cycle security

How can I make my work-bike less attractive to thieves?

Apart from the obvious observation of 'lock it', and lock it with a good lock, to an immovable object, many tactics can be adopted. Ideas range from using a really minimalist, or un-trendy bike for work or shopping, to painting the bike all over with dodgy spray paint to disguise it's underlying quality. If you take this latter route, don't forget to scratch off or otherwise obscure the trendier component decals. It won't do much for the trade in value of the machine of course!!

What is the best type of lock?

One of the many types of U lock, or a lock using a set of overlocking hardened steel cups on a cable. Find a lock with a replacement key service, and if buying a U lock, but the smallest design that will allow you to lock your bike and it?s wheels to something immovable. The more space there is around the lock and the bike you are securing, the easier it will be for a thief to work on the lock to break it.

What about Electronic Tagging?

There are various types of Electronic Tagging available.
These tags usually consist of a chip with the bike owner's name and address encoded on it, fixed into the frame - generally inside the seat tube. The chip can be read by a device held over the appropriate part of the bike. Uptake of this type of tagging has not been tremendous in the cycle industry, but it is available - www.datatag.co.uk and www.innovations.co.uk both list / have listed tags of this type.

Information on electronic tagging may be available from your insurance company or the local police force - many such organisations have a preferred supplier and in some cases with insurance companies that can mean a reduced premium. Some police forces can offer a discount on the tagging operation.

There are also other types of non-visible marks that can be applied, such as Ultra-violet inks, which require the presence of a strong, localised UV source to be read, microdot markers and other types of security engraving, but all of these have suffered from poor uptake at the retailer and so within the public domain.