If you’re a fan of the American sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, you might remember a scene where Howard acquires a piece of expensive government hardware. When challenged on how he managed to get his hands on it, he responded “million-dollar camera, ten-dollar lock”.
While funny, it is, sadly, the same approach that many cyclists use for securing their pride and joy. It is, perhaps, no surprise then, that many Londoners park their bikes in the city only to find them gone when they return.
In 2020, PokerStars commissioned a study to examine Brits and their cycling habits. They found that a third of the entire United Kingdom sits in the saddle at least once a month, made up of a mix of short trips to the shop. long mountain treks, and everything in between.
If we assume that at least one-third of Londoners cycle each month (although that’s likely to be higher due to geography and demographics), that’s around three million cyclists in the capital.
According to the Metropolitan Police, around 3,000 of these riders will have their wheels robbed by some ne’er-do-wells. However, we can assume that that figure is actually much higher as it is widely acknowledged that bike thefts are often not reported to the authorities.
And according to Project529, a Canadian initiative to prevent bike theft, there could be as many as three stolen bikes for each one that gets reported to the cops. On that basis, 9,000 cyclists are being relieved of their ride each month in London alone.
So what can you do to stop yourself from becoming one of these statistics?
You Don’t Have to Outrun the Bear
As explained in the 2004 movie, Without a Paddle, when a bear chases you in the woods, you don’t have to run faster than it, you just have to outrun your mate.
Bike security is much like this. Your task is to make your wheels look like far more hassle to steal than the one parked next to it. This means they’re much more likely to go for that one than yours.
Some people also suggest making your bike look less attractive by doing things like putting some tape over it to make it look battered or by simply having an old and cheap one.
Use a Lock, but Not Just Any Lock
Just like you know you should wear a helmet to protect your bonce, you know you should get a lock to protect your bike. But just like the fact that only 18% of cyclists wear a helmet, not all of us use the proper protection against theft.
Even if you do lock your bike when you leave it unattended, chances are, you’re not doing it properly.
Walk around any cycle rack in London and you’ll see bike after bike that’s ‘secured’ with a thin cable lock of a feeble chain. Even many of the more sturdy D locks won’t stand up to much if a thief has the right tools.
Instead, you want to protect your bike with a strong lock, preferably a D lock that has the Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rating. These will stand up to a lot of force and should also help to deter criminals when they have the choice of either your solid lock or someone else’s flimsy paperclip.
Always lock the frame to something solid. You’ll also want to secure your wheels, saddle, and anything else detachable with a separate lock to prevent them from being robbed. If you don’t do it right, you could end up returning to less bike than when you left it.
Register Your Bike
98% of bikes are never returned. This isn’t because the police don’t go looking for them, in fact, they often recover many stolen bikes, but because there are no standardised systems for registering them, they don’t know who to give them back to. Instead, many recovered bicycles end up being sold at auction.
Therefore, you should register your bike and have it marked. The police often run events to do this for free, but you can also purchase kits from retailers. They often come with warning stickers that may act as a deterrent and make it more difficult for the bike to be sold on.
Consider an Alarm
Our cars and homes have alarms on them, so why not our bikes? There are now bike locks that come with built-in alarms that detect movement and sound an ear-piercing screech if they’re not unlocked.
Of course, an alarm won’t stop a determined thief, but it’s a good additional layer of protection that may attract attention and cause the thief to flee before they’ve got your lock off.
No amount of security is going to completely remove the risk of your bike being stolen, but these solutions can help to make a thief think twice and move on to another one
