Battery lock

[no_whammys]

For those who remove and carry their Rad batteries around...built like a brick outhouse:

https://amzn.to/3iqsNNW

I use a Grove Tools Quick Release Seat Lock...lock the seatpost AND block removal of the battery the same as it does on the taller RadRovers:

http://www.saveyourseatlock.com

I experienced one downside with the Grove seatpost lock though....broken down for transport.     

@radjohn - thnx for such an informative & descriptive post.  after purchasing a $200 cane creek thudbuster seat post & realizing a replacement battery pack from rad would cost approx $650 after shipping & taxes, i decided that i needed to especially secure these items to my bike so i completely followed your lead.  your description of the items & your experience was spot-on right down to the seat twisting slightly necessitating the Supergrip Carbon and Alloy Assembly Compound which solved the problem.  thnx again.  btw, all for less than $50!!!

[JimInPT]

For those who remove and carry their Rad batteries around, if you're anywhere near as paranoid as I am about dropping one of the shiny, slippery, expen$ive things, a C.E. Smith Draw Bar Storage Bag (for a trailer hitch) fits the battery like a glove, has handles and is built like a brick outhouse:

https://amzn.to/3iqsNNW

Thanks for that tip!  I just ordered one and think it's a shame (and maybe a company liability) for Rad to ship batteries worth $500 with their bikes that can all be removed with a key blank.  Imagine the outcry if Tesla did that.  It's ultimately the battery manufacturer's design fault through their choice of lock vendor; does anybody know if any other brands are affected?

UPDATE: received the bag and you're right - it fits my Mini's battery like a glove!  Very much appreciate the tip.

[JimInPT]

EDIT 30 June 2021: I bought a blank key on eBay to see if they really do unlock the batteries.  Yep, they do; it immediately unlocked mine and every other recent-model Rad owner's battery I've tried so far!  So beware - for $7 to get a key, it's easy to steal the battery!

EDIT 12 March 2022:  This mod might work on the new Expand5 models too; the frame under the seat seems to be very similar to the MiniST2, if not identical. 

After looking around at the locking post clamp and other approaches in this thread, I came up with a solution that others might find useful.  Note that this is for my RadMini Step-Thru 2 bike and works perfectly, but might not work on other frames without modification.  For this bike, it's just what I needed and cost only about $25.

I've attached some photos - you can see that I previously removed the quick-release seatpost clamp and replaced it with a standard clamp, after replacing the stock bolt with a tamper-resistant Torx bolt.  That makes it a lot harder to steal the seat and Redshift suspension post, but does nothing to protect the battery.

So I did a lot of searching and finally ordered this small U-lock for about $17:  https://amzn.to/3g370KV  Note that the identical item is sold under several Chineseium names from various vendors if this one happens to be out of stock.  It's surprisingly strong and well-made; perhaps the locking mechanism can be picked, but it's almost impossible to get to it with a pick tool the way I have it mounted - it will definitely slow down even an accomplished thief and cutting it won't be easy, quick or quiet.

But by itself, the shackle is too loose; it can easily be wiggled up and over the seatpost clamp, clearing the way for battery removal.  So I went to the hardware store and bought 1-foot of 1-3/8" outer-diameter nylon-reinforced thickwall plastic tubing to push on over the U part of the lock.  I just eyeballed it in the store, but got lucky and it's exactly the length I needed.  But, it's very stiff at room temperature and won't install over that tight of a curve.  Solution?  Boil it in a pot of water for 10 minutes to soften it up (it won't soften a lot, but enough), then right out of the water use insulated rubber gloves to quickly shove it over and around the U before it cools off - it works.  Then put it into the sun with the points down to drain it for a couple minutes, then invert with the open side up to evaporate the remaining drops of moisture inside to help prevent rust (the entire lock mechanism is already rubber coated except at the very tips of the U).

Voilá - it's a perfect tight fit; I had to really wedge it in there to be able to reassemble the lock and remove the key.  Perfect!  No wiggle, no rattle, no movement - it protects both the battery and the seatpost clamp; they are going nowhere and everything is rubber-coated to protect the paint.  Bonus effect: it also jams up the controller and toolbag (mounted between frame rails above rear fender) a bit, making them slightly harder to mess with.  If you look closely at the lock by itself, you can see an indent at the top of the U where it relaxed in the sun to mold itself around the seatpost clamp; as a result it's a tiny bit smaller and much easier to lock in place than it was at first.  It's a bit of a hassle to remove that lock even with a key, so I've switched to just charging the battery on the bike in the garage instead of removing it each time.

Works great and doesn't cost a lot - hope this might help somebody else, especially another Mini Step-Thru owner.

Cheers!

[veganbiker]

Jim - thanks for sharing this info. I also bought a blank key and found that they do indeed unlock any Rad bike battery!!!!
I also thought about using a U lock on my bike, I just have to find one that will fit my 2019 RadCity ST.
I am in Seattle and when I find a lock or some other method of securing the battery I am going to visit the RadPower showroom and show them the key and ask them to consider selling some sort of battery locking device.

