How to avoid theft at bike parks and trail centres
Bike parks and Trail centres are brilliant places for mountain bikers, gravel riders, and even families to go to ride off-road. The fun, friendly nature of these places gives them a real sense of community, which can, unfortunately, provide a false sense of security. With there being so many cyclists around, you may feel that your bike and possessions are safe, but as Bike parks and Trail centres become more popular, they sadly attract the attention of thieves.
There are many great bike parks all over the UK including PedalABikeaway and Bikepark Wales, but no matter where you go in the world, theft is on the rise. Thieves are making extra effort to blend in, even dressing like cyclists, and riding on their own bike. They will often look for bikes that have been left unattended on the outskirts, or bikes that have been left because the rider is grabbing a quick coffee. Then when the opportunity presents itself, they grab the bike, throw it in the back of a van, and drive away.
We have put together some tips to make sure that you don’t fall victim to bike theft whilst visiting a bike park.
1) Keep your bike locked
We urge you to lock your bike up to anything which is close to the cafe. Some cafes may not have windows or the bike parking may not be easy to see. During this situation, we would personally recommend one of our LITELOK GO bike locks. They are very light (weighing from just 641g) and offer a good level of security.
In a higher risk area where the trail centre is overpopulated or very popular with a mixture of outdoor adventurists, we recommend a LITELOK ONE. These offer greater security, weighing from only 1.1kg but provide a very high level of security. This is ideal if your bike is worth a lot of money, or if your bike is out of your sight for a longer period of time.
Photograph by Dave Price Photography
2) Lock bikes together
If there is no bike parking or railings are full, we recommend locking bikes together so that it makes it awkward to carry away unnoticed. If multiple bikes are secured together then it is incredibly awkward for a thief to pick them up and move them without drawing attention to themselves. Another bonus for this is you are not only protecting your bike but also your mates/family’s bike(s) too.
3) Have eyes on your bike
If you are in a situation where you have to leave your bike unattended without it being locked, then ask a friend or someone you trust at the centre to keep watch. This is still a good tip even if your bike is locked. That way, if anyone suspicious starts snooping around your bike, their presence can be alerted to the centre and action can be taken if needed.
Photograph by Dave Price Photography
4) Be aware
Lastly, check your surroundings. Making sure that your bike is easily visible for you to see and not covered by shelter or hidden spots, mixed in with other bikes. Make it as difficult as possible for someone to get your bike.
5) Secure on your car or van
Make sure your bikes are secured when transporting to and from the bike park. Thieves often target bikes on the back of your car when you're refueling, parked in the car park or outside your accommodation. All LITELOK locks can be paired together for longer locking length to secure multiple bikes to your bike rack.