If you were to ask any cyclist what they fear the most about their chosen pastime, the vast majority would state categorically that the theft of their pride and joy would top the list. To have your bike stolen is no laughing matter but to have your passion, your hobby, your independence stripped from your life can have a huge emotional impact.
A bicycle these days is not just a mode of transport to get you to the shops or for use on the daily commute to work, although both statements are ample enough reason to justify the ownership of one. Many cyclists actively enjoy the freedom that cycling can introduce. On sunny days you can witness the effect that cycling has on people – many will dust down their bikes, squirt some oil on the chain and head out onto the cycle paths and roads to enjoy the sense of freedom that you receive from riding bikes. Some people like to coast along, some to go as fast as they can but no matter what your elected discipline of riding dictates, it all boils down to the same thing: freedom. The independence, excitement and adventure that the bicycle can offer is unparalleled, so to have concerns regarding its security should be paramount in all of our minds.
Sadly the statistics can be a little confusing but according to the Home Office latest figures, some 109,294 bicycles were reported stolen in the 12 months preceding September 2010. This, amazingly, is a decrease in reported thefts from the previous year but sadly this does not paint the whole picture. According to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) up to half of all bicycles stolen in England & Wales are not reported, so the Home Offices estimates of 10,000 bikes stolen per month is misleading and that the overall figures could really total a larger sum of up to 20,000 bikes stolen.
The ETA claims that only 50% of stolen bikes are reported, claiming that many owners do not report the crime as they are either uninsured or that they don’t hold much faith for its return. The value of the bike could also hold some reasoning in the failure to report a theft as many will just put it down to bad luck and go on and purchase another budget bike. Another issue that is not mentioned in the statistics is that most theft is under-reported because if a bicycle is stolen in a burglary or by an assault then it would be categorised under that offence than just a simple bike theft.
Given that many bikes in this modern era can cost more money than a small family car, it would be safe to assume that security should be the focus of everyone’s attention but sadly this is just not the case for many. Leaving their pride and joy unlocked outside the local shops or by securing it using a cheap, inferior lock which would take an opportunist bike thief no time at all to breach it, is sadly all too common. Naturally, any deterrent is better than none but why fork out all that hard earned money, only for you to secure it to a lamp post with a lock that you paid £3 for at the local market?
- Most industry insiders suggest that you purchase the most expensive lock that you can afford. Any lock with a Sold Secure rating is a good start as they have been tested independently from the manufacturers and they have provided a rating for its security effectiveness.
One of the most obvious but often neglected bits of advice is to remember to register your new bike when you purchase it. There are many websites available now where you can register your bike and record details on any customisations or accessories that you may have on your bike. It is also wise to record your frames serial number (often found stamped underneath the bottom bracket) in a number of places. I store mine on my PC, warranty book and on a website called immobilise where you can register lots of items for free, not just bikes.
The safest place to store your bike is in the house but if you do not have the room then the next best place is a garage. Most bikes are actually stored in old wooden sheds and therein lies the problem. It would not take much time for a thief to get into a garden shed and if you have no other security measures in place then you can say goodbye to that bike. The best advice that can be offered is to ensure that wherever the bike is stored, you always secure it with a good quality lock to something sturdy. If possible you could have an alarm on the shed/garage and to have security lighting to also deter the thieves. It’s also good to get in the habit of locking your bikes even when you’re storing them as even the most determined thief will go out of their way to get that bike if they really want it so the more barriers you can put up the more likely they will just move on to the next one.
No advice can be more obvious then to take a step back and look at your security measures that you have in place and see if you can spot any vulnerability. These can range from whether your bike is hidden out of the way from prying eyes, alarm location, bike locks that can be looped through a ground anchor and if you have tools readily available in the same location. It would be rather pointless to lock your bike securely, only to have an angle grinder sat on the next shelf!
According to the Cycling Tourist Club (CTC) that in 2009, some 2.9 million bikes were sold in the UK and 43% of the population over the age of 5 owns a bicycle. So on average, every other person owns a bike.
There is no denying that cycling as a mode of transport for commuting or for leisure purposes is now in demand and with the ever increasing fuel prices at the pumps, you can understand why. London has seen a 117% increase on major roads from 2000 to 2009. This, in my opinion is a good thing and if we can encourage more people to get on their bikes to commute then this can not only benefit the user but the environment too. The more people that cycle, the more likely that Local Authorities will start to cater for them, whether by providing more cycle paths or by introducing structured training or events for people to attend.
Cycling is heading in the right direction and its a wonderful thing to be part of. Do put in place some of the advice on keeping your bike safe so you may have a long and happy affiliation with cycling for many years to come.
Lock it or lose it!