Along with some attachment for towing a trailer!

[JimInPT]

I am going to visit the RadPower showroom and show them the key and ask them to consider selling some sort of battery locking device.

When I ordered my Mini ST back in March, I mentioned what I'd heard about this to the CSR on the phone and she was sort of cagey in her reply, so I knew then I would probably get a vulnerable lock and should start thinking of my own solution - they may have been coached on the subject and may be dreading a class-action lawsuit or something.  I know the lock mechanism was probably selected by the battery manufacturer they contracted, or a designer, but they know about the problem and it's a potential liability for them as the final vendor.  A bit surprised they haven't already come up with an add-on lock to send to customers or even better a replacement lock core for the battery that's actually a bit more secure than just needing a blank key.  I don't think I've ever seen any place they've even publicly acknowledged the problem - sooner or later it's going to bite them in the butt with many thousands of $500+ batteries out there awaiting harvest by organized thieves.

I carry that blank key with me now on my keyring to demonstrate the problem to other Rad owners.

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out.

[esotericist]

so i recently bought a radwagon 4 to function as my primary method of bringing home groceries, and i didn't know until after i already received it that the lock on the battery was something of a gentle suggestion against theft rather than any actual obstacle (i was suspicious once i looked at the keys, then came to radforums to confirm since i had encountered these forums briefly while researching what to buy. thanks for your diligence, guys)

the solution JimInPT used for his radmini step-thru 2 is rather elegant, but with the frame configuration of the radwagon 4 it looks a lot harder harder to brace a u-lock against something to keep the battery from moving. the obvious answer of "just take the battery with you" is problematic, as i am disabled with impaired hand mobility, and while it's possible for me to remove the battery, it requires an exceptional amount of effort to do so without dropping the battery. i'd prefer another answer, if at all reasonably possible.

anyone have suggestions? am i going to have to fabricate a component i can lock into place, or is there something that might work with minimal alteration?

(my ideal solution would be replacing the core on the lock with an actual damn lock, but that looks impractical with the battery casing's design)

[JimInPT]

the obvious answer of "just take the battery with you" is problematic, as i am disabled with impaired hand mobility, and while it's possible for me to remove the battery, it requires an exceptional amount of effort to do so without dropping the battery. i'd prefer another answer, if at all reasonably possible.

Aside from your difficulty removing the battery, I just created a post for a carrying bag that makes it a LOT easier to stow and carry a Rad battery, here:  https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=1165.0
Perhaps this bag might be useful to you.

[esotericist]

the obvious answer of "just take the battery with you" is problematic, as i am disabled with impaired hand mobility, and while it's possible for me to remove the battery, it requires an exceptional amount of effort to do so without dropping the battery. i'd prefer another answer, if at all reasonably possible.

Aside from your difficulty removing the battery, I just created a post for a carrying bag that makes it a LOT easier to stow and carry a Rad battery, here:  https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=1165.0
Perhaps this bag might be useful to you.

yeah, that's totally valid (and a nice looking bag!), but i'd have to solve the getting-the-battery-from-bike-to-bag-without-dropping-on-asphalt part. which, if it comes down to it, i'm willing to do, but i worry that'll require me to void my warranty adding a handle or something. plus stores around here get really wiggy about carrying zipper-able bags into them, which is frustrating (more than one store i frequent explicitly disallows backpacks, no exceptions. you might imagine how that makes me feel given my hand situation, and how much easier it is for me to wear a backpack than carry bags.)

another thing i considered, if i can solve removing the battery, is getting some kind of lockable box (tractor toolbox, maybe?) mounted to the bike, and just putting the battery in that. for my primary use case of leaving the bike unattended while in a store, it might be enough. still not as ideal as having a real lock on the battery, but possibly enough for handling a 30 minute shopping window.

(slight tangent: also in my list of moderately high priority things to solve due to my hand issues: looking into getting some hydraulic brakes at some point. ideally with levers that are closer to the handles. i can work the mechanical disc brakes, but not as easily as i'd like, and brakes kinda need to be easy.)

[JimInPT]

yeah, that's totally valid (and a nice looking bag!), but i'd have to solve the getting-the-battery-from-bike-to-bag-without-dropping-on-asphalt part. which, if it comes down to it, i'm willing to do, but i worry that'll require me to void my warranty adding a handle or something. plus stores around here get really wiggy about carrying zipper-able bags into them, which is frustrating (more than one store i frequent explicitly disallows backpacks, no exceptions. you might imagine how that makes me feel given my hand situation, and how much easier it is for me to wear a backpack than carry bags.)

How about adding a decent motion-sensitive alarm to your bike, so that you wouldn't have to remove the battery unless you're in a really skeevy part of town?

