I am about to change jobs, and I am losing the garage cycle parking that I very much loved. My new job is right near LSE, and there are a couple of bike racks in the university area, but they are almost always full and I’m nervous about leaving my bike on the street everyday, especially in a student area. I was wondering if you know of anyway to rent storage space in a garage or to find more secure cycle parking?
If not, do you have any advice about trying to switch to a folding bike?

First of all:

How much is your bike worth?

I would say if it exceeds £400 you should get bicycle insurance. If it is a cheaper bike then I would be less worried.

If it’s worth 1000’s of pounds then you may want to consider something cheaper if it will be left for a long time in a high risk area.

Next..

Do you have a good bike lock? Do you know how to lock your bike correctly? Are your accessories secured to your bike? Is your bike tagged?

Secure bicycle parking in London

Secure bicycle parking is in limited supply in London. The one I’m aware of is by London Bridge at On Your Bike. Your options are..

• Ask around local businesses and see if one will be kind enough to let you leave your bike in their garage
• Ask around local bike shops who may let you leave your bike on a one-off basis – It would be hard to convince them to keep your bike there regularly
• Talk to your employer and see if there is a possibility of introducing secure bike parking – remind them they can get government and LCC funding to help with this.

Folding bikes to the rescue?

This is another option but a costly one. I would start off by looking for a second hand bike (even if it is not folding). You can also see this article about choosing a folding bike.

More bike safety articles:

• Bicycle insurance
• Locking your bike
• Stop your bike from getting piranha’d
• Best bike locks
• Get your bike security tagged

Image via Fix Pena

Today this is set to change. A new 30 strong police force will now be guarding London’s bikes. They will be tackling both bike theft as well as vandalism.

As you will have guessed from reading this blog, I’m rarely a negative person. Therefore, my response to this news was to rejoice! My friend on the other hand, who likes to provide me with the negative viewpoint, pointed out that 30 people for the whole of London is hardly enough. But I’ll explain why he is wrong.

By tackling the organised side of the crime and catching a few of the key players you will see a major reduction in bike thefts. As long as these people are properly sentenced. The new team will be using methods such as police stings and covert operations that are likely to target these key players.

There will also be a renewed, and likely much more successful, effort to target thieves selling bikes on websites such as Gumtree and eBay. This will involve working with the websites to make it harder for people to list bikes without their full details and also targeting sellers. By removing the thieves access to a large audience you make it far more difficult for them to sell their stolen bikes.

Steve Burton, TfL’s Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing, said:

“London’s a great place to get around on a bike, but the experience of having your bicycle stolen or damaged, or the fear that it will happen, stops many people from cycling – which makes us even more determined to crack down on cycle theft in the Capital.

The new Cycle Task Force policing team will be dedicated to cracking down on bike thieves but will also work with Londoners to show them the steps they can take, such as ensuring they lock their bicycles securely, to help prevent themselves from becoming victims of theft or vandalism.”

While this is very good news for the capital and for encouraging more cyclists I recommend that for now you buy yourself a good lock such as the Kryptonite and know how to lock your bike correctly.

Hopefully one day we will be able to secure our bikes with one lock and know for certain it will be there when we return. This police force seems like a very good step in the right direction to achieving this.

See also:

1. How to lock your bike
2. Bicycle insurance
3. Kryptonite New York 300 review
4. Abus Granit Steel O Flex review

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:

1. Bicycle insurance advice
2. Kryptonite New York 300 review
3. Abus Granit Steel O Flex review

Ugly your bike

See also:

• How to lock your bike