{"id":38105,"date":"2021-06-25T19:06:03","date_gmt":"2021-06-26T02:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/?p=38105"},"modified":"2023-01-14T20:25:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T04:25:29","slug":"ten-top-tips-keep-your-bike-from-being-stolen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/ten-top-tips-keep-your-bike-from-being-stolen\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Tips to Keep your Bike from being Stolen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nobody wants the trauma of losing their beloved bike. So here are our top ten tips to keep your bike from being stolen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Worldwide, more than a million bikes are stolen every year, and in most countries, only around 1% are ever recovered. Make no mistake; bike theft is big business. In many major cities, there are organized crime rings stealing and fencing bikes, especially high-end bikes. Make it your business to fight back, and keep your bike safe.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Try to Keep your Bike within Sight<\/h2>\n

In the summer, we often park our higher-end bikes right next to a pub patio, so we have complete peace of mind. Of course, this is not always possible. Also, I have often wheeled my bike into hospitals, doctor’s offices, dentists, banks …\u00a0 you name it. If you just do it<\/strong>,<\/em> most times no one questions you. They just think you are staff, or a delivery person, I guess. In 20 years of doing this I have only once been harassed by a security guard. And it helps if you wear a high viz vest – people think you ARE security! No one can steal your bike if you’re holding it.onl<\/p>\n

But for all those times when it’s just not possible to keep your bike within sight, read on!<\/p>\n

Related Post: Top 7 Bike Locks – and How to Choose the Right Bike Lock<\/a><\/h3>\n

Tip #2: Record all Details of Your Bike, including Serial Number \u2013 and Register Your Bike’s Details Online<\/h2>\n

This is a very important thing you can do to protect your bike, yet most people don\u2019t do it. Of all the bikes that are stolen each year, only a small number are ever returned to their rightful owners. This is partly due to a lack of details about the bikes themselves. Keeping a record of your bike on file should help you prove to the police that the bike they’ve found belongs to you. And if bike theft is covered in your insurance, having these details on file will be very useful if you ever need to make a claim.<\/p>\n

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The Importance of Your Bike’s Serial Number<\/h3>\n

Admittedly, it can be hard to find the serial number \u2013 it took me 15 minutes with a powerful flashlight and a magnifying glass to find the serial number on one of my bikes. See below for instructions on how to find your bike’s serial number (also known as a frame number).<\/p>\n

It is well worth the effort to find your bike’s serial number. If your bike is stolen, there may be no other way you can prove it is yours<\/strong>, even if you see it the very next day on Craigslist. Also, in many cities the police keep a database of stolen bikes, with their serial numbers recorded<\/strong>. If the horrible day ever comes that someone steals your bike, you will have more chance of getting it back if you can give a serial number to the police.<\/p>\n

What happens all too often is that sometime, somewhere, the police recover your stolen bike, but they have no idea how to find you, so you never see your bike again. Here’s a photo of a huge amount of bikes recovered by the police – all unreturned, because the police could not figure out who to return them to.<\/p>\n

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