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news
Bike thiefBicycles the most commonly stolen possession, says insurer Direct Line
Insurance company Direct Line says that bicycles are the item most commonly stolen by burglars in the UK – ahead of mobile phones, power tools and laptop and tablet computers.
One in six theft claims the insurer handles, 17 per cent, involves a bicycle, with mobile phones second at 11 per cent.
The top ten list is rounded off by televisions, which make up just 3 per cent of claims.
– Cycle-specific insurance — Your questions answered
Kate Lomas, the company’s head of home insurance, said: "With the nights drawing in, it is perhaps unsurprising that thefts increase, as there are more opportunities for burglars to strike without being seen.”
She advised people to ensure items that cannot be kept in the house be properly secured to deter would-be thieves.
"Items such as bicycles, gardening tools and golf equipment are amongst the most sought-after items, so if items must be stowed away outside the home, homeowners should make sure they are safe and secure."
Top 10 items featured in Direct Line home insurance claims
1. Bicycles
2. Mobile phones
3. Power tools
4. Laptops
5. Tablet computers
6. Cameras
7. Golf equipment
8. Gardening tools
9. Audio equipment
10. TVs
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- froze 2 hours 11 min ago
Just my opinion, but sorry that bike is UGLY! I can't see that sort of price for a completed bike, not alone for just the frame and fork!...
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May need insurance, tax and a licence. No problem with the lights though.
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14 comments
Marking high value components is like writing your name on five pound notes. Avoiding leaving them in a place where they can easily be stolen is a much, much better idea.
People need to take security much more seriously; driving about with £3-4-5000 worth of bike on the top of your car is silly, as is leaving that bike rack on the roof. Sticking the 'most commonly stolen item' in the shed or the garage is asking to become a statistic.
No, BikeRegister offers:
Visible permanent frame marking kits
UV frame marking kits
The stickers are just a warning notice. The plod can access the database when they recover bikes.
Agree though that marking high-value components is a good idea!
I wasn't saying they don't do it just that it comes in at just under £50 whereas Datatag is £29 and has a 24/7 call centre if plod needs to check
The Police recommend listing any bike with BikeRegister. It's free and they sell a range of permanent marking kits, including component kits.
But bear in mind bike registers free service is an easily removed sticker - if you look deeper Datatag offering is nearly half the price of bike register and without marking your components you won't deter the thief who doesn't actually want your frame
For me it's Datatag all the way
Even more reason to fit a decent security marking system like Datatag - they seem to be the only ones who offer a component marking solution and not just a frame one - hopefully this will deter the component orientated theft
Bought 3 for my bikes at the show this year
When's the last time the police stopped you and asked to check the serial number?
Yeah, never, which is why people buy stolen bikes.
Every flat is big enough, you just have to use your imagination. It's silly to leave something of monetary and sentimental value out where it can be taken.
Get it in!
You are attempting to palm off the need to look after your stuff by making it someone elses problem. All the above will not prevent a thief taking your bike away and breaking it up.
Stop leaving your bike in a place it can be nicked from, take a wee bit of responsibility.
What about people who can't necessarily lock their bike away properly? I appreciate they are in a minority, but I'm going to have to move house AGAIN in a few months, thanks to the joys of the private rented sector in London, and I have a real worry about finding somewhere secure to store my bike as most flats in my price range won't be big enough to store it inside and many will lack any secure locking facilities beyond, most likely, a lamppost or neighbour's fence.
Admittedly my bike is only worth a few hundred quid, but for me that's a lot of money.
I think what you need is a better job or an even cheaper bike.
Such as tracker chips deeply embed within the frame (coupled with a SIM slot); or smart-hubs/bottom-brackets that lock up unless activated by a smartphone/fob; or thumbprint recognition on the headset that prevents the bike from steering. If frame and component manufacturers were forced to look at this problem, I reckon they'd find some answers VERY quickly.
Blaming owners for leaving their £4k bikes in a shed doesn't really hack it - we leave cars worth ten times that amount on our drives without a second thought.
Such as?
It would help greatly if people stopped leaving 2-3-4 grands worth of bike in a shed or a garage with piss poor security...
Bike manufacturers need to do more to improve security. There's no point just telling owners they need a bigger lock - we need properly integrated ant-theft technologies. This was crucial to the reduction of car and car-stereo thefts.