Stealing a bike on a test ride

[Pale Rider]

It had occurred to me making off on a bike during a test ride would be a good way of stealing a shiny new one.

Three retailers have recently been targeted by quite well thought out thefts in which the thief had a fraudulent bank card and other bent identity documents.

All the bikes stolen were expensive ebikes, but offering a test ride on any bike is just as much of a risk for the retailer.

In some respects, stealing an ebike is less of a good idea from the thief's point of view because he won't have the keys to the battery lock or the charger.

One of the thefts was when the thief was accompanied by a member of the shop's staff.

Hard to see what more the shop can do than take identity documents and send someone on the test ride.

I've been the subject of a wide range of checks on test rides, everything from almost too onerous to none at all.

Which is part of the problem for the shop, check too thoroughly and you risk the customer getting the hump because he feels it is being suggested he may be a dishonest.

That would be an unreasonable reaction from the customer, but the result is still the same - someone who might have bought a bike from your shop doesn't do so.

What's been your experience of security on test rides?

https://cyclingindustry.news/trio-of-electric-bike-retailers-hit-in-demo-scam/

 

[Rocky]

I'm such a slow cyclist that I'm sure the shop staff could walk faster than I ride. My chances of getting away would be zero.

Some places take a refundable deposit on a credit card. Others ask you to leave your phone. But I can see how some people might be upset at being asked for security.

 

[Kryton521]

I'm such a coward! My test ride was quite literally around the car park. Didn't dare go further!

 

[Pale Rider]

But I can see how some people might be upset at being asked for security.

I'd like to think I wouldn't be that pompous twat, but I found the security precautions at Evans a bit much.

It was mostly they seemed to take a long time over it, but I think they are generally in the thrall of company procedure and 'the computer'.

I had a stem from their stock in my hand which I wanted fitted to the new bike.

But we can't do that because the part number doesn't come up correctly on the computer, which means we can't raise a job card for it, etc etc.

For goodness sake, just fit the bloody stem.

Going back to the test ride, they made a fuss about putting my credit card in a locked container, and of telling me how the container would be stored securely during the 20 minutes I was allowed to have the bike.

Looking after my left credit card properly was beneficial to me, so I suppose it's bit rich for me to moan about the process.

 

[Kestevan]

@Mrs Kes has just been for a test ride on a rather nice e-bike (a Trek Domane LT+ retailing at something well north of £6k).

No ID, deposit or security required... in fact she was even given the charger, battery keys etc and told to bring the bike back in a couple of days after trying it "properly".

This is one of the benefits of having a proper LBS (Dan and the guys at Cycletechnology , Wakefield) with whom you build up a relationship, rather than using the massive faceless corporations like Evans etc.

 

[Globalti]

I have to admit that, many many years ago when I bought a new mountain bike, I was just unloading it from the back of my car when a couple of guys walked past who I knew vaguely from the nearby pub. One of them asked for a quick tryout on the new bike and I allowed him then while I was chatting with his pal, he asked if he could have a go on the old bike as I was going to sell it. As he disappeared round the corner the awful realisation dawned on me that I had just handed both my bikes to two blokes I hardly knew. There followed a couple of anxious minutes before they both came back into view.

 

[Pale Rider]

@Mrs Kes has just been for a test ride on a rather nice e-bike (a Trek Domane LT+ retailing at something well north of £6k).

No ID, deposit or security required... in fact she was even given the charger, battery keys etc and told to bring the bike back in a couple of days after trying it "properly".

This is one of the benefits of having a proper LBS (Dan and the guys at Cycletechnology , Wakefield) with whom you build up a relationship, rather than using the massive faceless corporations like Evans etc.

The bike has the same motor as the Boardman Evation, and one or two others.

The Boardman starts at about two grand.

No doubt the frame and bike bits on the Trek will be superior.

You are in a better position than me to weigh up by how much, but I doubt it's four grand superior.

I think the motor system dominates the ride of any ebike.

Thus you get less of a benefit from improved spec than you would with a push bike.

