With over 350,000 bicycle thefts in the US each year, it would seem only a matter of time before someone rips off your two-wheeled pride and joy. But securing your bike is not rocket science. The safety of your parked bicycle is dependent on the three L's: lock, location, and luck. And fortunately for the non-Irish among us, we can do a great deal to maximize the effectiveness of the first two.

Bicycle theft, like raiding your roommate's box of Oreos, is usually a crime of opportunity. Most thefts occur when a bike can be conveniently nabbed, and often ridden away as a means of escape. Securing your bike with even the simplest cable will dissuade most criminals, and reduce the pool of potential thieves to those with tools and the opportunity to use them. Unfortunately for the cyclist, all additional steps beyond the first level of security come with diminishing returns. That is, each additional dollar spent on more (or stronger) locks brings a smaller and smaller increase in security than the previous dollar (or lock). The task for the cyclist then becomes: how to use a mix of locks and locations to make the risk of stealing your bicycle greater than the reward.

Bicycle thieves know their potential payoff – the current eBay and Craigslist prices for your bike. Accordingly, you don't need to apply the same level of security to a 1982 Schwinn Varsity as you would to some sparkling 27-speed with more Italian curves than Monica Bellucci. It's up to the cyclist to determine a proper mix of location and lock that fits each bike's value.

The location of your bike, regardless of value, is the biggest overlooked security variable. Choosing the right spot is about minimizing a criminal's willingness to spend time breaking your lock(s). Don't make the unfortunate assumption that your bicycle is safest in remote or obscure areas with few people. Instead, find a spot where casually-surveying criminals might not notice your bike, but if they did, would be unlikely to target it. This will be a spot with high levels of visibility in several directions, and no immediate access to car parking. Additionally, ideal locations will feature several bikes nearby so yours won't stand out. And although inconvenient, it’s wise to randomly switch the locked location of very high-end bikes, so thieves cannot depend on locating it in one place.

Your lock, and the way you use it, is the other security variable within your control. The most common styles of lock are the 'U' and the cable. U-shaped locks, while heavier and more expensive than cable locks, require time with cumbersome tools in order to break, making them safer than cable locks. The ideal U-shaped lock will secure your bike to a permanent structure and leave no extra room inside the ‘U’ for a thief to insert a car jack. Mini U-shaped models have a skinnier space inside the ‘U’ and LS models have a longer shank, allowing you to just squeeze in both wheels and the bike rack. The security offered by high-end 'U' locks equals that of the much heavier and bulkier chain locks.

The best cable locks feature integrated key or combination shackles, rather than a cable held together by a separate, less secure padlock. Cables, though light and convenient, should only be used in low-risk situations such as quick stops on an inexpensive bike. A 3-foot cable lock is sufficient to secure the frame and front wheel, and if you are concerned enough to worry about the rear wheel, you should probably be using a U-shaped lock.

I remember attending a day-time concert in Bellingham, Wash., last summer and seeing a Specialized Hardrock locked among other bikes with a high-end Kryptonite U-Lock. This should have been sufficient, but the lock had been placed around the removable seatpost, rather than through the frame. I flipped open the release and spun the seat backwards, showing the owner that three seconds of work would result in a new bike for someone with no equipment or special skills.

Cleary it’s important to know how to use your lock. With a U-shaped lock, place the front wheel alongside the rear wheel, and run the lock around the rim of both wheels – inside the bike's rear triangle – and around the bike rack. Your frame will then be held in place by the immobile rear wheel. The two wheels are secure and filling all the interior space of your lock, which should be placed at the top of the rim, minimizing a thief's ability to use the ground for leverage. Locking both wheels inside a U in this manner is more secure than using separate skewer locks to hold them in place.

The cable lock is less complex. Run the cable through the frame, as well as the front wheel. You should include the rear wheel if space allows, but by leaving some 'slack' in your cable, you make your bike a more difficult target for hacksaw-wielding thieves. Never rely on a cable for long durations.

Using locks of both types in high-risk areas will require a criminal to utilize their full arsenal to steal your ride. With a careful consideration of lock and location, you can quit worrying about your bike's safety and finally get some respect from that cute bike messenger you've been stalking.

Liked it? Share it!