With a full schedule of Can Too programs planned this year, there has never been a better time to get on your bike and start training for one of their triathlons. Unfortunately, bicycle thefts are on the rise and in Victoria alone there has been a 68.5% rise in bicycle thefts from 2012 to 2017. Whilst the Police are being increasingly successful in their hunt for these criminals, the statistics remain unsettling. What can you do to ensure that your bike isn’t stolen, and if it is - that you get it back promptly?
Why Get On Your Bike?
Of all the possible ways to get involved in raising money to fight cancer with Can Too, triathlons are amongst the best, as cycling can help prevent cancer. Studies have shown that regular exercise, with the intensity of cycling, can reduce your risk of contracting bowel and breast cancers. Cycling improves joint mobility, increases strength, helps your joints, reduces your body fat and improves the health of your heart. These are just the physical benefits. Studies have repeatedly shown that regular cycling can also reduce depression and anxiety, as well as reducing stress. Cycling has a low negative impact on you but a huge positive impact on your body. It is important, however, that you avoid the stress and heartache that can come with the theft of your bike.
Register Your Bike And Get Big Brother Involved
New South Wales alone saw nearly 6,000 bikes stolen within an 8 month period. Other states have seen similar rises and there seems to be no end to these rises in sight. Whilst solid D-locks, scuffed up frames and other general advice, do work against amateur thieves - they don’t stand a chance against professionals. The Police are recommending Data Dot Technology as a way to ensure that any stolen property gets returned to you. This is sound advice and it prevents a lot of paperwork and checking on your part. The issue, however, is that it requires the Police to find your bike first. Picking a GPS tracker for your bike can help ensure that the Police will be able to not only find your stolen bike, but catch those who stole it too. The days of GPS devices being clunky and easy to remove have long since passed. We live in a science-fiction future where tiny GPS devices can be built into the frame of your bike where thieves will never find them. These devices can be tracked on smartphones in real-time, allowing Big Brother to track them down in no time!
Don’t Let Worry Stop You
The statistics can be frightening, but the fact is the Police are catching more thieves than ever. With modern technology on their side, the Police will soon be able to stamp out this horrible crime, swiftly and mercilessly. If you keep your bike locked up safe at home and only use it to go to your weekly training with the Can Too Foundation, many of the issues with theft won’t apply to you. Bicycle thefts tend to be crimes of opportunity, so as long as you are riding it for training and event day only - thieves simply won’t get the chance to take it. Get on your bike today and start to make a difference in the fight against cancer with the Can Too Foundation - by both preventing it in yourself and raising money to help fund Can Too’s early career cancer researchers.
The views and information expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Can Too Foundation.
