Hi

 

If anyone's interested, the lock was one of these.

 

Magnum Plus Shackle Bike Lock from Halfords Price £39.99

 

This blurb made me laugh ( in a purely ironic way)

 

"Solid lock, not much else you could do to secure your bike other than have a security guard stand next to it."

 

Next time I'll take the security guard

 

As for a picture, I guess it looked like the attached, only dirtier, no discernible ezee branding (fell off years ago) and Marathon plus tyres

Hi

 

If anyone's interested, the lock was one of these.

 

Magnum Plus Shackle Bike Lock from Halfords Price £39.99

 

This blurb made me laugh ( in a purely ironic way)

 

"Solid lock, not much else you could do to secure your bike other than have a security guard stand next to it."

 

Next time I'll take the security guard

 

As for a picture, I guess it looked like the attached, only dirtier, no discernible ezee branding (fell off years ago) and Marathon plus tyres

For anyone who thinks different types of locks require different tools, not necessarily. This lock is 13mm thick and can be cut quickly with hand bolt croppers, if you fit an equivalent chain then it can be cut with the same croppers. Forget cable locks as they are all pretty poor. Good quality chains and D locks need to be at least 16mm to escape manual bolt croppers, cheap badly made ones look as good but are easy to crop. Any chain that advertises itself as through hardened is poor as it can be shattered.

If I'm parking in the same place every day for long periods then I'll use an 18mm D lock but I still carry a cable lock for impromptu short stops. I really need to upgrade that a bit but find something that is practical to carry on the bike, the 18mm lock was so heavy it damaged my frame so after the frame was replaced I stopped taking it everywhere.

 

Don't forget 1 -Locks are only as good as the person fitting them. I once missed the railings :o and only locked the rear wheel to the frame, that one time was enough for someone to try and pinch it as it had been moved and the chain had come off.

 

Don't forget 2 - Sold secure etc are not to be relied on at all, their tests aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Edited January 18, 201016 yr by Mussels

Mussels, what 18mm lock do you use?

Mussels, what 18mm lock do you use?

I got one of these Kryptonite locks, it comes with free insurance but only for motor vehicles secured with it.

http://www.probikekit.com/_img_500x640/NP06358.jpg

I have seen some info showing how easy it is to crack some of the more expensive locks.

 

Its quite shocking

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Edited January 18, 201016 yr by jerrysimon

what about some kind of tracking device hidden in the battery somewhere? this was discussed on endless-sphere a while ago but i don't think any one has done anything about it. i will try out one of those alarms i think.

what about some kind of tracking device hidden in the battery somewhere? this was discussed on endless-sphere a while ago but i don't think any one has done anything about it. i will try out one of those alarms i think.

Tracking systems are available with bikes and have been used on motorbikes for some time. The problem is the police don't have the scanners available or they just don't scan the bikes.

there are tracking devices on ebay where you text them from you phone when you bike gets stolen. the device then uses GPS to find its location and texts back this information to your phone. you can then type that information into your satnav and it will lead you to your bike. i'm gonna buy one now they aren't expensive.

there are tracking devices on ebay where you text them from you phone when you bike gets stolen. the device then uses GPS to find its location and texts back this information to your phone. you can then type that information into your satnav and it will lead you to your bike. i'm gonna buy one now they aren't expensive.

 

I'm interested but sceptical, the unit needs to be well hidden but still get a good signal from satellites and phone masts. It also has to be easy to check and change the battery without being easy for a thief to rip off.

well i'm going to get one and stick it inside my steel battery box and connect it to the battery. hopefully it will still get gps and phone signal?

 

this post has prompted me to check the security on my own bike. i realised that because its a full suspension bike, the rear suspension splits the bike into two halves. if you only lock half, the other half could still be stolen. i will lock the expensive half from now on.

Stick a radio transceiver in any kind of metal box and you kiss goodbye to the signals getting in and out (unless you use an external aerial).

 

Interesting idea, though. Assuming you had a receiver you could hunt it down yourself if it hasn't moved to far out of the area. Hmmmm, thinking..... directional, triangulating.... hmmmm, Jerry during the war and spies radios....

 

Mind you, I think home-made kit blatting out a signal of ten mile radius might be frowned on by plod, d'oh, scratch that then. Purpose made is a good idea though.

 

Best regards.

 

Vikki.

i don't think mobile phone signals are the same as radio signals. maybe gps signals are radio signals? i can usually get phone signal everywhere even inside metal boxes (cars). gps service is much weaker so it might not work in the battery box.

 

maybe we could use the metal box or bike frame as the aerial? i'll see if the device supports plug-in aerials.

i don't think mobile phone signals are the same as radio signals. maybe gps signals are radio signals? i can usually get phone signal everywhere even inside metal boxes (cars). gps service is much weaker so it might not work in the battery box.

 

maybe we could use the metal box or bike frame as the aerial? i'll see if the device supports plug-in aerials.

GPS and the phone use radio signals at different frequencies, I don't know if they will work inside your metal box but I doubt they will work well. I remember seeing something designed for pushbikes and it slotted into the seat tube.

Judging by the inside of an Ezee battery there is not much space to put any extra boxes in, however small. Maybe the best solution would be to try and disguise it as part of the ebikes electronic components - one advantage of having an ebike. Otherwise directly under the seat but it would need a power source as well.

what about some kind of tracking device hidden in the battery somewhere? this was discussed on endless-sphere a while ago but i don't think any one has done anything about it. i will try out one of those alarms i think.

