The latest figures show a 71% increase in bike thefts in parts of London so I thought I should revisit some bike lock safety tips. Make sure you don’t leave your bike anywhere without following these tips. It is best to take 2 minutes to read these tips rather than have your bike end up being sold down Brick Lane.
Bike Lock Tip 1 – Choose your location
Always make sure you don’t attach your bike to something that can easily be broken, moved or lifted off. Spend that extra 5 minutes when you are out and about to find a more secure object and your bike safety will be ensured.
Location tips:
- Well lit area with CCTV cameras around are the most ideal
- It is preferable to choose an area where other people are around and are frequently walking past. Never leave it in an isolated place
- Lock it near to other bikes – there is a decreased chance of thieves picking your bike as there will be easier targets around
Bike Lock Tip 2 – Buy the best bike lock
A cheap lock is a false economy so buy the best you can afford. I’m fairly sure I could actually chew through some of the bike locks I see in London! Aim to buy a D-lock with a cable attached to it.
If there is such a thing as a “best bike lock” then these two would be definite contenders:
Kryptonite New York Standard which is available at a surprisingly good price on Amazon. It would take a thief a very long time to get through this lock. It is one of the toughest and remains one of the most recommended bike locks. If you want to keep your bike safe then this is what you want.
The second equally well recommended one is the Abus Granit Xplus. It is very strong and unless the bike thief has some seriously heavy duty equipment it will not move.
Bike Lock Tip 3 – Use your lock effectively
- Lock the frame, front and back wheel to the object you have secured your bike to
- Make sure the D-lock is tightly fastened so it is not hanging loose between the bike and the object you have locked it to
- Face the D-lock (U-lock) keyway facing down so that they cannot spray liquid into it
- Don’t place the lock too near the ground as then it is easier to leverage them for attack
Bike Lock Tip 4 – Use two different locks
Two different locks will mean thieves need two different types of tool to remove them. They are unlikely to be carrying both of these. I always take my bag with me and put the two locks in there. The one lock is a d-lock and the other is a chain lock.
The bike thief will take one look at your bike with the two locks and will look elsewhere.
Bike Lock Tip 5 – Register your bike
A registered bike is less likely to be targeted. Obviously make sure you get a sticker that says it is registered to put would-be thieves off. I highly recommend http://www.bikeregister.com/ and http://www.immobilise.com/ if you are in the UK.
Bike Lock Tip 6 – Remove all accessories
A bike is less attractive without lights, the seat post etc so make sure you remove these if you have room to carry them with you.
Finally this excellent video below helps re-iterate the main points about how to lock your bike:
See also:
If registering you bike, regardless of which service you use, it is a good idea to TAG it in MULTIPLE spots. Such as shown in http://www.bikeregistry.com/install.php.
IF it gets stolen, the bad guys may find and strip off some of the tags, but the one that he misses will be his undoing….
Thanks for the comments Richard. Make sure you do it correctly guys
I’ve had 2 bikes stolen after I had locked them to signposts.. (ie the posts that tell you where you can park)
the second time the post was nowhere to be seen when I returned.. I thought I was going mad… they’d taken the whole thing, it was just a hole in the ground.
I still can’t fathom what happened.
Alistair, sorry to hear about your bike being stolen from a signpost. If you are going to lock to a signpost, make sure it has a Cyclehoop attached to it!
http://www.cyclehoop.com
Thieves either lift your bike over the top of the post (taking the sign off so the lock slips over it) or they simply break the post free from the ground and free the bike.
Another tip: When locking to railings, I see SO MANY PEOPLE locking their D lock ONLY THROUGH A SINGLE RAIL on the railing – it is very easy for thieves to break a single rail and take your bike – look through several rails, or lock through the thick railing posts.