorcycle theft where they bundle the bike into the back of a van.
Um, My e-bike cost ~$800 new. From lectric. Less that gas powered motorcycles that tend to be $4-$10K from a quick search.
I'm about to get a Bosch ebike, but I wonder if the thief brings the bike to a faraday cage lorry, opens up some screws and detach that 600 euro motor from the 9000 euro ebike 🤷♂
why doesn’t the app lock the motor in a way that you could not turn the cranks at all?
Hmm could bosh lock the crank and disable the brakes. Far more interesting than locking both eh
I am wondering what the @lockpickinglawyer would say about the safety and the ease of unlocking these mentioned "good" locks. (2:30)
LPL has several videos on them. Not that the typical bike thief will pick these locks, as they simply use battery-powered angle grinders that can destroy most locks in under a minute.
@@Frostbiker you are right.
How do you store and charge E-bikes safely... Battery fires are intense
Don’t use knock off ones from China. Use official ones from Bosch etc which are fine
You would’ve thought the manufacturers could’ve developed a feature to totally lock up the crank/pedals, rather than just disable pedal assist. Without pedal assist it’ll still get stolen, but then prob dumped in a river. You still lose your beloved bike 🤷🏻♂️
If you keep it in the attic a bonus during the winter is the tortoise is up there to protect it.
Why can’t the Bosch crank just lock up? Then at best the bike can only be sold as parts.
I just went electric scooter, smaller, can fold it & take it with you to your office, way faster & no pain or sweating, did I mention way cheaper too?
Scooters can be nice for sure, but if I had the space I would much rather a e-cargo bike than the big scooter I got. With a scooter I can only carry what I can fit in my back pack, not to mention bikes are much less likely to be wrecked by a pebble or a big crack/pothole. The big scooter is good fun though, no trouble from police so far here in the states
But then you’re getting no exercise at all with a scooter.
@@bhoops13 Bike's still my 1st love but, we've been priced out recently since the Rona virus & it's since became an lifestyle hobby for the out-of-shape balding tech yuppy or the dad bod CEO who's never been to a proper bike park, zero riding skills, slow as molasses but, rides around the local garden park with full gear on just to show people he's got what they can't have. I know you know these kinds. I mean, a mid-range bike electric or acoustic now cost 6-7k usd I mean c'mon! I'll get 3 higher end scoots for that.
@@berengerchristy6256 I'll just get them all when I can afford them. My choice for scooters is 'cos they don't cost an organ.....yet. Otherwise, I prefer bikes too 'cos I get a workout & zero range anxiety.
@@bhoops13 you can walk and run outside on your own time for free or go to the gym
So in general it's in the final same cost as owning a simple small car or scooter. I bet it is even cheaper now and less prone to stealing than e bike
owning a car is still heaps more expensive than owning an e-bike, considering the price of fuel, insurance (which is way more than bike insurance and mandatory), taxes and really expensive maintenance. a scooter though, maybe.
Why does it not lock the crank?
Battery powered portable grinders go through any D lock these days, sadly
No mention of Airtags or Android Find My Device tags...? 🤔
Even if you get a grinder proof lock, they will just cut through what it's locked too.
Are Bosch being serious about it, because by what they put out as a product is simply laughable. And there they go with a subscription model for the Bosch Flow. How much is enough money to these big greedy corporations? It's a rhetorical question it's never enough. Nobody bats an eye these days at alarms and alerts, but the fact that when your bike gets stolen, whoever stole it, won't get power assist. Sad for the thief. 🤣 That will teach him not to steal another e-bike, for sure. Bosch don't be a clown at the circus where no one laughs. And the part with insurance ("you will always insure your car against theft, in spite of it having locks, in spite of it having other advanced security measures. At least when it's insured it gives you that peace of mind...)
Ok. 3 things wrong here.
1. If locks and alarms are not useful, but insurance actually gives you peace of mind, let's all pay just insurance (at a reasonable price) and forget locking and mounting an alarm on it.
2. A bicycle is not a car. Stop pushing this narrative with insurance and taxes on the bicycle. The bicycle is freedom. It defeats the whole purpose of having a bike if we have to have insurance. It's maybe the last bastion of freedom regarding transportation (not taking walking into account). Some might say, it's a small amount. It doesn't matter. I won't ever pay taxes on a bicycle!!!
3. Speaking of freedom and then trying to sell the insurance you talked about. Sad...that it has come to this point in history.
Have a nice evening!
subscription is for data transfer and maintenance of localization system.
@@charlie2066 and for taking money for a service that is not needed if you don't leave the bike unattended. You have to take care of your bike, not rely on some system to take care of it. It's called responsibility. Tired of these subscription models. They are pushing these everywhere. It's not even about the money. Is to change things and make you confortable with paying it. Imagine for a second a future in which you have to rent bikes for a subscription. Ohh...never mind, it's already happening. It's about control. It's about digital data, which is easier to steal. And about making what used to be a service you would have to pay once for, a recurring payment. A lot of companies nowadays are taking features out of their product, to later offer them as a subscription. Think about it.
Hiya, it's up to you as an individual what you want to do. I completely agree that bikes are freedom, but I also feel that investing thousands in a new bike might leave people wanting some additional peace of mind. Some people, like me, have insurance, others don't. It's not a new thing, it's something I've done for years, but it is, as I said, up to you. Cheers, Simon
@@gcn I know it's not a new thing, but that's not the point. Surely everyone is free to do what they want. But with the risk of repeating myself, if you don't leave the bike unattended you won't need it. Cheers!
