How to Prevent Your Bike from Being Stolen

Let’s talk bicycle theft. Cities around the US and the rest of the world are rife with it right now and the epidemic of two-wheeled thievery appears to be on the rise. Nearly 2 million (yes, two MILLION) bikes get stolen each year in the United States alone. Very few of them make it back to their rightful owners.

But all is not lost! There are a whole range of practical steps you can take to drastically reduce the chances of having your bike stolen. Stick around, we’re going to explore them below.

Why Bikes Are Easy Targets for Theft

Unfortunately, bikes really are very stealable. They’re lightweight, portable, and often left unattended in public spaces. For thieves, they’re an easy target. Even the most secure locking methods or clever deterrents can’t guarantee 100% protection.

What you can do, however, is make your bike significantly less appealing to would-be thieves. The goal isn’t necessarily to create an impenetrable fortress—it’s to make your bike harder to steal than the one parked next to it. Thieves are opportunistic, and they’ll usually go for the easiest target.

Best Products To Buy Keep Your Bike

We’re breaking this blog up into things you can buy to keep your bike safe and things you can do to keep your bike safe. As you can imagine, this isn’t a problem that you can just throw money at (although that certainly helps) and hope for the best. Let’s get into it:

Get a quality bike lock

A good bike lock is your first line of defense. It’s not just about having a lock—it’s about having the right lock. Different locks offer different levels of protection, so it’s best to choose based on where you’re going to be parking your bike.

U-Locks: These are the gold standard for urban environments. Made of hardened steel, they’re tough to cut through even with an angle grinder. But they are on the heavier side, and can’t be wrapped around large anchor points like trees and light poles etc. But if I had to park my bike outside a train station overnight, I’d use a U-lock. We recommend checking out the Kryptonite New York Lock Standard.

Folding Locks: These locks are super compact, light, and dead easy to carry around. While they do offer decent protection against bolt cutters, anyone with a drill can drill out one of the pins and have your bike. So we wouldn’t suggest using these locks for regular parking in high-risk areas. In our opinion, the Foldylock Forever is the best of the folding locks.
Cable Locks: Cable locks are super easy to use, very portable, and allow you to lock your bike to just about anything. They’re absolutely perfect for locking your bike up in low-risk areas.

But here’s the catch; if you do a bit of googling, you’ll quickly find that no one (except cable lock manufacturers) recommends using these as a long-term security solution. Most bolt cutters can chew them right up. Thicker ones with plastic coatings are slightly better, but as someone who has had their bike stolen while it was secured with a cable lock – I’d invest in something better.

Note: We’ve left chain locks out of this list simply because heavy-duty ones are too heavy, and lighter ones just aren’t strong enough or offer any real benefits over a folding or cable lock.

💡 Pro Tip: It takes a bit more effort but, if you can spare the time/money, using two types of locks would be enough to deter just about any thief.

Invest in a GPS Tracker

One of the worst parts of getting your bike stolen is knowing just how unlikely it is to be recovered. A GPS tracker changes that. A lock deters the thief, but the tracker catches them.

Geo-Fencing: This is a very clever part of what some GPS trackers can do, like the AirBolt. When you park your bike, simply set a geo-fence perimeter around the bike, and then if it leaves that zone, you’ll be notified the moment that it does.

Real-Time Tracking: A good GPS tracker lets you see your bike’s location instantly and in real-time. So once you’ve found out your bike is stolen, you can see the direction that it’s going as well.

Discreet Placement: A good tracker needs to remain hidden. Thieves can’t remove what they can’t see. The AirBolt is small enough to tuck away under your seat saddle or in the frame.

Wheel and Seat Locks

Another annoying truth about bicycle theft is that the thief doesn’t even have to take your whole bike. A few hex keys or a multitool is generally more than enough to have them running away with just about everything on the bike except the frame.

Things like locking screws, anti-theft nuts and bolts, and seatpost locks are all cost-effective ‘set and forget’ types of anti-theft items.

Alarm System

Do you know who really hates attention? Bike thieves. A loud alarm is often more than enough to stop a thief from messing with your bike. These are generally pretty inexpensive and are intentionally visible. After all, it’s better to make sure the thief doesn’t even try.

💡 Pro Tip: An alarm system pairs with a GPS tracker like cheese and fine wine. Offering both an immediate deterrent and a reliable recovery option if the bike is taken.

Insurance

One last option to consider is insurance. This doesn’t stop your bike from getting stolen, it also doesn’t recover your bike. But it does get you another one.

Note: This method is only really worth it if your bike is worth over $1000. In fact, most insurance companies won’t insure your bike for less.

What to Do to Keep Your Bike Safe

Sometimes, the best thing for protecting your bike isn’t what you buy, it’s what you do. Forming smart habits that help keep your bike out of harm's way are simple and best of all – free!

Park Smart

Where you park your bike matters. There’s a sweet spot to be found here between visibility, security, and timing in order to reduce your risk of being targeted by thieves.

Choose High-Traffic Areas: Park in well-lit, busy spots where thieves are less likely to risk being caught.
Avoid Isolated Locations: Secluded alleys or backstreets are prime opportunities for theft.

Don’t Leave It Outside Overnight: According to a study on bike theft patterns, about 41% of bike thefts happen overnight. If your bike is outside in the small hours of the night, there are much fewer people to catch thieves in the act.
Anchor to Something Solid: This might seem obvious but it has to be said. If you’re anchoring your bike to a pole or street sign, always check to see if that pole can be pulled out of the ground. Any bike attached to a movable anchor point instantly becomes a top target for bike thieves.

Registration and Marking

One of the easiest ways to protect your bike is to make it identifiable. Registration and marking don’t stop theft, but they make it significantly harder for thieves to sell your bike and much easier for you to prove ownership if it is recovered.

Bike Registration: Sign up with a local or national bike registry. Many of these databases are accessible by law enforcement, increasing the chances of recovery.

Mark Your Bike: Use an engraving tool or UV pen to write your name, contact details, or a unique code on the frame. Thieves are less likely to steal a clearly identifiable bike.

💡 Pro Tip: Take a photo of your bike’s serial number and keep it on file. It’s a small step that can make a big difference if your bike goes missing.

What to Do If Your Bike Gets Stolen

Even with every precaution taken, bike thefts can and unfortunately do still happen. So let’s say your bike does get stolen, what then? Well, here’s what we’d do.

Immediate Steps

Check Your GPS Tracker: If your bike is equipped with a GPS tracker, check it immediately to locate your bike in real time. Share the location data with local authorities and avoid confronting the thief yourself.
File a Police Report: File a police report with detailed information about your bike, including make, model, color, serial number, and unique markings. Attach photos for easier identification. A lot of people tend to skip this step, assuming that the police aren’t going to do anything about it.

While this can be true, this is a crucial step for confronting the thief in case your bike is found either via GPS or if it is seen for sale online. Also, if you have insurance, you’re unlikely to qualify for compensation unless a police report is made.
Set Google Alerts: You can set Google alerts online so that every time your make and model of bicycle shows up online, you’re given an alert. This is especially helpful if your bike isn’t very common, and you can set geographic regions so that only alerts for your area send you a notification. You can find out how to do this via this help article.

Tips for Recovery

Use social media to spread the word locally. Post photos and details in community forums and cycling groups.
Monitor online listings like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay for bikes matching your description.
Register your bike as stolen with platforms like Bike Index to widen your search efforts.

Here’s Our Take…

The best way to keep your bike safe is to use more than just one method. There are no guarantees in life, but if everyone followed all of the above methods, there would be a fraction of the bike thefts we see today.

Bike theft is a frustrating reality, but being proactive puts you in control.