There are many schools of thought about the best way to protect your trusty steed from the potential threat of theft when you're apart.
Parking in a busy, open area where even the most brazen thief would feel uncomfortable is generally a good idea; a quiet, secluded back street on the other hand can offer an all too tempting proposition to the wouldbe thief.
The raw reality is that the likelihood of seeing a stolen bike again is very slim these days. Bikes are sold on quickly and often stripped down so components can be sold separately online or used on less identifiable bikes. 
Even if it were to be replaced under insurance within 24 hours, the sudden abduction of a trusty steed is an unpleasant experience and one that is largely preventable.





Always securing to a solid piece of street furniture (cycle parking hoop, fence or pole) is a must, ideally this will be in a bustling public area.
If leaving out of sight it's advisable to loop another cable through the lock and wheels, especially if quick release (QR) skewers are fitted. If there is the option to secure either wheel, always opt for the rear.



If a bike is rarely left locked up alone then QR skewers are less of a theft risk. Replacing them for 'Security Skewers' makes it tidier and easier to lock the bike up whilst still reducing the chance wheel theft.
Other components commonly targeted by thieves are the saddle and saddle post (sometime along with the seat post clamp) where a QR seat post clamp is fitted. Again these can be replaced with a secure equivalent. 

Some suggestions are to spend 10% of the value of the bike on the lock to secure it. This works to a degree, but investing in a good quality D-lock, spending say £50-60 no matter what the bike's value is a very sound move.

For some time now Abus and Kryptonite have been the leading names to look for in this price range. The 'Abus Granit X-Plus' is of particular note. Ranging from £50 upwards, it's been a highly recommended purchase for some years, mainly because it generally makes thieves walk-on-by.

The presence of some recognised armoury will cause unwanted gazes to be quickly averted elsewhere, and gradually over time, as with theft in the motor industry, it will be the case that thieves are afforded less and less opportunity.

John Stevenson wrote a very good article recently for Road.cc pedal powered website, click the below link to read the full article.

Why would anyone want an electric bike?

Electric bicycles offer the same great benefits as traditional bicycles including cost savings (no licensing, tax or insurance required), no traffic queues, easy parking, improved health and fitness to name just a few.

The real advantage to e-bikes in my view is efficiency in climbing hills or fighting the wind combined with better range. If you experience knee pain or exercise induced asthma for example, electric bikes can breath new life into the sport of cycling. They might convince your friend or significant other to join you on the trails more often or they might enable you to commute to work in extreme heat without perspiring so much. I've owned cars and mopeds before and neither felt as safe or refreshing as cycling along community paths, away from traffic.

To read the full article CLICK HERE >

Extract shared from a great article written by Michael Graham Richard for Treehugger.com on Smartertrends.co.uk

Back in 1991, a photographer was commissioned by the City of Münster's Planning Department to take photographs of 72 people travelling in their city by bicycle, car and bus; the message the images portray is quite clear, yet 24 years on and the scene in the centre is still the one we see in most cities around the world. The series of photographs were entitled "Waste of Space".

There is, however, a lot of hope for us all in forthcoming years since the advent of genuinely viable E-bike conversion kits.

So effective were the iconic images from Germany in 1991, they have been replicated a number of times since. Below, with the use of computer graphics showing 200 people and again the images are quite striking.

And again below, the message recreated by the Cycling Promotion Fund in Australia.

Even if five percent of people were prepared to forego the undeniable additional luxury & comfort of the car it would be a great start towards less congested & polluted cities for everybody. Plus, the five percent who took to their bikes would soon become healthier and happier in life. Not to mention the cost savings.

It is understandable why, in hilly areas such as Brighton & Hove, people have chosen to use the car over cycling; after all there are some really stinky hills to be scaled in most directions.

However, with the arrival of lightweight, affordable & reliable electric bike conversion kits, the recent change in UK e-Bike law (April 2015) allowing electric bikes up to 250 watts to be used on UK roads for free, the continued investment in cycling infrastructure by Brighton & Hove City Council, then the arrival of a new era where cycling becomes more accessible to more people as a form of transport is upon us.

With the addition of a mid-drive electric conversion kit, bikes that commonly sit dormant for months, sometimes years at a time, that get just a handful of outings a year, are transformed into a very practical, usable and enjoyable way to get around.

The struggle of carrying children or heavy luggage on the rear of a bike can present stability and acceleration issues, particularly when pulling away at junctions and roundabouts. Electric pedal assistance improves both stability and acceleration, but most importantly it improves safety for the rider.

Even with a loaded bike, the system can laugh in the face of steep hills and punch it's way through otherwise power-zapping seafront headwinds. 

The potential for more people to find travelling by bicycle in Brighton and Hove agreeable could mean that we start to see a shift in the choices people make about how they get around our wonderful city.

More Smile per Mile.
www.brightonebikes.co.uk

The newest addition to my Bafanged up Lynskeys On One Inbred. A rather tasty 42 tooth Bling Ring from the talented people at LEKKIE bike.
 A 7075AL T6 CNC machined piece of niceness.
Ride reports to follow, but it certainly looks pretty bling compared to the stock ring & weighs in at a snip of the original.
More Smile per Mile.  www.brightonebikes.co.uk

Two comparatively life-changing events with two very different results.
"Oh Bafang it!" I exclaimed, as I realised the momentous occasion had passed me by despite preparing for it just moments before with a photograph for the family album at 999.4 miles.
Arriving home, my memory was quickly jogged when I noticed an unfamiliar fifth digit staring back at me from the on-board computer display; there it was, 1004.0 miles of smiles, fun and enjoyment. 
It's not quite the lovely round figure of a clean 1000.0 mile reading that I had in mind for the family album, but it'll do, and I have plenty of photos of my son to make up for it.
As you can probably imagine, there is rarely a spare seat in the house for our family album slideshow nights, & with new additions as above it's fair to say we might have to source a bigger venue in future.
Until next time, look after yourselves, & each other.
www.brightonebikes.co.uk

Not a common  frame style choice in the UK, but one of these would make for a great E-bike.
Aluminium frame with steel forks, so it'll be lighter than it looks in the photo. 
This set up with a Bafang BBS01 & on a pair of something like 700  x 32C Panasonic Panaracer RiBMo tyres would create a stylish everyday ride for any dandy gentleman.

The frame & forks are available from Luna Cycles.

The long and short of it is that ALL of the other 12 teams who entered were using a Bosch Motor on their rides, Team Bafang were using their own branded new innovative Max Drive System. 
'Bike doping' is clearly encouraged here so no chance of an enquiry on that count; it seems the good chaps at Bafang simply nailed it!
The accolades just keep coming: 
1st out of 15 mid drive systems tested & reviewed in 2015 by electricbike.com
9.5/10 review by ElectricBikeReview.com
Winners of 24hr E-bike race 2015 at Nürburgring, Germany
To read the Official Bafang Press Release (albeit a little garbled in translation) CLICK HERE >
 To get a bit of Bafang in your life & receive the More Smile per Mile guarantee visit Brighton E-bikes >