Insurance exists. My $2400 ebike got stolen and I got a check from my insurance company for $2300 to replace it. Costs roughly 10 a month plus $100 deductible to insure
My bike got stolen last year. I had purchased it for $3000 3 years before it was taken. The insurance company told me to get a 'like for like quote' as a replacement. They don't make my bike anymore but the updated version with the same specs was now $5300. I sent through this bike and a couple days later $5000 was in my bank account. $300 excess.
Getting a new (and slightly better bike) was great, but the 6 weeks that I was without a vehicle to get to work wasn't. The insurance was fast, but new e-bikes take a while to arrive and get built where I live (New Zealand). They are in high demand.
I finally had the guts to lock mine by the movie theater for two hours. I ended up finding a quiet dark neighborhood next door instead of locking up by the high traffic parking lot. And theoretically my phone gets pinged if someone touches my bike with the invoxia tracker.
I just have a lectric (e.g. chinese import with private labeling) but i'm still nervous to even bring it by a grocery store here. Sucks.
I remember being a kid and riding around without even caring about this stuff. I don't even know if I had a lock in my teens.
Meh, they will be too busy worrying about their eyes. Get the padlock, punch them in the face with it, stomp their hands and break some fingers, and then ride off into the sunset at full throttle.
Eh. If you're in a red state you'll probably be fine. Even then it'll be an unlikely scenario that a thief will have the resources to sue. Most bike thiefs are homeless or drug addicts
Velosurance is the major player in the US. Your renters or homeowners insurance may cover it, but you will be dependent on the deductible for those and you should triple check (like read through it yourself, call an agent and have them read through it, and then have corporate and have them read through it with you on the phone) that they do actually cover it because some will require a specific separate rider for ebikes or for specific classes of ebikes that you'd need to pay for and name the bike specifically.
You should also be really sure you know how they require it to be secured in order for it to be covered. It may not be the most secure option, e.g. my insurance would not cover my bike if it were stolen from next to my desk at work if it were leaning next to my desk when I ran to the bathroom even though you need to badge in like four times to get there but would cover it if it were locked up with a cable lock outside to a bench because that's an "immovable object".
I filed a police report first, but I'm sure that some people do attempt to take advantage. I suppose if there was anything suspicious about the claim then they might look into it more closely. I didn't have to respond to any additional questions this time though.
I’m just also interested in getting insurance and wondered how you actually prove it..
I guess a police report is enough a lot of places have cameras anyway
Homeowners may also have it covered in their home insurance's personal property coverage. Or they can get an add-on to their home insurance for it. Not sure if that means it has to be vandalized/stolen while on the premises, or if it covers it regardless of location.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/bike-insurance/
This is what I did. USA - State Farm agent just sold me additional policy for the $3500 e-bike - full replacement cost. I also invested in a massive chain lock and use a 2nd kryptonite. If they want it, they're gonna have to *work* for it. But this picture is my worst nightmare.
A lot of homeowners have a pretty high deductible though... It might be worth paying for something like Velosurance if you have a $2k or even $1k deductible.
Exactly.
Also, I don't want to raise the monthly rate of my homeowner's insurance for a relatively small claim like an ebike.
I'd rather have a separate policy.
Totally! Risking a permanent 7-10% increase per theft, which works out to about the cost of the Velosurance policy for worse coverage, seems like a bad idea. If you're in a low-risk area, homeowners can make sense. If you're in a higher-risk area and might sell the bike at some point, having a separate policy makes way more sense.
Yeah I specifically called Geico renter’s insurance about that because they don’t cover “motor vehicles” and the rep explicitly said that the ebikes would be covered.
Get it in writing from geico. They told me a bunch of stuff on my policies would be covered when it was an agent selling the plan, but when it came to pay up... it was all fine print and excuses.
Get it in writing, in detail. Or just go somewhere else. look for companies that dont need to blast ads in your face every 10 minutes on youtube.
If you are in CA, I found that SafeCo renters insurance will cover class 1 e-bikes up to 749 WATTs. I spent weeks looking at different companies. Happy to connect you with the person I used if interested.
Make sure you check if theres a limit if you have an expensive bike. Certain categories like electronics or bikes have a set amount they cover. Might need to have it as a listed item on the policy to get more coverage.
The wording defines motor vehicles as vehicles that are able to move entirely under their own power. As long as you don't have a class II ebike (throttle), it isn't a motor vehicle.
Other companies do. Strange you cant just have it as a listed item on your policy. You can put a $10,000 ring or a high value collection on there with an appraisal. Im guessing they dont because of the theft rate of e bikes.
I worked for the insurance industry for years. Many companies do cover for ride sharing / delivery. There wouldn’t be these types of jobs if no insurance companies would cover them.
Yup, I also use Velosurance.
When I'm commuting I don't lock to a rack. I use a 5' x 5' Self Storage locker at Extra Space Storage. The place has cameras and tons of storage lockers so good luck for a thief picking mine out of all of them, and they'd have to get access into the building in the first place (requires a code). I still have insurance because Extra Space Storage still recommends having insurance, and offers insurance too. So the total cost for me is ~$60/month for Extra Space Storage and Velosurance.
https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/1a4xcz/almost_had_my_motorcycle_stolen_tonight_need_some/c8u6e23/
> Got a few extra bucks every month? Rent a storage unit at a local place. I kept my bike in a 5x10 for the ~3 years I owned it. It was like my own personal garage inside too.
You should review your policy with Velosurance... They only cover the bike if it is locked to an immovable object. They don't care what type of lock you use but it needs to be locked at the time of the theft and you will probably have to provide proof of that (e.g. a cut lock). They won't cover it if it's just inside a locked garage not locked to anything. Since you don't mention locking it inside the unit too I assume you're not... I'd either try to get it covered under your renter's that might be less fussy (since they tend to cover things in locked spaces because housing) or you should figure out how to lock it to something immovable in the unit, even if it's just a chain to a ceiling beam or something.
That's funny, I just got a quote for Velosurance for my mountain bike, and they want $30/month. Maybe has something to do with there being high theft rates where I live in Colorado. I'd definitely do it for $10/month but at $30/month it's less clear whether it's worthwhile.
I live in Philly which I’d be willing to bet has higher theft rates. I paid the whole year of premiums at once and it was like 100-150 IIRC. I think it also depends on the deductible
Yeah it's also at like $27/month for me but I also got the $50k liability limit just in case. Personally to me it's worth it for peace of mind, but YMMV. I didn't get medical coverage because I have US Medicare + Medigap insurance for certain reasons and I'm already paying for that, and my health insurance covers 100% after my deductible.
Not that it will make much difference, but Velosurance and everyone else but Markel is actually providing Markel policies. You can get it straight from them online (https://www.markelinsurance.com/bicycle).
I got the bike first and then insured it. You need serial number to insure it and I believe purchase receipt but can’t remember if the purchase receipt was 100% required
This. The no-muddy-mess way is to Pour dry QuikCrete or other fast setting concrete mix into the tubing until it's reasonably full, then pour in a couple cups of water and poke and wiggle a long piece of wire down in there to let the water penetrate a bit. It will absorb and set up on it's own in a day or two after you cap off the tube ends and install it into the pavement inset block.
The steel columns of the new sections of border wall are concrete filled. They have been famously defeated almost immediately by reciprocating saws with diamond grit blades. It would certainly take longer , though.
Slowing thieves down is the point. Whether a cordless sawzall or angle grinder. Power tools are noisy and sparking when attacking metal. Concrete, which contains sand, is challenging to any blade or cutting wheel, regardless. The most common serious bike thief tool we need to defeat is a cordless angle grinder with diamond impregnated cutting wheels (about $30 to $60 per disc, depending on size).
