Properly Securing Your Bike in the City

A bicycle is the easiest way to travel in the city if you want to keep gas in your car. It is small and you can park it almost anywhere, however, it is not as secure as a car. When you get out of your car, you just lock the door and go shop at the store; with a bike, it is completely different. You must consider where to lock the bike, the area's security level or the people nearby and the strength of the object that the bike is locked to while outdoors.

Most people that live in the city use a bike rack parking area for their bike; however, these spots have some advantages and disadvantages. A bike rack parking space is great if you are the only one parking your bike there because fewer bikes prevent tangles. Sometimes, bikes in these types of racks can fall to the side and your bike can get tangled with someone else's, which is problem. Suppose this happens to your bike, the only way to free it is to wait until the other bike owner returns; this would be time consuming and frustrating. Besides tangles, some racks are not even secure enough and if you do not inspect them properly, your bike could be stolen. Always check to see if the rack is cemented or screwed into the ground before you lock your bike there. Screwed in racks are not safe and someone could easily use a screwdriver and take your bike, so only use racks secured by cement.

Every store in the city will not have bikes racks to park and secure a bicycle, so you might have to improvise. If you ride your bike to a grocery store, use a shopping cart and if you are going to a park, use a bench or the fence. No matter what you choose, make sure plenty of people are in that area so that someone will see if somebody tries to take your bike. If you cannot find something to tie your bike to, you may be able to bring it into the store with you depending on the store and its rules. Ask an employee if you can bring your bike into the store, state that there are no bike racks outdoors and you do not want your bike to be stolen. If you are allowed, do not just drop you bike on the floor and start shopping, someone could trip. You must roll your bike down each aisle with you and if you need to pick up something, put your bike against the wall or use the kickstand. You should not buy more than a few lightweight items because you have to carry whatever you buy with you on the bike. When you have finished shopping, carefully roll you bike outdoors before riding it and watch out for people entering the store.

There are plenty of places to park and secure your bike in the city, but if you cannot find a good spot, improvise or bring it into the store with you.