The fear of your bike getting stolen is a constant when you live in a big city, Rotterdam is no exception. It can happen anywhere, outside your apartment, in the center or at the metro station. To avoid the great inconvenience and, let’s face it, burning disappointment when that happens, EM dug through the immensity of the World Wide Web to find five tips that will help your bike being a little bit safer.
1.If you can, park your bike inside
An ex crack addict and bikes thief shared a few tips with The Guardian to prevent your bike from getting stolen. One of these is to park your bike inside when possible, especially if the bike is an expensive one. If you do not have a bike shed or have no space to park your bike inside, then the only way to prevent theft is: buy a cheaper bike, according to the former crack addict.
2.Make it ugly
A creative solution is to make your bike look ugly. As the website WeLoveCycling.com suggests making your bicycle as unpleasant looking as possible helps repelling thieves. There a few ways to do this: using duct tape is one these, you can also use spray paint or even cocoa powder to give the bike that unattractive rusty look.
3.Use technology
An effective way to always know where your bike is, is to use Trackr, as suggested by Techiefans.com. Technically, this tip does not help you preventing the theft, but in the unfortunate case the previous two tips didn’t work, this third one should help you locate your bike once it gets stolen. Trackr is a small devise which can be discretely attached to your bike, through a smart phone app you will be able to activate the tracker and eventually locate it when in need.
4.Old but gold
Locking your bike with a thick metal chain is an old school, yet still very effective trick to secure your bike. Another tip which was shared by the former bikes thief is to lock your bike with two thick chain locks. The locking technique also plays its part, it is important to lock the bike through both the wheels and the frame.
5.A flat tire is a red flag
The same source further shared that whenever your bike suddenly has a flat tire when parked outside, you should be extra careful. If you notice a flat tire when you unlock your bike in the morning that might mean a bike thief has set his or her eyes on your bike. The trick is used by thieves to ensure that the owner will leave the bike locked in that spot, in this way the thief has more time to steal the bike.
Lock your bike through the frame to a solid piece of street furniture. Make sure the anchor point is a closed loop; it's no good if the bike can be lifted over the top of a post. With a D-lock, lock the frame low down and make the interior of the 'D' inaccessible.
BikeChecker is a FREE service for people purchasing second-hand bikes who wish to check the status of a bike on the BikeRegister Database. Thieves often try to sell on stolen bikes in the quickest and easiest way. This can often be through classified ad sites or indeed 2nd hand bike stores.
The first and most common, is the "opportunist" thief, who is certainly carrying cable cutters, maybe some medium sized bolt cutters, maybe even a crowbar. The opportunists are looking for any bikes secured with cables, weak u-locks and puny chains and padlocks. No bike is too cheap or tatty to escape their attention.
A cover is an effective theft deterrent. Obscuring the Prize: A bicycle cover serves a fundamental purpose: it conceals what's underneath. This is crucial because theft is often an opportunistic crime. Thieves are more likely to steal something if they can quickly ascertain its value.
The court will usually ask for a police report for the frame number to clear it for theft records, etc.and then issue a court judgment naming him as owner. The DMV in his state will then issue title in his name.
You might think it's a waste of time. But the fact is that almost half of stolen bikes are eventually recovered by the police. And the only reason that just 5% of stolen bikes are returned to their owners is that the police can't link the bikes to the owners.
2) Check for a manufacturer's date code or serial number: Many bikes have a serial number stamped or engraved on the frame, bottom bracket, or headset. This number often includes information about the bike's manufacturing date. Look for a series of letters or numbers that might indicate the year or month of production.
Analysis. That wheels, lights and seats make up 75% of all stolen bike components is not surprising, since they are the easiest to get off the bike. Wheels and seats are often attached with quick release levers, which don't require a tool to loosen and remove.
Even if you are buying a used bike, ask for a receipt. If you don't have a receipt for a bike you already own, repair receipts may serve as evidence of ownership. Keep all receipts for the bike in the file. Take photographs of the bike, including any distinguishing characteristics, and store those in the file as well.
GPS trackers were used by just three per cent of bike owners to protect their bikes. Other significant data from BikeRegister shows the most common bike colour sought by thieves is black, with Specialized the most targeted cycle brand.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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