I want to go biking in cities, but from what I’ve read most police departments simply do not give a fuck about stolen bikes. How do I make sure my bike doesn’t get stolen?
I want to go biking in cities, but from what I’ve read most police departments simply do not give a fuck about stolen bikes. How do I make sure my bike doesn’t get stolen?
Cover/remove any brand name labels. Duct tape and spray paint are ugly. Use them.
Lock it to something solid. Use multiple, high quality locks if you can. Lock it where there is video surveillance if possible. Never leave it long. Never ever leave it outside overnight.
Greetings from Berlin, where more than 25,000 bikes are stolen each year. That’s 70 per day, or 3 per hour.
Despite following my own advise above as best I could, I have lost 3 bikes in the last 20 years. I still ride a bike everywhere though, 100% of the time, averaging over 5000 km a year.
Get out there and explore your city!
Edited to add, a good lock is going to cost a lot more than a standard one, and will easily weigh over 5kg.
I call it “uglifying”. Maybe it’s luck but I never had my ugly bike stolen. In a sea of attractive bikes, mine stands out like a eyesore. And I always imagine if some one did steal it, it’ll be quick to recover.
You can buy very convincing stickers that make your frame look rusty
Ugly bikes ftw!