We’ve heard lots of reports of cargo bike and e-bike thefts recently in Melbourne so thought we’d give you some tips to help keep your precious ride safe and sound.

Lock it up – every time (even at home)

Invest in a D-lock when out and about or a high-security chain lock (like HipLok or VAULT brand) when leaving your bike at home or for a longer period. Solid metal D-locks are hard to cut through and are better than cable locks. Remember to connect both your frame and a wheel to the bike rack (especially if you have a quick-release wheel) – even two locks may be necessary.

Ask the Cargocycles team about bike locks – we have several different styles in the shop to suit all bikes and budgets.

Bike theft from homes

We have heard people are leaving larger box bikes on a porch or verandah overnight unlocked – aaagh, don’t do that! Bike thefts have been occurring from down the side of houses, from backyards, inside apartment block garages and front porches. Larger box bikes have been stolen from front verandahs too – so size is not deterring thieves. Theft has also been happening while you’re at home (scary).

A few cyclists have even leant their bike against the front fence while taking kids in from the baby seat and have returned less than a minute later to find an opportunist thief has knocked off their bike.

Always lock your bike at home and don’t let people follow you through the entrance or lobby door if you live in an apartment.

Choose bike hoops when locking up bikes on public streets

Do not lock your bike up to regular street poles like a Stop sign or Give way sign – these can be easily removed by thieves. Choose in-ground or bolted-down bike hoops instead.

Locking a Pendix powered bike

If your bike is fitted with a Pendix system you can lock it up too! There is a withdrawable safety lock located on the lower section of the battery. If you don’t want to take your Pendix battery with you, pull out the U-bolt and pass a suitable bicycle lock through it, securing it to the bike frame and parking hoop. This will secure the battery firmly onto your bicycle.

Record your bike’s serial number

A bicycle’s serial number is usually located on the frame near the pedals. Record it, and keep it somewhere safe with some photos of your bike (and receipt if possible)

Engrave your driver’s licence number on the frame

Engrave the letter ‘V’ (for Victoria) followed by your driver’s licence number on the frame. If stolen and recovered police are able to return your bicycle using your licence details. If you don’t have a licence, use the licence of a relative or a friend. Some Police stations or schools offer engraving as part of a community event – check the socials in your area.

BIKE VAULT & Bike ID Kit

PropertyVAULT via the BikeVAULT website is recognised by the cycling community as the market-leading platform and specialist service to counter bike theft in Australia. PropertyVAULT has assisted victims and police in Australia in recovering hundreds of stolen bikes and other stolen property valued at more than $1.5 million. PropertyVAULT is a free database that allows you to register and report stolen bikes by accurately recording the identity and ownership of your bike in their private VAULT, which benefits from full lifecycle digital identification, provenance tracking and blockchain encryption.

A large percentage of theft is committed for financial gain by thieves and black-market traders (knowing handlers of stolen property) who profit from the sale of stolen property to unsuspecting purchasers. Breaking this illicit trade requires removing the ability of the perpetrators to sell the stolen property without fearing the asset being identified and them being caught and prosecuted by the police.

Identification is the KEY to combat profit-driven theft!

Check out VAULT Anti-theft solutions – (Quality bike locks, ID Kits & Air tags) in the Cargocylces store or learn more at the VAULT website here

GET BIKE INSURANCE!!

Beautiful cargo bikes and electric bikes are a big investment so we recommend you get insurance – we recommend Velosure (we’re not affiliated, just like their insurance) check them out here…

https://velosure.com.au/

Or check your home and contents insurance policy – your bike may be covered for theft or damage. Ask your insurance company for details.

Check out the Victoria Police bike security form here – fill it in and keep it handy

Save money on accessories with a package deal!*

Love the Benno Boost? Now is the perfect time to get one of the world’s best
e-bikes fully accessorised with our most popular custom-designed add-ons
– perfect for a family. Childcare & school drop-offs will be a breeze and your weekends will be more fun – we promise! 🥰

Benno Boost + Passenger Pack deal includes: 

– Benno Boost electric bike (EVO4)
– Benno High Rails (plus size)
– Benno High Rail Clamps
– Benno Rail Pads (x2)
– Benno Rack Pads (x2)
– Benno Wheel Guard Set
– Benno Side Loaders
– Front Utility Tray & Bag OR City Basket

Normally you’d pay $8545

NOW $7395

(just the price of the bike)

*Limited time offer: only available with Beeno Boost EVO4 – instore & through select dealers.

