Why can’t bank employees ride bicycles?
Because they always lose their balance!
Are you a bicycle enthusiast? Do you enjoy leisurely morning rides, taking in all of the sights? Or perhaps your bike is your car, getting you to all the places you need to be.
Bicycles help people all over the world get their lives back on track. Yet, if you don’t know how to prevent bike theft, you’re destined for heartbreak.
Every year companies produce over 100 million bicycles across the globe. Out of all those bikes, at least 1.5 million end up stolen annually.
Are you a proud bicycle owner who doesn’t want to lose their way around town? Read on to find out more about how you can easily keep your bike safe.
How to Prevent Bike Theft
If you’re an avid bicyclist or a casual rider, you’ll need to know the basics of theft prevention. Here are three places you should consider first, to keep your bike safe.
- Inside house
- Closed garage
- Backyard shed
First, you’ll want to see if there’s a way you can store your bike inside your home.
Homeowners
Having your bicycle inside your house is a fast and easy way to eliminate theft possibilities. Of course, many people aren’t able to store their bicycles in their homes. If this is the case for you, the second best option would be in your garage.
Beware, however, theft can still occur if you leave your garage door open. Always close your garage door, no matter how friendly your neighborhood is.
This is why another great alternative is locking your bike in a shed. If you decide to put your bike in a shed, you’ll need to secure it to a heavy item.
It’s true, shed’s are still prone to theft. Yet the risk becomes less the more difficult you make it for someone to remove your bike.
Apartment Buildings
Do you live in an apartment, or somewhere without a yard and garage? If you don’t have the capability of storing your bike inside a structure, you can still help keep it safe.
Look for areas where other people have their bikes stored. Having your bike in a crowd of others helps prevent the chance they will single you out for theft.
Did you know you can secure more than just one part of your bike? Next, we’ll look at how to protect every part of your ride.
Guard Every Part
One of the best parts about exercising with a bike is the lack of gym gear or accessories you need. After strapping on your helmet and shoes, you’re ready to go!
Yet, the reality is, your bike has many separate parts, all of which appeal to thieves. Having the best bicycle locks is only the first step in guarding your bike. You also need to know what parts to secure, and where.
Let’s start by looking at the parts you’ll need to protect.
- Frame
- Wheels
- Seat Post
- Headlight
- Any Quick release parts
Anything that can come off of your bike easily, is vulnerable to thieves. Instead of using regular screws and bolts, try upgrading these parts with locking skewers.
Locking skewers have tricky bolt heads you can only remove with a special key. Whenever a thief tries removing a part of your bike with a regular screwdriver or Allen wrench, they’ll be out of luck.
If you’re not expecting to have any routine maintenance done on your bike, you can take things a step further. Instead of using special screws, simply cover bolt holes with superglue.
Warning Signs Thieves Are Near
Do you know how to tell if thieves are considering stealing your bike? Usually, knowing a theft is going to occur, would require inside knowledge, or psychic abilities.
Yet, sometimes, there are warning signs you can observe to prevent a nearby threat. If you ever come back to your locked bike and notice a flat tire, take it home immediately.
Flat Tire Trick
One trick thieves will use is to pop a tire of a bike they want to steal. The owner then comes back to the bike, sees the flat tire, and decides to come back later. Now the thief knows where a bike will be, unattended, for a long period of time.
Even if there are cameras watching your bike, it’s still unsafe. Countless thefts occur, under the watch of cameras. Even if the cops are able to catch the criminals, they may never recover your bike.
Predictable or Deserted Areas
Stay safe by parking in busy, well-lit areas. Somewhere a lot of foot traffic will be happening the entire time your gone.
If you use your bike for a regular commute, try switching up spots. You want to avoid giving criminals the chance to learn your bike riding routine. Once they know the spot you’ll “always” be in, and for how long, they’re more likely to strike.
Switching up locations helps keep your bike safe, and gives you the chance to see new sites!
Enjoy Your Ride
Now you know more about how to prevent bike theft. While it’s great to be aware of the threat of theft, you don’t want to let it consume you. Instead, focus on the joy you get from riding.
Having a pedal under each foot, soaring down the road, bicycling is an opportunity to soul search. It’s about being free, having fun, and enjoying your ride.
We Are Augustines is happy to help you live a full and happy life.
Life’s short, so you have to make the most of every moment. Do you sometimes wonder what it’d be like to have an entirely different life? Read our latest article all about how to start a new life, from scratch.
