Heard across a street. Highly intelligent. A bike alarm like no other! $210 CAD. Direct from manufacturer: $120 CAD.
Updated: Saturday 20 August 2022
The rise in micro-mobility has decidedly taken an electronic path. With e-bikes, e-scooters, unicycles and other personal transporters (PEV) used by an increasing number of people, opportunities abound–for brands, users, and thieves.
E-Bikes
Of the above, ebikes are certainly the greatest target of theft. Whether the entire bike, the battery, or its various parts, this high-priced bicycle represents a very attractive target. There are even bike jackings, targeting delivery riders.
As with cargo bikes, I do not understand why the manufacturers do not integrate more anti-theft mechanisms. There are various possibilities, starting with at least an effective bike alarm.
One brand, Van Moof, has even augmented its anti-theft insurance with hired hunters searching for stolen ebikes.
Considering how easily such a high-priced item is stolen, one’d expect more from other manufacturers! And, frankly, more from the owners: I’ve not seen a tremendous focus on security, from the riders!
E-Scooters
If folding, it should be possible to take these indoors. However, based on my many struggles with folded bikes, I would not be surprised if some cities’ metro, or commuter, trains disallow even folded scooters from going aboard! (The cyclephobic practices of trains in North America has been an irrationalism I’ve long resigned myself to.)
And then there are offices, apartment buildings, condominiums, shopping malls, and the like. The phobia is as pervasive as it is irrational.
I used to use a cover to hide my folding bike. In some places, that is even a stated requirement, despite it doing nothing other than to hide the personal transporter.
So, do riders use locks and bike alarms? I’ve certainly seen them. I’d expect that this’d be even more common on the very large, SUV-type scooters; they don’t even seem foldable, certainly not practically.
Unfortunately, the locks I’ve seen were, too often, cable locks and such! And the bike alarm little more than a beeper. Hardly a deterrent!
E-Skates
One’d expect these to be nearly completely safe from theft. Let’s hope so–though I’d not be surprised if some building has rules against even them!
Self-Balancing Unicycles
I have no information on these. I am assuming that riders take them indoors, with or without a case. Somehow, a single wheel seems less objectionable to Mr. ByTheBook than any multi-wheel variant!
On the other hand, if it’s so compact and easy to carry, it’ll be easy to carry away (from the owner)! I’d not be surprised if a bike alarm could be of particular use to these.
