Enjoy your new cycle by keeping out of thieves clutches

Cycles are popular Christmas presents, whether that be for a child receiving its first cycle or a keen enthusiastic receiving the latest top spec machine. In all cases the cycle is a prize possession and Police are reminding people to also consider the cycle’s security too.

Security considerations include purchasing quality locks, how secure is the place where it will be stored, removing indicators that you may have a high value cycle and registering your cycle on www.immobilise.com.

When choosing security for your cycle we suggest that you invest in a quality lock and as a guide budget for at least 10% of the cycle’s value.

If you are storing your cycles in a shed or garage, make sure the building is suitably secured with a strong lock, consider fitting an alarm to the building and ensure cycles are locked and anchored to the fabric of the building and ideally to other valuables making them difficult to remove.

There are also tell tale signs that suggest you may own a high value cycle and therefore don’t leave cycles on open display at home before cleaning them down; remove cycle carriers from cars when not in use; and be cautious when posting “Track my ride’ app results or pictures of cycles onto social media sites especially if they give details of your home address. Most track my ride Apps have settings, which stop tracking your ride within a given distance to your home address. Check your security settings and set at least a 1000m exclusion zone around your house.

Cycles can easily be added onto www.immobilise.com which can then assist the force in identifying a cycle as stolen/lost, bring offenders to justice who illegally have possession of the cycle and also stop the cycle being sold via second hand stores.