We just got a couple of E-trikes and we want to make sure they don’t run off with someone else if we park them outside of our garage. We actually bought them to take on our boat when we go places so we can explore a bit.
I’ve done searches for “best bike lock” but I would like the opinions of Dopers who’ve got some experience, I feel you are more trustworthy than some random internet search. 
So suggestions on what to get and also what to avoid would be ever-so-greatly appreciated.
Go Kryptonite.
Not a joke.
Kryptonite brand locks are good, and come with insurance to replace your bike, if stolen.
This Best E-Bike Locks in 2026: U-Locks, Folding Lock and Chain Locks is a darn good intro to the tradeoffs between lock styles. You can ignore, or not, their specific branded recommendations. But I think their info on the styles is good. And IM lock style is really decision #1 for any lock buyer.
IME … I have a folding style for my e-bike and it works well.
IMO …
The main challenge I see is that to secure something as ungainly as a trike, much less two of them, you need a very long loop of [whatever].
Cable is by far the easiest to store in long lengths, but is also the most cuttable choice. Chain is more secure, harder to store, but easier to deploy than cable. Folding is easy to store, easy to deploy, but very limited in length. A large heavy U- or D- lock is great as a lock, but the 2-wheeler standard of hooking the frame and rear wheel to a post with such a lock is pretty much a non-starter for e-bikes, much less e-trikes. The total span of such a lock just isn’t long enough. So you’re back to using it as a super-lock for a cable or chain.
Are you worried about a casual thief who would take an unlocked bike or a professional bike thief who wants yours?
I understand thieves will take Ebikes before any other, so I’m guessing closer to pros than casual passersby.
And I was thinking locking the two together would be an effective method as they weigh about 80# each. But they should also be locked to something solid and unmoving.
Those seem to get the highest rating on the various sites I’ve gone to. They are heavy - the one with the highest recommendation weighs just over 15#, but it’s not like we’ll be carrying it around.
Regarding insurance, I’ve been told some auto policies also cover bikes - must look into that.
Watch some videos by LockPickingLawyer, and you’ll find out there’s not a whole lot of good locks out there. Even locks that are called the ‘best’ can be picked quickly by someone skilled enough. Having said that, I don’t know how many people are actually skilled enough to pick a lock instead of just cutting it (either the shackle or the chain/cable). With that in mind, you’re probably best off getting a halfway decent lock and a cable thick enough that no one is going to cut it with a handheld/non-powered tool.
These are the two locks that I bought for my ebike. My conclusion was that cables are easy to cut and hinges can be popped on folding locks, so chains were the way to go. These heavy chains can be cut with a grinder, but it is annoying because the chain flops around, so a thief will probably move on to the next one. If the thief has the right tools, and the ability to spend a few minutes, the chains will not stop them.
The 1090 is very heavy at 6.1 pounds. The 90 is 90cm length, and they also have a 1012 and 1016 for 120cm and 160cm. Those will be even heavier. The Keeper is very similar, but a lighter grade of chain. I got the Keeper for my kid, because they didn’t like how heavy the Evolution is.
The Keeper (and before that the Evolution) protected my kid’s ebike at school, but I don’t think a suburban school with mostly kids’ bikes is an attractive hunting ground. I have NOT done something like leave my bike outside in Boulder overnight.
Another thing you can do to protect an ebike is take the battery with you. That’s a good option if parking at home, but maybe not when you’re just stopped during a ride.
LockPickingLawyer uses a Kryptonite lock. If he uses it, it’s probably one of the best ones you can get.
It’s also expensive (and heavy)
It was that video that convinced me to buy the Evolution.
The bikes will live in the garage at home, so that’s not an issue. We’re mainly concerned about when we stop at a restaurant or store that the bikes not disappear. It does seem the the Kryptonite products will be our best bet.
The bikes were expensive, so it’d be stupid for us to cheap out on locks. And I’m not too concerned about the weight of the locks since they can ride in the cargo rack when not in use.
I’ve never used an e-bike, but I’d imagine it would be trivial to add a semi-hidden kill switch that disconnects the battery. At least then you don’t have to carry it around with you.
We recently got an ebike for my wife and searched for a good lock, and we ended up with a Kryptonite. However, part of securing a bike is strategy - always lock it in a busy area with lots of eyes, as this gives a thief less privacy. And lock it to something, or at least to another bike - stealing two bikes locked together will be like trying to carry two huge octopus. A good lock and sensible strategy will deter almost all bike theives, but one with a bolt cutter or angle grinder will get the bike anyway.
Are you planning to lock your bikes outside and overnight? Because that will risky no matter what lock you get.
