How To Prevent Your E-bike From Being Stolen

E-bikes are a convenient and enjoyable way to travel, and because of this, they are becoming more popular year by year. While e-mountain bikes have taken the hills of the UK by storm, the idea that e-bikes are toys, only to be used for leisure has grown old. They can be used to transport cargo, get you to work quickly and efficiently, and they can even replace your car depending on where you live.

If you’ve ever experienced the heart-crushing, sinking feeling of having a bike stolen, you’ll know how important it is to protect your e-bike from theft with the best methods possible. It’s best to be aware of modern e-bike theft tactics, and to make sure you’re using the toughest security methods possible, by investing in a secure bike lock, and learning the best way to use it. We’ve put together a quick guide to get you on track and give you the best shot at protecting your e-bike from theft.

What Do Bike Thieves Look For When Stealing an E-bike?

The majority of bike thieves are opportunists, which means if they see a bike that looks quick and easy to steal, they will take the opportunity. Whether they spot an unsecured wheel, battery or motor, their main priority is to be in and out as quickly as possible, and to not be seen.

How Do E-bike Thieves Break Locks?

If your bike is locked up in an area with low foot-traffic, thieves will have more time to break a lock without being seen. This can be done with a range of hand tools that can be concealed from the person, from lock-picking kits to hacksaws, bolt-cutters and hammers.

Modern bike thieves have taken to angle grinders as their go-to tool, due to their portability and efficient cutting power. These are extremely effective at cutting through even the toughest locks, so given enough time, they will get through almost everything. This is why it’s so important to delay the thief as long as possible with a tough lock, escalating the risk of them being caught in the act, or giving up part-way through.

How To Lock Your E-bike

1. Finding The Right Location For Your E-bike

The higher the risk of being caught in the act, the less likely it is that the thief will have a go. It is best to lock your bike in areas with high foot-traffic such as busy streets, or anywhere in view of other people, and if there’s CCTV that’s also a bonus. Avoid dark alleyways or places that obscure your e-bike from view if possible. Finding a good place in view of the public is only the first step in preventing your e-bike from being stolen.

2. Securing The E-bike Frame

Thieves will first look to steal your whole e-bike by either wheeling it away, or lifting it over the item it is attached to. You should look for a secure piece of street furniture such as a sturdy bike rack, metal fence or lamp post. Make sure your e-bike frame and back wheel are secured to this item with a tough lock, so your e-bike can’t be removed or lifted away. D-locks and chains are best for this job, but we’ll go into that more later.

3. Protecting Detachable Items

If your e-bike frame and back wheel is securely locked up, thieves will turn their attention to any detachable items which they can sell or use. These include the remaining wheel, batteries, GPS screens, panniers and other bike accessories. If these are small and light enough to take with you, it is best to put them in your bag when leaving your bike alone, otherwise, you can take a smaller, secondary lock such as a cable lock to attach them to the bike’s frame. Most modern e-bike batteries come with a keyed lock to access them, so if it’s too large or heavy to take with you, they should be fine to leave alone.

Making sure your front wheel isn’t able to be removed is vital, especially if it includes a hub motor. It is best to secure this to the bike frame and rack with a secondary lock. A light, portable lock should deter the opportunist thief, but for an e-bike you may want a more resilient lock, such as a D-lock or chain. Having multiple strong bike locks is one of the best ways to stop bike theft.

4. Layer Your Security!

Combining different types of lock such as D-locks, cables and chains will mean the thief needs to use varying attack methods, slowing them down even more, and buying you more precious time. This will increase the chances of them being caught, or giving up partway due to risk.

5. Choose The Right Lock For Your E-bike

It is generally recommended that you invest in a lock worth 10% of the value of your bike. For e-bikes which can be worth anywhere from a few hundred, to a few thousand pounds, this gives plenty of allowance for a sturdy lock to stop theft.

Sold Secure is the official security rating system for bike locks in the UK. Squire offers a wide range of Sold Secure bike locks, ranked from bronze to diamond depending on how resilient they are to an attack from thieves. Take a look at the infographic below for more info. 

To secure the e-bike frame and back wheel to a bike rack, we recommend a powered cycle Gold or Diamond rated D-lock or chain lock. Items such as helmets and baskets can be secured with a smaller lock if necessary. Check out our range of café bike locks for protecting those smaller, detachable items from opportunist thieves.

To summarise, in an ideal world, you should be using 2-3 locks to secure your e-bike. The sturdiest lock should attach your frame and back wheel to a secure item such as a bike rack, your second toughest lock should connect your front wheel to the frame and bike rack, and if necessary, use a third, portable lock to secure any detachable items such as panniers. Lock your e-bike somewhere in view of people for the best chance to keep your e-bike from being stolen.

How Do I Prepare In Case My E-bike Is Stolen?

Despite taking all the appropriate action to secure your e-bike, there is always a chance that skilled thieves find a way around your defences. Before tragedy strikes, it is always best to insure your bike under your home insurance policy. Squire are partnered with CycleGuard, so if you use any Sold Secure Squire bike lock, you can enjoy a 20% discount on bike insurance.

Once your e-bike is insured, you should take some photos of it. Take as many as possible, identifying any unique features and especially the serial number. This way you’ll have clear records for your insurance claim, and you’ll be able to prove the bike is yours if it turns up later on. It’s also a good idea to head over to BikeRegister and get your e-bike’s serial number in their database. BikeRegister works in tandem with Secured By Design, the official UK police initiative. Every police force in the UK uses the BikeRegister database to search for stolen and recovered bikes.

You can also hide a small GPS tracker on your e-bike, which you can use as evidence to report to the police, or to retrieve your e-bike if it is safe to do so. While Apple Airtag is a popular tracking device, most iPhones can detect one of these nearby, so thieves will be able to detect, search for, and get rid of this device, more so than some other available brands.

How Do I Report My E-bike Stolen?

The first thing to do when your e-bike gets stolen is to file a police report, this is relatively quick and easy to do on the police.uk site. If there is any evidence left at the scene such as a broken lock, or any of the thieves’ belongings, you should include this too. If there is CCTV near the scene of the crime, ask for the footage, all of this can strengthen your report and help you get your bike back.

Remember all of those photos you took of your e-bike before it was stolen? You can use those records to let local bike shops know. This will allow them to check the serial number against any second-hand e-bikes that they receive. Many thieves use online marketplaces to sell stolen e-bikes, so keep an eye out, as your bike may appear on one of these sites weeks or months later. You can also post on these sites to let other people know that the bike is yours.

Let’s Stop E-Bike Theft In Its Tracks!

Now you know how to prevent your precious e-bike from being stolen, you can start taking steps to ensure it never happens to you. If you’re in need of security, check out our range of high-security bike locks. Together we can put a stop to e-bike theft once and for all.