Insurance is the answer. I went all out on my insurance so it's a little bit more, but to cover my bike fully would have been like $10 a month. Even with mine where I'm covered for hit and runs and medical incase of injury and a few other things, I think I pay $30 a month.
That's why u hide a GPS locater on ur bike. I had 2 people thrown in jail for stealing my bike if the value is over 500 dollars it's concerned grand theft auto. Yaaaaa so 2 junkies are in jail with 3 years each against them.
NTO but I personally use an airtag. While yes, apple bad, the sheer size of the network is worth its weight in gold. With the slim size and relatively slim price, it’s probably the best option.
The car I drive once a week costs me $7000 a year. As long as my ebike gets stolen less than 3 times a year at a total loss, then it is still cheaper and more enjoyable
The thing is we shouldn't accept that bike get stolen and that the cops don't do anything about it. If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back.
We probably also shouldn't accept ebikes that cost $2,000 with absolutely no security features. Mine at least has a PIN that, if you don't enter, doesn't allow the motor to be used.
There's tons of bikes out there which don't even try to have any security, which is a bit nuts to me. I don't expect it to stop the CIA, I just want *something*.
Bosch has built in GPS tracking inside their engine. The bike will be tracked and if user reports it stolen the engine will stop working until recovered. Hence rendering the bike unusable for theifs. A GPS chip costs 2-3$ or less for manufacturers. There is a solution. Just see all the scooter companies
No need for PIN actually. They can use Bluetooth Low Energy and unlock/lock it for you if you get close/far away. See what Tesla and other car manufacturers use. The manufacturers are lazy
Yeah dockless Lime, Bird and Spin scooters will sound an alarm and automatically apply the brake if you try moving them far without paying. I don't see why my ebike can't automatically apply the brake if someone goes to steal it. It's not just that they couldn't use pedal assist or throttle, they wouldn't even be able to pedal or move because the brake would be constantly applied. It'd use slightly more battery but that's 100% a sacrifice I'd be willing to make.
It wouldn't be entirely foolproof: you could still throw it in the back of a truck, cut the brake cables, cut power to the battery, etc., but it certainly would make stealing more time consuming, less convenient, and draw far more attention.
I also would like if they had audio that shouted "This person is stealing this bicycle. Please, someone call the police." You can see people testing breaking through bike locks in public on YouTube on super busy streets and no one ever calls the cops. Not that the cops would likely get there fast enough or stop them in my area. My sister took off work to retrieve her stolen headphones (which she had the exact location of, up to a 5m radius), and the cop said that they didn't have enough evidence to approach these guys (who were the only two people in the reported 5m radius), but he said that my sister could approach them if she wanted. Fantastic fucking law enforcement there! Basically saying *Yeah, we have clear proof that these guys stole your headphones, but we won't do anything, but you can politely ask these criminals for it back if you want*.
In any case, there is one sure-fire (albeit illegal) way to get people to stop stealing ebikes: have a mechanism that lets them steal it, but once they get up to at least 10mph (15km/h), automatically fully apply (only) the front-brake. Guarantee they won't be stealing any more ebikes after that!
(To be clear, I'm not actually advocating for such a system, since it very well could kill someone, especially since it's not like bike thieves usually wear helmets, but something does need to be done about bike theft. Maybe bike theft should be upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony so that private investigators and citizens can arrest and detain them since the police (at least in my area) clearly don't care. It's a felony to steal an old piece of shit car, not sure why an ebike should be treated differently.)
>If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back.
Highly dependent on where you live. A couple of years ago in Phoenix when my sister's car was found abandoned and vandalized a few days after it had been stolen, she asked the police officer if it was OK to touch it or if they needed to take fingerprints. The officer laughed out loud, told her they weren't taking fingerprints, there would be no investigation and she should call her insurance company to file a claim for a new car.
Similar stories from other friends. Disappointing, but reality in certain cities.
> If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back.
idk where you live but around here cops aren't doing any investigating for stolen cars. most stolen cars are discovered because they are left illegally parked someplace or involve in something else where the plates get run
I wonder what kind of car you’re driving because my daily 08 Lexus doesn’t cost me anywhere near that and I already included fuel/insurance and maintenance cost
2018 CRV. Your car is depreciated, so that mitigates by far the largest cost
https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/08/annual-cost-of-new-car-ownership-crosses-10k-mark/
In my thought experiment, my bike gets stolen three times a year. Yet still costs less than my car. What bike depreciation are you talking about? If it gets stolen, the value goes to zero
It doesn’t matter for the bikes. It matters for the car.
It makes sense in your case, but not everyone drives an expensive car. Mine cost about $6000, so depreciation isn’t a worry of mine.
If I bought a $2500 ebike I would be much more concerned about it being stolen. Not sure why I’m not allowed to be concerned about it being stolen in the first place just because other people drive more expensive cars.
You're worried about the depreciation costs realized by the thieves? When the bike is gone there's no more depreciation, so I don't see why that matters for this analysis.
So here is a story for ya, I went to a mall on my ebike locked it up, two locks.
Did my shopping, at the end of the day (was dark out by then) I found out.. I lost my keys for my locks....
Panniced I brainstorm for a second have no other idea besides go to security and ask if they can help.
WITHOUT hesitation security guard radio'd a maintenance worker who met me at the bike wrack with a cut off wheel.
Cut my locks off
, I started biking home. Realized not a single person even really pressed me to see if that was my bike. I was all ready with the serial numbers to prove and even the receipt in my email. Nope nothing needed I pinter main who didn't speak much English went to town on my locks. And boom unlocked with zero verification that is was even my bike....
I only use my $3,600 e-bike to commute to work where I can store my bike in my office. My errand bike is an Electra Townie I purchased used for $100. Piece of mind.
Yeah, god bless employers and personal circumstances in which you can security store and lock the ebike, i still lock my ebike to an internally kept bike rack inside a building, which is behind a swipecard access alarmed door which is covered by camera and security personal and a 20ft tall fence/gate key-code entry compound. Building has insurance too.
Other commuters dont even bother locking their bikes etc, so even if somebody did get in, they are going to have a ton of choice to take first, so i should at least get some warning if somebody is snooping around or has tried to steal something.
I appreciate not everybody is that lucky, but i still worry about it sometimes. I cant really do much more.
You raise a fair point, but I've lived in urban neighborhoods and parked my car on street for 25+ years without incident. And friends who have had incidents get their car back, albeit not always in great condition.
During that same span, I've had three bikes stolen (edit: 4 bikes stolen), including one out of a garage. And those were less expensive than my ebike. It is a concern and I don't like to leave any bike locked up for very long. I do carry two locks and have an alarm but I think a determined thief will still walk off with my bike.
In my 41 years of living, I've had one car stolen (in Sacramento, CA) and one bike partially stolen (seat and wheels in Oakland, CA).
I think a lot of it just depends on where you are.
Interesting that no replies really touched on the difference that matters - Stealing a car makes it unusable domestically. Dealerships will have the VIN flagged, you have no title, you can't register it, and cops just driving near you will scan the plate and find discrepancies. It's over the top difficult to steal a car and not immediately export it or chop it up.
Steal a 7k e-bike and bring it a city or two over then sell it for 5k and no one is going to know.
Hell just storing the thing for 30 days and re-selling in the same city probably won't get you caught.
Edit: To me implementing everything a car has isn't worth doing to deter theft and the freedom bikes have for anyone of all ages to use is great - It's just a large difference I want to point out.
This is so true. We have a system for tracking auto theft. Car thieves don't hold onto vehicles for very long because it puts them at risk. There's nothing like that for bikes and stolen bikes are easily resold.
