Emily Horton learns the hard way about the need to suss out the security of your bike when leaving it in public places
My beloved bike – a beautiful Dawes Sportif – was stolen outside a pub in South West London this summer. After a couple of fairly sober hours, I came out onto the street to find a fellow cyclist in tears, having just discovered her bike had been taken from where she had left it.
When I went around the corner to the alley where I had parked my own, I discovered mine had gone too, along with my helmet and the ABUS D-Lock I had secured it to the fence with. Back in the pub I was told the b****** had taken a few more cycles that same evening.
Doubtless you’re wondering what possessed me to take such a valuable bicycle to a pub in the first place. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps I shouldn’t have done. However, the point is, contrary to popular belief, D-Locks are clearly not thief-proof. I repeat: you can’t rely on a lock to keep your precious cycle secure.
Fortunately, my home insurance came up trumps and the insurer paid an amount – less my £100 excess – into my account to cover the bicycle’s replacement.
Sadly, my particular Dawes model is out of production now, so I’m on the hunt for a new replacement. It’s been a hard lesson learnt, however, which is why I’m so keen to share it. In summary, I have three key words for you to remember: mark your bike, register the frame number and use at least two, quality locks.
Insurance
It’s a cliché but read the fine print carefully. I upgraded our home insurance a couple of years ago after a guest ran off with some of our valuables. Incredibly, the original policy hadn’t covered the watch and laptop that were stolen, much less a bike.
Locks
The policeman I spoke to after my bicycle was stolen told me no cycle lock is completely secure. However, the more expensive the lock, the longer they take to saw through. Look for the Sold Secure Gold, Silver and Bronze award rating on locks to give you an idea of the quality of the metal. Sold Secure tests locks and advises the insurance industry and the police, so expect a higher quality from a lock endorsed by them.
“A £100 lock might take thieves three or four seconds more to cut through, increasing their chances of being seen and giving you a little more time to save your bike,” the policeman told me.
Also lock the frame and both wheels using two different types of lock, which require different tools to break each of them.
Wheels
If your bike is fitted with quick-release wheels, replace the levers with bolts that can only be undone with an Allen key. Make the job as difficult as possible for the selfish misers trying to remove your wheels!
Bike register
As the policeman informed me, even if your bicycle is found and you recognise it, only if you can specifically identify it by its serial number and it’s registered on the National Cycle Database – the UK’s national, police-approved, bicycle marking and registration scheme – will it be returned to you. The database will also tell you if you live in an area of high bike crime, or if your second-hand bike purchase is listed as stolen. Clever.
Gumtree, Ebay
I have read of bike owners tracing their stolen bicycle via online marketplaces and then confronting the seller. I am not recommending this course of action but you can set up email alerts with eBay and Gumtree for your make and model of bike. Save your ‘search’ criteria so that when a new listing is published matching those words, an email will be sent to you.
Buy a security marking kit from BikeRegister.com or go to one of the police’s bike marking events. For dates, visit content.met.police.uk
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