5 tips to prevent your bike from being stolen
Always trying to avoid having your bike stolen can become very stressful and nerve-wracking, especially if you have to park in one place for long hours. Indeed, there are hardly any safe places, especially in big cities where you are more vulnerable to bike theft.
According to the German Cycling Club (ADFC), in 2015, 4.35 million bicycles and e-bikes were purchased in Germany, but 340,000 bicycles were reported stolen that same year.
No matter how common bike theft is in your country, you should always keep the following tips in mind to prevent bike theft.
Choose a place that is very open and very crowded
Use high quality padlocks.
Secure your bike frame and wheel to a fixed object
Be sure to register your bike with its serial number
Make your bike less attractive
1. Choose a very open and busy place
You may think that the best place to park your bike is in an isolated spot, where it won't be easily spotted. On the contrary, the safest place to park your bike is somewhere that is very busy and very open. Open and crowded places do not allow a potential theft to occur unnoticed by a passing police officer. You should choose this location carefully, especially if you do not have a garage at your workplace.
2. Use quality padlocks
One of the best ways to reduce your bike's vulnerability to theft is to get high quality locks. A high quality padlock is easy to secure and difficult to pick or cut. The most common locks used by cyclists are U-locks and chain-type locks, but avoid using a chain-type lock as the primary lock. A well-prepared thief could pick a chain-type padlock in seconds. U-locks are more secure and more accepted, but if you're planning on parking your bike all day or longer, it's best to get an extra heavy-duty chain type lock to ensure maximum security.
3. Lock your bike frame and wheel to a fixed object
Most bike thefts happen because people don't lock them properly. Improperly locking your bike is just as good as parking it without a padlock. By attaching only the wheel, thieves can take it apart and leave with the rest.
The best way to secure your bike is to wrap your lock around the rear/front wheel and securely fasten the frame with a U-lock. This way both parts are directly attached to the fixed object and neither can be moved. When a thief sees this, he gets discouraged more easily.
4. Be sure to register your bike with its serial number
Each bike has a serial number. Find the serial number on your bike and write it down in a safe place.
You can find the serial number on the underside of the bike frame where the pedals are connected. You should also take a picture of your bike.
Take advantage of bicycle registration in your municipality (mybike.brussels or any other initiative) and register your bicycle. When law enforcement recovers a stolen bicycle, they look up the serial number of the bicycle in bicycle registration databases and immediately contact the owner. If you are not registered, they will not be able to find you.
5. Make your bike less attractive
One of the easiest ways to prevent bike theft is to make your bike look much cheaper than its real value. A simple trick you can try is to disguise your bike by removing names and logos. Some people even go so far as to cover them with paint. These and similar tactics can be used to make your bicycle less visible and less attractive in order to prevent it from being stolen.
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