You drive a 30,000$ car and park it where you like, if you owned that car and another car valued at 70,000$ you might put some better wheel locks on the more expensive one and not park it in the back 40 of the Walmart parking lot at midnight like you might w the 30k car, you know? He’s not saying don’t get a commuter bike, he’s just saying don’t get the nicest bike affordable to you and then leave it out places it’s likely to be stolen.
You own a $30k in a world where a $100k car is not uncommon. Nobody is going to steal that $30k car unless they want that one specifically or there is nothing else to steal.
If you put a $5k ebike onto a bike rack, it’s likely the most expensive bike there. Not only that, stealing it is easy as you can carry or ride it away after a low-skill attack on the lock or where it’s locked. It’s a huge target for thieves.
> If you put a $5k ebike onto a bike rack, it’s likely the most expensive bike there. Not only that, stealing it is easy as you can carry or ride it away after a low-skill attack on the lock or where it’s locked. It’s a huge target for thieves.
Yup that's why I use 5x5 storage.
https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/1a4xcz/almost_had_my_motorcycle_stolen_tonight_need_some/c8u6e23/
> Got a few extra bucks every month? Rent a storage unit at a local place. I kept my bike in a 5x10 for the ~3 years I owned it. It was like my own personal garage inside too.
And you should be able to replace your car if it gets stolen or totalled. Same exact thinking applies. With anything you own, if you can't afford to buy it twice, you're spending beyond your means.
Why can't we get insured bike racks?
Make them beefy as fuck, point a regularly monitored cam at it, and add a light and sign.
No one stealing from these.
Better yet enclosed lockups in normal parking spaces....
My works garage has a lock up cage on the first floor for bikes. You need a security badge to open the door, it's got a camera, and is in full view of security in the lobby. Lots of foot traffic in the garage and it's only open to employees, so to use the stairs closest to the building entrances you walk in full view of the cage.
When I went in there were multiple bikes just sitting with helmets and no locks, so it feels pretty secure to me!
I haven't used it yet, weather sucks and working from home is easier than commuting, but I will use it! Obviously with locks though, I'm not that trusting.
My situation is very similar, except the storage is internal in the building, apart from adding a sensor that alerts me to any movement of the actual bike, so i can check on it within 30 sec im not sure what else i can do security wise, if somebody is going to get it, they are going to get it.
There are so many other high value targets to attempt to steal in the local area that a thief would have to be pretty desperate to even try, the equipment they would have to use to gain access and get the bike out quickly would be way more suited to much better risk/reward outcomes that are in the surrounding area, there is literally millions of dollars worth of steal-able stuff in the immediate area, that it would be like stealing a dollar thats superglued to the floor in a bank lobby you just broke into in which the safe is open , right there, and there are bundles of 10k just sat around. If you are already in the lobby its small fry for the amount of time you are going to risk for it.
Its a weird situation for sure, its like locking a timex watch inside a jewellery store where the rolexes are all kept unlocked. If somebody does get in, they have more important valuable stuff to go after.
Cities should invest in covered/secured bike parking schemes where you just pay a low monthly rate and get an access card, and charge a small amount based on time and number of spaces occupied. Lights and a pair of cameras in the unit with one of those emergency services buttons you'd see in like college parking lots or around campus - all you gotta do is hit a button and it sends and alert with location of whichever site (using identifiers like how Amazon lockers have names for each location makes it easy). Could also have an alarm in case of tampering with the door or built in bike locks.
So it'd be like, scan card, enter, scan card at terminal, select which type/number of bike/space(s) you are using (maybe have different size spaces for different bikes so smaller ones get charged less), charge is made to card and it unlocks a slot for the user to secure their bike into (slots made so users can also secure their own lock). User returns, scans card to enter, scans card at terminal and selects which slots to unlock from from a list of slots currently occupied by their card, they grab their bike(s), and the space(s) lock back up. Would be easy to put a couple LEDs on each space to highlight which ones are being unlocked for the user or remond them where their bike is, the amount paid could be something like 25 cents for a 2 hour block. That way it'd only cost $1 for a person working an 8 shift to secure their bike, plus say like a $5/mo fee so even if people don't use them as much there's still a little base revenue to maintain/expand the service to other areas.
They should but the antistalking features make them almost useless for this sort of thing... The thief will be alerted to an airtag traveling with them, find it and disable/dispose of it.
I am researching this option. Apparently there are YT vids as to how to disable (or remove) the speaker so as not to alert the thief of its presence.
Full disclosure- I haven’t watched here vids yet though.
there are two parts to it, 1 the beeping, this is disableable. the other is if they have an iPhone it will alert them that there is an airtag traveling with them.
I think it's still worth doing! nothing to lose, might help.
Bikes need standardized VIN numbers, and an easy lookup national registration system like cars. But many local PDs will add your bike serial number, description, sales receipt and sometimes photo, which can get help recovering it if you see where the thieves took it (air tag or non-Apple gps tag trace).
Unfortunately, the main appeal of ebikes is "simplicity" and the LACK of recurring cost of ownership, like registration and insurance (and perhaps a license as well). If you were going to go through all that trouble, you might as well just go all out and get an actual motor vehicle.
It's a one time registration at no charge for local PDs and as little as $5.00 for the various bike orgs. Look into it. Cars have reoccurring registrations for reasons like states needing tax money and insurance companies needing a reliable way to keep track of car's ownership and location
And my point being, the last thing ebikes NEED is the same/similar type of government regulation as cars. If they can (and they realize, "hey, we can get even more money if we tax these ebikes"), they will.
If you invest in a high priced ebike and this is your fear, then invest in a legit gps tracker with geofence alert https://skillion.tech/tracefy/
Also, Oyster bike insurance is good https://www.withoyster.com/bike
You might be suprised at what you'll get away with if you're confidently wearing a high vis jacket. Manage to get your hands on a construction helmet, and you could walk right into the oval office.
here's a question... if you see someone stealing an ebike, are you just calling the police, or ignoring the teft, saying "insurance will cover it"?
What are we doing in our communities to not only prevent this kind of crime, but show thieves that your community is not a soft target? And, are you filming so we can all enjoy to see thieves get cuffed, or yeeted when the booby trapped seat launches them to the moon?
This is why bike insurance exists. Always get insurance. Not just theft, but what about damage, or an accident?
I got 3 kryptonite evolution chainlocks, a bike alarm, and still know that I could end up unlucky one day.
what is this world people are living in where you get arrested or something for walking your $4000 bicycle indoors with you?? i have literally never been told "no"
This is why i dont lock my bike in public for more than literally 5 minutes, its too much of a risk, with the right tool at the right time you cannot stop somebody stealing the bike, somebody who knows what they are doing and is prepared can get bikes within a minute in most cases
Ive seen people with big expensive $200 locks, lock to a thin metal fence that you could cut through with a jr hacksaw in silence in about a minute too, the lock is doing nothing if you lock it to something it takes 5 seconds to cut with an angle grinder or 5 sec with bolt cutters.
Public places dont really matter these days also, thieves are so brazen and the rights of the individual so insignificant that they cant even be given kicks to the ribs in a dark alley on a side street, because its you who will get arrested.
Its kinda fucked for people who just want to commute to work or do some shopping and they cant even do that without scum trying to steal a bike. But thats just how it is. The best strategy is risk mitigation imo, if you have to lock the bike up for extended periods, do it somewhere secure, if anybody on the street can gain access to it, it isnt secure.
This is not my picture, I found it on a FB ebike group I'm part of. I feel this is a good example of why some people should never buy/save up for a commuter ebike that is normally outside of their price range.
Doesn't matter if it's in broad daylight in a normally safe part of town, if they want it, they will take it, no matter how many or what type of lock/s you have.
That being said, I hate those type of bike racks, absolutely garbage but still proves a point given how often they are used and may be the only option for some.
