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Comment by paganel | Hacker News Reader

There is no way for me to let a ~2000 euros object of mine unattended and out in the open. I barely leave my current bike like that, and that "only" costs ~300 euros.

More generally, I feel like this is a subject that doesn't get discussed often enough. Yes, most probably the writer of this article can eat the 2000 euros loss if his e-bike gets stolen, but the majority of the population cannot. It also sucks that the majority of said population is also made to feel like it is its fault for not riding this type of bikes instead of driving their SH cars to work and back.

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Many people let 10-100s k€ objects daily out in the open, and it doesn’t seem to bother them. Cars are nowadays quite secure, but back in the 80’s, car theft was a real thing, and it did not stop people to use them. And motorbikes have the same problems as bicycles.

Bikes have to be better equipped and infrastructure should be developed, sure. But solutions exists. I know many people who are using electric bikes daily in neighborhoods known for theft of all kinds, and they never got their bike stolen. All they do is carefully lock them to a fixed point with a good U-lock or chain and keep the battery with them if they are really worried. Not much more a hassle than for a motorbike.

The author lives in Japan. The probability of it getting stolen is approximately zero.

Coming from a city where bike theft is severe, the biggest culture shock for me in Japan was seeing how they "lock" their bicycles: loop a flimsy metal ring through the back wheel, and walk away. You could easily still wheel the bike away on its front wheel or toss it into the back of a truck. And yet, it will always still be there when you come back. Amazing.

If they use any lock at all. Even in the heart of tokyo you'll see bikes just propped up against a wall or sitting in a rack with no lock at all.

My house and workshop in rural Canada were like that: no locks. Nothing. Massive quantity of expensive tools in a completely unsecured building.

This made for a bit of a tricky scene during title transfer, how do you pass the keys to the new owners if there are no keys...

This is probably the biggest problem associated wkth e-bikes. Every time you leave it locked outside, you have a nagging feeling it may be the last time you see it. The freedom it brings is a little curtailed by the need to choose a safe spot to park it. Perhaps the best is just to learn to live with the risk.

The first problem you outline has a very simple solution: insurance. Just like cars.

E-bikes can also be leased, to lower the barrier to entry. As an alternative to providing costly downtown parking, many employers in USA subsidize month-to-month e-bike leases with a final cost of like 30 bucks a month.

Bicycle theft insurance costs approximately ten percent the cost of the bicycle, per month.

Which should tell you how good an idea it is to leave one unattended.

I am insuring a $5000 bicycle against theft in San Francisco, and it costs 0.5% the cost of the bike every month. I have no idea where you are getting these insane numbers from

I can insure my €4k electric cargobike for €7/month. I do have to use a €80 lock, but I‘d do that anyway.

That rate is quite good. The best I could find with multiple quotes for an 8k USD ebike was 35 USD/month.

Where are you getting your numbers from? I got my new e-bike insured for 2 years for 10% of the purchase price

I just insured my son's new bike ($1500) for only $20/year as a rider on my renter's insurance

Less than 10% per year.

Yes, if your bicycle costs $100. But why insure it then?

Now that Decathlon are flooding the market with reliable sub 1k ebikes, second hand prices have also lowered and it’s not hard to pick up a reasonable one for 700-800 eur

Having a motor also means saddlebags and hence the possibility of using a motorbike chain

I haven't seen any at the Decathlons in Canada. Can't wait for them to be available here as well.

There are electric folding bikes you can take inside with you.

Berlin is prone to bike theft but a good lock and an insurance (less than 10% of the purchase price per year) helps to manage.

I have one with a detachable battery. Apart from the charging convenience this brings, it also makes the bike way less attractive to steal.

The problem being now you are lugging around a 10lbs battery, I guess if you are just locking up at the office that's ok. But I wouldn't want to lock up on a market street and then lug an extra 10lbs around with me while I shop.

Very true, this can be a nuisance. Most of the times I plop it in my backpack (which I always carry). When at a bar or restaurant this is fine, but walking with it is certainly not ideal.

You can easily insure the bike.

Replacing a catalytic converter costs about $3k

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