@@W0lfytzu on my bike I have module installed from factory and 1 year for free then i`ll pay, also have a good ulock and separate chain, i did insure my bike and i don`t leave it alone, the cost of the above is my peace of mind, regarding price of ebike. I see why companies are wanting subscriptions for everything and in this case I don`t mind to pay for this feature
If Bosch was serious the lock feature would be on the entire range. Not good enough to be at the mercy of the bicycle manufacturers spec list.
A thief wouldn’t get pedal assist. 😂
So everything will be fine as long as the thief is as lazy, or lazier, than the owner.
And the cops these days will dispatch an emergency response team to the last known location? Maybe if you say a box of donuts was on the rack. Short of that, I don’t think so.
Exactly! Laughable system. 🤣 An to pay for that also...Bosch is laughing hard. Clown world we are living in.
Kind of astonished at the lack of understanding here. And then even feeling the need to write a comment about it:
1) You dont have to have a subscription for the lock and key feature, which would disable pedal assist. Thats just for the alarm feature (which you can also get from buying an add-on alarm, like it comes on some locks, no need to give Bosch money for that)
2) Si specifically talks about the value of the lack of pedal assist in the resell value. They might just throw it out, if its not worth the hassle (had that happen on a bike once, found it with "just" the light stolen the next morning)
And then lastly the comment about cops, which i get, but i already retrieved my phone with the findmy app, by just confronting the people that stole it. Just going there might not always be an option, but usually thieves are just as human as we and will readily hand stuff out, if threatened by calling the police (however realistic that is). Again, they dont want the hassle dealing with that at all.
You're selling insurance now, really?
What happens when inevitably the claim is denied for a technicality or deam you at fault for not locking your bike up the way they want or some contract technicality just like happens with car, house, flood and other insurance?
Who is really going to take them to court over a denied claim on their commuter bike? It's hard enough with other insurance as it is.
I fear anyone who signs up will be hung out to dry, no bike, no money and no goodwill left.
Hey Conrad, it's through an existing insurer, not just us cobbling something together in a pub car park 😂
I understand that, but you are promoting a service which on the surface you don't have a good way of scrutinising & holding accountable.
This isn't like doing a sponsored ad for a bike or bike gear, items that are easily testable by the team at GCN before you take the sponsor, so you know what you’re advertising to your audience. This is a financial product that people rely on not only to cover theft but also personal liability and even healthcare if they add that option to the policy, so when you are selling these policies using your brand there has to be some checks & due diligence on the companies that you have partnered with and transparency around the deal you have made.
As far as I can tell, GCN has one small 4min video outlining the basics of the insurance policies and options, and you name the companies that you have partnered with however there is no mention of any checks or review of these companies and their policies being done before you partner with them nor a proper explanation of how this partnership works. How do you know that they will be honest when evaluating claims, how was this whole partnership evaluated?
You wouldn’t run an advertisement for a brand-new bike without actually getting to try it first, so I really hope that you haven’t started selling insurance without really knowing much about the companies you are working with and how trustworthy and reputable they are.
If you’re going to sell this, do a video breaking down what exactly your role is along with the roles of the other companies involved & how claims are handled along with the process for complaints and issues, there needs to be more transparency.
To be clear, I am by no means a hater of GCN, and the prices seem quite reasonable for the level of coverage, this could be a good option for some IF the financial providers of these policies are reliable and trustworthy, and right now I can’t see any evidence for either. If these companies are good enough to collaborate with, you should be able to sing their praises based of their history, right?
If you’ve read to the end of this, I hope you have a lovely day.
That elock why not lock up the motor so it can not rotate the cranks.
Just add an airtag. Bosh
What if your phones nicked. And then your bike?
Ride it out of the attic and don't get off it until you've ridden it back into the attic.
i hope it has better bluetooth than my airpods. those things never connect especially when i’m trying to answer a call.
In the UK bike can have all your details and tell police where it is and nothing will happen. You have to go and get it back your self. Which is again the law.😅
Thanks Si great information but I leave my bikes nowhere. As for getting police assistance you having a laugh. They'll do nothing because its easier for them to sit in a cosy office drinking tea browsing the net for those that are using naughty words and nicking them for doing so.
What would be nice is for the EU to create a computer API standard for EU police forces and bicycle computers to communicate. And then across Europe (and countries who want to follow the EU's leadership) the police forces can setup computer systems to report and trace stolen bikes.
So that as soon as your bike is stolen all the police cars in the area will see it highlighted on their computer systems with a live map of the bikes current location and as the police chase the person riding your bike the map updates.
If only the police would have a toss. 😢
All the features are useless and made by the marketing team. A motor lock would be the minimum necessary and perhaps some system that listed the bike parts as stolen (motor, battery, display) when paried/scanned with a phone
I drive a peddle bike , that's my anti theft system , and it's a cheap bike
buy a Brompton e bike. take it with you
Great Ad...( Im being sarcastic)
I'm disappointed with the shots of the lock only being used on the top tube, rather than a more secure through-frame and wheel location. Otherwise the bike can easily be used as a lever to try to break the lock - which either works, or damages the frame.
My view is that if you leave anything carryable, worth upwards of over £1000, outside with a lock and whatever theft protection is on it, you are an absolute idiot and should expect it to be stolen. I have been riding cycles for 60 years or so, and I have never left a cycle unattended, apart from in my locked house and in my locked office at work. Unsurprisingly, I have never had one stolen either. It is obvious. Bottom line - don't leave it unattended.
This is another of the reasons Bromptons are so good, you don't have to leave it behind.
......Until someone robs you of said Brompton, whilst riding.
That's good advice! I never had a stolen bike either. It's common sense.
@@blahqwe that would be assault and a much more serious crime.
They won't, i don't live in London.
What do you do for the obligatory toilet breaks in route?
I do love GCN videos, and will watch them as soon as I know they're up, but.... You do a video on ebikes, and I'm turning it off, imediately.
Weird.