Booby trap your bicycle for less than £20

As the theft of bicycles, scooters and motorbikes in urban areas edges towards epidemic proportions, so continues our quest to thwart thieves. Last week we brought you the Biskiple, a fake skip that acts like an urban cloaking device for bicycles, but this idea is altogether smaller and cheaper. Although no less effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMGAtXTgpY&feature=youtu.be

Bike theft countermeasures: Booby trap your water bottle

Using little more than a standard water bottle, a retractable lanyard and a smoke grenade of the sort used in military reenactments it is possible to build a simple and effective booby trap to dissuade bicycle thieves. The EG18 smoke grenades cost about £5 each and produce a 30-second burst of thick acrid smoke. Watch our short video on how to assemble your own anti-theft smoke grenade booby trap.

Gangs of thieves in London and other cities are capitalising on the police's refusal to chase scooters as a way to rob with impunity. Since thieves have getaway vehicles they know will not be chased by police, their modus operandi becomes evermore brazen. Reports of thieves using loud angle grinders to cut through locks in the dead of night are now commonplace. A good insurance policy provides a vital safety net for riders now unable to rely on the police , but this can be complemented with imaginative bike theft countermeasures.

Win a smoke grenade boobytrap for your bicycle

Protect your shed - We have a smoke grenade boobytrap to give away. Simple leave us a comment below and we will pick a winner next week.

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.

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