With almost 400,000 bikes stolen in the UK each year bicycle security is big business and should be front of mind for all bicycle owners. Getting your bike insurance sorted is a good starting point, but an insufficiently secured bike could mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful insurance claim.
It’s important to make sure that your bike is locked even when stored at home. It’s key to make sure that your bike is out of sight - so that it remains out of mind for an opportunistic thief.
If you’re investing in a ground anchor, make sure that it’s properly secured to a wall or concrete floor. Securing it to something that can be easily removed, such as a laminate floor, is pointless.
It is wise to ensure that your bike is kept in either: a privately accessed lockable shed, outbuilding or garage which is within the boundaries of your home (i.e. in your own garden); a self-contained lockable private room or communal hallway inside your place of residence; or a purpose-built cycle storage facility.
These can end up as the perfect environment to hide sharp pieces of debris from the road, often leading to damaging the rims of your wheels and likely to produce some ear piercing sounds as a result of grating upon the rim when braking. In order to avoid this it is best to check for even wear between each of the two pads, which can indicate that something is causing inefficient braking to occur, often the result of grit or glass for example.
Worthy of their own blog, disc brakes can be a complicated affair to remedy if things begin to go wrong. Some of the most common issues are due to the need for bleeding your brakes and potential damage which has caused warping to the rotors themselves. Unless you are a dab hand, it is often best to leave this one to the experts.
Certain to cause much frustration and swearing is inconsistent gear shifting, an incredibly common problem, but one which many people think they have to suffer with. Thankfully the solution is often simple, though can be caused by a variety of issues. Be sure to check for loose gear cables, a potentially stretched chain and any damage to the derailleur which have left it misaligned with the cassette.
One to keep an eye upon over time, gear cables become frayed over time and are likely to spell the end of a ride if snapping while out and about. Check them while cleaning the rest of the bike out of habit, meaning you know when they might need replacing or simply a few drops of lube to improve their performance. If you are not entirely sure of their condition or how you go about changing them, then a swift visit to the local bike shop is sure to solve it for you.
Karl Scott is a respected leader with nine years’ varied experience in niche personal and commercial lines insurance, including cycle, boat, pleasure craft, military and private car, with proficiency in leadership, sales and account management.
This is a marketing article by Towergate Insurance.
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