From smart tech and good Samaritans to the power of a simple sticker, this edition is all about how stolen bikes get recovered - and why theft prevention is the key to getting more people riding.
Greetings to you, Jerome, from us on the other side of the globe - and hats off. Your message is a great reminder that cycling really is for everyone. The Dutch plan for riders aged 8 to 80; the rest of us should too. E‑assist only widens that door, especially for people managing mobility issues. Keep enjoying the bike - and thanks for the boost.
Love to hear it, Ethan. Two bikes, two Shields - hopefully they’ll catch the eye of your friends and we can get them on board too. The bigger the network, the harder life gets for thieves.
Thieves break into homes and garages and sometimes luck out on a battery powered 5 inch. angle grinder. With this tool he can cut through any lock you have in about 10 seconds. Several years ago I mounted a carrier on my bicycle for my pit-bull to ride in. He loved going on bicycle rides and God help the fool who would try to steal his ride.
A pit bull as an onboard theft deterrent? This we have to see - please send us pics of him riding in the carrier. You’re right: cordless grinders changed the game. But locks have moved on, too - some newer designs use super‑hard composite armour that eats cutting discs for breakfast. Commonly it takes an experienced thief three discs to defeat this kind of lock so many give up as a result. More importantly, no single measure wins this fight. This is about layers: registration + Shield, smarter locks, secure parking, community eyes - and insurance as a contingency plan. Together, it works.
Project 529 prometed Sunday insurance. In looking at the website it would be unacceptable to use my ABUS Bordo lock because it is 4 years old. And the description of having to be locked to a fixed structure is open to interpretation. Certainly that would be the weak link, since it is often easier to cut through a post or bike rack that a lock.
Why would I want to replace an expensive high security lock in order to obtain insurance? I'll keep looking for companies with a more reasonable policy.
Thanks for raising this, Paul. We highly rate Sundays, as a leading bicycle insurer in the US, and globally. We put your point to the team: if your ABUS Bordo is four years old, give them a call - they’ll look at older locks case by case rather than flat‑out reject them. On “immovable objects”, you’re right: racks and posts can be the weak link, which is exactly why insurance is the back‑stop when the worst happens. For clarity, Sundays define an immovable object as “permanently fixed to concrete or stone and not removable without power tools.” If you do speak to them, let us know how you get on.
Hello and Greetings from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Got a Shield and a D-Lock on my new ebike.
76-year-old, partly crippled and cycling all over my City.
Greetings to you, Jerome, from us on the other side of the globe - and hats off. Your message is a great reminder that cycling really is for everyone. The Dutch plan for riders aged 8 to 80; the rest of us should too. E‑assist only widens that door, especially for people managing mobility issues. Keep enjoying the bike - and thanks for the boost.
Got a shield on both my bikes here in Philadelphia.
Love to hear it, Ethan. Two bikes, two Shields - hopefully they’ll catch the eye of your friends and we can get them on board too. The bigger the network, the harder life gets for thieves.
Thieves break into homes and garages and sometimes luck out on a battery powered 5 inch. angle grinder. With this tool he can cut through any lock you have in about 10 seconds. Several years ago I mounted a carrier on my bicycle for my pit-bull to ride in. He loved going on bicycle rides and God help the fool who would try to steal his ride.
A pit bull as an onboard theft deterrent? This we have to see - please send us pics of him riding in the carrier. You’re right: cordless grinders changed the game. But locks have moved on, too - some newer designs use super‑hard composite armour that eats cutting discs for breakfast. Commonly it takes an experienced thief three discs to defeat this kind of lock so many give up as a result. More importantly, no single measure wins this fight. This is about layers: registration + Shield, smarter locks, secure parking, community eyes - and insurance as a contingency plan. Together, it works.
Project 529 prometed Sunday insurance. In looking at the website it would be unacceptable to use my ABUS Bordo lock because it is 4 years old. And the description of having to be locked to a fixed structure is open to interpretation. Certainly that would be the weak link, since it is often easier to cut through a post or bike rack that a lock.
Why would I want to replace an expensive high security lock in order to obtain insurance? I'll keep looking for companies with a more reasonable policy.
Thanks for raising this, Paul. We highly rate Sundays, as a leading bicycle insurer in the US, and globally. We put your point to the team: if your ABUS Bordo is four years old, give them a call - they’ll look at older locks case by case rather than flat‑out reject them. On “immovable objects”, you’re right: racks and posts can be the weak link, which is exactly why insurance is the back‑stop when the worst happens. For clarity, Sundays define an immovable object as “permanently fixed to concrete or stone and not removable without power tools.” If you do speak to them, let us know how you get on.