Look After Your Bike and It Will Look After You
We often hear from disappointed BQ members who have had their bikes stolen. A good lock and making your bike clearly identifiable will make a world of difference in discouraging would-be-thieves.
Follow our guide below to keep your bike secure:
1. Lock your bike securely
- Use a heavy-duty bike lock. A quality “D” style lock is the hardest for thieves to defeat. Yes, they are heavy, but if you regularly park your bike in the same places (like at your home or work), you might be able to leave a D-lock locked in each location.
- Position the lock through your frame and one of the wheels to something secure that won’t move.
- If you have quick-release wheels, use a second small cable lock to secure the other wheel to your frame.
- If you don’t have a secure location, lock your bike in an open, public place rather than a hidden, tucked-away spot. It is safer if there are lots of people can see it, i.e. “passive” or natural surveillance.
- Lock your bike up, even if it’s in your yard or shed at home.
- Thieves often target unit blocks and apartments in inner-city suburbs. Lock your bicycle even when stored in your secure garage.
- Remove valuable accessories like lights, cycle computers, panniers, and anything else that’s easy to clip off.
2. Make your bike identifiable and returnable
- Record your serial number (usually stamped under the bottom bracket), keep it in a safe place and lodge it with Queensland Police’s West End Serial Hub. If your bike is stolen and retrieved by the police, this will ensure that it will be returned to you.
- Distinctive patterns and designs will make your bike recognisably yours. Change the paint scheme to something bright and unique or put reflective and distinctive stickers all over it.
- Write your name, address and phone number on your bike with a permanent pen.
- Make sure you have a recent photograph of your bike that includes these distinctive details.