The facts on bike theft
One of the barriers to getting more people cycling is the worry of bike theft. With handheld angle grinders and a feeling of impunity from prosecution, bike thieves seem to have the upper hand. However, there is much we can do to lessen the risk of theft and to remove that worry.
First of all, locally there are fewer thefts than you might imagine. Marlow had 9 reported bike theft last year compared to 694 in Milton Keynes. It very much depends on where you leave it. Bike theft has actually reduced in recent years. The majority of thefts from Marlow were at the train station, which are hot spots for thieves in any town. Astonishingly 23% of all bike thefts nationally weren’t locked at all !
Here are 3 steps you can take to keep your bike safe.
Invest in a quality lock and use two if you can. The thinner and lighter a lock the quicker it gets stolen. Bolt cutters and angle grinders can cut through thin locks in seconds. Upgrade your lock to higher security level such as a sold secure silver, gold or even diamond to give you peace of mind. This statistic says it all …
77% of all bike theft victims spent less than £41 on their lock and 41% spent less than £20!
Lock amnesty. Bring in your old lock and we will give you £10 off a Silver lock purchase, £20 for Gold or £30 for Diamond. Let’s improve the quality of locks locally.
Think about where you are leaving it. Lock it where you can see it. Thieves love dark corners away from prying eyes. Ideally choose where there is bike parking, people around and ideally some CCTV. If you are leaving it in a city there are clearly more thieves around than if leaving it in a small town or village. Don’t leave your bike unattended for long stretches. When you get home, lock your bike in your shed or garage .
Get your bike registered with the police. All our adult new bikes get registered with the police and marked free of charge using “Bike Register”. The bikes are logged on their website with bike photo, frame number and owners’ details. The bike is marked with two tamper proof QR code stickers. Every police force in the country can access these details so they can check the identity and owner of any marked bike. This means your bike is less likely to be stolen and more likely to be recovered if it is. If your bike was not purchased from us, we can register and sticker it for £12.99.
The message is simple. Use common sense, upgrade your lock and get your bike registered, and spend your time loving your bike, not worrying about losing it.
Bring down your old lock to us and get up to £30 off a more secure lock.
See our range of locks here.
https://www.saddlesafari.co.uk/products/cycling-accessories/locks/
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