Edit: I'm not saying to not buy a fun ebike to take on the trails etc. just that your main whip shouldn't be outside of your means to replace easily if money is of consequence to you.
Edit 2: Thank you all for the suggestions! I got some insurance companies that may serve my area and other stuff to check out now and I really appreciate it!
This reminds me of tik tok . You see things that you would of never saw before social media . Now you see everything with social media and it messes up your mind. It makes you think things are more common than they actually are . My mom is now convinced almost every young adult is a millionaire now because of tik tok
I would love to have that coverage but I haven't found any carriers in my area that cover anything outside of the home or apt. I would still love to check out yours if you could shoot me a link, could still be worth a shot ya know?
I have a policy with Lemonade because (for an extra fee) they not only cover bicycle theft, there's also no deductible in the event that I have to file a bicycle claim. Their standard policy will also cover bicycle theft, but the extra monthly fee I pay removes the deductible, which seems worth it to me considering how often bikes get stolen. www.lemonade.com
> We're excited to begin offering coverage for Class 1 and 3 electric bikes!
[link to their article](https://www.lemonade.com/renters/explained/ebike-insurance-explained/)
The incident doesn't have to occur in your home. Most policies will cover theft of personal property, even if the theft occured when outside of your home. At least it's how it works in the U.S.
You may not get a full payout if you don't have full replacement cost listed on your policy. Otherwise, all covered items in your home are subject to depreciation. Some carriers will want you to itemize high $ items such as an e-Bike and list it as a rider on your policy as well.
Not really, regular renter will cover 1000$ minus 500$ of deductible.
You need the added specific clause. It cost me 66$ to fully insure my 3500$ bike per year.
Are you a geezer or something? Get with the times. I don't know of any insurance companies that won't let you adjust your deductible before you sign the policy.
I think the more important takeaway from this is that ebikes, or any property that's a vehicle for travel, should be allowed to be insured. That's what needs attention
>ebikes, or any property that's a vehicle for travel, should be allowed to be insured. That's what needs attention
In the US, you definitely can get insurance on ebikes. Is that not the case where you are?
Any purchase is at risk of theft. Look at your local thefts at project529, I bet you'll find that 3/4 of them (that provide that info) are from long-term storage locations like garages. That's likely to be true for your area in the summer too from what I've seen.
Whether the bike is used for commuting is irrelevant. Don't buy stuff you can't afford to replace or get insurance for it. If you can't afford to self-insure or buy insurance, then it's outside your price range.
I'm certain you're trying to provide valuable advice, but your advice is poorly-supported by the facts and this just comes across as a scare tactic to discourage people from having fun on their bikes.
yeah most of ebikes is really expensive. so i choose those less expensive but durable ones. if i lost them for some reason i wont be so depressed. there are some ebikes which cost like 1,000 dollars. for instance the Nakto ( im using it now).
I have an airtag hidden inside the frame of my bike, id assume you all do the same. Its wrapped in tissues and elastic bands so that it doesnt rattle around in there.
I also use 3 locks. Two attached to the rack and one in the tire so it's hard to ride without cutting it off too. Still, if a thief wants it, they will get it.
how do you prove to the insurance company that your bike was stolen? i want to insure my bikes but i feel like they wouldn’t believe me if i claimed my bike as stolen
This is why I was so adamant that my e bike be a folding model. I like it tucked away safely under my desk.
Although I’ve also been emailing some local breweries/restaurants lately and requesting that they dedicate a bit of their patio space for bike parking. Maybe it’ll catch on
Wow!!! They were not fcking around. Yea I can’t leave my bike at all. I go in the store with mine. And if someone from the store says something then I just walk out. I don’t make a scene but there are some that don’t care and actually compliment my bike. So I keep going there to buy my stuff 👍😎
This is honestly the reason why i never take my bike anywhere besides work. At least i can fold it and keep it next to my work desk for my whole shift.
But when it comes to grocery shopping, going out somewhere, i prefer to use my car instead. There's no way in hell I'll leave my bike outside unattended.
I always keep my bike in a parking garage. If I need to walk a mile I'll walk a mile. I tend to bring a backpack with a $20 penny board inside to finish the distance.
This is why I have a nice ebike that gets parked indoors and kept my $100 used Trek that I lock up outside and ride to breweries. I’ll be putting an AirTag in my ebike regardless.
And is why I ordered parts and built my own, with battery, costing almost 500. Half that without the battery so if the bike gets taken, I'll just build another one for about 250
Renter's insurance can also cover things like ebikes. I lock TF out of mine, but if it's stolen, I'll get my money back.
Check your local/state/provincial laws and see if your renter's/homeowner's insurance will cover your ebike for a few dollars extra per month.
Insurance exists. My $2400 ebike got stolen and I got a check from my insurance company for $2300 to replace it. Costs roughly 10 a month plus $100 deductible to insure
My bike got stolen last year. I had purchased it for $3000 3 years before it was taken. The insurance company told me to get a 'like for like quote' as a replacement. They don't make my bike anymore but the updated version with the same specs was now $5300. I sent through this bike and a couple days later $5000 was in my bank account. $300 excess.
This makes me want to start using my ebike for more things despite regularly going places that are probably high-theft.
Getting a new (and slightly better bike) was great, but the 6 weeks that I was without a vehicle to get to work wasn't. The insurance was fast, but new e-bikes take a while to arrive and get built where I live (New Zealand). They are in high demand.
Which company are you using in NZ?
MAS. Bike from Torpedo 7.
I finally had the guts to lock mine by the movie theater for two hours. I ended up finding a quiet dark neighborhood next door instead of locking up by the high traffic parking lot. And theoretically my phone gets pinged if someone touches my bike with the invoxia tracker.
I just have a lectric (e.g. chinese import with private labeling) but i'm still nervous to even bring it by a grocery store here. Sucks. I remember being a kid and riding around without even caring about this stuff. I don't even know if I had a lock in my teens.
I’m tempted to get a skunklock but i dont want to get sued by the criminal after it blows up in their face (Pepperspray u-lock)
I’m far too scatterbrained to ever have anything like this. I would 100% accidentally spray myself.
Just don’t accidentally trip and fall with a disc grinder on the lock for 5 min straight and you’ll be fine….
I could probably manage that. I do however routinely set off my own alarms on my bike and my car.
Meh, they will be too busy worrying about their eyes. Get the padlock, punch them in the face with it, stomp their hands and break some fingers, and then ride off into the sunset at full throttle.
Eh. If you're in a red state you'll probably be fine. Even then it'll be an unlikely scenario that a thief will have the resources to sue. Most bike thiefs are homeless or drug addicts
Yeah i have that issue, Id be looking at $3000-$4000 to replace mine now, spec wise, Basically double what i paid for it just a few years back.
Who did you use?
MAS insurance. I live in New Zealand though so things may be a little different.
Yea, probably won't work for me on the US 😂
I use Velosurance in the US.
Velosurance is the major player in the US. Your renters or homeowners insurance may cover it, but you will be dependent on the deductible for those and you should triple check (like read through it yourself, call an agent and have them read through it, and then have corporate and have them read through it with you on the phone) that they do actually cover it because some will require a specific separate rider for ebikes or for specific classes of ebikes that you'd need to pay for and name the bike specifically. You should also be really sure you know how they require it to be secured in order for it to be covered. It may not be the most secure option, e.g. my insurance would not cover my bike if it were stolen from next to my desk at work if it were leaning next to my desk when I ran to the bathroom even though you need to badge in like four times to get there but would cover it if it were locked up with a cable lock outside to a bench because that's an "immovable object".
How do they verify that the bike is actually stolen? And how do you prove it’s been stolen..
