On top of your car
I’ve not plucked up the courage to speak to my favourite new neighbour. But I can’t help but notice that he seems to have a car set aside purely for transporting his mountain bike to idyllic cycling spots. It’s convenient and maybe an indication of how confident he is on how safe our neighbourhood is.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much effort to steal a bike off a car. So, be extra vigilant and don’t expect your bike to be safe just because it’s parked on top of your car in a car park with CCTV. You even notice a lady witness the whole event from her car. We Love Cycling’s advice? Use a D-lock on the wheels.
On the back of your car
Now we know not to leave your bike unattended, why not stick your bike to the back of your car when driving to a tempting climb? One would-be bike thief was caught on camera trying to steal a bike off the back of a car in plain sight of the public – and a camera installed on the back of the car.
It’s a hard thing for law-abiding citizens to get their head around but opportunistic criminals will regularly go unchallenged. You’d think that in broad daylight your carbon-framed pride and joy would be safe strapped to the back of your car. We Love Cycling’s advice? Use a D-lock to connect the frame to wheels and to the car.
In your shed
Your garden backs on to neighbours gardens and you’ve got a shed with an expensive padlock to keep it secure. But still, the thieves get in. If you’re willing to hear some very emotional and offensive language, this video is a testament to how upset us cyclists can get having a bike stolen. At least it wasn’t the chopper…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39IebYQedGs
The reality is that it’s not hard to break into a shed to steal a bike but if you do want to keep your shed as secure as possible, follow the advice of the Lancashire police.
Perhaps the most important of all is to think like a bike thief. Bike thieves don’t want to be caught in possession of a bike. Cutting off a D-lock takes time and money and if they damage the bike doing this, it loses its value because even their fence wants to get rid of it quickly. We Love Cycling’s advice? Always use a D-lock no matter where you store your bike.
