How To Register A Electric Bike

There are numerous ways to ensure the security of your electric bike, whether it be selecting the appropriate lock or discovering the ideal spot to store your ride overnight. Regardless of the steps you’ve already taken, it is always beneficial to be cautious. Hence, we urge members of the Rad family to register their ride with Bike Index, a free and nonprofit service that has reunited nearly half a million cyclists with their stolen property.

In celebration of National Bike Month, we wanted to delve deeper into the realm of bike security. And who better to turn to than Craig Dalton, Bike Index’s Executive Director and proud owner of a RadWagon? He has provided us with a few compelling reasons why you should register your ebike immediately:

1. It’s a simple and easy process!

The process of adding your bike to the index is completely free and straightforward; it places your bike in the most widely used registry worldwide. All you need to do is sign up and enter your serial number. You can easily locate it below the badge on the headtube of all current models, while some earlier models may have it on the underside of the bottom bracket. If your bike ever gets stolen, pawn shops and potential buyers will be able to cross-reference the serial number with the database to avoid purchasing stolen bikes. Furthermore, registering your bike increases the likelihood of it being returned to you if the police recover it.

According to Dalton, Bike Index serves as a global database for bicycle ownership, with additional tools for law enforcement that prioritize owner privacy. Dalton explains, “Many law enforcement agencies consider Bike Index as their daily hot sheet, so when they come across a new bike in a suspicious location, they can determine if it matches the description of a stolen bike.” This system has led to numerous success stories. Since its launch in 2013, the nonprofit organization has recovered over $10 million worth of bikes, including several Rad models.

2. Electric bikes are highly sought-after, and thieves are well aware of it.

Dalton emphasizes that electric bike owners should take extra precautions compared to regular cyclists. With the increasing popularity of electric bikes, a whole new set of cyclists has entered the scene. Unfortunately, this also means that these bikes have become prime targets for criminals. The newness of electric bikes allows thieves to sell them on the black market for considerably higher amounts. By registering with Bike Index, you not only protect your own bike but also make it more challenging for bike thieves to operate. This benefits the entire electric bike community.

3. You have the power.

Bike Index provides users with an empowering solution to help locate their stolen bikes: they can simply press what Dalton refers to as “the prominent red button.”

In a user’s Bike Index profile, there exists a conspicuous red button that states ‘This bike is stolen or missing.’ By pressing this button, an alert is immediately sent to local law enforcement, pawn shop databases, and the Bike Index ambassador community, notifying them to be on the lookout for the bike on various online platforms such as Craigslist, OfferUp, and letgo.

“We have also developed an array of social media broadcasting tools within our platform,” added Dalton. “For instance, in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have established a Facebook group dedicated to reporting stolen bikes. By posting about your stolen bike in this group, you will discover that fellow community members, who share your frustration towards bike theft, will rally behind you and spread the word.”

With a vast network of over 850 community partners, Bike Index has managed to create a significant impact.

Interested in finding the perfect electric bike for yourself? We have got you covered! Still unsure? Take a look at these five compelling reasons to embrace the world of ebikes.