New Technology Makes Bicycles Theft Proof Says Crime Prevention Products

Most bicycle thefts are the result of an easy opportunity gap – a criminal happens to walk by and see that the bike is protected badly or not at all. Well known security providers such as Crime Prevention Products advise that there really is no reason why this type of burglary should occur, since there are both affordable locks and the latest in tracking technology to ensure that criminals are firmly deterred or hunted down.

The first Bicycle Security action is to fasten it to an immovable object with a lock when not in use. Even those who 'nip into a shop' need to be aware that it only takes a few seconds for a criminal to jump on and ride away.

There are three main types of bicycle security locks:

Armoured, Cable and Chain Locks – these essentially use a cable to secure a bicycle to objects. There is a wide range of variants available at cycle stores to fit any budget.

Shackle Locks – these contain mechanism housing and a U-shaped round bar. They should ideally be made of hardened steel to resist cutting. While they are robust, they are also heavy to transport and can only be secured to small objects such as railings, so they will not be suitable for everyone.

Immobilisers – these create a loop around a rotating part of the bicycle (usually the wheels). The best products in this category will attach directly to the bike, so that they are always permanently and conveniently fixed into position.

Apart from locks to prevent a bicycle from being stolen, the latest Cycle Tracking security technology offers a virtually unbeatable way of recovering it.

Leading security providers offer GPS tracking devices which are cleverly hidden in places such as the rear tail light while consistently sending the bicycle location to a free worldwide online mapping site at pre-set intervals. These types of trackers are easy to install and also affordable, since they generally cost the value of a text message every time they activate to register the bike's co-ordinates. Even if the stolen cycle has been hidden in a garage or house, it will pinpoint and send its last known GPS triangulated signal, very close to where it has been hidden.

CEO of leading security company Crime Prevention Products, Terry Rattee, commented: "While bicycle locks are an excellent, inexpensive security solution to prevent opportunistic bicycle theft, the latest in GPS tracking makes sure that wherever you are in the world, you'll always know where your bike is. This signals the end of bicycle crime because there's no longer anywhere for criminals to hide."