I’m trying to use my car less and bike to places where I can. I’ve thought about getting an e-bike to extend the range of places I can bike to, but one things that’s holding me back is what do I do with it while at the store? If it were just my crappy normal bike I wouldn’t really worry too much about someone stealing it, but if I’m gonna spend a few hundred on an e-bike I am nervous about leaving it unattended.
What are your thoughts?
Get one with an easily removable battery and take it with you. Get a good lock for the bike itself.
If you lock your bike in front of a busy door, it will be safe during the day.
But if you are concerned there’s many ways to get insurance that will cover theft. My kryptonite bike lock let me get 4 years of theft insurance coverage for $2500 and it was $35 total.
Another common thing my friend does in LA is talk to the security guard. Often they’ll watch it for you for a bit.
I’m at 1500miles on mine in LA. I ride it every day for every errand almost, I feel pretty confident in my advice.
Find a place and lock it up. There are grinder resistant locks now but get insurance if you’re very worried.
Wave goodbye.
I live in San Francisco.
I rode in a coastal city for over a decade as my primary vehicle. My bike looked weird for starters, so less likely to blend in on marketplaces for resale. Then I bought a weird lock and locked it on poles out front like people do dogs. Make sure the pole is not something you can just lift the bike up and off. My thought process for the weird lock is we were told most bike thieves come prepared to defeat U-locks and chains, but they won’t bother with other kinds.
You can also put a tracking device on your frame in an obscure location to give you peace of mind and help getting it back if stolen. And be sure to write your bike’s unique id down in case you need it for a police report.