Has any one ever had their ebike stolen?

[Mussels]

I do use a motorcycle chain lock on my bike, despite it's weight. I think these can be even better than a D lock since to hold a link still for angle grinding would be extremely difficult, while a D lock is much easier to angle grind.
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They are good as long as the chain cannot touch the ground. A D lock is easier to angle grind or break with a bottle jack, a chain is easier to break with a hammer and anvil or bolt croppers. Angle grinders are rarely used but small bottle jacks are quick and silent if enough room in the D has been left.
The metallurgy used on the locks is very important and changes the strength massively, you can't see this and sometimes when manufacturers change their suppliers quality can vary for the same model of chain (or D lock).

 

[flecc]

They are good as long as the chain cannot touch the ground. A D lock is easier to angle grind or break with a bottle jack, a chain is easier to break with a hammer and anvil or bolt croppers.

I lock over the upper frame to ensure the chain can't get down to the ground. Good m/c chainlocks of the kind I use have thick links and are hardened so bolt croppers are out of the question, and success with a hammer is extremely unlikely anyway. Angle grinders are rarely used anyway for obvious reasons, so I think a good enough chainlock is as good as anything else and more adaptable than a D lock. In fact I gave up on D locks a long time ago because of their locking limitations, it being impossible to use one effectively in some circumstances.
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[Barnowl]

The top ten worst places in the UK to get your bike nicked look like the top ten most popular places to ride your bike. London comes off badly but that's only because cycling is so widespread there. Organised gangs catering to the increased demand seems to be a big problem.

Bike thefts soar by 75 per cent as organised crime gangs move in | News

 

[flecc]

Organised gangs catering to the increased demand seems to be a big problem.

Yes, the use of vans to steal bikes in numbers is more common now. For that reason I prefer locking my bike at locations well away from the edge of roads where the gangs have easy access.
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[Mussels]

I lock over the upper frame to ensure the chain can't get down to the ground. Good m/c chainlocks of the kind I use have thick links and are hardened so bolt croppers are out of the question, and success with a hammer is extremely unlikely anyway. Angle grinders are rarely used anyway for obvious reasons, so I think a good enough chainlock is as good as anything else and more adaptable than a D lock. In fact I gave up on D locks a long time ago because of their locking limitations, it being impossible to use one effectively in some circumstances.
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Many motorcycle chains are rubbish even ones listed as 'gold' standard or whatever equivalent. Any chain under 16mm can be cropped by hand in seconds no matter what the manufacturer says, 16mm chains can be cropped by hand if the chemist screws up as there is more to it than just hardening and through hardening is not good. Keeping the chain high is good. I considered carrying a chain but the weight of a 16mm chain is huge compared to my 18mm D lock.
This is a good video to show how poor some locks are even if they look substantial. I've read that a cable lock would need to be 3/4 of an inch thick to be any good.
YouTube - Kassa3 - 'how to steal a bike'
This is a £100 Abus lock.
YouTube - Abus Steel o flex cable lock getting chopped.
This video is a long one that shows a few popular and expensive motorbike chains being broken, some require a bit of effort but none require much time. The guy in the video called Zanx is where I get most of my info from, he's got no commercial interest in locks and it's more of a personal crusade. Incidentally he has a Powacycle Windsor that he commutes on and is building a Mongolian Yurt to live in at the weekends.
YouTube - Various Sold Secure and Thatcham chains chopped.

The top ten worst places in the UK to get your bike nicked look like the top ten most popular places to ride your bike. London comes off badly but that's only because cycling is so widespread there. Organised gangs catering to the increased demand seems to be a big problem.

Bike thefts soar by 75 per cent as organised crime gangs move in | News

Stightly anal here but the lock in your cartoon is the round key type that can be opened with a biro.

 

[eddieo]

the evidence above suggests that no chain/D lock can withstand a serious attack i feel sorry for any one who leaves their bikes every day in the same spot as this must be the number one problem.

Like Flecc says I always try and leave bike as far away from the road as possible. will consider carrying both my chain and d lock in future (3kg & 1.5kg) I have the alarm as well which is fine if within earshot and I cant imagine someone using large croppers in a shopping precinct with the alarm going ........but you never know! guess there will be a vid on youtube of this as well!

 

[Barnowl]

Stightly anal here but the lock in your cartoon is the round key type that can be opened with a biro.

LOL - No you'd need 2 biros for that lock. But good point since I think my D lock can be opened with a biro Which is irritating because it takes me ages faffing around with the key.

 

[flecc]

Many motorcycle chains are rubbish even ones listed as 'gold' standard or whatever equivalent. Any chain under 16mm can be cropped by hand in seconds no matter what the manufacturer says, 16mm chains can be cropped by hand if the chemist screws up as there is more to it than just hardening and through hardening is not good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFaLmVqQibo&feature=player_embedded

Nothing is absolutely proof against theft so I don't worry obsessively about it. The following is enough in my view:

1) Looking thief-resistant

2) Not leaving the bike in the same place at the same time on the same days.

