'Absolutely devastating': Calgary E-bike shop targeted by thieves just one month after opening

A Calgary electric bicycle business has only been open for just over a month, but it’s already been targeted by thieves who stole thousands of dollars worth of items.

At around 5:30 a.m. on July 22, police were called to STT Electrix, located at 58 Avenue S.E., for reports of a break-in at the business.

Four electric bicycles were stolen from the shop worth an estimated $10,200.

• Carbo Model S, red colour. ($2,937.07 value) Serial No. CB23CF07350;
• OHM Quest 2, granite colour. ($3,527.26 value) Serial No. ELEM22185;
• Element Eventure 29, red colour. ($2,000 value) Serial No. N00000582; and
• Ampr’ Up 2.0, silver colour. ($1,750 value) Serial No. ends in 21076.

Business owner, Avi Beierbach has CCTV footage of the incident which shows two Caucasian men wearing black hoodies breaking into the shop by smashing the front door with a fire extinguisher.

They then begin using an angle grinder to cut through bicycle locks.

“That set off the motion alarm system and you could just see them on the video in a panic, they cut the security cabling I had run through all of my bikes and got away with four of them,” he said.

“It was absolutely devastating because we’re a new business, it took a lot of work to get everything set up and somebody found me in this little corner tucked away and decided to mess with all my stuff.”

Beierbach adds that the thieves knocked over several of his bikes in the shop, damaging many of them and forcing him to now mark down the value

“The way they went about it and damaged pretty much every bike, I think I have four or five bikes left that don’t have some type of scratch or ding, some of them I’ve had to mark down about $1,000 just to make it worthwhile for people to buy,” he said.

“I guess these bikes are becoming a hot commodity in North America filling a lot of demand for the commuter demographic or the elderly, so for them I think it’s a cheap, easy sell-off.”

According to a Calgary police investigation, the thieves pulled up to the business in a stolen yellow-coloured five-ton Leon’s Furniture truck which was later located a short distance away.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or contact Crime Stoppers.

How to prevent bike theft

Beierbach had taken all the right precautions to ensure his bikes were protected against theft, including the installation of a security camera, a motion-sensor alarm and high-quality locks.

He had also registered all of his bikes on the Calgary Police Bike Index, which is something the average consumer is recommended to do to protect their bicycle in the event of it being stolen.

“That’s a free online area where you can actually go on and record, not only the bike’s serial number but you can put pictures or include special adaptation information on the bike and a full description,” said Sgt. Nick Wilsher with the CPS Crime Prevention Team.

“It will help us to refer to the bike if it ever does get stolen. A lot of those times, we actually find people riding these bikes around the area it was taken and we'll be then able to actually recover those bikes, deal with the offenders, but also, more importantly, return the bike back to the actual owner of the bike.”

Wilsher adds that the next best tip is to, of course, invest in a high-quality D-shaped or U-shaped lock.

“They offer the most protection and it’s always key as well to learn where to lock your bike, so don’t just put it around the frame and the front or back or tire, you really need to secure it to something that is actually stable,” he said.

When it comes to storing an electrical bicycle, Calgary police also recommend removing the battery and placing it in a secure place.

“We really see a lot of this bike theft occur in the summer months simply because there are a lot more bikes out and about so it’s important to be aware and not to go into a shop for a few minutes for example and think it’s OK not to lock your bike. It’s a crime of opportunity,” he said.

Insuring your bike

Higher-end bicycles can range in cost from around $1,000 all the way up to $10,000 in some cases, which is why insurance experts recommend protecting these items in the event they are damaged or stolen.

Anne Marie Thomas with the Insurance Bureau of Canada says it’s important for consumers to be aware of their insurance coverage as most policies have limitations on collectibles, artwork and jewellery unless you pay an additional premium known as a rider.

“That’s almost like a mini insurance policy within your insurance policy for those specific items,” she said.

“For example, if you have a bike that's worth $5,000, you might want to say to your insurance company, I would like $5,000 of insurance on my bike, they will charge you a little bit more, but at least you know you have the coverage you need in the event that your bike is lost or stolen.”

Thomas notes that many people also don’t realize that there are limitations on cash you have in your home in the event of a robbery or fire.

She says typically the limit is between $500 to $1,500 that an insurance policy will cover so it may be best to keep those items in a safety deposit box away from your home.

“If you keep your jewelry in a safe deposit box, you'll likely pay a lower premium for that jewelry than if it's just stored at your house.

“But in terms of lowering your overall home insurance premium, bundle your home and auto together with the same company you will get a discount on each policy. Increase the deductible if you think that you can afford it. Find out if your insurance company offers a group discount for being, you know, an alumnus of a particular school or an employee of a particular company.”