Secure a bike: two locks, a GPS and a sticker

One lock is a start, not security. In Amsterdam a thief looks at what is fastest. Two different locks cost time, and they usually do not have that time. That goes for an ordinary bike, an e-bike, a fatbike and a cargo bike. The parts differ. The idea does not.

On an ordinary bike: a ring lock in the frame, plus a chain lock or a U-lock to a fixed point. A ring lock alone stops the rear wheel. It does not hold the bike to the post. ART 2 is enough for many city bikes. An expensive bike asks for ART 3 or ART 4. Read your policy, not a forum.

On an e-bike and a fatbike the battery is often the target, sometimes more than the frame. Battery lock shut, do not leave the key in it, and a second lock through the frame. A fatbike on a cable is gone. The weight does not help you if the lock is nothing.

A cargo bike is long, expensive and often full of bags. ART 3 or ART 4 through the frame, plus the lock the bike already has. Do not leave it loose on its nose while you open the door. If you buy a cargo bike or an electric cargo bike, sort the lock in the same week. Not the week after it is gone.

A GPS tracker or an AirTag in the frame helps you find the bike. It does not prevent the theft. Without a lock, a tracker is a transmitter on a bike that has already left. Do not hide it in the first place someone looks, and test it once before you need it.

A bike sticker with your postcode, or an engraving in the frame, makes resale harder and helps a police report. A sticker that shouts ‘alarm’ while nothing sounds is theatre. A bike alarm only helps if you or the neighbours hear it. We do not stick an empty threat on a bike.

The order that works: two locks first, then a tracker, and a sticker as an extra. Not the other way around. A chain lock and an ART 2 lock, or a heavier ART lock, can be delivered with the bike. We fit them on the spot, so the lock goes through the frame and not only around a spoked wheel.

Call or WhatsApp 06 84 62 36 12. Say which lock is on it now and whether you want a tracker. Calculate your price for the visit. The lock and the fitting are agreed beforehand. We are now open, including if the bike is still outside tonight. Key already lost: lost bike key in Amsterdam.