# Prepare for Theft

# What we know about bicycle theft rates

Bike, e-bikes, and other micromobility vehicles are among the most targeted items by thieves. Although specific theft rates are not published by authorities and insurance companies, we can find some informative statistics about bike theft from various resources to help us better understand how likely it is for our vehicle to get stolen.

• According to the FBI over 154,000 bikes were reported stolen in the United States in 2019 (the most recent year for which the statistics are reported).
• 529 Garage estimates that ~80% of bike thefts go unreported
• This suggests that there may have been up to 2 million bicycles stolen in the United States in 2019
• There were ~40 million bicycle riders in the United States in 2019, according to Statista and other sources

For context, compare this to car theft. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that there were about 880,000 car thefts in the United States in 2020 out of about 275 million cars (Statista). This equates to about a 0.29% theft rate, indicating that the rate of bicycle theft is likely 15-20x higher than the rate of car theft.

# What about PEVs?

While these odds aren't great, they are probably even worse for personal electric vehicles (PEVs).

Various sources such as the National Bicycle Dealers Association report that most non-speciality bicycles are priced between $100 and $300. Compare that to e-bikes, which have an average price of about $2,000.

It's no surprise that early studies are reporting that the theft rate for much more valuable e-bikes is about 3 times greater than for cheaper self-powered bicycles.

# What do these odds mean for you?

While we don't currently know the true theft rates for bike and PEV theft, the approximate rates are high enough that you will probably fall victim to theft if you own and use a micromobility vehicle for enough time.

# How to prepare for theft

If we consider that theft is not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when, then the smartest thing we can do is prepare for it. We recommend that you do the following:

1. Invest in a good lock.
2. Get theft insurance or another theft reimbursement policy.
3. Choose good parking spots
4. Register the serial number with one or more bicycle registries.
5. Consider other anti-theft measures, such as a GPS tracker, motion-activated alarm, etc..
6. Securely store info about your vehicle, such as clear photo(s) of it and the serial number.
7. Use multiple locks in risky situations.
8. If you're buying a used vehicle, do some basic diligence to ensure it wasn't stolen.

# 1. Invest in a good lock

Locks are the primary line of defense against theft. The most secure locks are typically U-locks and chain locks. Do not use a cable lock: they are both extremely easy to cut, and are also the most common lock that is reported when a vehicle is stolen.

# 2. Get theft insurance or another theft reimbursement policy.

If theft is inevitable, then insurance is the only complete solution to the problem. If you have a bicycle or e-bike, you may be able to get theft insurance from an insurance carrier or broker that operates in your country or state.

Apart from traditional "insurance," there are other theft reimbursement policies. Perhaps the most well-known (and most controversial) theft insurance alternative is Kryptonite's Anti-Theft Protection Offer (ATPO), which is an optional program that you bicycle and e-bike owners can opt into when you buy certain Kryptonite locks that functions similarly to theft insurance. However, a quick Google search shows that riders all over the US have reported that claims processing results in frequent denials and is very slow, sometimes taking 5-6 months before getting any response from the company.

Whatever you decide to do, we strongly advise that you consider purchasing some form of theft insurance. Almost every lock on the market can be cut with an angle grinder with ease, so there's nothing that can fully protect your investment in your vehicle other than theft insurance or theft reimbursement.

Check out our article on theft insurance policies for some more info.

# 3. Choose good parking spots

One way to reduce the likelihood of theft is by parking at the right spots. But where are these spots?

A key objective of the Stable App is to answer this exact question. But for now, we can make some educated guesses.

You can find many of these attributes on Posts and Stables in the Stable App.

# 4. Register the serial number with one or more bicycle registries.

Consider registering your ride with one or more vehicle registries, such as Bike Index or 529 Garage. Doing so can help others identify that your vehicle was stolen, possible leading to recovery or buying the vehicle back from the thief.

# 5. Consider other anti-theft measures, such as a GPS tracker, motion-activated alarm, etc.

Many riders hide GPS trackers and/or other tracking devices, such as Apple Airtags, somewhere on their ride. This can help you recover your vehicle if it gets stolen. There are some success stories out there where people have recovered their vehicle, sometimes in collaboration with the police. Without any tracking device, the chance of recovering the vehicle is next to none.

Other riders like to include motion-activated alarms on their ride to deter theft. Consider investing in an alarm to deter theft.

# 6. Securely store info about your vehicle, such as clear photo(s) of it and the serial number.

For both theft insurance and recovery purposes, it is prudent to keep photos of the vehicle and unique info about the vehicle (e.g., the serial number) handy. Without this info, you may have a tough time getting paid out by insurance, and your chances at recovering the vehicle drop significantly.

# 7. Use multiple locks in risky situations.

When it comes to combatting theft, the name of the game is making it more difficult to steal your ride than others and making the thief spend more time in one place than they are comfortable with. Multiple locks can deter theft by making it more difficult to steal, and forcing the thief to have to defeat more than one lock.

If multiple locks feels overkill to you, consider using multiple locks when you have to leave the vehicle in public for an extended period of time.

# 8. If you're buying a used vehicle, do some basic diligence to ensure it wasn't stolen.

An important facet of combatting theft is NOT rewarding thieves. Online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist likely have many stolen vehicle listings, offering too-good-to-be-true deals as a way to rapidly offload the vehicle and get some quick cash. If you're going to consider buying a used vehicle, ask the seller where they got it, how much they've ridden it, for a picture of the serial number, and other details to enable you to do some diligence. Cross-check the serial number with bike registries to see if it's been reported stolen.

While it might sound great to get that awesome high end scooter for a crazy deal, you buying a potentially stolen vehicle incentivizes thieves in the future to steal more vehicles.