This thread is timely on a number of levels:
1. We are coming into the popular holiday season, when more bods are away from home. Not least, thieves know this too, so they know that there’ll be more opportunities presented to them.
2. Lots of requests are made on this forum for details of ‘secure’ hotels. If nothing else it is perhaps foolish to rely on ‘hotel security’ alone, without taking any additional precautions. If the chain of the thread linked above is to be believed, one of the four bikes was not stolen, simply because it had the added security of a decent U-lock. Of course we’ll never know if that was only reason (maybe the thieves were disturbed) but, on the face of it at least, the additional security helped to prevent a loss.
3. Whilst a U-lock or similar is certainly better than nothing, a bike secured to itself is not as secure as a bike chained to something. Whilst that might not always be possible, chaining a bike to a mate’s bike (assuming you not travelling alone) helps, to some degree or another. A looped chain, between the centre stand and the wheel, can and will make a simple ‘push away’ (the most common theft) more difficult. Likewise, look at the car park; is there a lamp post or railing you can use, to secure the bike to? Yes, it might mean pushing the bike awkwardly onto the grass or into a corner. But, if that is awkward for you, it’ll be awkward for a thief too. Thieves will avoid awkwardness, whenever possible. Why wouldn’t they; they are only human.
4. Yes, it takes time to secure a bike. What though is certain, is that it takes a lot longer to report and then claim for the loss (and to arrange how to get home or walk) than it does to try to prevent the theft in the first place.
5. Don’t fall for the old: ”I was only gone a minute”. Few tasks, other than stealing a bike, take under a minute. Thieves know this. They watch you saunter 20 or more yards into the coffee shop…. They know you’ll very probably be at least five minutes and longer if you sit down…. BINGO! One bike gone. Take and use a simple disc lock. That alone will take you well under a minute to attach. One minute, part of your coffee stop, it’s nothing.
6. Don’t think that because you are not in Reims, it can’t happen. Bikes are stolen in country villages and in towns. Don’t be the one to have that proved to you.
And yup, we all get lazy and tired….. When I think I can’t be arsed, I remind myself to practice what I preach. A self inflicted kick up the arse then, is a lot less painful than one in the nuts later from a thief. Trust me.
1. We are coming into the popular holiday season, when more bods are away from home. Not least, thieves know this too, so they know that there’ll be more opportunities presented to them.
2. Lots of requests are made on this forum for details of ‘secure’ hotels. If nothing else it is perhaps foolish to rely on ‘hotel security’ alone, without taking any additional precautions. If the chain of the thread linked above is to be believed, one of the four bikes was not stolen, simply because it had the added security of a decent U-lock. Of course we’ll never know if that was only reason (maybe the thieves were disturbed) but, on the face of it at least, the additional security helped to prevent a loss.
3. Whilst a U-lock or similar is certainly better than nothing, a bike secured to itself is not as secure as a bike chained to something. Whilst that might not always be possible, chaining a bike to a mate’s bike (assuming you not travelling alone) helps, to some degree or another. A looped chain, between the centre stand and the wheel, can and will make a simple ‘push away’ (the most common theft) more difficult. Likewise, look at the car park; is there a lamp post or railing you can use, to secure the bike to? Yes, it might mean pushing the bike awkwardly onto the grass or into a corner. But, if that is awkward for you, it’ll be awkward for a thief too. Thieves will avoid awkwardness, whenever possible. Why wouldn’t they; they are only human.
4. Yes, it takes time to secure a bike. What though is certain, is that it takes a lot longer to report and then claim for the loss (and to arrange how to get home or walk) than it does to try to prevent the theft in the first place.
5. Don’t fall for the old: ”I was only gone a minute”. Few tasks, other than stealing a bike, take under a minute. Thieves know this. They watch you saunter 20 or more yards into the coffee shop…. They know you’ll very probably be at least five minutes and longer if you sit down…. BINGO! One bike gone. Take and use a simple disc lock. That alone will take you well under a minute to attach. One minute, part of your coffee stop, it’s nothing.
6. Don’t think that because you are not in Reims, it can’t happen. Bikes are stolen in country villages and in towns. Don’t be the one to have that proved to you.
And yup, we all get lazy and tired….. When I think I can’t be arsed, I remind myself to practice what I preach. A self inflicted kick up the arse then, is a lot less painful than one in the nuts later from a thief. Trust me.
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republic
