Upway partners up with Project 529 to reduce bike thefts and make the second-hand market more reliable

Written by: Rémy Rossi | January 22, 2024 | Time to read 5 min

Upway is now partnering with Project 529 to help combat bike theft. Below, you’ll learn what Project 529 is, how it works, and the steps to quickly register your e-Bike.

More about the Author: Remy Rossi

Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.

Bike theft is a tragic situation. Call me sentimental, but having your favorite bike stolen from right under your nose can feel like a personal attack, and that’s on top of the financial and logistic setbacks. But there are powerful tools to help bring filched bicycles back from the dead and return them to their rightful owners.

And, here is the big news — your electric bike just got safer at Upway. Upway is now partnering with Project 529 to help protect your e-Bike from the moment that bike box arrives at your door.

Table of Contents

Introduction

What is Project 529?

How does Project 529 work?

How to Register Your E-Bike

Building Trust in the Second-Hand E-Bike Market

Don’t forget about a bike lock

What is Project 529?

Project 529 runs an international bicycle registry and recovery platform to protect bikes out on the street and coordinate recovery efforts in the event of theft. The ever-growing platform refers to its huge bike registry as the 529 Garage and there’s also a mobile app. Users register their bikes to the database and law enforcement organizations can access the platform to assist in tracking down a stolen bike.

How does Project 529 work?

User registering bike serial number on Project 529 app

In the case of a stolen bike, the Project 529 registry provides an official record of the bike’s information and correct owner. But that’s not all— the real thief-crushing superpowers of the platform lie in its ability to coordinate between relevant actors, including the local community, law enforcement, and insurance.

If your bike gets swiped, you can immediately report it stolen via the Project 529 app which sends out a push notification to local users and flags the bike within the system. More and more law enforcement groups like police departments are partnering with Project 529 and can easily cross-reference the registry when they find or are searching for a stolen bike.

Project 529 is based in Vancouver, Canada but has expanded across the US and beyond— but the news from up north is that the platform lowered Vancouver’s incidence of bike theft by 70%! Project 529’s also has a partnership with Sundays bicycle insurance to facilitate any claims and information sharing.

How to Register Your E-Bike

All Upway e-Bikes include a complimentary registration kit provided inside the shipping box. And trust me— this isn’t some boring manual you want to throw away. It lays out the simple steps to download the Project 529 app and complete your registration, and it even comes with a complimentary 529 Shield (which normally costs $11).

1. Download the app

Project 529 has an app to make registration secure and simple. Download the app in your phone’s app store or scan the QR code in the registration booklet.

2. Complete your registration

You’ll be asked to add information about your bike, including its serial number, model, manufacturer, value, and other specifications. The bike serial number is typically found on the underside of the frame beneath the bottom bracket (where the pedals meet the frame).

3. Stick the 529 Shield on your bike

Project 529 used “shields”, or tamper-resistant and weather-resistant decals with a unique seven-character ID code for your bike. This sticker only matches your specific bike, making it easier to look up in the system and adding another layer of protection and theft deterrence. We recommend placing it on the seat tube just below the seatpost clamp.

Note: This shield is intentionally fragile and cannot be moved once applied to your bike.

Building Trust in the Second-Hand E-Bike Market

Our partnership with Project 529 is part of our commitment to building trust in the second-hand e-Bike market. By leveraging their bike registration and recovery system, we can guarantee that the e-Bikes we buy and sell are verified and legitimate. This added layer of security provides buyers with peace of mind and fosters a more transparent, reliable marketplace. After all, we know that buying an e-Bike in the second-hand market can sometimes feel like navigating the Wild West, especially on platforms where quality control is lacking.

Don’t forget about a bike lock

Bicycle with blue chain combination lock

Remember that registering your bike is a crucial step against theft but won’t proactively defend against a bike snatcher. Be sure to always use a high-quality bike lock when leaving your bike unattended and practice proper locking technique. Heavy-duty locks, correct technique, and a Project 529 Shield or other registration decal are all helpful deterrents to convince a thief to not even mess with your bike in the first place.

Another way to protect your bike from theft is by subscribing to an insurance plan. Upway partners with Sundays Insurance to offer our community the most competitive rates for e-Bike protection. Since e-Bikes often fall outside the coverage of standard homeowner’s or renter’s insurance—and their higher price tags compared to traditional bikes make them a valuable investment—taking out affordable e-Bike insurance can be a smart choice.

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Upway partners up with Project 529 to reduce bike thefts and make the second-hand market more reliable

What is Project 529?

How does Project 529 work?