Using Mounting Options to Reduce Bike Rack Theft

Most people use bike racks to keep their bike secure. However, both the bike and the rack are subject to theft if the bike rack isn’t properly mounted.

The rising value of scrap metal, mixed with the nation’s continuing job crises, has caused some desperate thieves to start stealing bike racks right off the corners of many American sidewalks. Bike racks that are not mounted are the easiest targets for obvious reasons, but improperly mounted bike racks can also be dislodged or removed. Because most stolen bike racks are sold for scrap, the thieves don’t worry about damaging the bike rack itself. This means they will often simply back their car into the bike rack to quickly free the poorly-mounted bike rack from the ground.

Because of this, it is important for any bike rack owner, especially if the bike racks are in a commercial or public location, to ensure that their bike racks are mounted properly and securely. In-ground mounted bike racks are some of the most secure bike racks you can find. For in-ground mounted bike racks, a hole is dug in the ground, the base of the bike rack is placed in the hole, and the hole is then refilled with concrete to permanently set the bike rack in place.

Surface mounted bike racks are less secure than in-ground mounted bike racks, however, if using heavy-duty hardware, a bike rack that is bolted to concrete will be difficult for even the most savvy of thieves to get away with. Unlike in-ground mounted bike racks, which are essentially permanent, surface mounted bike racks can be relocated after some slight disassembling.