With bicycle thefts up by as much as 75 per cent throughout London, there are a few tips and tricks that cyclists should know to safeguard their property. With a few quick precautions, you can make sure your bike stays yours for years!The first piece of advice I can offer is to make the effort to park your bicycle under the watchful eye of the CCTV systems throughout the city. The vast majority of these thefts occur in uncovered areas. If you must, parking a few blocks away and walking the final leg of your commute can help to ensure the safety of your ride.Another area of consideration is the quality of the lock that you use to secure your bike. Consider what kind of bike you plan to be locking up, and visit your local bike mechanic to ask their opinion on which lock works best for your application. Hardened locks offer extra protection from cutting, and braided cable locks offer great protection, as well as flexibility and ease of storage. The bottom line is that, generally speaking, the more you spend on a lock, the better your chances.Before we leave the topic of locks, it is crucial to point out that even the best of locks is only as effective as the method in which it is applied. You will want to use a lock that allows you to loop through BOTH wheels, and criss-crosses through the frame to secure your wheels. A quick-release seat post will allow you to take your saddle with you, if possible. If a thief comes across two equally secured bikes, and yours is missing a seat, he'll pass yours over for the one with all of the parts.Along these same lines, make sure that the object that you are locking your bike to is secure. A parking meter may be secured to the ground, but the bike could simple be lifted over the top of the post, rendering any locking device pointless. Be sure that whatever you lock your ride to is firmly and securely attached to the ground, and is either tall enough to prevent lifting the bike over, or is closed, such as a bike rack.Another preventative measure is to make sure that all auxiliary accessories such as pumps, saddle bags, water bottles, etc, are removed prior to locking your bike up for the day.
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