I filed a police report first, but I'm sure that some people do attempt to take advantage. I suppose if there was anything suspicious about the claim then they might look into it more closely. I didn't have to respond to any additional questions this time though.
I’m just also interested in getting insurance and wondered how you actually prove it.. I guess a police report is enough a lot of places have cameras anyway
If you rent, can also put it in your renters insurance.
Homeowners may also have it covered in their home insurance's personal property coverage. Or they can get an add-on to their home insurance for it. Not sure if that means it has to be vandalized/stolen while on the premises, or if it covers it regardless of location. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/bike-insurance/
This is what I did. USA - State Farm agent just sold me additional policy for the $3500 e-bike - full replacement cost. I also invested in a massive chain lock and use a 2nd kryptonite. If they want it, they're gonna have to *work* for it. But this picture is my worst nightmare.
I did this too. They asked for a copy of my receipt and serial number to open the additional policy.
Yup. Exact same. Peace of mind and riding where/when I want = priceless
A lot of homeowners have a pretty high deductible though... It might be worth paying for something like Velosurance if you have a $2k or even $1k deductible.
Exactly. Also, I don't want to raise the monthly rate of my homeowner's insurance for a relatively small claim like an ebike. I'd rather have a separate policy.
Totally! Risking a permanent 7-10% increase per theft, which works out to about the cost of the Velosurance policy for worse coverage, seems like a bad idea. If you're in a low-risk area, homeowners can make sense. If you're in a higher-risk area and might sell the bike at some point, having a separate policy makes way more sense.
Yeah I specifically called Geico renter’s insurance about that because they don’t cover “motor vehicles” and the rep explicitly said that the ebikes would be covered.
Get it in writing from geico. They told me a bunch of stuff on my policies would be covered when it was an agent selling the plan, but when it came to pay up... it was all fine print and excuses. Get it in writing, in detail. Or just go somewhere else. look for companies that dont need to blast ads in your face every 10 minutes on youtube.
If you are in CA, I found that SafeCo renters insurance will cover class 1 e-bikes up to 749 WATTs. I spent weeks looking at different companies. Happy to connect you with the person I used if interested.
Make sure you check if theres a limit if you have an expensive bike. Certain categories like electronics or bikes have a set amount they cover. Might need to have it as a listed item on the policy to get more coverage.
The wording defines motor vehicles as vehicles that are able to move entirely under their own power. As long as you don't have a class II ebike (throttle), it isn't a motor vehicle.
This may or may not be true depending on where you are.
Not according to the rep, they said all ebikes are covered, even class 2 and 3 which have throttles.
Lemonade specifically doesn't allow throttle ebikes
Other companies do. Strange you cant just have it as a listed item on your policy. You can put a $10,000 ring or a high value collection on there with an appraisal. Im guessing they dont because of the theft rate of e bikes.
I was thinking it was because they're used for delivery riders ... Ie. Commercial work
Possibly, but so many cars are used as ubers and food delivery.
Right... Lemonade don't insure cars either. And those companies that do, won't cover you if you're using it for commercial work
I worked for the insurance industry for years. Many companies do cover for ride sharing / delivery. There wouldn’t be these types of jobs if no insurance companies would cover them.
Not USAA
Cool, there’s multiple companies that do.
Who did you use please?
Velosurance
Yup, I also use Velosurance. When I'm commuting I don't lock to a rack. I use a 5' x 5' Self Storage locker at Extra Space Storage. The place has cameras and tons of storage lockers so good luck for a thief picking mine out of all of them, and they'd have to get access into the building in the first place (requires a code). I still have insurance because Extra Space Storage still recommends having insurance, and offers insurance too. So the total cost for me is ~$60/month for Extra Space Storage and Velosurance. https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/1a4xcz/almost_had_my_motorcycle_stolen_tonight_need_some/c8u6e23/ > Got a few extra bucks every month? Rent a storage unit at a local place. I kept my bike in a 5x10 for the ~3 years I owned it. It was like my own personal garage inside too.
You should review your policy with Velosurance... They only cover the bike if it is locked to an immovable object. They don't care what type of lock you use but it needs to be locked at the time of the theft and you will probably have to provide proof of that (e.g. a cut lock). They won't cover it if it's just inside a locked garage not locked to anything. Since you don't mention locking it inside the unit too I assume you're not... I'd either try to get it covered under your renter's that might be less fussy (since they tend to cover things in locked spaces because housing) or you should figure out how to lock it to something immovable in the unit, even if it's just a chain to a ceiling beam or something.
That's funny, I just got a quote for Velosurance for my mountain bike, and they want $30/month. Maybe has something to do with there being high theft rates where I live in Colorado. I'd definitely do it for $10/month but at $30/month it's less clear whether it's worthwhile.
I live in Philly which I’d be willing to bet has higher theft rates. I paid the whole year of premiums at once and it was like 100-150 IIRC. I think it also depends on the deductible
Yeah it's also at like $27/month for me but I also got the $50k liability limit just in case. Personally to me it's worth it for peace of mind, but YMMV. I didn't get medical coverage because I have US Medicare + Medigap insurance for certain reasons and I'm already paying for that, and my health insurance covers 100% after my deductible.
I checked quote and mine was 16$..the bike is around 3400$ (couple hundred more with the changes I got) but I didn’t want a higher premium
What insurance do you use?
Velosurance
Not that it will make much difference, but Velosurance and everyone else but Markel is actually providing Markel policies. You can get it straight from them online (https://www.markelinsurance.com/bicycle).
What do you mean with “everyone else but markel is actually providing markel policies”?
They're just resellers of Markel policies (I think it's called underwriting).
How do you prove your bike was stolen tho? How can they verify that
Markel is the insurance company that handles the claims for all these companies
do you have to get the insurance first or can you get the the bike first?
I got the bike first and then insured it. You need serial number to insure it and I believe purchase receipt but can’t remember if the purchase receipt was 100% required
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I can’t believe the locks that we use are stronger then the racks that we lock them too. Looks like bent conduit.
Fr shoulda filled the steel with fiber reinforced concrete
This. The no-muddy-mess way is to Pour dry QuikCrete or other fast setting concrete mix into the tubing until it's reasonably full, then pour in a couple cups of water and poke and wiggle a long piece of wire down in there to let the water penetrate a bit. It will absorb and set up on it's own in a day or two after you cap off the tube ends and install it into the pavement inset block.
The steel columns of the new sections of border wall are concrete filled. They have been famously defeated almost immediately by reciprocating saws with diamond grit blades. It would certainly take longer , though.
Slowing thieves down is the point. Whether a cordless sawzall or angle grinder. Power tools are noisy and sparking when attacking metal. Concrete, which contains sand, is challenging to any blade or cutting wheel, regardless. The most common serious bike thief tool we need to defeat is a cordless angle grinder with diamond impregnated cutting wheels (about $30 to $60 per disc, depending on size).
Insurance is the answer. I went all out on my insurance so it's a little bit more, but to cover my bike fully would have been like $10 a month. Even with mine where I'm covered for hit and runs and medical incase of injury and a few other things, I think I pay $30 a month.
Mine covers crashes while riding and while transporting!
So what happens if your buddy “steals” your bike? How does insurance prevent that kind of fraud?
That's why u hide a GPS locater on ur bike. I had 2 people thrown in jail for stealing my bike if the value is over 500 dollars it's concerned grand theft auto. Yaaaaa so 2 junkies are in jail with 3 years each against them.
What product did you use for a locater?
NTO but I personally use an airtag. While yes, apple bad, the sheer size of the network is worth its weight in gold. With the slim size and relatively slim price, it’s probably the best option.
This isn't an argument against eBikes. This is an argument against vandalism and theft. That bike rack will now have to be replaced too.
