This is the sad reality of being a bicycle rider in the streets of London. I live on a high street and often at night, I can hear the sound of angle grinders being used to cut bike locks.
Bicycles are not just very expensive these days, but also a crucial part of our daily lives from commuting to using them for exercise, so it’s very important to secure your bike safely.
Here are 5 great tips on how to secure your bike, cycle or bicycle in London.
1. Quality Double Locks
Use good quality locks and make sure you are double locking your bike. Yes, it can be a bother to do this every time you stop to pop into the shop, but honestly, it’s worth it as the inconvenience and financial loss of losing your bike will be worse. By double locking, you can slow potential thieves down, giving you more time to respond or simply putting them off from even trying.
2. Lock all parts
Sometimes the thieves may just be after specific parts, so it’s best to get a long lock which you can thread through the frame and wheels.
3. Secure it
When out and about make sure you secure the bike properly, and use available bike stands. And when at home, where possible use a bike locker. In London, many councils now provide bike lockers for residents and even in places of work, businesses have bike storage solutions available for staff.
4. Take your bike seat
If you can, take your seat off and carry it with you or any part of the bike that is easily removable can be taken off before parking the bike up for a long period of time.
5. Park in a safe place
Where possible, make sure you park in open places ideally with CCTV cameras nearby. This isn’t always available, so make sure you follow the extra steps mentioned above to ensure maximum security for your bike.
There are many other steps that can be taken to protect your bike, like registering with a cycle database. A popular cycle database is Bike Register. Once registered you can have a clear sticker on the bike frame letting potential thieves know that the bike is registered and can be found.
If after all your safety precautions, you become the victim of bike theft, always make sure to report it via 101 as this will give you better chances of recovering your bike.