How to Keep Your Bike Safe From Thieves

It's alarming to note that around one hundred and fifty thousand road bikes are stolen every year in the
UK alone. Considering that you have invested a lot of money on your bike and that you love it you certainly will not like this to be happening to your bike. Here are a few simple tips that you can follow to keep your bicycle from getting stolen.

1.) Invest in a good lock

Sadly the fact remains that no bicycle lock is totally fool proof. But the good news is that higher quality locks are definitely harder to break. Considering this, make sure you get a high quality lock for your bicycle. The types of locks in the market range from D or U locks, to cable locks to locking nuts and many others. As a rule of the thumb spend around 15% to 20% of your bike's cost on locks. You can also consider using a combination of different locks together for better security.

2.) Never leave your bike in a secluded area

As far as possible, leave your bike in a public area and not a secluded place where no one can see a thief trying to steal it. Even if it means you will have to walk a bit more to reach your destination, try and find a place with lots of people

3.) Lock your bike to something solid

Make sure that your bicycle is secured to an immovable object. Cycle anchors or railings are the best. Sometimes things that look solid are actually not, so double check to ensure that the anchor is strong enough and not brittle.

4.) Lock your bike to a post that is long enough

If you lock your bike to a post that is less than 4m in height, thieves will not have any difficulty simply lifting the bike off the top. So always ensure that the post you lock your bike to has sufficient height.

5.) Lock it tight

No matter what lock you are using to secure your bike, make it a point to lock it tight. Leave no space between the bike and the object it is locked to. This will make it all the more difficult for the thief to lever the lock open. Another important point that you got to keep in mind is to invert the keyhole so it is pointing down. This will ensure that the thief is not able to pour it with corrosive fluid and break it open.

6.) Take care of removable accessories

If possible always remove accessories like lights. Make sure that your bike seat is fixed to your bike with locking nuts.

7.) Register your bike

Registering your bike is a great way to ensure that the police are able to trace and identify your bike in-case it gets stolen. There are many websites run by the police where you can get your bike registered. All you need to do is take a picture of your bike and note down details like your bike's model, color and frame number.

So follow these simple tips and keep your bike safe! Happy biking!