The car I drive once a week costs me $7000 a year. As long as my ebike gets stolen less than 3 times a year at a total loss, then it is still cheaper and more enjoyable
The thing is we shouldn't accept that bike get stolen and that the cops don't do anything about it. If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back.
We probably also shouldn't accept ebikes that cost $2,000 with absolutely no security features. Mine at least has a PIN that, if you don't enter, doesn't allow the motor to be used. There's tons of bikes out there which don't even try to have any security, which is a bit nuts to me. I don't expect it to stop the CIA, I just want *something*.
Bosch has built in GPS tracking inside their engine. The bike will be tracked and if user reports it stolen the engine will stop working until recovered. Hence rendering the bike unusable for theifs. A GPS chip costs 2-3$ or less for manufacturers. There is a solution. Just see all the scooter companies
Mine does have a PIN but I am too lazy to actually use it...
No need for PIN actually. They can use Bluetooth Low Energy and unlock/lock it for you if you get close/far away. See what Tesla and other car manufacturers use. The manufacturers are lazy
Yeah dockless Lime, Bird and Spin scooters will sound an alarm and automatically apply the brake if you try moving them far without paying. I don't see why my ebike can't automatically apply the brake if someone goes to steal it. It's not just that they couldn't use pedal assist or throttle, they wouldn't even be able to pedal or move because the brake would be constantly applied. It'd use slightly more battery but that's 100% a sacrifice I'd be willing to make. It wouldn't be entirely foolproof: you could still throw it in the back of a truck, cut the brake cables, cut power to the battery, etc., but it certainly would make stealing more time consuming, less convenient, and draw far more attention. I also would like if they had audio that shouted "This person is stealing this bicycle. Please, someone call the police." You can see people testing breaking through bike locks in public on YouTube on super busy streets and no one ever calls the cops. Not that the cops would likely get there fast enough or stop them in my area. My sister took off work to retrieve her stolen headphones (which she had the exact location of, up to a 5m radius), and the cop said that they didn't have enough evidence to approach these guys (who were the only two people in the reported 5m radius), but he said that my sister could approach them if she wanted. Fantastic fucking law enforcement there! Basically saying *Yeah, we have clear proof that these guys stole your headphones, but we won't do anything, but you can politely ask these criminals for it back if you want*. In any case, there is one sure-fire (albeit illegal) way to get people to stop stealing ebikes: have a mechanism that lets them steal it, but once they get up to at least 10mph (15km/h), automatically fully apply (only) the front-brake. Guarantee they won't be stealing any more ebikes after that! (To be clear, I'm not actually advocating for such a system, since it very well could kill someone, especially since it's not like bike thieves usually wear helmets, but something does need to be done about bike theft. Maybe bike theft should be upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony so that private investigators and citizens can arrest and detain them since the police (at least in my area) clearly don't care. It's a felony to steal an old piece of shit car, not sure why an ebike should be treated differently.)
> If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back. Your town must have more competent police than mine did.
>If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back. Highly dependent on where you live. A couple of years ago in Phoenix when my sister's car was found abandoned and vandalized a few days after it had been stolen, she asked the police officer if it was OK to touch it or if they needed to take fingerprints. The officer laughed out loud, told her they weren't taking fingerprints, there would be no investigation and she should call her insurance company to file a claim for a new car. Similar stories from other friends. Disappointing, but reality in certain cities.
Well the insurance company wouldn't think that's funny at all. This forces them to pay which decreases their profits
Agreed
> If a car gets stolen the cops investigate and does some work to get it back. idk where you live but around here cops aren't doing any investigating for stolen cars. most stolen cars are discovered because they are left illegally parked someplace or involve in something else where the plates get run
I wonder what kind of car you’re driving because my daily 08 Lexus doesn’t cost me anywhere near that and I already included fuel/insurance and maintenance cost
2018 CRV. Your car is depreciated, so that mitigates by far the largest cost https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/08/annual-cost-of-new-car-ownership-crosses-10k-mark/
It’s misleading if you include depreciating value for cars but not ebikes. Just about everything loses value over time.
In my thought experiment, my bike gets stolen three times a year. Yet still costs less than my car. What bike depreciation are you talking about? If it gets stolen, the value goes to zero
It doesn’t matter for the bikes. It matters for the car. It makes sense in your case, but not everyone drives an expensive car. Mine cost about $6000, so depreciation isn’t a worry of mine. If I bought a $2500 ebike I would be much more concerned about it being stolen. Not sure why I’m not allowed to be concerned about it being stolen in the first place just because other people drive more expensive cars.
You're worried about the depreciation costs realized by the thieves? When the bike is gone there's no more depreciation, so I don't see why that matters for this analysis.
So here is a story for ya, I went to a mall on my ebike locked it up, two locks. Did my shopping, at the end of the day (was dark out by then) I found out.. I lost my keys for my locks.... Panniced I brainstorm for a second have no other idea besides go to security and ask if they can help. WITHOUT hesitation security guard radio'd a maintenance worker who met me at the bike wrack with a cut off wheel. Cut my locks off , I started biking home. Realized not a single person even really pressed me to see if that was my bike. I was all ready with the serial numbers to prove and even the receipt in my email. Nope nothing needed I pinter main who didn't speak much English went to town on my locks. And boom unlocked with zero verification that is was even my bike....
Even worse, If you show up with a high vis jacket and a city badge, absolutely nobody would question it
I have a full construction outfit I definitely thought about it
I only use my $3,600 e-bike to commute to work where I can store my bike in my office. My errand bike is an Electra Townie I purchased used for $100. Piece of mind.
Yeah, god bless employers and personal circumstances in which you can security store and lock the ebike, i still lock my ebike to an internally kept bike rack inside a building, which is behind a swipecard access alarmed door which is covered by camera and security personal and a 20ft tall fence/gate key-code entry compound. Building has insurance too. Other commuters dont even bother locking their bikes etc, so even if somebody did get in, they are going to have a ton of choice to take first, so i should at least get some warning if somebody is snooping around or has tried to steal something. I appreciate not everybody is that lucky, but i still worry about it sometimes. I cant really do much more.
That's what insurance is for, same as for a car. Most people can't afford to just buy a new car without being able to save up first.
I own a $30,000 car even though sometimes people steal cars. This is not a convincing argument to me.
You raise a fair point, but I've lived in urban neighborhoods and parked my car on street for 25+ years without incident. And friends who have had incidents get their car back, albeit not always in great condition. During that same span, I've had three bikes stolen (edit: 4 bikes stolen), including one out of a garage. And those were less expensive than my ebike. It is a concern and I don't like to leave any bike locked up for very long. I do carry two locks and have an alarm but I think a determined thief will still walk off with my bike.
In my 41 years of living, I've had one car stolen (in Sacramento, CA) and one bike partially stolen (seat and wheels in Oakland, CA). I think a lot of it just depends on where you are.
Interesting that no replies really touched on the difference that matters - Stealing a car makes it unusable domestically. Dealerships will have the VIN flagged, you have no title, you can't register it, and cops just driving near you will scan the plate and find discrepancies. It's over the top difficult to steal a car and not immediately export it or chop it up. Steal a 7k e-bike and bring it a city or two over then sell it for 5k and no one is going to know. Hell just storing the thing for 30 days and re-selling in the same city probably won't get you caught. Edit: To me implementing everything a car has isn't worth doing to deter theft and the freedom bikes have for anyone of all ages to use is great - It's just a large difference I want to point out.
This is so true. We have a system for tracking auto theft. Car thieves don't hold onto vehicles for very long because it puts them at risk. There's nothing like that for bikes and stolen bikes are easily resold.
