Bici & Ladri: alcuni suggerimenti su come proteggere la vostra e-bike!<br />
Bikes & Thieves:
That the world must strive for more sustainable mobility is becoming a necessity that must be taken into account.
To confirm this need are the data on the bicycle market, in particular that of electric bicycles that, according to an estimate by Confindustria, in 2015 saw their production increase by + 90.36%, as well as sales of +9.8 %.
More and more, therefore, citizens who choose to use a bicycle with pedal assistance to move around the city, where traffic is often insane and public transport can not adequately respond to the mobility needs of individuals.
However, as demand increases, theft of bicycles also increases, so are we really sure that a simple lock is enough to protect your investment from expert thieves? In this post, we will try to list a series of precautions that could be useful when, inevitably, you have to leave your bike unattended:
Park your electric bike in a public place. Thieves are less likely to try and steal a bicycle in a public place. It will be much more difficult for them to try to break the chain when there are people around. However, try to be respectful if you park your bike on the street. Do not hinder pedestrians, place the bike in a respectful and orderly manner; especially if, in the same place, there are already other bicycles parked.
Try not to leave the electric bicycle chained on the street during the night. If you do not have a garage, consider the possibility of renting one at a good price. Alternatively, if you can, take the bike inside your home. If you do not have a safe place to leave your bike, remember that thieves also study their prey for a long time before acting: do not always chain it in the same place.
Always prefer, whenever possible, a specific area for bicycles inside a public car park. Usually, they offer several additional security services.
Always chain your bike near a tree or a signpost pole or street lamp: this will prevent the thief from being able to lift and pass the bike from above. Avoid chaining it near a fence because a thief could easily cut part of the enclosure! Or tie it to a handrail that is firmly attached to a wall or sidewalk.
If some of the bike accessories are removable, if it does not bother you, consider bringing the accessories with you. Some controllers are removable, as well as some batteries, wheels or headlights. Too vulnerable to be left in their place during a break.
– Regarding the chain, always choose a massive one, maybe a motorbike. How do you transport a massive bike chain? Simple! With a suitable bag that can be installed on the frame. There are many on the market, from chassis, from fender, front, rear, etc. Evaluate this accessory together with the purchase of the chain. Remember: a chain that is too thin is easier to break.
– In addition to chains, there are also bloosters on the market. The blooster is the arc-shaped anti-theft device that is used to “tie” the wheels or other valuable parts of the bike to city poles or pylons. Better than Steel blisters, better if they are more than 16 centimeters thick. – Take more photos from different angles of your bike and save them in digital format. Take a picture with your bike. Write down the serial number of the bicycle. In case your e-bike should be stolen, you could provide it as a detail to the police. Or, you might consider printing leaflets with photos and the serial number of the stolen bike and distributing them for the city. Usually, the serial numbers of a bicycle are located on the bottom of the frame, between the two cranks. The more experienced thieves will try to delete the serial number from the frame, so it is advisable to hide inside the handlebars or the seat tube, on a piece of paper or engraved on a metal tag, the same serial number with the information of contact.
– Engraving on the frame of the bike: “French” system that provides for the engraving on the frame of the tax code of the owner. In this way, each municipality has its own database, accessible to everyone via the web. Adopted in several cities including Bologna, Padua, Mestre, Pisa, Lodi, Turin and Vicenza, this system has helped solve several cases of “theft of use”, ie those stolen bikes and then abandoned after use. – One of the safest, developing methods is definitely the GPS tracking system. This technology can be of great help if the bike is stolen. There are more and more bike trackers available on the market, and many will come. Boomerang Cyclotrac, for example, is a GPS tracking device that can be installed on the bike frame. If someone tries to steal your bike, an acoustic alarm will be sent to your smartphone and through a dedicated app you will be shown the position of the bicycle in real time. Here is a video with more information:
BikeTrak is another GPS tracking system. BikeTrak warns you if your bike is moving unexpectedly and will help you to track it in case of theft. A link to view the location of your bike will be provided on request so you can view in real time on your smartphone or computer the position of the bike. You can send the link to the police and ask for help. These small tricks listed, albeit apparently simple, if followed, could be worth the price of your bike! Do you have any questions about these suggestions? Would you like to add some advice? Leave us a comment!
