1 Double lock: If your bike cost a lot and you want to take it out in public, make sure you use a U-lock as well as a wire lock - thieves need a hammer (or angle grinder) for the former and a bolt cutter for the latter, so only the most dedicated of scoundrels will be fully equipped.
2 Strong steel:Make sure your locks are made with hardened steel. This site - http://url.ie/4rvt - offers a list of locks which have undergone substantial testing.
3 Lock it away:Close to half of all bicycles are stolen from the owner's home so keep it locked in a shed and ask if your home insurance policy covers such thefts.
4 Change places:Don't be a creature of habit and leave a perfectly good bike locked in the same place day after day.
5 Something secure:Lock your bike to an immovable object and remember that thieves are resourceful and are quite happy to remove drainpipes and lift bikes off signposts. If a bike is locked to a post that is less than 4 metres in height, thieves will easily lift it off the top. Bear in mind that many potential locking spots, like street signs, are loose and can be lifted out of the ground.
6 Invert keyhole:If you leave no space between your bike and the object it is locked to it makes it more difficult for the thief to lever the lock open and, while you're at it, invert the keyhole so it points down, ensuring the thief can't pour it with corrosive fluid which may make it easier to open.
