The rise in prominence of e-scooters have been highlighted in many recent articles and media publications and it is increasingly as commonplace as commuting bicycles. With the Singapore government laying out the vision of a society less reliant on cars and more reliant on alternative personal mobility solutions, they have followed up with actions to encourage a car-free lifestyle by building more bicycle racks at various MRT stations.
Can e-scooters similarly take advantage of the same parking facilities as bicycles? E-scooters are definitely gaining increased usage because its seen as a sweat-free alternative to bicycles and it integrates into public facilities seamlessly just like bicycles do.
Now, on our daily romp around the island, we have gradually seen more and more e-scooters being parked outside buildings, bicycle stands and MRT stations (esp around Holland Village). Most are secured with a twirly lock that cyclists use. Given that e-scooters are in general more expensive than your average commuting bicycle, we think its fair to introduce a few high end security options that would make parking your e-scooter more secure and would integrate nicely into your e-scooter. As a rule of thumb: invest 10% of the value of your e-scooter into security!
1. The Most Secure lock for your e-scooter: The Foldylock
The Foldylock is made virtually indestructible and extremely compact. Its folds into a nice bright colored holder which can be mounted on the frame of your e-scooter or your bicycle. Watch this video here for the indestructibility tests! The guys who invented the Foldylocks are incidentally inventors of the World’s First Bicycle Seat Lock which they are currently launching on kickstarter. Check them out here!
2. The Motion Alarm — The Cricket
There are many motion alarms out in the market most of which are bulky and ineffective. But the new Cricket alarm system comes fully integrated with your smartphone by sending you alerts and the location of your vehicle if it has been moved. The size of a bottle cap, the Cricket alarm system can be hidden into the deck of your e-scooter or underneath your bicycle seat without anyone noticing. When moved, an automatic alert will be sent to your smartphone which will free you from being always on a constant lookout for your bike or e-scooter.
3. The Key Ignition Lock
Most e-scooters and ebikes do not come with a key ignition lock unlike a motorbike. This is now a very nice security option for escooter owners to have this key start feature so that they can leave their scooter for that quick run into the bank or quick mart.
Standalone, this key lock isn’t very useful but if complemented with a secure lock like the Foldylock introduced above, the key lock adds a layer of extra security for your valuable ride.
Here is a video to show you how to install the key-lock:
These are just 3 security options for your e-scooter, which taken as a holistic system can provide the ultimate security for your bicycle or e-scooter. Ride safe and park safe!
***UPDATE***
We have come across the great article reviewing the best locks in the cycling business. Check out EMobilityHQ’s Lock Buying Guide here. All the locks reviewed in this article applies to the locking of e-scooters and e-bikes too.
