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As the BBC recently reported, bicycle thefts are rapidly on the rise in the London area. With stolen bikes becoming more and more common these days, it is imperative that you keep your bike secure at all times and that you do everything you can to prevent your bike from becoming the latest victim in the recent rash of bicycle crimes. Here are five tips to keep in mind in order to keep your bicycle as safe as it can possibly be at all times.

Know Where to Park

As with all crimes, location is important. Criminals tend to pick less crowded, less travelled, and less known locales for their crimes. Therefore, you can limit your risk of bicycle theft by simply knowing where to park your bike. Always pick well-lit and well-travelled areas. In addition, make sure you pick a designated bike rack or bike station where available. If one is not available, pick an area near where there are lots of people watching as this may deter potential bike thieves.

Bike Locks

Any bike lock is better than none for sure, but these days I typically recommend that individuals only use a quality D-lock since they aren’t easily cut by bolt clippers or sawed through. Also, don’t buy the cheapest lock on the market. This is one area where you do, in fact, get what you pay for. Be prepared to invest in a quality lock that you know you can depend on to keep your bike secure.

Register Your Bike

Many locales now offer bike registration programs for the purposes of police identification. Research and find out if this service is available to you. If it is, I suggest you take advantage of it. If you don’t have a local service available to you, there is always Immoblise, the UK National Property Register as another option. Or better yet, you can take advantage of both.

When at Home

Always store your bike either in a garage or indoors if possible. Don’t leave your garage door open for long periods which can attract thieves to your bike. You might also consider getting a ground anchor. This is beneficial because it will help keep your bike securely in place should an industrious thief find a way into your garage.

Insurance

I hate to sound like a broken record sometimes, but it’s true. Even despite our best efforts of keeping our bikes secure, thefts do still happen. When it does, you will want to know you will be covered when you need to be. A good insurance plan from a reliable provider such as ProtectYourBubble.com will often be the most valuable tool you have.

The recent rise in bike thefts in the London area (and really, the whole of the UK) means that we all need to take more care in making sure that our bikes aren’t simply the next victim in this rash of bicycle crimes. I urge you to keep in mind the above five tips as you consider strategies for securing the safety of your bike and to be honest with yourself that no bike, even yours, is invulnerable to theft and damage. That’s why a good insurance plan is your ally.

Laura Ginn is a professional writer and blogger. She is also an avid cycler and rides her bike to as many places as she possibly can. This is why she takes as many precautions as possible to ensure that her bike stays safe and secure at all times.

About the author
Andreas co-founded Xavier Media® in 1996 and has since been involved in all kinds of development, marketing and making money online.