It was an inevitability that once electric bikes started skyrocketing in popularity, more e-bike thefts would soon follow. But NYC-based electric bike company Wing Bikes is helping riders fight back with a free location tracker included along with its electric bikes.
The location tracker is part of a bundle that Wing Bikes is currently offering, including a $300 discount on its bikes plus another $200+ in free accessories such as that location tracker.
Just use the code 1WING on the site to grab it, though it seems like you’ll likely have to install the location tracker yourself.
Wing Bike’s founder Seth Miller didn’t want us to disclose the exact location of the tracker, for obvious reasons, but told me a bit more about how it works.
It uses a special compartment hidden on the bike and also employs security bolts that would make it harder for a thief to get into without having a special set of security tools.
The device relies on the Apple Find My network and helps hide an AirTag that can be used to locate (and then hopefully recover) a stolen e-bike.
But to prevent it from getting to that point, the kit also includes a warning sticker to thieves letting them know the bike is trackable. Hopefully, that’s enough of a deterrent to get the thief to pick another target… or better yet, reevaluate their decisions.
The location tracking kit is the last line of defense, and all of Wing Bike’s e-bikes come with a first line of defense comprised of a loud vibration alarm. It can be activated via a key fob that comes with the e-bike and will sound a loud alarm if the bike is moved. It remains to be determined whether or not that will scare the pants off the poor schmuck that was just trying to lock their bike next to yours.
Wing Bikes of course isn’t the first company to include alarms on their e-bikes. We saw a great example of a loud e-bike alarm when we toured Electric Bike Company’s California factory, and Juiced Bikes also offers alarm options as well as an e-bike battery that can fit an Apple AirTag for location tracking.
But Wing Bikes is one of the few that has outfitted all of the bikes across its line with the ability to support both the loud alarm and AirTag tracking feature.
We’ve tested Wing Bike’s rides in the past, though it’s been a few years and we haven’t quite made it onto their newest generation of electric bikes yet.
For those that already have an electric bike, the next best thing to a location tracker built into the bike is a good lock or two.
I’ve tested several locks in the past, but the name of the game is to lock early and often. Multiple locks of multiple styles make your e-bike less interesting to thieves as the chance of defeating multiple locks goes down.
It would take an ambitious thief to attempt to bypass multiple locks in a crowded place, especially when other more vulnerable options are parked close by.
Another good tip is to register your new e-bike after purchase. Bike Index has been used to track and recover millions of dollars worth of bikes, such as a recent dramatic accidental sting operation to get back a RadRunner Plus.
Stay vigilant out there everyone and make sure that your expensive e-bike remains yours!
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