What to do to prevent theft

What to do to prevent theft

A Look at Locks

Each year police receive reports of thousands of bicycle thefts. How many are stolen and not reported is unknown.

At some time you will have to leave your bike unattended. There are many things you can do to reduce the chance of it being stolen. The first is to buy a lock.

It takes about one second to steal a bike without a lock. It may only be a matter of ten seconds to steal a bicycle with a poor quality lock. A good lock will delay a thief too long and they will go away and steal an easier bike instead. As a rule of thumb, if you aren't within handy reach of your bike, then lock it, preferably to an immovable object. Remember that a thief on your bike is a lot faster than you are on foot. Don't choose a quiet side street - a thief is less likely to try to circumvent your lock or remove parts if the bike is visible to passers-by.

The security of a padlock is generally defined by how well it resists a forceful attack. Locks are usually opened by force rather than finesse. However, some of the cheapest combination locks are easily unpicked.

Any padlock with an unhardened shackle can be cut with an ordinary hacksaw. Boltcutter resistance is determined largely by the thickness of the shackle, as well as shackle material and hardening technique. The thicker the shackle the more work and/or the bigger the boltcutters needed.

These vary from very cheap, thin and ineffective chains which could be broken by a hefty tug on the locked bike, through to heavy duty case-hardened alloy steel chains with welded links.

The most common cable is the 1.8 metre long, five millimetre thick, plastic covered self-coiling cable usually sold with a key or combination padlock. These can be cut easily with boltcutters and, with a bit of work, by sidecutters (like pliers).

Ten millimetre thick cables, usually 1.2 metres long, can be bought with integrated lock, with a separate padlock, or individually. To cut through these thicker cables takes a much more determined effort by a thief.

U-locks are the most secure bicycle locking system commonly available. They are expensive (but not relative to the cost of replacing your bicycle) and quite heavy but are impervious to bolt cutters, hacksaws, drills, picking, prying, smashing or just about anything short of an oxy-torch. These locks are made of through-hardened steel alloys and are vinyl coated to protect the bike frame. Some U-lock manufacturers offer a cash guarantee against theft using forceful means.

All U-locks are easy to use. They are even easier to use if a carrying bracket is also fitted to your bicycle. Bear in mind that this convenience makes for greater use and hence greater protection for your bike. The lock is an extra load on your bicycle, but it takes a load off your mind, particularly if your bike travels mainly in urban areas where theft rates are higher. Their only drawback is that they are less flexible in use - you have a lesser choice of objects to which to lock your bike than with a cable.