Picking the best bike lock for sweet summer rides

To Serve and Protect

Jamie Singleton, manager of Trek Bicycle Store in Toronto, says the best protection for your bike is to loop a strong cable throughout your front and back tires, and then connect it with a U-lock that you'll use to lock against a post or rack.

"The reality is combination locks are pretty easy to crack for most experienced robbers," says Singleton. Looping the cable throughout the bicycle is as much of a deterrent for potential thieves as removing your front wheel entirely, which is another popular theft prevention method.

"You can also go with a heavier duty key lock, one that you get from an office supply store," he adds.

Fast and loose

He also advises cyclists to remove any parts of a bike that are easily detachable, such as lights, bells or seats, and to be wary of where you leave your bike.

"If there's a courtyard at your office, locking it there would be better," he says. "Anything off a major street and out of your eyesight is a bad place to leave it."

Have fun cycling this summer, and remember: it's better to have to carry a lock with your bike than to have no bike to carry you.

Preparing for the worst

belairdirect's home insurance policy could provide replacement cost coverage for your bicycle. That means if your bicycle gets stolen and is found with damages, repairs with new pieces of similar kind and quality (if the cost of repair is lower than that of replacing the entire bike) will be paid for with no deduction for depreciation, and if the bike is lost and you want to replace it, you may be paid the value of a new bicycle that's identical or equivalent to the original. Of course, your policy's deductible applies.