Survey wants cyclists' help to understand how bikes get stolen from homes

If you have ever been unfortunate enough to have your bike stolen, then statistically speaking, the chances are that it was from your home.

Two thirds of all bike thefts are from domestic spaces, including garages, gardens  and sheds, and now a survey is attempting to determine exactly how people store their bikes in and around the home environment and what, if any, security measures they take to deter thieves.

The survey is being undertaken by Bikeoff and the Design Against Crime Research Centre for the Design Council which wants to try and help bicycle owners to help themselves to keep their bikes secure at home. To do this the Council will launch a design competition to encourage UK businesses to develop secure residential bike storage solutions.

The Design Council will fund development of the best ideas and help to get the designs into the market in the hope that residential bike theft will become harder to achieve for thieves.

Bikeoff is a research initiative of the Design Council’s Design Against Crime Research Centre in London and was set up four years ago to research how the design of cycling related products and services can reduce cycle theft and increase cycle use. The Design Council has asked Bikeoff to research and write the competition briefs to which UK businesses and designers will respond.

Apart from the British Crime Survey there is little data out there that tells us about how residential bike theft occurs.

Consequently, Bikeoff are conducting an online survey to ask cyclists how they store their bikes at home and, if they have had their bike stolen from their home, how it happened.

Bikeoff will use the responses to brief designers and businesses on the most common theft scenarios so that they can come up with designs that have the best chance of addressing the problems British cyclists typically face when attempting to keep their machines secure. 

The survey is running over the Christmas period between from today December 20 until January 3. The researchers are keen to hear from as many cyclists as possible and tell us that all responses will be anonymous and that the data will not be used for any other purpose.