After hearing a number of people recommend it, and watching video reviews, I got one of these:  https://amzn.to/3i1Lzeg The main reason I was hesitant was the price; it's too cheap!  But the bulk of the reviews were so good that it wasn't much to lose if it was junk, so I ordered it.  However, it's built very well, is water-resistant and is annoying as hell when it's triggered - very, very loud.  If you try it out when removing from the box, keep the remote handy to shut it off, because you'll be startled by how loud it is.  But it has a harsh, short warning growl when first disturbed; it will lose its mind if moved again within a minute or two, but the warning should suffice most of the time.  Motion sensitivity and alarm volume are adjustable.

Here's one video review; there are many others to be found by searching on "wsdcam".  https://youtu.be/dn8CPJmANDU   There are also other alarms, but this is the first one I tried and I love it so I stopped looking.  You can buy them in sets of two, with two remotes instead of one, and other configurations.

I mounted mine upside-down, strapped to the underside of the rear rack, just above the fender, with zip-ties; it fits neatly in the square area designed to attach kiddie seats and is invisible down there; your bike probably has that in its rack too.  I will have to cut and replace the zip-ties to change the batteries, but I replaced the factory cheap batteries with new Duracells before installation and have heard that they'll last a long time.  I don't set it very often, so I'm probably good for a year or so before having to change them out.

Highly recommended if an alarm would work for you, and cheap to give it a try.  Just don't forget to disarm it before climbing back on!

[esotericist]

yeah, i was actually eyeing one of those, and i think it's a great idea and i'll probably get one, but the major grocery store i'll be going to most often only has two places to chain up a bike:

• a tiny bike rack that isn't actually anchored to anything and weighs substantially less than the radwagon.
  
• and the cart return corral. it's actually pretty robust, something sensible to chain up with that's secure, but i wonder if someone returning a cart might set off the sensor. i could (and probably will) test it, but it seems a likely issue to me.
  

but in a general sense this is absolutely a useful and important avenue to pursue, i agree. i'm just trying to hedge my bets, since this is basically my car at this point. a missing battery isn't just an inconvenience and an economic hit, it's me being stranded somewhere.

but life is compromise. i can't get perfect, i can only try to manage risks to the limits of practicality. and i totally appreciate you engaging with me on alternative approaches.

[JimInPT]

yeah, i was actually eyeing one of those, and i think it's a great idea and i'll probably get one, but the major grocery store i'll be going to most often only has two places to chain up a bike:

• a tiny bike rack that isn't actually anchored to anything and weighs substantially less than the radwagon.
  
• and the cart return corral. it's actually pretty robust, something sensible to chain up with that's secure, but i wonder if someone returning a cart might set off the sensor. i could (and probably will) test it, but it seems a likely issue to me.
  

I think if you use a long U-lock or robust chain/cable to tie your ride to the rack or cart corral with a gap between it and the bike, you should be ok, as any vibrations in those from carts banging around shouldn't get transmitted to the bike frame to set off the alarm.  You might have to experiment with sensitivity settings, but it's inexpensive to try out the idea.  My guess (recovering mechanical engineer) is that unless your bike frame is touching the rack, it'll be fine.

I have a very long U-lock for a similar reason; I don't want the nice Rad paint job to get all banged up by rubbing and bumping against a rack.

Hey, as long as I've got you here - what in the h#$l is that spring thingie between the front fork and lower downtube that holds the battery?

[esotericist]

I think if you use a long U-lock or robust chain/cable to tie your ride to the rack or cart corral with a gap between it and the bike, you should be ok, as any vibrations in those from carts banging around shouldn't get transmitted to the bike frame to set off the alarm.  You might have to experiment with sensitivity settings, but it's inexpensive to try out the idea.  My guess (recovering mechanical engineer) is that unless your bike frame is touching the rack, it'll be fine.

I have a very long U-lock for a similar reason; I don't want the nice Rad paint job to get all banged up by rubbing and bumping against a rack.

reasonable, and i will definitely play around with that.

Hey, as long as I've got you here - what in the h#$l is that spring thingie between the front fork and lower downtube that holds the battery?

that is the deflopilator. it deflopilates 

seriously, all it does is help keep the front wheel straight-ish (i.e. not flopping) when the bike isn't in motion, helps with loading and unloading (since you're not supposed to have your kickstand in place while doing so)


back to the original topic, re: securing battery: i'm currently exploring the possibility of trying to use some kind of cable lock to secure around the bottom edge of the battery to prevent sliding. a retractable cable is a woefully inadequate method of securing a bike like this as a primary lock, but if it's flush to the battery/frame instead of looping out to an external object, it might be sufficiently hard to get a cutter in. especially if i use your heat-molded tube trick 

[JimInPT]

A deflopilator; of course, I should have recognized it.  I think my '71 Pinto had one of those.

A cable might do the trick; as long as you can restrain the battery from moving forward it's tough to steal, as you know.  I hope you can come back to this thread to update us on your solution(s); I'm curious to know.