Another excellent article from one of the best online bike sites there is! http://www.ukbikeforum.co.uk
“Well, its one of those subjects every single one of us will know too much about. I personally have had a bike stolen and it’s not good. Bikes aren’t just transport for the majority of us they are a lot more, so when the worst happens it can be soul destroying. So, I have taken it upon myself to write an article on bike theft. Not only that but how to stop it happening to you.
My first bike, a brand new DT125R, was my baby. I didn’t have a garage at the time so it lived on my driveway under a cover with the biggest lock my money could buy through the rear wheel and through a high tensile custom made loop, its self sunk into four feet of concrete. I was taking no chances. As always there was a ‘However’. On returning from a friend’s after a drink I found only my lock, lying on the floor in two pieces. I was gutted, my baby was gone. All those sunny afternoons learning to wheelie, pulling girls at McDonalds… All gone!!! No More!!!
My insurance paid up 2 months later and all was well. But I learned a few valuable lessons from that afternoon which I’d like to share with you.
When the police came round to have a look (shockingly they did!) they didn’t seem surprised. I remember one looking at the lock up-close and just nodding I asked him how they got the lock off. “Easy…” he replied.
What he told me stuck with me and to be honest is a frightening thought. I was told basically my lock had been ‘frozen’ with a liquid Oxygen type chemical used by plumbers to freeze pipes for quick jobs to avoid turning off the water. When this is done it makes the metal very brittle and easy to cut through with a large pair of bolt croppers.
Although this is not as effective against some new chains on the market today, it will still work against 80% of chains sold in shops and most likely wrapped round the wheels of your pride and joy as you read this. When I brought my first bike I wasn’t rich and couldn’t afford £150+ for a top of the range chain and lock Not many people can afford this but there is a few simple cost effective things you can do to help protect your bike..
1: Lock it up…
Sounds simple but more the merrier. A chain on the rear wheel and a disc lock on the front is enough to ward off all but the most hardened scum… Err thief!
2: Lock it to something…
Even the most expensive lock in the world is not enough to stop a group of scum/thieves lifting your bike, loading it into a van and driving off. If you have a ground anchor make sure it’s fitted according the manufacturers instructions. A badly sunk bolt can be drilled out very simply. If you cannot afford a ground anchor or don’t have the room, looping your main chain through anything heavy can have the desired affective garden furniture, lawnmowers, piano’s, family members etc.
3: Buy The Best…
If you’re not that well off, let’s face it with all money the government swindles us out of just to ride, it’s not many of us! Buy the best lock your budget can afford. Ride recommended locks can be bought from as little as £95.Sounds a lot but ask yourself if it is really worth losing your bike for the sake of it?
4: Location, Location, Location…
Where you keep your bike when you’re not on it says a lot about you. My new bike lives in my kitchen… with a chain on it! If you have a garage, USE IT!!! It is a pain last thing at night, in the rain but so is getting up to find your bike gone.
Lock it up in your garage. Don’t just chuck it in and forget it make sure. Another idea is to fit a barrier on your garage’s door. Many styles are available and at prices well worth a look. If you don’t have a garage the best thing you can do is keep your baby out of sight. Whether that means in your house, down an alley or even with a cover over it, it all helps”.
Filed under: bicycle locks, bike alarm system, bike cable lock, Tools Storage Unit Tagged: | Best sheds, Bike Security, Bike storage
