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Are Bike Racks Easy to Steal? (All You Need to Know)

As biking is becoming a common method to traverse for the common folk, ways to park and store said bikes are becoming a household conversation topic as well.

Bike theft is a shared worry amongst riders since it is a loss, hassle, and heartbreak all rolled into one. This brings us to the question,

Are bike racks easy to steal?

How easy it is to steal a bike rack depends on how the owner has secured it. While racks provide enough protection when driving or stopping for a short while, leaving it unattended for a longer period of time makes it an easy target for unlawful snatching, even if it is locked.

While these racks offer adequate protection and safety when you’re on the road or any other situation where you are away from the bicycle for a short while- it is when they are unattended for a long time that the chances of them being stolen rises significantly.

Do bike racks get stolen?

While uncommon, bike racks do get stolen. Unsuspecting people lock their bikes onto a rack which they think will deter possible theft, not realizing there are bad parties that can unscrew the whole thing off and run off with their valuables.

Are bike racks easy to steal?

The difficulty of stealing a bike rack depends on where it is attached and how it is attached to the main object. Experts believe it is easier to steal from the rear end than it is from a roof mount. The harder it is to access and the easier it is visible; the more thieves will be deterred.

If it is something like a fork-mount carrier, people believe that is the safest amongst all racks since tampering with it can lead to damage to the bike, rack, and things around it.

Do you leave your bike rack on your car?

Whether you would like to leave your bike rack on your car after you are done with the day depends entirely on you and your lifestyle.

Some people prefer to keep it in their car since it is easier to access it that way and you do not have to bother yourself with the hassle of taking it on and off every day.

On the other hand, some prefer to unload it each day and bolt it back on the next time they need it. The reasoning behind this is that some racks and their placement make it hard for certain parts of the car to be inaccessible, such as the hood or the back door of the car.

How do you lock a bike rack on a car?

Since bike racks on a car are one of the safest ways to store your bikes, it is recommended you know how to use and lock it, once you have access to it. It is a rather easy process if you know what you’re looking for.

Use a u-lock into the frame

After making sure the rack you are using is strong and sturdy, take away anything that can be valuable and removable. After ensuring this, use the u-lock of your choice to lock the back tire and frame around the pole.

End the process by securing the bike by further lacing a cable lock through the front tire and onto the u-lock, and finally lock it. This should firmly keep it in place while being secure.

Remove the front wheel and use a u-lock

As before, make sure what you’re locking your bike into is strong, sturdy, and secure. After doing so, remove the front wheel and place it beside your rear wheel.

Now use the u-lock to shackle it around the rack and through the seat stay and both of the wheels, this will make it harder for thieves to unlock and rearrange your bike while you are gone.

Double u-locks

As always, ensure that the rack is strong and immovable. First, use the first u-lock through the rack, seat stays, and rear wheel.

Next, use the 2nd u-lock through the rack and now the down tube and front wheel, the same way you did it with the 1st u-lock. This should keep it secure and sturdy.

A lot of bike rack manufacturers now come with built-in rocks, do your research to see if the one you’re ordering provides one for the extra safety.

How to keep the bike rack from being stolen?

The only way to keep your bike rack from being stolen is to make it as tough to be broken into as possible. There are a few methods you can follow to do so, such as-

Be highly visible

It is rather common sense that if something is highly visible most times, chances of it being a subject of thievery stay low. Using this logic, if you keep your bike rack somewhere you can see it, or it’s in a place where some eyes are on it all the time, it should be safe and secured.

Rotate spots

If you keep your bike in one place all the time, nefarious people might pick up on your routine and strike when you are most vulnerable. So, it’s smarter to keep it constantly changing.

However, you could also switch it up by becoming a regular to a business that’s near where you park, so you could ask the workers to keep a gentle eye on your bike when you’re not there.

Lock it properly

While u-locks are the locks of choice when it comes to shackling your bike to the rack, you could always find a way to lock it around the bike so it is efficiently secured and properly latched- a few ways that have been described above.

Can you lock bikes on a bike rack?

You can use your locks to lock bikes on the bike rack to keep it safe and secured for the short while you aren’t around. You can also use two locks if you are unsure about security with one. They don’t necessarily have to be the same type of lock as well.

The places you can lock your bike into the bike rack include the rear and front wheels, the seat stays, and also the frame. When locking a part of the bike, consider them by importance.

This is because riding back home without a seat might be embarrassing but still doable while riding a bike without wheels is not.

How to lock bikes on the bike rack?

There are a few ways you can lock your bike on the bike rack, which depends on the model of your bike, the locks you use, and where you would like to lock it.

Use the frame:

This is one of the main places to lock the bike since it is also one of the sturdiest pieces of the vehicle to a secure, sturdy object.

Away from the ground:

when locking your bike, one good idea is to not keep it around the lock. This is because a thief can easily use a hammer to break it and steal your bike.

Make it hard to access:

now that you are locking it away from the ground, another thing you can do is make it as difficult to access to outsiders as possible. If the keyhole is facing downwards, it makes it harder to tamper with the locking mechanism.

Be smart about it and do what you can, common sense is your friend and absent-mindedness your enemy.

While there are multiple ways you can secure your bike, just keep the factors of the make and model of the lock and bike on your mind as you deal with the nuances of storing your bike using a bike rack.

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