Welcome back to another blog about securing your bike. We’re back writing again about what you need to do to ensure you don’t fall victim to a sneaky bike thief and lose your wheels this summer. We’ve previously covered how to secure your motorbike and make sure it is safe from thieves, however, since branching out into other vehicle security, we thought it would be best to collate a guide for bicycle owners too.
As we all know, bike theft is a huge problem in the UK. With an estimated 300,000 bikes being stolen every year, it’s more important than ever to make sure your bike is as secure as possible. Getting anything stolen is inconvenient, frustrating, and most importantly, wrong. But, as a bike owner, it’s your job to make sure your bike is as secure as possible. There are a few simple steps you can take to make sure your bike is much less attractive to thieves; we’ll be covering these below.
Bike theft facts/stats
- There were 64,500 bicycle thefts in the UK in 2021.
- Other reports suggest that one bike is stolen every 90 seconds, equating to around 376,000 bicycles each year.
- In 2019/2020, around 14% of bikes were stolen from “grounds of a public place”
- In March 2020, the average value of a stolen bike was £348
- Only 5% of stolen bikes are returned to their owners
There are a few simple steps that can help your efforts go a long way. Whether you’re on the go or storing your bike at home, you need to ensure you’re maximising your bike security and making your bike as difficult to steal as possible. It isn’t an Image4Security blog without mentioning that you should always be layering your security products to make it as hard as possible for thieves to get your belongings.
The Basics
The basic bike security should include (at the very least) a bike security chain. Bike security chains can be used to secure your bike to an immovable object. This is most useful when you’re on the go as you can secure your bike, with the security chain, to an object such as a bike post.
Other basics include locks, for the same reason. Locks can be used to secure your bike to something, lock it up at night, and secure your wheels. We stock a variety of locks, including padlocks, shackle locks, D-locks, and alarm locks. We call these the basics because it should be your first line of defence to lock up your bike to something secure. Alarmed locks elevate the basic lock and trigger a shriek when they’re tampered with or messed with and they’re great for deterring thieves.
One example of this is our alarmed D-lock the perfect solution for when you’re on the go. Our top tip for using the D-lock would be position it through your frame and back wheel and then around an immovable object such as a bike or lamp post. This makes it difficult to attack and secures your bike in the best way possible.
Disc locks in particular are brilliant for securing your bike on the go. Attach the disc lock to the wheel and you’ve got a 14mm carbide reinforced locking pin to keep your bike from being rode or wheeled off.
Garage/Shed Security
If you have a secure garage or shed, that logically is the best place to keep your bike when you’re at home. Out of sight, out of mind really does work when dealing with theft. Opportunist thieves will likely see your bike and take the opportunity to pinch it, if they feel the risk is low enough. Utilising your solid four walls to your advantage and hiding your bike is a good first step in prevention. After all, if they don’t know it’s there, they won’t be tempted.
That said, there’s a lot more you can do to add layers to your security. Some bike thefts are calculated and happen based on a plan rather than chance. So, if you have known valuables or an expensive bike that is known to be kept in the garage or shed, you’re going to need more than just four walls.
We have the brilliant Guardsman security barrier that can secure your shed or garage door opening. It works by dropping down and forming a physical barrier across the opening. The barrier is easily removed when you want to open the garage or shed door, but it’s impossible for an intruder to bypass- making your garage or shed a whole lot more secure.
The Guardsman also comes with the option of a built-in anchor point. This is a great way to secure your bike with a chain or lock inside the garage or shed, as you can easily loop the chain or lock round the anchor point. For garage and shed door security, there truly is nothing else on the market quite like the Guardsman. It comes with a 10-year personal guarantee and some insurance discount benefits if you have one fitted, courtesy of our friends at BeMoto.
The Guardsman is a fantastic option and will give you that extra peace of mind that your shed or garage is secure, and that your bike is locked to it also. Unfortunately, as a bike user, you’re at a slight disadvantage cause bikes tend to be lighter and allow thieves to simply lift them and run. Another reason to secure it to something secure and immovable…
Aside from a shed lock bar, the Guardsman range also includes a hefty alarm system that triggers a 130dB siren when messed with. The alarm hub also sends a message to up to 3 keyholders by telephone call (via pre-recorded message) and/or by an SMS alert to alert you of tampering. Having the Guardsman products fitted to your garage or shed provides you with extra peace of mind that your bike is safe and secure, but also, if anyone does try breaking into your garage or shed, you’ll be alerted.
If you’re looking to reinforce your garage security as a whole, our garage defender makes it impossible to lift the door of the garage, stopping anyone from getting in or taking anything out. It works by forming a physical barrier on the outside of your garage door preventing it from opening.
Ground anchors are another great addition to your shed or garage security. Ground anchors, as the name suggests, provide a secure anchor point that is fitted to the ground or wall that you can secure your bike to with a security chain. This prevents it from being picked up and carried off or rolled away. As mentioned above, bikes are a lot lighter than other vehicles, so having them secured to something is always beneficial, whether at home or not.
Other tips to secure your bike
Alarm system
Invest in a garage/shed alarm that is linked to your house alarm. Or any alarm system really. Something is always better than nothing.
Security lights
Use security lights to illuminate the area outside your garage or shed. Motion sensor lights are great because they trigger when sensing motion, which will likely shock a thief if they are unsuspecting, and hopefully cause them to leave.
Hide tools
Keep tools that could be used to break into your garage or shed (such as garden shears) inside the house. If they’re visible through the window, someone may break in and use your own tools against you to steal your stuff. And I don’t know about you, but I’d feel a right donut if it were me. So, the point stands, keep them out of sight.
CCTV
Consider CCTV for extra security. Having working CCTV is a brilliant investment for your home, garden, and shed/garage security. Not only will it act as a visual deterrent, but if your bike is stolen, you have footage that can be passed on to the police to help with catching the thieves.
Cover it up
Cover your bike with a bike cover to hide it from view. If someone can’t see it, they can’t steal it. It may not always work, but it’s a good, cost-effective way of hiding it.
Layer
Layer your security and always have multiple lines of defence. We always recommend that you have multiple lines of defence to help secure your bike and although it may not stop a thief, you want to make their job as hard as possible. Push them to use noisy tools and messy methods that alert you and hopefully cause them to give up or offer you a chance to alert the police.
For a full list of our cycling products, you can click here. Make sure you don’t lose your wheels this summer and always make sure you’ve got some degree of security to lock up your bike. It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
If you’re interested to learn more about our products, feel free to contact us directly. Or for more helpful information, you can read our blogs here.