3) Not leaving it at the edge of a road with easy van access.

4) Leaving it where there's plenty of people around.

5) Setting it's alarm for longer stays over half an hour.
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[Mussels]

the evidence above suggests that no chain/D lock can withstand a serious attack i feel sorry for any one who leaves their bikes every day in the same spot as this must be the number one problem.

Like Flecc says I always try and leave bike as far away from the road as possible. will consider carrying both my chain and d lock in future (3kg & 1.5kg) I have the alarm as well which is fine if within earshot and I cant imagine someone using large croppers in a shopping precinct with the alarm going ........but you never know! guess there will be a vid on youtube of this as well!

There is a vid I've seen of people obviously stealing bikes on busy NY streets and they are ignored by everyone.
Some chains and D locks are good, the videos are picking duff ones deliberately.
It is a trade off, at some point it's not worth spending extra money or carrying extra weight, I use one lock in the middle of London and I know it's a risk but I think it's a good one. The trouble is when you spend £100 on a lock some will be good and some will be awful, you can't tell which is which but a bike thief can.

 

[flecc]

Perhaps it puts things into perspective when I say I've never had a bike stolen or even an attempted theft in 63 years of cycling, well over half of that living in London boroughs. Obviously I've been lucky since my anti theft precautions are basic, and perhaps it's partly because no-one wants to steal my sort of bikes!

That last point is actually a serious one. For many years I've used theft consideration in choosing any car I buy, particularly if it's not to be garaged like my current town car. That is a Chevrolet Matiz, it was preceded by a Skoda Fabia and that preceded by a Fiat Tipo 3 door and past ones including such oddities as a Honda N600. Any self respecting twokker would die of shame if seen by his mates in any of those and they have no value to professional car thieves.
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[z0mb13e]

Not had an ebike stolen - not had one long enough I don't think.

I am paranoid about leaving it anywhere in public for more than a few minutes.

I didn't spend much on the lock as the anchor points where I lock my bike look so flimsy that there didn't seem much point.

I am also shocked at the cost of bicycle insurance. At around £150 a year that is more than my car insurance, fully comp!

I have had several other bikes stolen over the years - all locked up. One in particular still irks me and that is a 1980's Redline series 3 BMX. Would be worth a lot of money now.

 

[Pedalo]

Not had an ebike stolen - not had one long enough I don't think.

I am paranoid about leaving it anywhere in public for more than a few minutes.

I didn't spend much on the lock as the anchor points where I lock my bike look so flimsy that there didn't seem much point.

I am also shocked at the cost of bicycle insurance. At around £150 a year that is more than my car insurance, fully comp!

I have had several other bikes stolen over the years - all locked up. One in particular still irks me and that is a 1980's Redline series 3 BMX. Would be worth a lot of money now.

Some forum members have reported that they've managed to get their ebike added to their home insurance for not too much money (e.g. ~£35).

I tried with mine and they quoted £160!

If you do go for insurance check their approved lock list and the other small print. I think it helps to keep a receipt for the bike and the lock. They usually say that the bike must be locked through the frame to an immovable object (pretty sensible but it's not always possible).

 

[Alex728]

I pay about £160 for a year for two ebikes and a normal pushbike plus rescue service (from the ETA). The two e-bikes are kept inside the house (or they would have to be locked to a ground anchor if kept in the shed).

 

[uk_steve]

mine is under my household insurance and its insured anywhere in the world

hiscox's is my insurance company

 

[z0mb13e]

I did try putting the bike on my house insurance but for some reason they couldn't do it on the existing policy.

They said I would have to take out another policy with the bike on it, pay for it up front and then they would refund the remaining value of the existing policy less some admin fee. They said it would take 2 weeks to refund the difference.

Overall it would have cost me about £60 to get 9 months worth of insurance.

I will just have to be extra careful where I leave the bike until the renewal date.

 

[my.motion]

Some idiot stole my really cheap lights

I had a backup front lights (from poundland) and some idiot stole them last night, they will be of no use to anyone because a took away the battery pack and the cover. I just don't understand how the minds of these idiot work!!

So my advice don't leave your bike lights on the bike

 

[eddieo]

If your home insurance are unreceptive to E bikes change your insurer. Tescos are pretty good and a lot cheaper then Barclay my last one. I had stayed with Barclay because of the free travel insurance, but a stand alone world wide family policy plus the Tescos for the house and bikes was still cheaper

 

[Straylight]

It's true what they say, "if it aint nailed down....." I suppose with some "people" it's a reflexive thing - no thought involved, more like an animal instinct.