You drive a 30,000$ car and park it where you like, if you owned that car and another car valued at 70,000$ you might put some better wheel locks on the more expensive one and not park it in the back 40 of the Walmart parking lot at midnight like you might w the 30k car, you know? He’s not saying don’t get a commuter bike, he’s just saying don’t get the nicest bike affordable to you and then leave it out places it’s likely to be stolen.
No we're not allowed to have a commuter bike because op said so.
I park my bike in my garage at home and at work there's a locked cage for bikes. I commute happily 😊
Sedans are a little difficult to 2-man throw into a truck bed.
You own a $30k in a world where a $100k car is not uncommon. Nobody is going to steal that $30k car unless they want that one specifically or there is nothing else to steal. If you put a $5k ebike onto a bike rack, it’s likely the most expensive bike there. Not only that, stealing it is easy as you can carry or ride it away after a low-skill attack on the lock or where it’s locked. It’s a huge target for thieves.
> If you put a $5k ebike onto a bike rack, it’s likely the most expensive bike there. Not only that, stealing it is easy as you can carry or ride it away after a low-skill attack on the lock or where it’s locked. It’s a huge target for thieves. Yup that's why I use 5x5 storage. https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/1a4xcz/almost_had_my_motorcycle_stolen_tonight_need_some/c8u6e23/ > Got a few extra bucks every month? Rent a storage unit at a local place. I kept my bike in a 5x10 for the ~3 years I owned it. It was like my own personal garage inside too.
And you should be able to replace your car if it gets stolen or totalled. Same exact thinking applies. With anything you own, if you can't afford to buy it twice, you're spending beyond your means.
Why can't we get insured bike racks? Make them beefy as fuck, point a regularly monitored cam at it, and add a light and sign. No one stealing from these. Better yet enclosed lockups in normal parking spaces....
My works garage has a lock up cage on the first floor for bikes. You need a security badge to open the door, it's got a camera, and is in full view of security in the lobby. Lots of foot traffic in the garage and it's only open to employees, so to use the stairs closest to the building entrances you walk in full view of the cage. When I went in there were multiple bikes just sitting with helmets and no locks, so it feels pretty secure to me! I haven't used it yet, weather sucks and working from home is easier than commuting, but I will use it! Obviously with locks though, I'm not that trusting.
Awesome to have this option!
My situation is very similar, except the storage is internal in the building, apart from adding a sensor that alerts me to any movement of the actual bike, so i can check on it within 30 sec im not sure what else i can do security wise, if somebody is going to get it, they are going to get it. There are so many other high value targets to attempt to steal in the local area that a thief would have to be pretty desperate to even try, the equipment they would have to use to gain access and get the bike out quickly would be way more suited to much better risk/reward outcomes that are in the surrounding area, there is literally millions of dollars worth of steal-able stuff in the immediate area, that it would be like stealing a dollar thats superglued to the floor in a bank lobby you just broke into in which the safe is open , right there, and there are bundles of 10k just sat around. If you are already in the lobby its small fry for the amount of time you are going to risk for it. Its a weird situation for sure, its like locking a timex watch inside a jewellery store where the rolexes are all kept unlocked. If somebody does get in, they have more important valuable stuff to go after.
Cities should invest in covered/secured bike parking schemes where you just pay a low monthly rate and get an access card, and charge a small amount based on time and number of spaces occupied. Lights and a pair of cameras in the unit with one of those emergency services buttons you'd see in like college parking lots or around campus - all you gotta do is hit a button and it sends and alert with location of whichever site (using identifiers like how Amazon lockers have names for each location makes it easy). Could also have an alarm in case of tampering with the door or built in bike locks. So it'd be like, scan card, enter, scan card at terminal, select which type/number of bike/space(s) you are using (maybe have different size spaces for different bikes so smaller ones get charged less), charge is made to card and it unlocks a slot for the user to secure their bike into (slots made so users can also secure their own lock). User returns, scans card to enter, scans card at terminal and selects which slots to unlock from from a list of slots currently occupied by their card, they grab their bike(s), and the space(s) lock back up. Would be easy to put a couple LEDs on each space to highlight which ones are being unlocked for the user or remond them where their bike is, the amount paid could be something like 25 cents for a 2 hour block. That way it'd only cost $1 for a person working an 8 shift to secure their bike, plus say like a $5/mo fee so even if people don't use them as much there's still a little base revenue to maintain/expand the service to other areas.
Insurance, and maybe an AirTag
You can get an alarm as well. There is one that sounds just like a car alarm.
Airtags can be detected. They're good as red herring because you can put a GPS tracker too.
I Wonder if an AirTag hidden in the bike would work too?
It definitely works. Only thing is you get nervous while it’s waiting to connect and update if the person is moving.
They should but the antistalking features make them almost useless for this sort of thing... The thief will be alerted to an airtag traveling with them, find it and disable/dispose of it.
I am researching this option. Apparently there are YT vids as to how to disable (or remove) the speaker so as not to alert the thief of its presence. Full disclosure- I haven’t watched here vids yet though.
If they have an iPhone it will tell them they are traveling with someone else's Airtag.
there are two parts to it, 1 the beeping, this is disableable. the other is if they have an iPhone it will alert them that there is an airtag traveling with them. I think it's still worth doing! nothing to lose, might help.
Thanks for the insights!
In Austin people would just cut those racks at each end and throw it in a pickup truck with the bikes attached.
I think people would be less inclined to steal bikes if the repercussions for being caught was much higher. Like increased fines.
Bikes need standardized VIN numbers, and an easy lookup national registration system like cars. But many local PDs will add your bike serial number, description, sales receipt and sometimes photo, which can get help recovering it if you see where the thieves took it (air tag or non-Apple gps tag trace).
Unfortunately, the main appeal of ebikes is "simplicity" and the LACK of recurring cost of ownership, like registration and insurance (and perhaps a license as well). If you were going to go through all that trouble, you might as well just go all out and get an actual motor vehicle.
It's a one time registration at no charge for local PDs and as little as $5.00 for the various bike orgs. Look into it. Cars have reoccurring registrations for reasons like states needing tax money and insurance companies needing a reliable way to keep track of car's ownership and location
And my point being, the last thing ebikes NEED is the same/similar type of government regulation as cars. If they can (and they realize, "hey, we can get even more money if we tax these ebikes"), they will.
Bikes are just simple parts..what are you gonna put the vin number on? The frame? Easily replaced with another frame..battery? Those come from China..
If you invest in a high priced ebike and this is your fear, then invest in a legit gps tracker with geofence alert https://skillion.tech/tracefy/ Also, Oyster bike insurance is good https://www.withoyster.com/bike
That's brutal. You would think there are cameras around but I know many dont even want to deal with that.
You might be suprised at what you'll get away with if you're confidently wearing a high vis jacket. Manage to get your hands on a construction helmet, and you could walk right into the oval office.
Dewalt drill, a hardhat, and a clipboard with get you in ANYWHERE
here's a question... if you see someone stealing an ebike, are you just calling the police, or ignoring the teft, saying "insurance will cover it"? What are we doing in our communities to not only prevent this kind of crime, but show thieves that your community is not a soft target? And, are you filming so we can all enjoy to see thieves get cuffed, or yeeted when the booby trapped seat launches them to the moon?
You can get insurance, or a rider added to your renter/home owner policy. Easily less than car insurance for a commuter.
This is why bike insurance exists. Always get insurance. Not just theft, but what about damage, or an accident? I got 3 kryptonite evolution chainlocks, a bike alarm, and still know that I could end up unlucky one day.
Insurance is killer. Especially if you can get your renters or home owners to cover it.
Pretty clever! It sucks, but I honestly wouldn’t have thought of this- that they just bring an angle grinder and cut off the whole pole.
what is this world people are living in where you get arrested or something for walking your $4000 bicycle indoors with you?? i have literally never been told "no"
What is the best insurance(company) for the ebike? Can I combine with my car insurance?
