New Police Data Exposes E-Bike Theft Hotspots
Electric bikes, or e-bikes, have become a familiar sight on our streets. Their eco-friendly footprint has made them a top choice for commuters, fitness enthusiasts, and leisure riders alike.
While bike theft has always been a concern for cyclists, with the growing popularity (and typically higher price tags) of e-bikes comes the question of whether they are even more tempting to thieves.
We have used UK Police data, which we downloaded to obtain the overall bike theft data from all forces between 2021 and 2023. We also used Freedom of Information requests to acquire the records from regional police forces in England and Wales to find out how many e-bike thefts occurred between 2021-2023, and sadly it does appear that thieves are very interested in electric bikes specifically.
We were also able to find out the number of e-bike thefts, giving us the total numbers by regional police forces on a year-by-year basis.
From our Freedom of Information request to every police force in England and Wales, 24 out of 47 authorities were able to provide us with the e-bike theft data requested.
Thefts of e-bikes have more than doubled in the space of 12 months
Overall, our research found that bike thefts in the UK are actually falling with 64,201 cases recorded in 2023 - a 15% decrease from 2022, which recorded 75,066 thefts in comparison.
Despite the decline in bike thefts, the data showed a sharp rise in thefts of e-bikes as the police data revealed a 103% increase across the country in the last year and a whopping 257% increase in the last two years.
In 2021, just 1.4% of bike thefts involved an e-bike, whereas by 2023 this had jumped to 6.2%. While general bike thefts are down, thieves are turning their attention to more lucrative targets with the average cost of an e-bike having risen by over 25% since 2020.*
West Yorkshire is experiencing a sharp rise in e-bike thefts
With e-bike thefts on the rise, we used FOI data to identify where e-bikes were targeted most frequently in 2023.
Our findings revealed West Yorkshire is the UK’s e-bike theft ‘hotspot’ with the highest number of cases, with 446 thefts in 2023 alone, more than treble the amount of the next ‘high’ thefts area of Avon and Somerset (144 thefts).
| Rank | Police Force | Total Number of Thefts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Yorkshire | 446 |
| 2 | Avon & Somerset | 144 |
| 3 | North Yorkshire | 124 |
| 4 | Cambridgeshire | 105 |
| 5 | Dorset | 94 |
| 6 | Surrey | 86 |
| 7 | Kent | 52 |
| 8 | Warwickshire | 37 |
| 9 | Norfolk | 36 |
| 10 | Northamptonshire | 36 |
Based on the average cost of new e-bikes in 2023, e-bike thefts in West Yorkshire in 2023 amounted to the collective loss of roughly a million pounds2.
Within West Yorkshire, Leeds suffered the most e-bike thefts in general, with more than half of cases (53%) occurring in Yorkshire’s largest city.
North Yorkshire is also experiencing an unwelcome focus on e-bike theft, coming third overall with 124 cases in 2023. **
London is the hotspot for bike thefts in general
Whilst the data showed that general bike theft is falling in nearly all areas, we identified the areas which experience the highest number of bike thefts in general by gathering the number of cases in each constabulary between 2021 – 2023.
| Rank | Police Force | Total Number of Thefts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metropolitan Police | 54,438 |
| 2 | British Transport Police | 13,802 |
| 3 | Thames Valley | 12,295 |
| 4 | Avon & Somerset | 7,555 |
| 5 | Cambridgeshire | 7,247 |
| 6 | West Midlands | 7,121 |
| 7 | Hampshire | 6,778 |
| 8 | Sussex | 6,062 |
| 9 | West Yorkshire | 6,058 |
| 10 | South Wales | 5,160 |
Unsurprisingly, London had the most cases of general bike theft. It recorded 54,438 thefts between 2021 and 2023, almost quadruple the number of cases recorded by the constabulary with the next highest cases.
The UK’s railways and its stations were among the bike theft hotspots as the British Transport Police recorded the second-highest number of thefts, with a total of 13,802 cases between 2021-2023.
