What can you do to safe guard your bike when it is left on its own some. Did you know it can take less than 10 seconds to steal a locked bicycle? The fact is that what a thief wants, they can usually find a way of getting. I know of one situation where they took the roof off the shed to get to 5 bikes and a motorbike.
In the open
Good quality locks are a good idea and a sound investment and we include information on the subject elsewhere. Use the lock to secure your bike to something immovable, such as a lamppost or the many cycle stands now available in town centres.
Securing two or more bikes together works very well but make sure the owner of the other bike knows about it! Sounds daft? I waited two and a half hours for one cyclist to return to release my bike from his. His friends’ bike was the opposite side, totally unsecured!
Leaving your bike within public gaze, rather than down a dark ally where would be thieves can use cable/bolt cutters, is also a good idea.
Some cyclists often remove the front wheel and slide their lock through the wheel and the frame. It’s not unknown for thieves to take just a wheel or anything else with a quick-release fitting and sell it. Therefore consider removing quick release items such as saddles and computers when leaving your bike unattended.
In storage (sheds or garages)
Still consider using locks. Securing clamps are also available for fixing your bike to the floor, wall or ceiling.
Consider an intruder alarm for the garage or shed, one that makes a very loud noise, let’s deafen the b******s, sorry.
Use three padlocks on your shed door i.e. top, middle, bottom. Yes it’s more of a hassle to get to your bike but it’s equally difficult for the thief.
Consider intruder lights in the garden; give them some light to be seen by.
On your car
Many people carry bikes on car racks and often walk away from them believing their bike is secure. It could be if the bike is locked to the car rack and the car rack straps are not too easy to cut. I know of people returning to their cars to find both car rack and bikes gone.
Personal note: (I have to admit that since the theft mentioned elsewhere our garden now has Infra red alarm and lighting. The shed doors have three high quality padlocks, top, middle and bottom. The shed doors are fitted with intruder alarms that activate as soon as the doors open and the bikes are padlocked together inside the shed. Overkill? Maybe, but we like our bikes and want to keep them.)
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