I live in Amsterdam. Decent public infrastructure, lots of cyclists, people mind their own business. And yet, in the past month, I’ve had two friends get their bikes stolen. One of them had a heavy duty chain and locked it to a rack in broad daylight. But someone still took it. The other had it yanked from their own building’s supposedly “secure” basement. And that’s not counting the guy I saw chasing someone down the street last week because they clipped his lock and rode off like it was theirs.
I know bikes get stolen all the time but I think why I am so pissed off right now is because my tarran t1 pro will be delivered soon and I spent a lot on this bike to finally have that riding experience with my son and dog. My bike itself comes with built-in anti theft features like if there’s unusual movement, it sets off an alarm with lights and sound, pings phone immediately and starts saving video footage of what’s going on. If someone manages to get away with it, I can lock the motor remotely and track it in real time using the app. The footage stays accessible too which I think will help if you need proof or just want to see what happened. Its battery and display could also be hidden and locked in the cargo area to protect them from thieves. But I am still worried about it getting stolen.
But even though my bike got built-in anti-theft features, I keep on thinking what more can I do to make this bike more secure. I think these recent thefts happening so close to me have made me quite anxious so if you guys have any suggestions on what I can improve, please do share. I’ve seen people on here say they just avoid buying expensive bikes to reduce the risk of theft, but that’s not really an option for me. I need a solid cargo bike because I’m riding with my son and my dog, and I’m not willing to compromise on their safety. There’s gotta be a better way to keep it secure, right?
by WaffleBoi64
8 Comments
Insurance 100%. Bikes being what they are, whatever is holding it can be destroyed and then they can take it, and at a certain point the lock will exceed simply removing that object from the ground. The only thing you can really do is get insurance.
There are plenty of angle grinder resistant locks on the market now. They weigh a ton, but that doesn’t matter if you have an electric cargo bike.
Get 3+ bike locks and don’t cheap out on locks
Where do you plan to park it over-night? Street-side? Garage? One thing you can do that does reduce theft is a bike/motorcycle cover if you must park it street-side overnight.
[https://www.kryptonitelock.com/en/products/product-information/current-key/999485.html](https://www.kryptonitelock.com/en/products/product-information/current-key/999485.html) and insurance.
I’d say that if your job and home/apartment allow you to bring your bike inside, do it, even if it takes up a lot of space. I have a nice-looking fixie, and in my apartment complex, there’s a bike storage room that I’ve NEVER used. Even though I only have 21 m², I keep it inside. Same at work and at university. When I can’t, I try to keep it within ‘sound range,’ so if I hear an angle grinder, I start running (it’s already happened). And if none of those options are possible, I just cross my fingers. I also know there are angle-grinder-proof locks, like the LITELOK X, but they’re quite expensive. But the rule for bike locks is to spend at least 10% of the bike’s price on the lock, so with a bike like yours, it should be a must.
I use folding bikes and have my bikes insured. The extra locks plus insurance is your best bet.
It’s a massive bicycle, but to have something like that means that you’re going to have to spend just as much to protect or maintain it. Unless it’s in an absolutely secure location, nothing must be spared for its security.