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How to secure your bike

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Throughout lockdown, the government has actively encouraged people to take outdoor exercise – be it a walk with the dog or a morning run with those from your household or support bubble. And, with heightened anxiety over using public transport and a surge in exercise, it’s no wonder that rusty bikes were dusted off in the garage and the sales of new bikes rose by 60%.

Cycling has been one of the fastest, most flexible and reliable methods of transport for a long time – not to mention one of the cheapest! After all, there’s no need to pay road tax or to save your change for bus fare. There are no parking charges to contend with either, you just need a good quality padlock and chain to fasten your bike up. There’s a plethora of health benefits to be had too, including improved cardiovascular fitness, weight-loss and boosted immunity, as well as several advantages for your mental health.

But as bikes increase in popularity, so does the number of thefts. And, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, there were 84,545 bikes reported as stolen to the police between April 2019 and March 2020.

So, what can you do to protect your bike?

As a leading supplier of padlocks and high-security locks to suit all applications, we thought we’d offer a few top tips on how to keep your bike safe, both at home and when you’re out and about in public.

Easy ways to keep your bike secure:

1. Register your bike

   BikeRegister.com is just one example of a national database where you can identify and register your bike. Simply enter the frame number, model, colour, and any other specifications, along with your details, and if the police recover a stolen bike, they can check the database and return it to its rightful owner. In addition to registering your bike, it’s also worth getting it security marked as soon as possible.

2. Take photographs of your bike

   And we don’t mean so you can upload them to your social media, as that’s just asking for trouble! Taking a picture of your bike and recording details such as the make and model – including any distinctive marks or features – will come in handy in the unfortunate event of your bike being stolen. Rather than just providing a brief description of your bike, you can show the police images which will make it easier for them to identify.

3. Think carefully about where you park it

   Always make sure that you lock your bike in a secure and well-lit location, preferably somewhere that is covered by CCTV. If a purpose-built cycle parking facility isn’t available, then look out for public bike stands. Although you might not see any harm in fastening your bike to railings, it’s not recommended. Instead, make sure that it’s locked to an immovable object, even if it’s stored in your bike shed or garage.

4. Remove the saddle, if possible

   Of course, it depends on your bike, but some have a quick release that allows you to take the saddle with you. And let’s face it, nobody wants to pinch a bike without a seat, do they? While cable locks are not to be used as primary locks, an alternative would be to loop an extra cable through the ‘stays’ of the bike or create a permanent anchor from the saddle to the frame with an old bike chain that’s fed through an inner tube.

5. Always lock it

Need to nip to the loo? Perhaps you’ve got to pick up something from the shop? Although you might not be all that long, you need to lock your bike when you leave it unattended because, without a lock, anyone can ride off on it. And when locking your bike – either with one of the most secure padlocks or the best bike lock currently on the market – it’s a sensible idea to lock both the frame and the wheels to the stand, not just one or the other.

Get in touch

If you have any further questions about securing your bike or our fantastic range of padlocks, please feel free to contact the team here at LockShop Direct. We are always on hand to help and will be more than happy to share our expertise. Just give us a call on 0330 174 0851 or email info@lockshopdirect.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible

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Author: Richard Nash

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