With 400,000 bikes stolen every year, bike theft is no joke. Crime rates have skyrocketed during the pandemic, with thieves turning to stealing bikes as an easy way to make money.
The hard truth is that your mountain bike is vulnerable anywhere. Whilst the majority of thefts take place in cities, there are a number of reports documenting bike thefts happening in rural areas. Even on the road your bike is not safe from the hands of criminals. You might stop for a drink, and turn round to discover that your bike has vanished. Sporting events— such as The Devitt MCN Festival of Motorcycling, and BIG Bike Ride— are treasure chests for criminals. Thieves target these events to seize vehicles whilst spectators and owners alike are caught up in the buzz of the event.
The good news is there are countless ways to secure your mountain bike. Here, we take you through our three top tips to reduce the chances of your bike getting stolen.
Location is key
Storing your mountain bike outside means that it is easily visible, and so accessible to criminals. So, keeping your bike inside is a simple way to reduce the chances of theft. There are a few options
House: storing your bike inside your house ensures that it is close by you at all times. It is worth chaining the bike to an immovable object, or to a hook, for added security.
Garage: your garage is a secure, stable space to store your bike. Whilst storing your bike in the house might be an eyesore, storing it in a garage means that it is protected, yet out of sight. It is worth investing in a garage lock as an extra mode of protection.
Shed: a shed might seem like a dangerous option, as it is susceptible to break-ins. On the plus side, a shed is the most cost effective place to store your bike. Also, it is easy to upgrade so that it provides stronger protection.You can do this through toughening the hinges, adding a padlock, and fitting an alarm.
Stay off social media
Loose lips don’t only sink ships. They could also cost you your bike. Boasting about your prized possession draws attention to the fact that you own an expensive vehicle. This makes it an easily identifiable target for potential thieves. The good news is that there are tips you can follow to reduce the publicity of your vehicle.
1. Don’t plaster your social media profiles with photos of your bike. Whether your platform of choice is Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, it can be tempting to share your love for motorcycling through posting about your bike. However, thieves are notorious for scrolling through social media photos to find out about the location of a bike. Searching for factors such as a geo-filter, the surrounding landscape, or a location tag is an age-old trick used to identify the location of the vehicle. So, don’t post photos of your bike on social media. If you really can’t resist, remember to make sure your page is on a private setting
2. Don’t record your rides on Strava. It might seem appealing to record the length of your bike rides on Strava as a way to track progress. However, Strava is a public app, which means that anyone can trace a direct route back to the original location of your bike. What’s more is that users can see the direct times of your rides. This makes it far too easy for a thief to choose the perfect time and place to steal your bike. Delete Strava today to take away this risk.
Invest in security
Criminals will go to any lengths to steal your bike. This means that your mountain bike is at risk of theft even in the most secure location. So, the best strategy is to invest in top-end security products to put criminals off stealing your bike. At Axxess28, we have developed a security system— ProtectMotox— to set the benchmark in terms of mountainbike security systems.
The base system consists of a main ethernet hub. The hub is home or office based. It uses 230VAC power, and is plugged into a broadband router using an ethernet cable, a wireless 119bd siren and a wireless transmitter. The hub is fitted inside a custom designed waterproof housing coupled with a low volt electrical cable with a waterproof connector that allows for authorised removal.
The wireless transmitter cable is looped either through the frame or wheel and connected to a static device (ground anchor or vehicle etc). The system is then armed using the smartphone app. Any unauthorised tampering, either by disconnecting the plug or indeed cutting the cable will activated the remote siren and send alerts via the app to the user’s smartphone.
This sets ProtectMotox miles ahead of other security products, through making sure that the user is immediately notified about potential threat to their bike. The affordability, compatibility, and immediacy of ProtectMotox means that it is able to trump other security products on the market. This makes ProtectMotox a vital purchase in terms of protecting your bike.
If you’re serious about protecting your bike, visit the Axxess28 website at https://www.axxess28.com/ to find out more.