More of us are now opting to travel by bike. Combined with the increased use of e-bikes, there are now even greater opportunities for bike thieves than ever before.
Bike thefts increased by 66% during the pandemic – Admiral Insurance
74,573 bikes were stolen in England and Wales in 2020 – Bikmo
More than 2 million bikes are reported stolen each year in North America – Pinkbike
A bike gets stolen every 30 seconds – Bicycling
Top areas for bike theft
In the UK, the City of London is the top area for bike theft, and a number of its surrounding districts are also within the top 10, according cycle insurer Pedalsure. Similarly in the US, major cities experience a high level of bike thefts which have only increased during the COVID pandemic. As reported in Bicycling magazine, riders in New York filed more than 4,000 stolen bike complaints in 2020, a 28% rise from the year before.
As a rule, cities tend to be areas where a lot of people will commute to work by bike, which ultimately provide richer pickings for the would-be bike thief.
Other prominent areas are universities, where a lot of the student residents will use bikes as their main method of transport and university cycling clubs are becoming more popular than ever. But of course, many universities are situated within major cities or towns which only adds to the high level of thefts in these areas.
Recent developments
In recent years thieves appear to have become bolder in their attempts to steal our bikes, particularly as we are spending more money on the bikes we choose to ride.
Videos and images are regularly posted online by victims of bike theft, highlighting the growing use of angle grinders. Battery operated mobile angle grinders are relatively cheap and easy to purchase at most hardware stores. They are handheld power tools designed the metal fabrication process, used for cutting, grinding and polishing. However, they can also cut through any bike lock in seconds and are being utilised by professional, well-organised and efficient bike thieves. It is a fundamental problem that the security industry has been unable to solve.
However, after significant research and development of a new technologically advanced material, we are excited to introduce the Hiplok D1000. The D1000 is the first truly portable U-lock built to withstand a severe, sustained angle grinder attack.
Our tests compared some of the strongest bike locks currently on the market with the new D1000. While a standard bike lock can be cut through in less that 20 seconds, the D1000 will take at least 20 minutes and will destroy multiple grinder discs in the process.
It is rated Diamond by independent security ratings agency Sold Secure for both bicycles and motorcycles, which means you can expect it to have the highest level of security available and resistance to prolonged attacks.
It is rated Diamond by independent security ratings agency Sold Secure for both bicycles and motorcycles, which means you can expect it to have the highest level of security available and resistance to prolonged attacks.
We believe the Hiplok D1000 is a milestone in bicycle and motorcycle security and it is currently available to order via Kickstarter until 30th October.
To beat the thieves and find out more about the D1000 – anti-angle grinder bike lock, visit our Kickstarter page.