Specialized Brand The Most Stolen In UK

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Insurance company Protect Your Bubble have sent us a snapshot of their database analysis based on 1156 claims they received in 2014. Of the total claims they dealt with Specialized was seemingly the most popular brand for thieves, although with no data on the total market share of Specialized bikes among their customer base it’s not really safe to conclude that Specialized bikes are actually being targeted by thieves. If Protect Your Bubble’s customers have a propensity for buying Specialized bikes then you’d expect them to make up more of the total bikes stolen anyway. Specialized is a pretty popular brand we hear, but then so is Trek and Giant, who also appear on the top 5. Anyway, it makes for some interesting reading even if the statisticians out there are currently spitting mochaccinos at their screens.

stolen

Other stats bandied about by the Insurance company’s PR exercise include…

  • Battersea and Clapham Junction have the highest rate of bicycle theft claims in the UK.
  • The SW11 postcode came out top of the list of postcodes where claims of theft had been made to the insurer over the past year. The postcode accounted for 1.7% of all UK bicycle thefts reported to Protect Your Bubble while all postcodes within the SW area accounted for 11.4% of thefts.
  • The E2 postcode, which encompasses the Shoreditch area of London, had the second highest rate of theft, making up 1.5% of all UK bicycle thefts.
  • Specialized brand of bicycle was the most commonly targeted by thieves, making up 18% of all brands stolen.
  • The average cost of a stolen bike was £974.80.
  • Of those who claimed for a stolen bicycle, 72% had it stolen from a location other than their home, while 23% had their bicycle stolen from their home.

In an attempt at making the press release look like a public service exercise rather than PR, Stephen Ebbett, Global Director of Protect Your Bubble, said  “We’re always looking at ways our in-house data can help people, and with our bicycle claims we were able to look into the most affected areas. It’s obviously concerning that anyone is having their bicycle stolen at all, but when you have certain areas where theft is more prevalent then we need to educate people about how they can keep their bikes safe.

It’s important to use at least two locks, one of which should be a D-lock, and make sure that both the frame and wheels are locked to the stand. Get it secured and registered with BikeRegister, which acts as a good deterrent for thieves and your bike has a higher chance of being traced by police. Finally, make sure you’re taking the same precautions at home as you would outside, as our data shows almost a quarter of bikes are stolen from a house.”

Protect Your Bubble’s top five postcodes for bicycle theft

  1. SW11
  2. E2
  3. SW18
  4. E8
  5. SW4

Their top five towns and cities for bicycle theft

  1. London
  2. Manchester
  3. Bristol
  4. Leeds
  5. Liverpool

Their top five bicycle brands stolen

  1. Specialized (18%)
  2. Carrera (12.1%)
  3. Giant (5.7%)
  4. Boardman (5.2%)
  5. Trek (4.6%)

On a less cynical note, if this story reminds you to lock your bike up, even if it’s inside your house, then it will probably do more good than harm. And since we are feeling generous because it’s almost beer at your desk time, here’s a link to Protect Your Bubble’s website. And if anyone from the marketing dept. of Protect Your Bubble is reading this, here’s Richard, our ad managers email for you richard@singletrackworld.com.

So, stats crunchers – what do make of this?

 

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Mark Alker

Singletrack Owner/Publisher

What Mark doesn’t know about social media isn’t worth knowing and his ability to balance “The Stack” is bested only by his agility on a snowboard. Graphs are what gets his engine revving, at least they would if his car wasn’t electric, and data is what you’ll find him poring over in the office. Mark enjoys good whisky, sci-fi and the latest Apple gadget, he is also the best boss in the world (Yes, he is paying me to write this).

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Comments (4)

    “72% had it stolen from a location other than their home, while 23% had their bicycle stolen from their home”

    makes you wonder where the other 5% were if they weren’t either at home or away from it?

    Ah E2, lost an old Raleigh Active(?) full suspension bike there to someone with sticky fingers. Thankfully it was locked outside my flat as a decoy for the Specialized stump jumper FSR that was locked to the radiator at the foot of my bed. Since moved to West London with an Orange Five and we’ve never been happier.

    Those top five towns & cities for bike theft – four of them are also in the top five towns & cities in the UK based on population, which figures. The only surprise is Bristol getting into the top 5. A dubious honour !

    If you consider sales of Spesh bikes against the other brands listed and they are top of the sales as well, it stands to reason there is a greater chance more are stolen. I don’t see the report as cynical, but it makes you consider a better lock whilst out and about and certainly the level of cover you need if more bikes are stolen away from home.

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