E-Bike Accessories and Security
Two separate questions get answered here, because they are the two things new owners ask us about most after the bike itself. What is actually worth buying, and how do you stop it being stolen.
The short answer to the second one: spend properly on the lock. It is the accessory people economise on and the one with the largest downside.
The short version
- Essentials: helmet, heavy duty D-lock, spare tube, pump with a gauge.
- Best value adds: phone mount, mirrors, lights, better pedals.
- A cable lock is not a lock. Seconds to cut.
- Lock through the frame and a fixed object, not the wheel.
- Take the battery with you where practical.
- Record the frame number and photograph the bike today, not after.
- Check your insurance wording. E-bikes are often treated separately.
- Skip for now: second battery, upgraded tyres, performance parts.
What we cover
Essential accessories · Worth adding · Skip for now · Choosing a lock · How to lock it · If it is stolen · Insurance · FAQ
The essential accessories
| Item | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | $67 to $260 | Non-negotiable on a heavy bike carrying speed |
| Heavy duty D-lock | Buy properly | The single most important accessory you will buy |
| Spare tube | $25 to $40 | Fat tubes are not stocked by every bike shop |
| Pump with a gauge | Varies | Weekly pressure checks. Thumbs cannot measure |
| Tyre levers | Low | Fat tyres are harder to get off the rim than you expect |
| Multi-tool | Varies | Vibration and weight loosen fasteners |
Prices current as at August 2026.
Worth adding
- Phone mount, $35 to $55. The first upgrade most commuters make. Navigation without stopping.
- Mirrors, from $60. Genuinely more useful than on a pushbike, because turning your head unbalances a heavy bike considerably more.
- Lights. Many bikes have them integrated. If yours does not, get them before you first ride at dusk rather than after.
- Better pedals, $25 to $50. Stock pedals are often the cheapest component on the bike, and grip matters in the wet.
- Rack and panniers. If the bike is replacing car trips, carrying capacity is what makes that actually work.
- Second charger. One at home, one at work. Removes range anxiety entirely for commuters.
- Bike strap, around $20. Small, useful constantly.
Skip for now
- A second battery. Significant cost. Ride for a month first, because most people find their range is fine once they stop sitting in the highest assist.
- Upgraded tyres. The stock ones are matched to the bike. Change them when they wear and you know your surfaces.
- Suspension upgrades. Expensive, and fat tyres already absorb a great deal.
- Performance modifications. Frequently affect legality, warranty and safety at once.
- Cycling clothing. On an upright bike with a motor you are not working hard enough to need it.
Choosing a lock
An e-bike is worth several thousand dollars, weighs enough to be awkward to carry away, and is instantly recognisable as valuable. That combination makes it a target.
| Lock type | Security | Use it as |
|---|---|---|
| Cable lock | Very low. Cut in seconds | Secondary only, for a wheel |
| Chain lock | Varies enormously with quality | Primary if hardened and heavy |
| D-lock or U-lock | Highest for the weight | Primary lock. The one to buy well |
| Folding lock | Moderate, more flexible | Secondary, or lower risk parking |
Buy a hardened D-lock as your primary. Heavier is generally more secure, and the weight is the price of the security. On an e-bike, unlike a pushbike, you have a motor to carry it.
Two locks of different types beats one good lock, because defeating them needs two different sets of tools and considerably more time.
How to lock it properly
- Through the frame and a fixed, immovable object. Locking only a wheel means the wheel stays and the bike leaves.
- Fill the space inside the lock. A D-lock with room to spare gives leverage. A tight fit does not.
- Keep it off the ground so it cannot be smashed against concrete.
- Face the keyhole down and away from easy access.
- Take the battery where practical. Most valuable removable part, and a bike without one is far less useful to move.
- Park somewhere busy and visible, ideally covered by cameras.
- Vary where you leave it if you park in the same place daily.
- Secure the wheels with a secondary lock if they are quick release.
None of this makes a bike theft-proof. It makes yours slower and noisier to take than the one next to it, which is most of what security achieves.
Do this now, in case
Five minutes today that matters enormously later.
- Record the frame number. Usually stamped under the bottom bracket. Photograph it.
- Photograph the whole bike from several angles, including any distinguishing marks.
- Keep your receipt somewhere you can find it.
- Note the battery and motor serial numbers if they are visible.
- Register it on a bike registry if you use one.
Without a frame number, a recovered bike is very difficult to prove is yours, and insurers will ask for it.
Insurance
Worth checking the wording rather than assuming, because e-bikes sit awkwardly across policy categories.
Many home and contents policies treat e-bikes differently from bicycles, cap the value covered, or limit cover to theft from the property itself. If your bike is stolen from a bike rack in the city, that may not be covered by a policy you assumed covered it.
Questions worth asking your insurer: is the bike covered away from the property, is there a value cap, does a specific lock standard need to be used, and is the battery covered separately.
Specialist bicycle insurance exists and may be worth it given what these cost.
Accessories and security FAQ
How do you lock an electric bike properly?
Use a heavy duty D-lock through the frame and a fixed immovable object, never just a wheel. Two locks of different types is meaningfully better because it takes two sets of tools. Take the battery with you where practical.
Is a cable lock enough for an e-bike?
No. A cable can be cut in seconds with tools that fit in a pocket, and an e-bike is a high value target. Use a hardened D-lock as your primary lock and keep a cable only as a secondary to secure a wheel.
What accessories are worth buying for an e-bike?
A good lock, a spare tube, a pump with a gauge and a helmet are the essentials. After that a phone mount, mirrors and lights make the biggest practical difference for commuting. Racks matter if the bike is replacing car trips.
Should you take the e-bike battery with you when you park?
Where practical, yes. The battery is the most valuable removable component and a bike without one is far less useful to move or resell. It also removes the temptation for opportunistic theft of the pack alone.
Are e-bikes covered by home insurance?
It varies. Many policies treat e-bikes separately from bicycles or cap the value, and cover away from the property is often limited or excluded. Check the wording specifically rather than assuming, and record your frame number now.
Do you need mirrors on an electric bike?
They are more useful than on a pushbike. You move faster in traffic, and turning your head to look behind unbalances a heavy bike far more than it does a light one. Worth having if you commute in traffic regularly.
Get set up in one visit
Come to 435A Bridge Road, Richmond and we will go through what your riding actually needs rather than selling you a list. We fit racks, mirrors, mounts and lights in store.
Call 03 9421 2293. Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90.
Keep reading: New E-Bike Owner Checklist · Your First Electric Bike · Maintenance Guide · Range and Motors Explained · Where to Ride in Melbourne
Shop: Accessories and Parts · Fat Tyre E-Bikes · Helmets