Keeping your bike safe from theft is a very important thing that every rider, in my opinion, must do correctly.
In fact, nowadays it is very easy to steal bicycles, especially because riders no longer protect their bicycles from theft very well.
Statistics show that between 2 and 3 million bicycles are stolen every year all over the world and it is usually very difficult to catch the thief after they steal them.
And that’s why I wrote you this guide to show you all the tips and things you need to know to keep your bike as safe as possible.
Here they are:
- Always make sure your bike is locked
- Install a chain and lock system
- Get a dog
- Install a GPS system
- Station your bike in the right place
- Register your bike
- Lock your bike anywhere you go
- Make your bike look unattractive
- Keep your bike with you at all times during competitions
- Buy insurance for your bike
- Don’t station at the same place every day
- Protect your bike at home
- Don’t let anyone ride your bike
Always make sure your bike is locked
When I say keeping it locked, I mean that you need to make sure it is secured even in your garage or home.
Also, it is very important not to leave your bike alone in public places even for a few minutes. Leaving your bike alone will ensure its theft.
Install a chain and lock system
The most important thing you will need to do to ensure your bike is safe is to install a lock and chain whenever you leave it alone.
You need to always lock the bike with a lock or chain to ensure it will take time to steal.
You need to understand a lock and a chain will not stop the thief from stealing your bike but it will definitely deter them because it takes a long time to break them, plus it all depends on the quality of the chain you buy.
I personally use this lock that protects my bike amazingly and I was shocked to see the low price it sells for on Amazon. Click here to view.
And I use this chain from Amazon that does a great job – click here to view.
Also, you must to always remember the lock is much more important than the chain so if you have a limited budget, you’re better spending more money on the lock.
Get a dog
Dogs are very daunting and scary to thieves, especially big dogs with strong teeth. Usually, the best dogs to have are Pitbulls or German Shepherds which are very powerful and very scary to thieves.
In addition, dogs, in general, will keep your entire home safe from thieves but you have to take into account that raising a dog is not a simple thing – you will need to feed it, take it out and look after it.
Due to this, I would not recommend to anyone who does not have a dog and does not want to have a dog to buy one, but if you already planning to have a dog it would be very helpful for you to have a big dog and not a small dog.
Install a GPS system
A GPS system might not stop the thief from stealing your bike, but a GPS system will help you track the thief’s location.
In addition, it is very important that if you find the thief’s location that you do not go there yourself. Call the police instead because they will do it for you because it can be very dangerous.
Installing a GPS system may sound expensive and complicated but it is not as difficult and expensive as it sounds because there are a lot of very cheap GPS systems that you can buy on Amazon.
I personally use this GPS system on my bike. It is on offer on Amazon so it is worth checking it out. Click here to view.
Station your bike in the right place
You must know which parking space is dangerous for your bike or not because there are several types of parking that I personally can assure you that a thief will steal your bike.
The worst places you can park your bike and leave it is an isolated park or a crowded bike parking area. In isolated or deserted places there are usually no security cameras and there are no people who can be see if someone is stealing the bicycle.
Crowded places may be even worse because in places where there are loads of bikes it’s very hard to see people stealing your bike.
Instead, it is best to leave your bike in an exposed parking lot that is not too crowded and has some people about who can help you catch the thief if they take your bike.
Also, make sure there are security cameras in the parking lot. I know that a secluded place may seem like a safer place for your bike but it’s really not because as I said, there are no cameras or people who can see if a thief is stealing your bike.
Register your bike
If you have a car, I’m sure you know this tip.
When I say to register your bike I mean you let your municipality or your city know that you have a bicycle so that they can help you if your bike is stolen.
The purpose of registering your bike is simply to help protect your bike and help you recover it if it’s stolen. Once you register your bike you will get a code that identifies your bike so that it is easier to get it back if stolen.
To register your bike is very easy. Just Google the authority that cares about your bike listing issue and give them the name of the bike model and also the frame number. It only takes a couple of minutes and is a very simple process.
Also, it’s very cheap to register your bike and only costs only a few dollars, unlike insurance which can cost between a few dollars and even a few thousand dollars.
But keep in mind that registering your bike will not refund you if your bike is stolen, it just helps you find it and get it back.
Lock your bike anywhere you go
You will have to lock your bike wherever you go, whether this is in a secure garage or even in a locked basement. Wherever possible, you should lock the bike in front of people, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
I would even advise you to cover your bike so that thieves don’t see them.
And I know it’s annoying to keep locking up your bike but you must understand that this is the only way you can ensure that your bike is protected.
In addition, to ease the process of locking your bike I highly recommend that you have a comfortable lock that is locked and opened as easily as the one I recommended.
