Today, no security measure gives you a 100% guarantee that your bicycle will never be stolen in its entirety or stripped of several parts. The technology used to create anti-theft bicycle security is constantly developing, and so are criminals.
An additional problem is the way bicycle security is used. The strongest U-lock will not protect a bicycle from theft if it is attached only to the bicycle’s front wheel, which can easily be cut through with large bolt cutters, or—note, such cases really do happen!—to a basket attached beneath the handlebars and easy to remove.
If you picture a thief as a movie-style burglar who delicately bends a needle or uses another lock pick, you are mistaken. Bicycle thieves most often simply use force—and the easiest thing to cut through is a weak bicycle lock bought incidentally at a supermarket. It is said that anti-theft protection should cost at least 10% of the bicycle’s value, comments the author of a guide to women’s bicycles (https://jaki-rower.pl/rowery-damskie-jak-wybrac-komfortowy-rower-dla-kobiety/).
How to protect a bicycle from theft?
Anti-theft protection, the place where you lock your bicycle, and the way you do it are not everything. A bicycle can also be marked to discourage a thief from stealing it, and a GPS tracker can be installed in it (for example, in a bicycle light or the frame) so that, in the event of theft, you can track where the bicycle is. Of course, there is a risk that the tracker will be removed after the theft.
The Best Protection Against Bicycle Theft – Mechanical Security
One of the best bicycle security devices is a U-lock—also known as a shackle lock—which carries the lowest possible risk of being cut through by a thief. The name U-lock comes from the bar bent into the shape of the letter U.
Various types of cables are considered the worst anti-theft protection: steel cables, which can be divided into armored cables and spring cables that twist by themselves. Rear-wheel locks are popular abroad—they do prevent someone from riding away on the bicycle, but there is nothing to stop them from carrying it away, apart from the bicycle’s own weight.
Folding anti-theft locks, made up of many small elements that form a closing loop, are comparable to U-locks. Heavy, thick chains are also recommended—but they are not convenient to carry with you.
Bicycle Anti-Theft Protection – How to Lock Your Bicycle
Whether you have a chain or a U-lock, when locking your bicycle in the city you should look for a place where it is possible to secure the bicycle by both the frame and at least one wheel. Absolutely do not lock your bicycle to elements such as the chain, basket, beneath the saddle, or other parts that can be easily removed. Pay attention to what you are locking your bicycle to. Locking a bicycle with a U-lock to a wire fence that can be cut through in an instant is an exceptionally bad idea.
If you want to leave your bicycle outside for at least a few hours, or perhaps even overnight—which we do not recommend—avoid locking it to signposts. It may seem solid to you—the post is firmly fixed in the ground, after all. Sort of, but for an experienced thief, removing the top of the sign and pulling the bicycle out that way, especially an expensive one, is a piece of cake. And a very profitable one, especially when there is no one around.
Although, paradoxically, bicycles can disappear more often from crowded places. There are still small areas without monitoring, and a moving crowd of people will not notice someone tampering with a bicycle lock. They simply want to ride away on it, right?
More guides:
How to choose a bicycle for children – https://jaki-rower.pl/rowery-dla-dzieci-jak-wybrac-dobry-rower-dla-dziecka/
How to choose a mountain bike – https://jaki-rower.pl/co-to-jest-rower-gorski-zasady-doboru-roweru-gorskiego/.