Is your bike safe in the basement?

How a hidden tracker helped Rimvydas recover his stolen e-bike in minutes.

Is your bike really safe in the basement? You might think so — but think again. Bikes are often stolen from basements and shared storage rooms, especially at night, when the world sleeps… and thieves don’t. Just ask Rimvydas from Copenhagen. His story will make you rethink how secure your bike really is.

This is Rimvydas’s story:

“I have a MATE X 250+ electric bike with an extended-range battery and all the possible add-ons – fenders, a cargo rack, an Ortlieb bag… It’s a fantastic bike that has carried me through nearly 15,000 km. I use it daily for commuting, all year round.

When I bought it for €2,500 plus customizations, I knew I needed a way to protect it. So, I did my research – Googling GPS trackers and reading forums – and BikeFinder was the best option.

The day my bike got stolen, was not a day I wanted to start with… I woke up, checked my phone as usual, and saw a notification from my BikeFinder tracker – my bike had been moved – just after 5 in the morning. I rushed down to my basement, and sure enough, it was no longer where I left it.

Thanks to my tracker, I saw that my bike was just two buildings away, near the student housing. I quickly got dressed, ran to the location shown in the app, and found it abandoned near other bikes. The battery and charger were missing, but at least I had recovered the bike itself.

My bike was also locked with an ABUS U-lock, but the thieves simply carried it away without even removing it. Normally, I also keep an AirTag on my bike, but I had removed it for a recent vacation and forgot to put it back.

Thankfully, I had insurance through BikeFinder, and their support team helped me start the claim process for the stolen battery and charger.

I don’t know if one of the students from the nearby building took it, or if it was a thief who abandoned it, planning to return with a fully charged battery and something to cut the lock.

I reported the theft to the police, but unfortunately, bike theft cases are rarely investigated further.”

A note from the BikeFinder team

This isn’t an isolated case — it’s one of the most common types of bike theft we see.
Many cyclists focus on locking up outdoors, overlooking the real risk: indoor theft. Thieves know exactly where to look, and bikes are stolen from basements, storage rooms, and garages every day — often more frequently than from the street.

The truth is, unless your bike is trackable and monitored, it isn’t truly secure.
So ask yourself: Is your bike as safe as you think it is?

Discover how BikeFinder can help you protect what matters.