 

Hi all,

 

The ultimate anti low life device is probably years away, in the meantime we'll have to do what we can to protect our treasured belongings.

I fitted a IR remote alarm to my E-bike and also use an alarmed cable lock, I know the cable locks are a bit flimsy but the alarms certainly make some noise especially the remote one, both are vibration sensitive. See attachment, note remote on keyring.

My cable and padlock came today, hopefully this will make things a little more secure. Cable is 1.8M x 12mm and the lock CEN4 rated with anti-bump 6pin mechanism, £10 for the cable from Wiggle and £30 for the lock from Tools4Trade.

 

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/Bike/E-Bike/DSCF4868.jpg

I would not trust ANY cable....I only use one to secure battery and seat to frame and anothe long kryptonite cable through the wheels and that is it......... I would not trust an open padlock either.

 

 

http://i46.tinypic.com/2ujnub7.jpg

Edited January 21, 201016 yr by eddieo

Suddenly I feel so inadequate LOL!

 

Luckily I don't need to leave my bike unattended for any length of time so the cable and lock is extra security on top of what I already have. How much does all that chain weigh anyhow?

Chain and lock 3.5kg...but you get a kinda warm feelin when you walk away from your bike so worth it! lol plus I lost 8 kg (weight) before Christmas:p

 

Seriously though, any cable can be worked at quickly with snips/wire cutters and the open lock with hand held tools

 

you tube has vid of cables being broken ..they get it going with snips and then get a handle in and violently twist, and cable is mush;) They dont F$$k about!

 

 

 

would hate to hear of anyone else loosing a bike.......

Edited January 21, 201016 yr by eddieo

after watching some of those U Tube vids I don't think anything will stop a determined thief even in broad daylight!

 

Suddenly I feel so inadequate LOL!

 

Luckily I don't need to leave my bike unattended for any length of time so the cable and lock is extra security on top of what I already have. How much does all that chain weigh anyhow?

 

It's not all bad news. I've been cycling for nearly 64 years, the last nearly 7 years on e-bikes, and I use just one

lock. These days it's a m/c chain lock but in the past I've used cable locks as thin as 6 mm and even just a

wheel lock.

 

49 of those 64 cycling years has been based from London boroughs and still is, but I've never had a single

bike stolen or any part of one, not even a pump. Nor have I even suffered a vandalised bike.

 

So as you see, it's not all doom and gloom out there.

.

I've only had one cycle nicked, from my garage in "affluent" Reading on the Reading/Oxfordshire border! Was more annoying as it wasn't expensive but friends had built that one specially for me.

 

Since then all my bikes have been kept inside the house. I haven't had any issues on Sheffield stands in either Reading or Ipswich but thefts in Ipswich have increased again and Suffolk Constabulary did catch an organised gang about 3 years ago.

 

I did ride the Salisbury into town a few months ago, locked it up with a normal U lock and nothing bad happened, but I wouldn't do the same with the Wisper. This (and the Ezee) do IMO have a lot of "bling" value even to the youths as they look more like MTB's and I think both have been featured on telly (gadget show etc) whilst with respect the Panasonics look more like a "older persons bike". Bikes with step-through frames are also liable to be left alone as they are "old granny's bikes" - the only ones I have heard of being nicked in this area have clearly been opportunist thefts where members of the older generation haven't been pessimistic enough and have not locked them at all or used poor quality locks.

 

crime figures were released today showing an overall drop in crime (including most forms of violence other than domestic violence) but a rise in bicycle thefts. Unfortunately this is IMO the consequence of "good news" of more people cycling, bikes will become more desirable to thieves (it might also be that more people are reporting the thefts of cycles to cops, as bikes become mainstream transport again as a consequence of the recession).

 

I definitely think most low life know do now what an e-bike is and that its worth more than a normal pushbike (including the battery), as the mainstream media has been reporting on them, particularly in affluent South and SE England which has been a pioneering area for ebikes.

Edited January 21, 201016 yr by Alex728

Secure your bicycle the Amsterdam way.

 

Even if you have the keys, how long would it take to unlock this bike? Is this the way to keep your bike from being stolen?

I would not trust ANY cable....I only use one to secure battery and seat to frame and anothe long kryptonite cable through the wheels and that is it......... I would not trust an open padlock either.

 

 

http://i46.tinypic.com/2ujnub7.jpg

 

i wouldn't trust any chain either. you can break a link in 5 seconds with two pairs of pliers (maul grips) just by bending them back and forth. experiment for yourself.

there are tracking devices on ebay where you text them from you phone when you bike gets stolen. the device then uses GPS to find its location and texts back this information to your phone. you can then type that information into your satnav and it will lead you to your bike. i'm gonna buy one now they aren't expensive.

 

Just under 60 GBP on fleeBay (search for "mini GPS tracker"). Detailed description here: mini GPS Tracking Tracker Car Vehicle Personal monitor on eBay (end time 12-Feb-10 10:41:22 GMT)

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/13/!BiDwiQ!!mk~$(KGrHqMOKkUEsndkkJfDBLMjR5T4oQ~~_35.JPG

 

http://images.idealhere.com/AT02-0004/005.jpg

 

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad5/yaelglazer/DSC_3200.jpg

 

http://bilder.afterbuy.de/images/22228/GPS_Tracker_24.jpg