Most people cover bikes under their contents insurance policy (part of home insurance policies for home owners), but serious cyclists and professional athletes with expensive equipment might have a specific insurance extension for theirs.
We wanted to share these tips because we’ve had our bikes go missing once or twice, too. Follow these tips to protect yours!
Hiding your bike gives thieves privacy
Avoid leaving it easily accessible in the streets if you can. Although this is glaringly obvious, leaving your bike out in the open will sometimes be your only option. Your workplace might have a secure parking area to accommodate your bike, but if you are going to a gym, or stopping by a store, then you may not always be able to park it securely.
While it goes without saying that you should have a lock and always ensure you are locking the bike to a heavy, immovable structure or object, you still have to pay attention to your parking location. For example, you might think that your bike will be safe if you lock it out of immediate sight, in an alley somewhere. But, by doing this, you are just giving the potential thief all of the seclusion they’ll need to take off with it unnoticed.
If you have no other choice, make sure you lock your bike in a bright location people often pass through. Thieves will be much less likely try anything if they think they’ll get caught.
Find the best bike lock available
This is a must have for everyone owning a bike. But how will you know which lock to choose? While you can certainly set aside some petty cash and purchase a cheap lock from Dollarama, an experienced bike thief will make quick work of it.
If you look into the high-end bike lock brands, you are quickly going to notice that each manufacturer offers the lock’s security rating so that you can distinguish the more secure solutions. Unfortunately you can’t compare the internal ratings Of one manufacturer with those of another manufacturer, but it’s a start.
Luckily, there are independent organizations that offer a security rating based on real, standardized tests of how much a lock can withstand. You can use these ratings to make an educated decision and purchase the best lock for your bike.
Check out these publications with bike lock reviews to get started:
Investing in a top-notch bike lock is probably the best way to prevent bike theft in general, so don’t just go for the cheapest option!
