The tricks cycle thieves don’t want you to know

Cycle route tracker apps linked to theft of high-value bikes

Apps such as MapMyRide, Strava and Endomondo allow cyclists to post details of their routes to Facebook. Police are reporting an increase in thefts of expensive bikes from sheds, where no surrounding houses have been targeted.

Our advice: safeguard yourself by making sure the security settings on the app are set rides around your own house are not recorded. And make sure your cycle insurance covers your shed.

Cutting through cycle stands

Cycle thieves in the Bristol areas have taken to sawing through Sheffield stands and disguising the cut. When a bike is locked up later that day, it takes the thief seconds to dismantle the stand and steal the bike.

Our advice: Check that whatever you are locking your bike to has not been tampered with. If necessary give it a shake.

Storing your bike in a shed, garage or outbuilding

As winter draws in and many bikes retreat to the comfort of the garden shed, it’s a good time of year to review your security. In the run up to Christmas, fewer cyclists may take to the roads, but thieves are as active as ever.

It doesn’t cost a fortune to make your shed more secure. Motion sensitive halogen lights cost less than £10, as do rudimentary wireless alarms, ground anchors and fence spikes. Basic security measures that are easy to install, but make life harder for a cycle thief.

If you have cycle insurance with the ETA, and store your bike in a shed, the external doors of the shed itself must be locked. We do not require a specific type or rating of lock on the shed – just one that could reasonably be expected to act as a deterrent and that would need brute force or tools to overcome. If these conditions are met, we do not require you to lock your bike to an immovable object once inside the shed. However, it must not be visible from outside. If your shed has a window or similar meaning your bike could be seen from outside, your bicycle must be concealed from view (bicycle covered with a blanket or similar) Our sympathetic policy towards shed storage is just one of the reason we stand out from other cycle insurance companies.

Environmentally friendly cycle insurance

On the face of it, one cycle insurance policy is much like another, but the devil is the detail. How much excess you will be charged is just one of the things that varies wildly between providers. Another is so called ‘new-for-old’ replacement – many insurers use this term, but if your bicycle is more than a few years old, devalue it severely. This means you are left out of pocket when you come to replace it. Read our insider guide to cycle insurance.

We cover the theft of bicycle parts (including quick release wheels and saddles) as standard and with a low standard excess of 5% (minimum £25). We offer a new-for-old for life – however old the bike, if it’s stolen you get enough to buy a new model. Furthermore, every cycle insurance policy you buy from us helps support the work of the ETA Trust, our charity campaigning for a cleaner, safer transport future.

For 25 years we have been providing straightforward, affordable bicycle insurance. Whether you use your bike to commute, shop, race or amble in the park, ETA Cycle Insurance has you covered. We never devalue bikes no matter their age, allow you to buy your replacement bike wherever you like, replace stolen quick release components and handle claims in-house.

The Good Shopping Guide voted us Britain’s most ethical insurance company 2015.