About Bike Theft >The Problem > Contributing Factors
Type of Locking Practice

Bikeoff research has identified 180 possible locking configurations to secure a traditional two-wheeled bicycle to a standard Sheffield or ‘∩’ shaped bicycle furniture. Defining ‘secure locking’ as the application of an appropriate lock(s) so that both wheels and the frame of the bicycle are secured to the stand, we found that 109 of these combinations were categorized as ‘bad’ or insecure, 48 as ‘ok’ or semi-secure, and just 23 as ‘good’ or secure.

In our study we observed around 8,500 bicycle locking events at a bike theft hot-spot in Camden, London and found that in 87% of cases cyclists used only one lock, 19% locked only their frame to the stand, and just 20% locked their bike in a way that was considered ‘secure’. Similar results have been reported elsewhere. Such findings indicate that the use of adequate locks alone may not be sufficient to prevent bicycle theft – it's not just the lock but how you use it that is important.