You’re Using Bike Locks All Wrong

People steal bicycles. It happens every day. Knowing that and preparing for it is one of the most important parts of being a cyclist. If you don’t take the security of your ride seriously, you could wind up losing not only your bicycle, but in some cases your only means of daily transportation or work vehicle.

Here’s what you’re doing wrong when it comes to bike locks.

• Not Using One – Come on, people! It seems like an obvious one, but there are so many cyclists who just don’t bother to lock up their bike. Don’t be surprised when you come out of the coffee shop you ducked into five minutes ago and find that you’re one bicycle short.
• Using the Wrong Lock – If you’re using a cable lock, you might as well be hanging a sign on your bicycle that says “hey Mr. Bike Thief, pick me! I’m easy!” Cable locks are far too easy to cut through to be a viable solution to keeping your bike secure. Instead, use a U-lock. Better yet, use two, and think of it this way, it costs less to get two U-locks than it does to get a new bike.
• Locking Through the Wheel – When you’re locking up your bike, you have to make sure that you are locking through the frame. If you only lock through the wheel or around the seat, for example, those pieces are easily removed. If you can, the best practice is to use two U-locks and go through the frame, as well as through both wheels.
• Locking to Unsecure Anchors – Whatever you lock your bike to should be secured. Again, it seems like another obvious one but you’d be surprised how many people are locking their bikes to chairs or tables. Find something that is heavy and bolted to ground.
• Not Checking Your Surroundings – You may think that the best place to lock your bike up is the hand rail on the steps of a nearby government office, but you may realize just how wrong you are when someone cuts the locks and impounds it. You should be able to get the bike back, but it will cost you.

The next time you go to buy a new bike, we want it to be because you want an upgrade, or you want a different model; not because your last bike was stolen.

San Diego personal injury attorney Joshua Bonnici fights hard to protect people who are injured in bicycle accidents, and does his best to make sure they get everything they need to return to their lives.