bike theftThe second worst thing that can happen to a cyclist is a stolen bike. The “tender” steps to where you have parked your bicycle out of sight, can be hard, your heart beating faster and faster as you get closer.

I always try to park and lock up my bike so I can see it from the cafe, pub etc. But that is not always possible so it is a bit worried leaving our pride and joy “shackled” up. With many D-lock, street cuffs and other strong locks to something that can’t be moved.

I have one had one bicycle stolen from me. My heart stopped, then panic, when I couldn’t see it next to the bike I parked it against. Then the idea you just parked it somewhere else, you fool. But looking elsewhere it was nowhere to be found, then re trace your track, no I didn’t have it with when I went over there. So where did I park it? And so it goes one until it finally sinks in, that your ride is gone.

I biggest worry was to go home and tell my mum that my bike was stolen. Since I had done some serious begging the year before in order to get that bike.

Having your bicycle stolen just make you upset, gutted, sick to the stomach, violated

I always say try park and lock your bicycle somewhere it is seen and make it hard (with the locks) for undesirables to take the bike. Fill the D in the D-lock with as much bicycle and whatever you are locking it to.

But even at home your bikes can be taken, friends of mine just had a break in*. Where they lost quite a few of their bikes in one go. Even though you would think that your home is the safest place, one of these days they will get in and empty your house. You can only make it as hard as you can and hope for the best.

* Great news, the burgaly at my friends place have now been solved. All eight bikes now back at their rightful owners 🙂 bicycleslut – Burglary result all eight bikes found and an arrest made

So when the bicycle is nicked from you, there is a few thinks you can do to get it back. I have heard various success with these steps. Since often before you can spell bicycle it is either sold of as parts or on a boat somewhere foreign.

Over on bikerevolution.org they have a top ten tips of what to do when you find that your bicycle is gone. Along with going down to the local flea market or if you should be in London, Brick Lane. You can search/crawl through gumtree, ebay, craiglist, bikesoup.co.uk and bikeshd.co.uk and the like to see if someone is trying to sell it.

Then there is twitter, facebook and emails, tell your friends and get the word out there fast. There is a new twitter @StolenBikesLond that is set up to help get the word out fast here in London.

Sign up on various cycle forums to get the word out. Like CycleChat – Stolen Bikes and LFGSS – stolen bikes, they both have a board dedicated to spread the word of your stolen bike.

Trying to stop your bicycle getting stolen, there is the age old trick of ugly-fying it. But that is not always what you want to do to your pride and joy. So you can also sign up with immobilise.com, bikerevolution.org and bikeregister.com and get your bicycle tagged with them. Do remember to take photos of your bicycle, that is something I need to this weekend, so that we have an up to date photos of our stable. Along with writing down what the frame numbers are and what extra bits are on the bicycles.

If you are looking for a new second hand bike or want to sell it a nice secure way. You should have look at goinggoingbike.com, they are trying to do their bit when it comes to stamping out the sale of stolen bikes.

One thing I learned from my friends loss of bicycles, is that you gotta check your home or bicycle insurance to make sure that it actually does cover your bicycle if they get stolen.