The most precious thing that a biker can own is a bike. It is the heart and soul of every bike ride, regardless of distance. However, this pandemic has converted so many people to turn to bikes for transport. The increase in popularity and usage also increases the incidence of bike theft worldwide.
So, how to prevent bike theft? The best thing you can do is have the most reliable and secure bike lock. But preventing bike theft also requires you to do other things, which we have listed in this article, to help owners protect their bikes.
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Invest in a Decent Quality Lock
When learning how to protect a bike from theft, the primary thing you can do is have the correct type of bike lock that can provide security and safety to your most precious bike. There are many available locks in the market but knowing which is best for your bike is essential.
Investing in a decent quality lock is essential, especially if you own a prized bike. On my end, it is advisable to spend some money to get high-quality locks. Some bike owners even use multiple locks to protect their bikes from theft outside.
Knowing What Type of Lock to Use
There are many types of bike locks which means you need to find the best one that will best protect your bike. The “U” lock or the “D” lock is the best lock that will protect your bike. But even this type of lock comes in different brands, variations, sizes, and unique individuality.
If you like to lock up your bike every day in a single place, a heavy-duty “U” lock is the best one to make your bike safe. You can also consider small-size ‘U” locks because they are easy to bring during the ride. There are also compact ‘U” locks that are the smallest but still provide the security you need.
There are also some “U” locks with cable extensions. This lock is an excellent combination, in my opinion. The most secured bike must be locked in the mainframe while linking your wheels using the cable extension to enhance security.
If you are traveling light, a folding lock is actually recommended. This type of lock also comes in different brands and variations. Most foldable locks are light and easily fit in your bag or even pocket. But, there are also heavy-duty versions if you want with enhanced security features.
Another option is the chain lock which is probably the strongest as most of them are made of toughened steel. But heavy-duty chain locks are heavy, which can be uncomfortable for any biker who uses them.
Locking Your Bike in the Right Place
When learning how to protect your bike from theft, where you will lock and secure your bike, will also play a crucial role in preventing bike theft from doing their dirty work. This bike theft does not like a place with so many people. They do not like an audience, which means looking down at your bike in public places is better than locking it in an alley.
If the place is well-lighted and with CCTV around the corner, it will somehow deter the theft from planning to steal your bike. But, a common parking place for bikes will not also be an excellent way to lock up your bike because you will be putting your bike at risk together with the other bikes.
Nowadays, bike theft is very creative when stealing a bike. Now, they tend to wear something in disguise like a delivery rider or a public maintenance guy to allow them to mix with the other people and bring their tools such as bolt cutters legally.
The right place for your bike will provide multiple locations to lock your bike. It should also have constant traffic of people to deter the possible theft from pursuing their plans. Many people should walk around the area to make the bike thief think twice about stealing their bike.
Locking Your Bike the Right Way
To prevent bike theft from stealing your bike, you must have the knowledge to lock your bike the right way. When you lock your bike up, there are so many options that you can do with the locks you are using and how you can maximize their usage to enhance the protection of the bike.
For example, if you are using the “U” locks in a railing, you can use the lock going around the railing and looping around the back wheel inside the rear triangle of the bicycle. Doing this way will make the lock unremovable to the bike.
If the lock comes with an extra security cable, you can loop around the fork and the front wheel. Then, wrap it back unto itself and into the lock. Doing this way, using the “U” lock can secure your bike in this situation.
If you do not have an extra cable but still have a longer locking mechanism, you can add an extra layer of security to the bike. What you do is lift the bike over the railing and lock it up the same way. This unusual way can somehow make stealing more difficult and can possibly deter bike theft from doing their evil act.
When locking your bike in a bike loop, you must ensure that the lop is located in a desirable place mentioned earlier. It should be open to the public with so many people constantly walking around the place.
But when locking your bike in a bike loop, a smaller lock can get the job done to secure your bike. However, you will need to ensure that your bike will not accidentally slide to prevent unnecessary scratching on the surface.
You can also connect your extension lock to secure your front wheel and enhance the level of security. Combining the regular lock and an extension lock will add an additional layer of security to the bike. You have to find a way to do it on your terms properly. It is always better to go for the highest maximum security you can give to your bike.
Conclusion
How to prevent bike from theft? There are three easy steps that you can do to deter theft from stealing your bike. It is a must to use the right bike lock that gives full security while knowing how to maximize its usage. It is also essential to know the right place to lock up your bike to be safe from bike theft.