15 tips against bike theft
1 lock on board
Never drive off without a lock and the right key! It sounds simple, but it's easy to overlook in the hustle and bustle of setting off. Problem: More than any other means of transport, the bicycle invites you to make spontaneous stops along the way; for example at a tempting-smelling bakery or at the station kiosk to quickly fish the latest issue of our favourite magazine off the shelf. The bike should not be parked for even a few minutes without a lock: Unfortunately, opportunity makes thieves and all it takes is a brief, unobserved moment.
2 Collecting rack tactics
A bike that is poorly secured or not secured at all on a bike rack is the best protection for its neighbours. Anyone who chooses the location for their expensive bike according to this principle is not acting wickedly, but cleverly: every bike that is less secure than your own distracts thieves.
3 Secure parking spaces
Experts answer the question of secure parking spaces according to the exclusion principle: 1. avoid hidden corners where thieves can get to work unobserved. 2. huge bicycle parking spaces increase the risk of theft, as it is hardly noticeable if someone tampers with someone else's bicycle. What remains? Places where the bike is exposed and the perpetrator feels they are being watched, for example outside a café, hairdressing salon, etc.
4 Danger of habit
Do you cycle to the office every day? Then it is advisable to change your parking space regularly. Professionals like to spy on their prey before they strike. If you always leave your bike in the same place at the same time, you provide potential criminals with valuable information.
5 Trick with the fence post
Even the best lock offers little protection if it is only attached to the bike, as bad guys can simply carry the bike and lock away. Anchored bike stands, fences or lampposts offer options for locking up. It is worth putting up with a few extra metres of walking for this.
6 Visible code
A coded bike reveals its true owner. This makes it uninteresting as stolen property for professional thieves because it is practically unsaleable. Unfortunately, coding will not deter opportunist thieves who are looking for someone else's bike to take home. But at least it makes it easier to return the bike to the owner if it is abandoned after the theft and reported to the police by attentive passers-by or residents.
7 Frames without names
Does your bike have a classy brand name? Some cyclists make it unrecognisable so that their high-quality bike is not immediately recognisable as such. Stickers or a new coat of paint are one method. Some manufacturers also offer a more elegant solution: Their frames can be ordered with brand lettering - and without if desired.
8 Caution quick release
Experienced cyclists do not use quick-releases or avoid attaching the front wheel to the bike stand if it can be removed from the fork with a quick-release. Parents should sensitise their children to the quick-release problem at an early age: Children often automatically favour the front wheel for locking the bike to the kickstand.
9 Cheerful one-off
Admittedly, brightly coloured accessories are not everyone's cup of tea. Nevertheless, the more unique the look of a bike and the more specialised its design, the more difficult it is for thieves to find a buyer.
10 Deceptive security
Basement rooms in residential complexes offer no protection against theft! Time and again, bikes disappear from cellars or garages that should only be accessible to residents. If you secure your bike there in the same way as on the street, you can prevent theft.
11 The right lock
An experienced offender can pick a mediocre lock in just a few seconds. Experts therefore recommend investing five to ten per cent of the purchase price of the bike in a high-quality lock.
12 Saddle loose
Pack the saddle in your rucksack and take it to the restaurant or cinema. Admittedly, this is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea or appropriate for every occasion. Nevertheless, it's a good trick, because you can assume that thieves prefer to go for the "complete package" and leave a bike without a saddle.
13 Better safe than sorry
A second lock spoils many a thief's appetite in advance. If you are travelling in pairs, it is best to lock both bikes together with both locks.
14 Electronic spy
Spy Bike is the name of a new system that monitors the bike's location via GPS tracking. The transmitter is installed in the seat post, head tube or disguised as an LED lamp on the bike and sends the owner an alarm text message if the bike is moved from its location. The manufacturer promises that the electronic spy will determine its current location in real time and send the data to a tracking server. In this way, the position of a stolen bike can be tracked and the stolen goods easily located
15 Store secondary lock
Unfortunately, every secure lock has one major disadvantage: its hefty weight. If you don't want to carry a heavy load on regular trips to the office or sports ground, etc., simply leave one lock at home and store a second one at your destination.
