Love your bike, and keep it from getting into the wrong hands.
You know what’s worse than bike thieves…?
Yeah, we couldn’t think of anything, either.
So rather than spend our time philosophizing if such a being existed, we decided it would be more worthwhile to draw up some tips you can use to defeat them.
Follow these 8 tricks and you’ll be well on your way to protecting your ride.
1- Understand the calculus of a bike thief
To counteract a bike thief you may have to do some regrettable things. Foremost among them is thinking like a bike thief.
Why is this important? Because the measures that you take to prevent your bike from being stolen are predicated on the way in which you understand the thought process of a thief.
You see, in the mind of a bike thief, your bicycle is not an elegant, magical vehicle for easy transportation and enjoyment. Rather, your bicycle is an opportunity to make (steal) a quick buck.
You see, the calculus for a bike thief is pretty simple: does the potential payoff of selling this bike (or a piece of it) justify the risk in stealing it? Moreover, does the risk-reward of stealing your bike outweigh the risk-reward ratio of stealing someone else’s bike that’s nearby.
Once you understand that this equation underlies every decision a bike thief makes, you’ll be better equipped to protect your ride and see the potential dangers around you.
2- Make your bike unique
Although getting the bike frame shaped in your name may be over-the-top (and in some cases physically impossible), the more distinguishable your bike the less likely a thief is to steal it, both because it’s more difficult to sell and because it’s more easily identified by the victim.
Lastly, it’s way easier to locate your bike and to prove to police that it’s yours if it’s unique or has distinguishing features.
3- Store your bike in an obvious place
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, you’re better off locking your bike in a well-populated public area, like a bike rack on a busy street, rather than in the middle of nowhere. Bike thieves have a lot more time and privacy to try to steal your bike if it’s hidden away from public view and they don’t have to worry about making too much noise with their tools!
4- Choose your lock wisely
Don’t use a cheap, small lock that would be easy to cut with a bolt cutter - this is basically the same as putting a sign on your bike that says “Please don’t steal this? K, thanks!”
Modern U-locks, D-locks and cable locks are the best the market has to offer. Although we have our own issues with the current state of locks on the market (more on that to come….) here are a few of the better ones on the market: the Kryptonite New York Standard; the Kryptonite Evolution Series 4, Evolution Mini 7 package or Kryptolok Series 2.
Make the thieves think twice about it by using a hardened chain, too. If you can, lock your bike with the chain through both the frame and the wheels – this will keep thieves at bay because it will take a lot longer to cut through.
5- Lock up in the middle of the bike rack
If you lock up to a bike rack, try to lock your bike in the middle of the rack instead of the outer ends. This is because the middle of the rack is a bit harder to get to and therefore deters theft.
If no bike racks are around, avoid securing your bike to anything like a signpost, pole or parking meter, because thieves have tricks for getting bikes off of these by using hoisting methods instead of bolt cutting.
6. Take off the front wheel
This may seem obvious, but most bikes come with a removable front wheel now. It’s pretty easy to snap them off, and a little harder to snap them back on. It may be a hassle to carry your wheel with you – but it’s more than the hassle of coming out to find your ride has been stolen!
This deters bike thieves because it lessens their potential haul - they’d have to strip your bike for parts rather than ride it to their getaway to sell as a whole unit. Often, this is just enough of a deterrent to keep thieves from picking your bike as their next victim.
You can also use a wheel set bag like this one to store your wheel while you’re bringing it around with you.
7- Remove extras
As a precaution you can remove the lights from your bike or even the seat if it isn’t fitted with locking nuts. These steps, like removing the wheel, can deter thieves from choosing your bike as their next haul.
Alternatively, you could save yourself the hassle by getting lights that never need to be removed as well as seat security that guarantees your seat won’t get stolen.
8- Buy a Huffy sticker and put it on your bike. Trust us - it’s the ultimate anti-theft guarantee : )
What are the best tricks that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!