Areas where the highest % of bike thefts are electric
We also identified areas which have the highest percentage of e-bike thefts in comparison to bike thefts overall.
Despite a fall in general bike thefts in the last year, West Yorkshire is experiencing a huge spike in criminals targeting e-bikes - more so than any other region.
The FOI data we received showed that in 2023, a massive 85% of total bike thefts in West Yorkshire were related to e-bikes, a significant proportion compared to the average 10% for the next four ‘top’ areas that have seen a high percentage of e-bike thefts.
Our findings revealed that despite Dorset recording the fifth highest numbers of e-bike thefts in 2023, it had the second highest percentage of bike thefts relating to e-bikes (12%).
E-bike thefts in North Yorkshire accounted for 10% of total bike thefts, with Surrey and Warwickshire closely behind with 9% and 8% respectively.
Areas with the highest % increase in e-bike thefts
In addition to the areas with the highest percentage of bike thefts relating to electric, we also looked at the areas which had experienced the biggest increases in e-bike thefts in the last year.
North Yorkshire saw a massive bump of 176% in 2023 compared to the previous year, the biggest increase in the country.
Other counties with significant increases in e-bike thefts include Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire with an increase of 44% since 2022 (both), Lancashire with a 34% increase, and Derbyshire with a 22% increase.
Secure your bike with these 5 steps
It’s clear from our findings that thieves are turning their attention and efforts to electric bikes. With criminals becoming smarter, it’s vital to ensure you take all measures to protect your bike.
It goes without saying that you should lock your bike. However, not everyone is aware that you should lock all the bike, including wheels as thieves often remove detachable parts of the bike.
Secondly, the advice is to use more than one lock. The typical “opportunist thief” may be carrying some bolt and/or cable cutters. They will be on the lookout for chain locks, padlocks and cable locks that are relatively easily broken. More advanced or “professional” thieves may come armed with angle grinders or hacksaws, equipping them to tackle even the sturdiest u-lock and thicker chains.
However, thieves will rarely come armed with the tools to tackle various types of lock at the same time. Using at least two different styles of lock – for example, a u-lock and a chain together – will give the thief a much tougher time trying to make off with your bicycle.
In addition, it’s important to not compromise on a lock. As a starting point, look out for the “Sold Secure” badge. This gives reassurance that the lock meets a certain industry standard, so you can be confident it will be secure.
The “Sold Secure” badges come in three ratings: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Gold is of course the most secure but work within your price range to find an option that fits.
When locking your bike up while out and about, location is absolutely everything. As a rule of thumb, the longer you’re leaving your bike, the more secure the area needs to be.
Before setting out on your journey, be sure to take the time to research potential locations for bike storage. Several cities have secure bike storage areas, sometimes behind locked gates, which is an ideal option for increased protection (although still be sure to follow your usual locking procedures).
Failing that, always try to find well-lit areas that are covered by CCTV. Parking your bike indoors is also a sensible option if possible. However, if you’re leaving your bicycle in communal areas such as hallways, ensure you lock it to something secure or at the very least lock the front wheel to the frame.
Even with the best preparation and most robust locks in place, sometimes bike thieves will still get the upper hand. Ensure your bike is security marked and the frame number is registered to give thieves a much harder time.
Registering your frame number is simple. All you need to do is find the frame number, usually underneath the bike near the pedals or back wheel, and then register it on a database approved by Secured by Design. Be sure to take a note of this somewhere yourself too, along with pictures that can be used to easily identify the bike if it is taken.
Conclusion
Our research has revealed that there is a general decline in bike thefts in the UK, however theft of electric bikes is rocketing at an alarming rate, and with the average cost of e-bikes rising since 2020, it’s leading to thousands of pounds worth of loss.
West Yorkshire takes the top spot for having the highest number of e-bike thefts and is experiencing a sharp rise in cases as they are becoming a prime target for thieves – owners here should be especially cautious.
There are measures we can take to protect our bikes, and we strongly urge cyclists to invest in high quality locks, one different from the other. Making a thief’s job harder gives a better chance of deterring them from stealing the bike.
