Top security tips to beat the bike thieves

From family days out, to exploring, to racing, getting out on your bike has been one of life’s greatest pleasures since childhood. And although only 3% of us still cycle every day*, that still equates to a cool 1.7 million people in the UK.

With a rise in green living, public bike hire and fold up options, cycling to work has never been more lucrative. In fact, Cambridge saw 29% of its working residents cycle to work back in 2011, followed by Oxford at 17%**.

However, these big numbers ultimately draw in the thieves. Almost 40,000 of us report stolen bicycles each year in the UK***. But, with some of these simple bike security tips you can avoid becoming part of that number:

Find a great parking spot

When you come to a stop, don’t just park your bike anywhere. There are plenty of options in busy, public, places to park your bike. Most specifically designed to reduce bike theft- from lockers at train stations, to thick bars with sturdy concrete bottoms. You can often check your local council’s website or your city’s transport website to find out where’s best to park.

Get the right lock

Once you’ve worked out a good spot, it’s time to find a good lock. Police often recommend doubling up, using a D lock and a chain lock – making it look far less appealing to thieves and requiring twice the equipment. It’s also really important to make sure you attach the locks in the right places. This article does a great job and explaining it in detail: http://thebestbikelock.com/how-to-lock-your-bike/

Make it look unstealable

Visual deterrents are often the most effective way to put off someone stealing from you. When it comes to bike security some quick wins include covering decals and brand names, buying big chunky locks and adding a sticker in a clear place to say your bike has been security marked and registered

Fold up your fold up

Fold up bikes are designed to do just that. So, instead of locking it up outdoors, take that light, portable bike with you whenever possible. Cafes and restaurants may have a cloakroom you can store it in, while offices with a Cycle to Work Scheme should have suitable storage available.

And if the worst should happen:

Make sure you’re insured

This may seem obvious but can easily slip people’s minds. You can search for push bike insurance on comparison sites fairly easily – like Money Supermarket and Go Compare.

Note your serial number

Your bike will have a serial number on the underside of the frame. It’s really important to make a note of this, so if it gets recovered the police can easily reunite you with the right bike.

Do you have any other tips to beat the bike thieves? We’d love to hear them. You can post on our Twitter or Facebook page.

* https://www.cyclinguk.org/statistics

** https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105224307/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-analysis/cycling-to-work/2011-census-analysis—-cycling-to-work.html

*** https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/412/bicycle-crime-statistics