Why do bikes get stolen?

It's so easy to get away with it

One major contributing factor to the increase in bike theft is that it's just so easy for criminals to get away with it. A bicycle's very nature makes it an easy target for theft: they are lightweight and simple to disassemble, making them easy to transport.

How are bikes usually stolen?

There are a variety of methods of stealing bikes. If the bike is locked to an insecure structure such as a small sign or tree, the thief is able to lift the bike along with its lock off of the structure. A thief may use a bolt cutter, hacksaw, or angle grinder to cut through the bicycle lock.

How likely is your bike to get stolen?

In fact, 50% of cyclists will have their bike stolen at some point. And what's worse, only 5% of those stolen bikes will ever be returned to their owners!

How do I keep my bike from being stolen?

Do police care about stolen bikes?

You might think the police will do nothing. 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.

How to (Almost) Never Have a Bike Stolen

Can police track stolen bike?

Report your bike stolen to the police

The local police have a good handle on the area and may be able to trace your bike within minutes. It's not uncommon for the police to spot the thief riding your bike. Once reported, the police will give you a crime reference number.

What bike is stolen the most?

Question: Why is Honda the most stolen motorcycle brand? Because of the sheer amount of Honda motorcycles available on the market. Being one of the most popular motorbike brands in the world means more Honda's are stolen more than the average.

What bikes are least likely to be stolen?

A study by Progressive Insurance Companies confirms that cruiser-type motorcycles, especially small ones, are crashed and stolen less frequently than sportbikes.

Do bikes get stolen in Japan?

But despite the belief of many that leaving a bicycle is unsafe Japan does have bicycle thieves and hundreds of thousands of bicycles are reported stolen each year.

How can I make my bike less attractive to thieves?

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.

Is bike theft a problem?

A bicycle is stolen every 30 seconds in the United States. That's roughly two million bikes a year, totaling about $350 million . To give you some perspective, less than one million motor vehicles are stolen each year in America. Bicycle thefts might be even higher than what's reported.

Are bike locks easy to cut?

Technically speaking there isn't a bike lock on the market that's unbreakable. With the right tools and enough time, any lock out there could be cut or broken. The locks featured in this article review are the most uncuttable locks on the market.

Can bikes be tracked?

A bike tracker is a typically small device mounted on your bike. Once installed, you can track the device, generally via the relevant brand's smartphone app. Many will be able to notify you if it has moved when the bike is unattended – and where it is.

What is the safest type of bike?

The Babel Bike has one major selling point: It claims to be the safest bike in the world. It comes from British inventor Crispin Sinclair. The idea behind the safety cage and seatbelts is to keep the rider strapped inside a safe zone, so if a vehicle strikes the bike, it gets pushed and not crushed.

Which bike wheel is harder to steal?

The top priority is passing the lock through the frame, then the rear wheel and front wheel last. If your bike will be locked in an area known for bike theft, consider a second lock to secure the wheels to the frame and the primary lock to secure the frame (and possibly the rear wheel) to the rack.

What color bike is least likely to get stolen?

Less desirable bikes are less quick to be bought and therefore less likely to be stolen. A bad colour brown or bright pink or luminous green and purple bike might be deterrents!

Why is bike theft so common in UK?

With an increase of bike users in the UK in 2020-21, bicycle theft is becoming a more and more pertinent problem. Bike thieves are more brazen than ever and the risk of falling foul to one of these criminals is rising due to the lack of policing in this area.

Who makes stolen bikes?

Stolen is a rider owned BMX bike and parts company founded by Anthony Revell and owned by he and David Wootten. Stolen has offices in California and the UK. Stolen's focus is making the best possible products at a price real people can afford.

What bike parts are commonly stolen?

Wheels, saddles, and accessories are the most commonly snagged items, but ultimately no part of your bicycle is safe, not even your cockpit. (Yes, I have had my cockpit stolen.) Of all your bike's parts, the wheels are the big-ticket item.

Is there an app to find stolen bike?

BikeFinder | The answer to bike theft.

Do bike cops have cameras?

In recent years, dashcams also have been widely applied in police motorcycles and assisted police officers' daily work.

How many stolen bikes are recovered UK?

It takes as little as 20 seconds to steal a bike worth £10,000, and only 16 per cent of stolen bikes are recovered."

What do police on bikes do?

A police bicycle is a bicycle used by police forces, most commonly in the form of a mountain bicycle, used to patrol areas inaccessible to police cars or cover a wider area than an officer on foot.

How many bicycles are stolen each year?

How many bikes are stolen each year in the US? 154,009 bikes were reported stolen in the US in 2019 according to the FBI. This continues a downward trend, with the number of reported bicycle thefts in the US consistently falling, every year between 2015 and 2019.