About the Benno Boost EVO4…

• CX: Bosch Performance CX 250W, 75 / 85Nm, GEN 4
• Bosch Purion On-Board Computer (5 Riding Modes)
• Bosch Powerpack 500Wh Lithium-Ion Battery
• Range 50-130km Dep. On Mode/Battery(s)
• Bosch 4A Standard charger (4.5h full Charge)
• 6061 Aluminium Alloy Frame with Front Tray Mounts
• Oversized 6061 Aluminium Alloy Fork w/ Integrated Headset
• CX: Assisted Speed: 25km/h
• Shimano Deore 10-Speed and Hydraulic Disc Brakes
• Custom 24″ x 2.6″ Benno Dual Sport Tyres
• German Supernova Mini 2 Front Light and E3 Rear Light
• Multifunction Rear Rack (Max. Load 60kg)
• Rack Suits Baby Seat Installation (2 Seats)
• Fits Most Aftermarket Pannier Bags and Accessories
• One Frame Size (Fits Riders From 5’1” to 6’3”)

See the full range of Benno Boost accessories here

(Yepp baby seat and panniers available separately)

See more about this bike here

As an experiment in trying to find a less polluting way of doing all our running around I bought the only electric van I could find at the beginning of 2021. I thought people might find this journey interesting. It’s a 2015 Nissan e-nv200 and I bought it with a little over 20,000km on the clock. I’ve since added about 10,000 km.

Japanese Imports

I originally looked at the only factory electric van on the market the Renault Kangoo, but the price was just a bit hard to justify for a business the size of ours. So I took a chance and bought a Japanese import vehicle from an importer in Queensland that had one in stock. The process was a little painful but we got there in the end. The van is actually a 7-seater with an upper-end trim spec that includes a separate air conditioning unit in the rear of the vehicle for the back seat passengers. It can only be registered as a 4-seater vehicle in Victoria because of its compliance plate. That was an annoying thing to find out but taking the seats in and out isn’t very difficult as they bolt in. As it is mainly used as a van I have removed all five of the rear seats.

The situation for importing has improved since I did this with a few more e-nv200s around thanks to companies like The Good Car co.

Specifications

When you sell electric bikes there are often a few standard questions around range and charge times. When people ask me about the van these are often the same questions that get asked. So here goes.

The van has a nominal 24kWh battery (approx 400v DC and 290kg) so not so easy to take out and swap over like a typical Bosch or Shimano. It has lost some capacity from new and now only has about 19kWh left. When fully charged the distance meter shows 135km of range available. It mostly gets used for short trips driving between our warehouse and shop and my house all in the inner north of Melbourne. I have driven 55km there and 55km back to a delivery and it made it ok. Around town the regen helps and I usually get a week between charges. My partner and I share it as we use bikes for the majority of journeys!

Charging

We have solar at our house so I only charge the van at weekends when there is enough power coming out of the inverter to charge the battery, takes most of the day if it is really flat. I have used some of the charging stations around Brunswick to test the fast charging with the Chademo port but it is rare that there isn’t a bunch of Teslas using the charge stations so I pretty much use the Nissan granny charger at home all the time.

Towing with an electric vehicle

For a small van, it is surprisingly spacious. I can get 4 bikes in boxes in the back and the front passenger seat folds flat so you can get some long objects in if needed. I also fitted roof racks. I had to adapt these from some that I found in hard rubbish but they are very useful. The problem with Japanese import vehicles is there are less aftermarket parts available.

We attend a few shows and events so already own a small box trailer. It is aluminium and quite light. I had to source a Towbar from the US (intended for the petrol NV 200) and fitted that myself originally just to use a bike rack but I tested how it towed the trailer and had no problem at all. It does impact range of course but for hauling often larger than average bikes and trikes around it is great. The van has plenty of torque so towing is straightforward.

Running costs

So far the costs of running the van have been very low. I changed the final drive transmission oil just in case and the 12v battery died early on so I had to replace that but essentially zero fuel costs since purchase have made it very cheap. No other servicing needed so far. Paying the Vic government road usage levy (ZLEV) charge has been annoying but I have complied and paid up.

Finding an insurer that will deal with a Japanese import was harder than I thought but the RACV insure it. If it were a Nissan Leaf it might be easier but I really needed the van body.

If you have any questions feel free to email me via the shop email and i’ll happily answer.

Gary

This Nihola trike had a Promovec rear hub motor electric drive. The battery was old and tired and hard to source a replacement. Our solution was to repower it with a Pendix mid-drive electric motor. The rear axle of the Promovec is an unusual width so for now it is keeping the old hub motor wheel until we can build a new wheel.

The battery is removable in just a few seconds with a twist of the wrist. The system is very simple in operation, you choose from 3 levels of assistance by twisting a dial on the top of the battery. You can also connect your Android or Apple mobile phone via a Bluetooth app connection so you can monitor distance travelled, speed and change power settings. The advantage with a mid-drive system is that it allows you to use the motor power through the full range of gears on your bike so you will be able to power up hills.

Pendix Mid Drive ebike conversion kit

Pendix eDrive motor – is a high-performance mid-drive German e-bike solution. It is totally silent in operation, includes a two-year warranty on the kit and is fully legal in Australia.

This electric conversion can be fitted in our workshop or at one of our dealers around the country. Just get in touch and we can make it happen.

Call us to talk about getting a bike that suits you, your family and your budget – 03 9042 9058 (Mon-Fri 9am – 5:30pm. Sat 9:30 – 4:00pm) or email sales@cargocycles.com.au