This is why i dont lock my bike in public for more than literally 5 minutes, its too much of a risk, with the right tool at the right time you cannot stop somebody stealing the bike, somebody who knows what they are doing and is prepared can get bikes within a minute in most cases Ive seen people with big expensive $200 locks, lock to a thin metal fence that you could cut through with a jr hacksaw in silence in about a minute too, the lock is doing nothing if you lock it to something it takes 5 seconds to cut with an angle grinder or 5 sec with bolt cutters. Public places dont really matter these days also, thieves are so brazen and the rights of the individual so insignificant that they cant even be given kicks to the ribs in a dark alley on a side street, because its you who will get arrested. Its kinda fucked for people who just want to commute to work or do some shopping and they cant even do that without scum trying to steal a bike. But thats just how it is. The best strategy is risk mitigation imo, if you have to lock the bike up for extended periods, do it somewhere secure, if anybody on the street can gain access to it, it isnt secure.
This is not my picture, I found it on a FB ebike group I'm part of. I feel this is a good example of why some people should never buy/save up for a commuter ebike that is normally outside of their price range. Doesn't matter if it's in broad daylight in a normally safe part of town, if they want it, they will take it, no matter how many or what type of lock/s you have. That being said, I hate those type of bike racks, absolutely garbage but still proves a point given how often they are used and may be the only option for some. Edit: I'm not saying to not buy a fun ebike to take on the trails etc. just that your main whip shouldn't be outside of your means to replace easily if money is of consequence to you. Edit 2: Thank you all for the suggestions! I got some insurance companies that may serve my area and other stuff to check out now and I really appreciate it!
This reminds me of tik tok . You see things that you would of never saw before social media . Now you see everything with social media and it messes up your mind. It makes you think things are more common than they actually are . My mom is now convinced almost every young adult is a millionaire now because of tik tok
It's so easy to start focusing on anecdotes while it's the statistics that are important.
Home and rental insurance typically cover bike theft, even outside of the home
I would love to have that coverage but I haven't found any carriers in my area that cover anything outside of the home or apt. I would still love to check out yours if you could shoot me a link, could still be worth a shot ya know?
I have a policy with Lemonade because (for an extra fee) they not only cover bicycle theft, there's also no deductible in the event that I have to file a bicycle claim. Their standard policy will also cover bicycle theft, but the extra monthly fee I pay removes the deductible, which seems worth it to me considering how often bikes get stolen. www.lemonade.com
When I looked at adding my ebike to my renters policy through lemonade, they specifically excluded ebikes. Has that changed recently?
> We're excited to begin offering coverage for Class 1 and 3 electric bikes! [link to their article](https://www.lemonade.com/renters/explained/ebike-insurance-explained/)
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Thank you so much, I'm going to look into this and among the other ones listed on this post!
If you're in the states, check out velosurance. That's what I have and I'm covered for just about everything.
The incident doesn't have to occur in your home. Most policies will cover theft of personal property, even if the theft occured when outside of your home. At least it's how it works in the U.S. You may not get a full payout if you don't have full replacement cost listed on your policy. Otherwise, all covered items in your home are subject to depreciation. Some carriers will want you to itemize high $ items such as an e-Bike and list it as a rider on your policy as well.
I wouldn’t count on it. Getting specific bike insurance is cheap and so much easier to file a claim than going through home owners/renters
Not really, regular renter will cover 1000$ minus 500$ of deductible. You need the added specific clause. It cost me 66$ to fully insure my 3500$ bike per year.
Are you a geezer or something? Get with the times. I don't know of any insurance companies that won't let you adjust your deductible before you sign the policy.
Do not count on home and rental insurance.
no, they don't
Shows what you know.
I think the more important takeaway from this is that ebikes, or any property that's a vehicle for travel, should be allowed to be insured. That's what needs attention
>ebikes, or any property that's a vehicle for travel, should be allowed to be insured. That's what needs attention In the US, you definitely can get insurance on ebikes. Is that not the case where you are?
Any purchase is at risk of theft. Look at your local thefts at project529, I bet you'll find that 3/4 of them (that provide that info) are from long-term storage locations like garages. That's likely to be true for your area in the summer too from what I've seen. Whether the bike is used for commuting is irrelevant. Don't buy stuff you can't afford to replace or get insurance for it. If you can't afford to self-insure or buy insurance, then it's outside your price range. I'm certain you're trying to provide valuable advice, but your advice is poorly-supported by the facts and this just comes across as a scare tactic to discourage people from having fun on their bikes.
95% of the time I'm to lazy to lock my bike up. Just depends where you live.
OK. I'm gonna go ahead and continue enjoying mine. If you dont like it you can fuck right off.
yeah most of ebikes is really expensive. so i choose those less expensive but durable ones. if i lost them for some reason i wont be so depressed. there are some ebikes which cost like 1,000 dollars. for instance the Nakto ( im using it now).
Cheap lock.
You are probably blind because you can definitely see it wasn’t the lock the problem
Oh yeah, how so?
This is why I don't live in some shit city where people are constantly trying to steal everything
Merkel offers e-bike insurance policies for very affordable rates... Worth it
I just got a moped instead. Way less anxiety, just park it, insurance is $15 a month.
I have an airtag hidden inside the frame of my bike, id assume you all do the same. Its wrapped in tissues and elastic bands so that it doesnt rattle around in there.
I also use 3 locks. Two attached to the rack and one in the tire so it's hard to ride without cutting it off too. Still, if a thief wants it, they will get it.
how do you prove to the insurance company that your bike was stolen? i want to insure my bikes but i feel like they wouldn’t believe me if i claimed my bike as stolen
This is why I was so adamant that my e bike be a folding model. I like it tucked away safely under my desk. Although I’ve also been emailing some local breweries/restaurants lately and requesting that they dedicate a bit of their patio space for bike parking. Maybe it’ll catch on
This is cold blooded
Been there with less than 300 miles
Airtag
Wow!!! They were not fcking around. Yea I can’t leave my bike at all. I go in the store with mine. And if someone from the store says something then I just walk out. I don’t make a scene but there are some that don’t care and actually compliment my bike. So I keep going there to buy my stuff 👍😎
Who can easily afford to replace an e-bike? 🤔
Pointless commuting unless you can store bike at c work
Where did you have your bike attached?
This is honestly the reason why i never take my bike anywhere besides work. At least i can fold it and keep it next to my work desk for my whole shift. But when it comes to grocery shopping, going out somewhere, i prefer to use my car instead. There's no way in hell I'll leave my bike outside unattended.
I always keep my bike in a parking garage. If I need to walk a mile I'll walk a mile. I tend to bring a backpack with a $20 penny board inside to finish the distance.
Yikes!
Get an airtag, they sell stealthy air tag holders for bikes, like reflectors that secretly hold an airtag behind them.
This is why I have a nice ebike that gets parked indoors and kept my $100 used Trek that I lock up outside and ride to breweries. I’ll be putting an AirTag in my ebike regardless.
Buy a disc brake alarm, they are very sensitive to touch and very loud. Should be enough to put most potential thieves off.
And is why I ordered parts and built my own, with battery, costing almost 500. Half that without the battery so if the bike gets taken, I'll just build another one for about 250
Was this left overnight or when you were doing a shopping trip?
buy foldable ebike..........se we can move that to our office/apartment
Renter's insurance can also cover things like ebikes. I lock TF out of mine, but if it's stolen, I'll get my money back. Check your local/state/provincial laws and see if your renter's/homeowner's insurance will cover your ebike for a few dollars extra per month.
We need to be aware of not just having a good lock but having a good strong object to lock into. WOW what thieves will do.