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Bicycle theft is very common in the UK, and bikes are regularly stolen by opportunist thieves, as well as part of targeted, co-ordinated operations.
That said, by following the instructions outlined below the vast majority of these thefts can be prevented. We provide a good-quality secure D-lock (and an extra cable lock) with every bike we donate to help you keep your bike safe.
So please remember to…
1. ALWAYS lock your bike, whenever you leave it unattended for any length of time (even if going into a building for 1 minute, or storing it indoors overnight).
2. ALWAYS store your bike indoors overnight, if you can.
3. Move your bike to a new location EVERY 24 HOURS, when storing it outdoors… this greatly reduces the likelihood someone will see it and come back later to steal it.
Securing your bike outdoors
- Use the D-Lock given to you by The Bike Project to secure the frame and rear wheel of your bike to a fixed, immovable object. Then, use your cable lock to secure the front wheel to the frame of the bike.
- ALWAYS lock your bike to a solid and strong metal structure – ideally a designated bike-locking location CLICK HERE TO VIEW SUITABLE LOCKING LOCATIONS.
- NEVER lock your bike to weak structures including fences, railings and benches that can be broken easily or short objects like bollards that the bike could be lifted over.
- Lock your bike in a well-lit, busy area with CCTV (security cameras) wherever possible. Thieves are much less likely to steal your bike if people can see them doing it.
Securing your bike indoors
- Wherever possible, store your bike in a private and secure place overnight – ideally not in a place where people are coming-and-going all the time.
- If this is not possible, and you need to leave the bike in a shared hallway or storage area – lock the frame and wheel together (this greatly reduces the likelihood someone will quickly wheel your bike away).
- Even indoors, using your lock will reduce the likelihood of opportunistic theft.