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How to make your bike harder to steal in Philly

It’s possible bike thefts will rise as activity in the city returns closer to normal.

A U-lock should act as the primary lock to fasten a bikes front tire and frame to a rack or poll. Cable locks can be used for extra security to tether a back wheel or seat to the U-lock.
A U-lock should act as the primary lock to fasten a bikes front tire and frame to a rack or poll. Cable locks can be used for extra security to tether a back wheel or seat to the U-lock.Read moreGRACE DICKINSON / STAFF

Philly bike thieves are determined and armed with bolt cutters, grinders, and crowbars — basically, whatever it takes to remove a bike to whatever it’s lashed to and wherever.

Bike thefts in philly, according to data from police
  • 1,642: The number of bicycles reported stolen in 2018, the most recent peak for thefts reported to police.
  • Thefts dipped during the pandemic and started to climb modestly again in 2021.
  • 956: The number of bike thefts reported through the beginning of September 
  • September is the biggest month for bike thefts, and Center City and University City see the biggest rate of thefts.
  • It’s widely assumed many bike thefts go underreported, and that the crime is fairly common in the city.

Nicole Brunet, policy director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says it’s possible that thefts will rise again as activity in the city returns closer to normal.

The rise of electric bikes brings a new wrinkle to thefts, Brunet said, as they might be more tempting to thieves, but also offer a wider range of security such as GPS tracking and alarm systems.

» READ MORE: Philadelphians are fighting brazen bike theft with technology and their own wits

Regardless, Brunet says thieves are ever resourceful and “known to pull out power tools” to remove locks and the posts or infrastructure they are tethered to.

She recommends cyclists log their bike and its serial number on the nonprofit Bike Index for free. Registries can help owners recover their bikes by reporting thefts to a wide community. In turn, police and civilians can search the databases to match bikes they recovered or found with their owners. Project 529 operates another widely used registry and has a downloadable app.

Here are some tips from the coalition to make your bike harder to steal:

  1. Record your bike’s serial number and take pictures of it from various angles. Enter the serial number into a registry.

  2. Double-lock bikes to a secure pole or post, using a U-lock that secures the frame and a wheel to the pole. A cable often sold with the U-lock should secure the second wheel to the U-lock.

  3. Check the pole or infrastructure to make sure it’s firmly mounted and has a sign at the top or something else that acts as a barrier. Thieves have been known to simply remove posts, slipping the bikes up and over.

  4. Remove anything from the bike that’s not secure, such as seat, panniers, or lights.

  5. Install a GPS device, if possible.

  6. Don’t lock your bike to trees, private property such as railings and fences, some trolley station railings, or other places where “No Bike Parking” signs are erected.

  7. If possible, avoid locking your bike anywhere overnight, even if it’s in front of your house.

  8. Report a stolen bike to police and ask for a report, note it as stolen to any registry you’re using, and check Craigslist or other online marketplaces to see whether it’s listed there. Also, post the theft to the Facebook group Philadelphia Stolen Bikes.