Monday, 15 June 2015
Over the past few years you can’t help but have noticed an increase in the number of cyclists around Britain. Whether it is inspired by the 2012 London Olympics or the Yorkshire leg of the Tour De France there is no doubting that cycling has never been more popular.
However this increase has also lead to an increase in bike theft with more bikes around for the taking. Unfortunately sometimes bikes are easy to steal due to a lapse in judgement on the owners’ part. By not locking their bike up securely or at all they are shining a spotlight on themselves for all the wrong reasons.
But don’t fear, here at Lock Shop Direct we have some simple yet effective tips for bike security:
Insure it
The first step should always be to add your new bike onto your home & contents insurance. This is especially important now as more and more people buy top of the range bikes, which can cost thousands of pounds, to emulate their heroes like Chris Hoy or Mark Cavendish.
Lock it when you park it
Every time you’re parking your bike it is important to get into the habit of securing it with a lock. Even if you’ve just nipped into the newsagent for a newspaper or stopped at a remote country pub for some refreshments. Don’t give the thief any invitation; you might be in the shop for only 30 seconds but in that time they could’ve taken your bike quite a distance away.
Safety in numbers
When parking your bike we advise using designated bike racks/parking bays. There is safety in numbers and you’ll be drawing less attention to your bike if it is part of a crowd. Bike racks tend to be in open public spaces so they’re not favoured by thieves as the risks are too high for them.
Lock it at night
If you store your bike in your garage, porch or garden shed, we find it also useful to lock the bike up as you would outside. This extra layer of protection will put the thief off. If they gain access to your house or shed they won’t want to hang around for long, so time spent figuring out how to break the lock is time they can’t afford.
Lock it right
When you’re locking up your bike make sure you lock it securely to fixed railings or posts via the frame. Also use a secondary lock to secure the wheels to avoid these being taken. A lot of bikes now have quick release sections (front tyres and seats) so don’t make the common mistake of locking your bike up via these parts.
Which lock to use?
There are many different types of locks available on the market to buy, some better than others. We’ve narrowed it down to the three that we feel are the best choices:
- Chain lock – this is a large thick steel chain (usually in a plastic or fabric covering) which you secure around your bike with a padlock. Benefits of this lock are that they are weatherproof and the hardest for a thief to break.
- U lock – this lock is durable yet lightweight making it popular amongst cyclists as it is easy to transport and the quickest to fit. When buying one make sure it comes with an extra security cable which is used to secure the wheels.
- Cable lock – another lightweight lock and usually locked via a 3 to 6 digit combination lock. It is easier to transport than a chain lock due to being lighter but not as secure.
Hopefully the above tips will have been useful to you and if you have any others we may have missed please leave them in the comments box and we’ll work together to tackle bike theft. Also you can browse our range of bike locks here.
Author: Stephen Wylde
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