How to foil bicycle theft (on the cheap)

A lack of police enforcement and secure parking, coupled with the advent of cordless angle grinders, has created a perfect storm for cycle theft. It got us thinking about how we might foil a bike thief if we applied a little lateral thinking - and channelled our inner Heath Robinson.

Using little more than a standard water bottle, a retractable lanyard and a smoke grenade of the sort used in military reenactments, we cobbled together a simple booby trap to foil would-be bicycle thieves. The EG18 smoke grenade costs about £5 and produces a 30-second burst of thick acrid smoke.

Watch how we assembled our own anti-theft smoke grenade booby trap for less than £20.

https://vimeo.com/807888359

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Cycle insurance

Here at the ETA, we don't think you should have to resort to building booby traps for your bike - we're here to take the worry out of bike ownership. If your cycle is stolen, we've got an online claims system that allows you to log the theft at any time of the day or night. And our in-house claims team ensures you won't be passed from pillar to post - just one of the reasons we were named Claims Team of the Year 2022.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.