As a not particularly fit person, I use the gears on my Rohloff equipped ebike quite a lot.

Fit people, particularly those with cycle fitness, find they don't need to change gear nearly so often as they do on a push bike, so having fancy gears on an ebike matters less.

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/bikes/e-bikes/

 

[Kestevan]

Looked at the Boardman, and the similar Ridley. Both nice enough bikes - but the Domane is substantially nicer.

The Trek is full carbon, much lighter (2-4kg), has better wheels (again full carbon), and Shimano Di2 Vs Sram Apex single). Oh and the Domane has a stupidly comfy ride..Admittedly we're well into the realms of diminishing returns here, but given I've just dropped the best part of 8k on one without a motor I'm on thin ice trying to limit what she should spend on her dream bike.

 

[Pale Rider]

Looked at the Boardman, and the similar Ridley. Both nice enough bikes - but the Domane is substantially nicer.

The Trek is full carbon, much lighter (2-4kg), has better wheels (again full carbon), and Shimano Di2 Vs Sram Apex single). Oh and the Domane has a stupidly comfy ride..Admittedly we're well into the realms of diminishing returns here, but given I've just dropped the best part of 8k on one without a motor I'm on thin ice trying to limit what she should spend on her dream bike.

Fairy snuff, you obviously take my point.

The Fazua Boardman was a jolt to that tiny sector of the market.

Up until it's arrival, most Fazua bikes were four grand or more.

Typical Halford's marketing tactics.

I've just dropped the best part of 8k on one without a motor

I now understand why you've been given a six grand Trek for Mrs Kes to try.

If it was me, I'd give you the keys to the shop.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I'd like to think I wouldn't be that pompous twat, but I found the security precautions at Evans a bit much.

This. I don't care if some random company that doesn't know me doesn't trust me, but if you make it awkward then people aren't going to do it.

For my first bike I went in to Evans with ID and a deposit ready, as per their website. They then told me that they actually needed two forms of ID, which I didn't have. I then went to the little LBS which had limited selection but didn't ask for ID at all or give a time limit for the test - the owner just handed it to me and sent me out the door. I bought from them obviously.

Also, it's one thing to have clear-cut security measures and another thing to make people feel unwelcome. I've had one or two instances where requests for a test ride have been met with begrudging, teeth sucking, hum-har'ing. Well I've come all this way so I'm taking the test ride but your attitude is not going to encourage me to buy.

 

[Pale Rider]

they actually needed two forms of ID,

Aye, that's right, that was another niggle.

Had to be be two different forms of ID, so my bank card and credit card wouldn't do, possibly one form also had to have my address on it.

Fortunately, I had a letter from an organisation in the car.

Spa in Harrogate were very accommodating, I was told to take the bike and come back when I'd finished with it.

I left my credit cards and car keys, partly because I felt an irrational need to reassure them, but mostly because I was worried about losing the stuff on the ride.

 

[Andy in Germany]

The most recent test ride I did was on the Bakfiets ten years ago. You can't escape that easily on a Bakfiets, well I can't anway, and I'd left my other bike at the shop.

At a guess I'd be asked to leave my ID card at a shop here.

 

[RoadRider400]

Perhaps ensure the battery only had 10 minutes of run time and a store member tails them on another ebike. Bloody lowlifes.

 

[Beebo]

The guy I bought a car from recently just gave me the keys and told me to take it round the block. He didn’t even know my name, just had my mobile number.

 

[Pale Rider]

Perhaps ensure the battery only had 10 minutes of run time and a store member tails them on another ebike. Bloody lowlifes.

The shop did tail the thief in one of the instances.

Only sending them out with little run time on the battery is an idea, but would be hard to judge.

One of the latest roadie ebikes could be ridden back unassisted if the battery ran out, but an eMTB would be hard work.

Another point to consider is all batteries produce less and less power as they approach empty, a property known as sag.

A sagged battery would not show the bike off to its best advantage.

With my ebikes, there's quite a difference in feel from when I set off with a full battery and when I'm returning with a near empty one.