With a Montague Folding Bike you can easily store your bike in your apartment, car trunk or under your desk at work, making it much less likely you need to worry about bike theft. For those times when you can’t bring your bike inside, you need to lock it up right to avoid a long walk home.
The best way to lock a Montague is to remove the front wheel, fold the bike and use a large ULock to go through both wheels and the rear triangle of the frame. Make sure it’s locked to something secure that cannot be easily moved or broken.
Here are a few more tips to deter potential bike thieves and keep your bike safe and sound for your next ride.
Always lock! – The majority of bikes are stolen because they are simply not locked. People often assume they are in a safe place and leave them unattended. Always lock your bike! Even if it’s in an area few people have access to. Shared stairwells, garages and even your back yard are not necessarily safe from thieves.
Use a quality lock – Certain locks are a lot harder to get through than others. Here are a few options.
Cable Lock – These locks are made from flexible cable that can wind around different parts of your bike. They’re flexibility make them more versatile than other locks as they can lock to a variety of objects. Unfortunately, cable locks can often be cut. They can be great in low crime areas or as a secondary lock to secure your wheels. Cable locks are available with key or combination options.
Chain Lock – Chain locks use a heavy chain in conjunction with some kind of pad lock in order to secure your bike. They are a lot more secure than a cable lock and are still relatively flexible. However, they can be fairly heavy to carry with you.
U-Lock – The U-Lock is a solid U shaped piece of hardened steel that uses a key to open. They are fairly limited in what they can be locked to but are extremely secure. They are best when locking to a thin pole or bike rack. Although it’s not as versatile, a thief will have a very hard time cutting a U-Lock.
Use your lock to the best of its ability – It’s important to make sure your lock is always securing your bikes frame. Far too often, someone will lock their front wheel and a thief will make off with the rest of the bike. Also, make sure your bike and lock cannot be lifted up off of the object you’re locking to.
Lock components too – Wheels are expensive. When only your frame is locked you run the risk of returning to a frame without a wheel set. You can remove your front wheel and use your lock to go through the frame and both wheels at once or use a secondary lock to secure the wheels. A cable lock is a great option for a secondary lock.
Choose your spot well – Where you choose to lock can be important in deterring thieves. Try to lock in well lit, high traffic areas. Thieves are less likely to spend the time breaking your lock if they think they will be seen. Also, try to lock near other bikes. There’s a good chance there will be a bike with a less secure lock than yours. Thieves will usually go for the easiest target.
Buy a FOLDING BIKE! – Folding bikes allow you to avoid leaving your bike unattended. You can fold it up and bring it inside with you. The ultimate theft deterrent is to not let your bike leave your side.
Register your bike – You can register your bike with the National Bike Registry. That way, if it is stolen and recovered, the police can return it to you rather than selling it at auction. It’s also a good idea to write down your bike’s serial number for your own reference. That way you can easily identify it later.
Hope these tips can help protect your two wheel transport. Have fun riding and remember – always lock up!