If you ask me, the safest place you can put your bike is inside your home because thieves don’t often take the risk of getting into a home to steal bikes.
Make your bike look unattractive
This tip is for those who really care about their bicycle’s safety and is not suitable for everyone.
I personally would only recommend making your bike look less appealing to those who don’t care about bike locking or for those who have old bikes.
If you really want to make your bike less beautiful but you don’t want to ruin its look forever, you can rub some dirt or sand on your bike to make it a little dirty and you can always pour water on it to remove it.
I personally would recommend that you make your bike less attractive if you are going to ride long distances or if you know you are going to park your bike alone for a long time.
Also, I strongly encourage you to watch this video that explains how to make your bike unattractive.
Keep your bike with you at all times during competitions
If you are a rider who competes in competitions or bike races you will have to keep your bike with you at any given time because there are loads of thieves in all competitions, and I tell you this from experience because it also happened to me that thieves tried to steal my bike in the race I participated in.
And because of that you always have to keep them safe and also, locking your bikes during competitions will not protect them from being stolen, especially if you leave them alone for a long time.
If you know that you don’t have time to keep an eye on your bike, I would highly recommend you come with a friend you trust and let them look after it.
Buy insurance for your bike
Buying insurance for your bike is the only thing you can do to get back the money if your bike is stolen.
Bicycle insurance can be very expensive or cheap, it varies and depends on the type of insurance you buy.
If you have a cheap bike the insurance will usually be very cheap whereas if you have an expensive bike the insurance will cost a lot more money.
In addition, insuring your bike is a simple process and it only requires a few steps:
- First, search the Internet for insurance companies that are close to your city
- You will need to choose a good company that doesn’t cost too much and after you have chosen the insurance company you want to go with, just tell them you and your bike’s details and that’s it.
I personally think insurance is a great thing to have if you can afford it or if your bike is expensive and it’s very important that you get a refund if it’s stolen.
It is also very important to know that insurance companies do not return all the money to you if your bicycle is stolen, they will usually refund you half of the money. This is different from company to company so it is important to know all of your insurance company’s refund rules.
Don’t station at the same place every day
Parking your bike in the same place over a period of time is a very dangerous thing that can put your bike at risk of being stolen.
And you might ask, how exactly is it dangerous to park your bike in the same place every day because no one has stolen it and apparently the parking lot is very safe? So I’ll let you know a little secret about the thieves…
The thieves are working in groups of usually between 3 and 4 people.
The first thief looks at all the bikes and chooses which bike to steal.
The role of the second thief is to release and break out everything that holds the bike like locks and chains.
And the third thief simply takes the bike without anyone seeing.
Most thieves usually work in the same places and it can be very dangerous for your bike because they may see your bike time and time again and increase the chances of them stealing it.
Instead, if you ride your bike to work every morning for example, just put it in the office and don’t leave it in the parking lot like you usually do, or just park at another nearby parking spot to where you work.
Protect your bike at home
You might think that once you’ve put your bike at home or on the balcony, it is protected from thieves.
However, half of all bike thefts around the world happen at home, which means you will also have to take precautions when your bike is at home.
To protect them at home there are a number of things you need to know:
- Put your bike in a safe place (at home)- The best place to put your bike is in a garage or cellar because most thieves prefer to enter the home rather than areas which may have alarms or security cameras. The worst place you can put your bike is on a balcony that is very easy to get to.
- Hide your bike – Another thing you can do is to hide your bike and make sure they are as invisible as possible. You can hide them in black cloth or just put them in a dark place.
- Install an alarm – The best thing you can do is simply install an alarm in your garage or even in your entire home. It is very important that you install a high quality alarm system that is loud enough so that you can hear it.
- Lock the bike at home too – As I said before, it’s very important for you to keep your bike safe and the best thing you can do is lock it at home with a lock and chain. I can assure that as soon as the thief sees that the bike is locked they won’t even try to steal it because it takes a lot of time and makes a lot of noise.
Don’t let anyone ride your bike
The worst thing that you can do is give to strangers you do not know a ride on your bike. Trust me, I say this from experience.
The only people you can let ride your bike are your good friends or people you generally know well and trust.
In addition, if you meet a new friend and they ask to ride your
bike I wouldn’t recommend giving it to them because a lot of people make
friends with you just so they can steal your bike afterwards.
I really don’t recommend giving your bike to anyone but it’s your choice.
Summary
Today I showed you all the tips you need to know to protect your bike in the best way from theft.
It’s very important that you remember all the tips I showed you today to make sure your bike is protected.
Thanks for riding. Until next time.
