However, it’s worth mentioning that if you choose to leave a heavy lock in a public place, you run the risk of an aspiring thief using it to practice his art. But if I know I’m going somewhere risky or to a place where it might be left over night, I can always take the chain lock with me. I depend solely on the U-lock in the day. And as I secure it in the same place every night, I leave a heavy chain lock permanently attached to the bike rack so I don’t have to carry it around. I leave my bike out in the street all night.
I like to combine a chain lock with a u-lock. If you’re using a u-lock, try to fill as much of the space within the U with the bike and the thing it’s attached to. But if the key hole is hard to access both of these forms of attack become more difficult. Or some thieves may have the locking picking skills to open you lock without force. Thieves may try to put superglue in the keyhole to prevent you unlocking your bike and forcing you to leave it in the street overnight and giving them more time to steal it when the streets are quieter. This will make it more difficult to tamper with the locking mechanism.
If it's difficult to access it will be difficult to attack.Īnd if you can position it so the key hole is facing downwards even better. Try to make the lock as difficult to access as possible. So, ideally the lock should go high up around the down tube or the seat tube. Or since there's also likely to be more space left inside the lock when it's on the top tube, insert a length of metal that can be used to twist and pop the lock open. If the lock is around the top tube of the bike, a thief can use the frame itself to try to break the lock by lifting and twisting the whole bike. This may sound obvious but it happens all the time… If you only secure your bike through the wheel, a thief will simply remove your wheel and walk off with the rest of the bike. However there are certain tips you should always follow… Tip 1: Lock your frameĪlways lock your frame to the immovable object. This will vary depending on what sort of bike you’ve got, which lock you use and where you secure it. if you know it's a high theft risk area, take an extra lock.don't lock your bike outside places you'll clearly be for a long time.always secure your bike to a fixed, immovable object, ideally a bike rack.lock your bike in the middle of lots of other bikes.And don’t leave your bike for too long! A summary of where to lock your bike in the street: Or if you can’t avoid it, take an extra lock. If you know an area is dangerous, avoid it. Why? If a thief sees you locking your bike and then going in to any of these places they’ll know they’ve got a fair bit of time to work on your bike! Tip 4: Take extra precautions If you’re going to the cinema, the leisure center or anywhere else where you might be away from your bike for a significant amount of time, consider locking your bike a couple of streets away. Once an unsuspecting cyclist has left their bike locked to the rack, the thief returns, prizes open the cut section and makes off with their bike! So check any rack you use hasn't been tampered with. The guide is divided into three parts based on the three places where you’ll likely be locking your bike: in the street, at home and at work or college.
So make sure you’re familiar with the options below and try to think which one's best for you at home and in your neighborhood before you buy a lock. Because thinking about how you’ll secure your bike can help you choose the right lock.ĭifferent techniques favor different locks.
If you’ve already got a lock, I’ll show you how to get the best out of it. If you haven’t got a bike lock yet, even better. And by the end of the article you’ll be able to make an educated choice on which one provides the best balance of security and convenience for your circumstances. Why several different ways? Because locking your bike isn’t just about security, it’s got to be practical as well. (And several ways you should never lock your bike!) So in this guide, I’ll show you several ways you can lock your bike. Because whichever lock you choose, if you don’t use it properly, your bike will be stolen. You also need to know how to secure your bike properly. And you’ve got a good idea what level of security you need and the type of lock that’s right for you. I hope you’ve already read about how to choose the best bike lock.