5 ms·

Why not create a bicycle whose frame is itself the lock, such that if you cut the lock, you are destroying the bicycle itself.

jeffbee 6y ago
Thieves often cut the frames anyway, because it takes only seconds to cut tubular frames with a pipe cutter and the rest of the bike is still valuable as parts.
- narwally 6y ago
  Yep, the most expensive components on an ebike are the battery and motor, you can cut the top tube and pull those components out and sell them for 500+ a piece on the used market. The batteries usually have a lock that is supposed to keep them from being stolen, but even on the high end brands they can just be shimmed open with a credit card in a second. I used to work as a bike mechanic, so learned all the tricks of the bike theft trade just from the stories from customers coming in after they had their bike stolen or stripped. If I was a bike thief I wouldn't even be bothering stealing full bikes, you can just walk around with a set of allen wrenches and a chain tool and make off with a nice derailleurs, carbon wheelsets, full stem and handlebars mounted with expensive shifters. You will look less like a thief and more like a guy working on his bike, and if you're afraid of someone questioning you, just stuff a card with your name and information on it in the seat-tube while your stripping it, and if anyone ask you can just pull that out as 'proof' that the bike is actually yours.
- analog31 6y ago
  Indeed, you can often get more for parting the bike out. People selling old bikes have found this to be true.
crote 6y ago
VanMoof used to sell that! https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/VanMoof-Recalls-Bicycles https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/VanMoof-Recalls-Bicycles
jzwinck 6y ago
There have been several such designs. The first I remember was the Puma bike whose downtube was a pair of steel cables: http://www.designagainstcrime.com/projects/puma-bike/ http://www.designagainstcrime.com/projects/puma-bike/ That was over 15 years ago. They sold some. Yerka is a newer one: https://yerkabikes.com/us/ https://yerkabikes.com/us/
- LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
  Useless because the thief would just cut the pole with some powertools, or pushing it fast back and forth until it breaks at the socket, or snaps out of that. They aren't that massive as they look.

jeffbee 6y ago

Thieves often cut the frames anyway, because it takes only seconds to cut tubular frames with a pipe cutter and the rest of the bike is still valuable as parts.

narwally 6y ago
Yep, the most expensive components on an ebike are the battery and motor, you can cut the top tube and pull those components out and sell them for 500+ a piece on the used market. The batteries usually have a lock that is supposed to keep them from being stolen, but even on the high end brands they can just be shimmed open with a credit card in a second. I used to work as a bike mechanic, so learned all the tricks of the bike theft trade just from the stories from customers coming in after they had their bike stolen or stripped. If I was a bike thief I wouldn't even be bothering stealing full bikes, you can just walk around with a set of allen wrenches and a chain tool and make off with a nice derailleurs, carbon wheelsets, full stem and handlebars mounted with expensive shifters. You will look less like a thief and more like a guy working on his bike, and if you're afraid of someone questioning you, just stuff a card with your name and information on it in the seat-tube while your stripping it, and if anyone ask you can just pull that out as 'proof' that the bike is actually yours.
analog31 6y ago
Indeed, you can often get more for parting the bike out. People selling old bikes have found this to be true.

crote 6y ago

VanMoof used to sell that! https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/VanMoof-Recalls-Bicycles https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/VanMoof-Recalls-Bicycles

jzwinck 6y ago

There have been several such designs. The first I remember was the Puma bike whose downtube was a pair of steel cables: http://www.designagainstcrime.com/projects/puma-bike/ http://www.designagainstcrime.com/projects/puma-bike/ That was over 15 years ago. They sold some. Yerka is a newer one: https://yerkabikes.com/us/ https://yerkabikes.com/us/

LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
Useless because the thief would just cut the pole with some powertools, or pushing it fast back and forth until it breaks at the socket, or snaps out of that. They aren't that massive as they look.