No, we have a garage plus a large workshop and 2 other outbuildings. Plenty of places to secure the bikes. We could even put them into the walk-out basement.
I’m sure that the lock itself will be a sufficient deterrent, but I want to add an anecdote about proper bike locking.
When I was in college, I had a bike with a good lock, but it got stolen overnight because I didn’t lock it correctly. I had only looped the lock through the wheel, instead of the frame. So the thieves were able to take the bike by just detaching the front wheel.
I only mention that so that you make sure you are diligent about ensuring that you’ve correctly secured the lock to the bike. If you are just stopped during the day it’s not likely to matter, but you just don’t want a repeat of my lament one September morning.
“Why would somebody just lock up a wheel? And where’s my bike?”
Not an e-bike person so ignorant question -
On my road bike I am not only concerned about securing the frame but also the wheels. My locking needs are brief and infrequent but if I was leaving it in a more at risk circumstance I’d want a Kryptonite level for the frame and also a cable or chain for the wheels. Is that moot with e-bikes?
At least on my wife’s ebike, the rear/motorized wheel would be a PITA to remove. The front wheel is a thru-axle so could be removed in a hurry, so I have instructed her to wrap the chain lock around the frame, front wheel, and stationary object like a bike rack or pole. The bike also has a feature where the rear wheel can be locked thru the bike’s app. A cable wouldn’t hurt - remember that deterrence is the game.
When I lock my touring bike on bike trips I just use a simple cable thru both wheels and the rear triangle of the frame, and combination padlock.
Where I live (Germany) bike thieves come in two flavours:
I have acquired a bicycle rider for our household insurance. That insurance only covers theft from locked home bicycle sheds (at nighttime) and at daytime when the bike is locked to something fixed to the ground (usually a public bicycle stand), with a VdS (German association of insurers) approved lock. Not if the bike is locked but not to something fixed.
Do US insurers that insure bicycles have published minimum standards for locks?
First of all, if you do not want your bicycle to be stolen, do not leave it locked up outside overnight. Do not leave it locked up outside during the day, either— take it with you into the building.
That said, eventually you will want to lock it up and go into a cafe for a while, or something. The idea, in that case, is not that any lock is utterly impossible for a professional to defeat, but to make them decide to steal the bicycle next to yours because it is easier. Those Kryptonite locks with a decent chain are a good compromise; the only downside is that at some point there are diminishing returns as you end up hauling a lock and/or chain that weigh more than the bicycle…
When I bought my painfully expensive e-bike, I asked the shop owner what lock to buy. He shook his head and said, “Don’t leave an expensive bike out of your sight.” When I asked how that was at all practical at the grocery store, as an example, he said, “Get a good lock that goes the through the frame and wheels, but mostly get great insurance.”
He also told me that in his experience (backed up by anecdotes in the various forums) that no one picks a lock. Battery powered angle grinders are the rule these days. From a thief’s perspective, ideally they cut the lock and ride away, but if not, they cut whatever the bike is locked to and lift the locked bike into a van. Worst case scenario, they cut the bike and part it out. You’d think that parking in public in broad daylight would be a rock solid deterrent, but no.
I’m not sure how trikes change that calculus. I suspect at least somewhat they would be in lower demand in the first place, and unwieldy and indentifiable enough to be not worth the hassle most of the time. You can’t make the bike un-stealable, but you can make it just hard enough that something else is more attractive.
IME / IMO this.
But the dollar value is in the rear wheel, not the front one.
I have an 8-segment folding lock. About 5" per segment and 42" overall. The nature of folding locks is that some length is wasted because the fewer longer “links in the chain” can’t follow the irregular path you need as tightly as a chain of e.g. 1" links or a cable could. So the reach of a 42" folder is probably equivalent to a WAG 36" chain or cable. Which is pretty short.
Anyhow, my lock is long enough to go through the forward bit of the rear wheel and rear frame triangle, around a 4" or smaller post parked immediately next to the frame upright, and then back through the forward frame triangle & meet the lock ends together. No way it’s long enough to capture the front wheel too.
There are a few places I frequently park where there are no bike racks or convenient posts. I use the same locking pattern but the bike attached to nothing; just fouling the rear wheel and preventing its removal. I figure it’s unwieldy enough in that condition that a casual grab and run guy will pass it by.
I see lots of e-bikes parked but not locked at all. Is there an “ignition key” I’m not seeing, or some sort of combo locking feature in the app or control panel that prevents just riding off with it? I don’t know. Some probably yes, but almost certainly many are no locking at all. Mine doesn’t have any sort of disablement feature in the electrics / electronics.