20,000 bikes stolen every year in London as thousands wait for cycle storage

Amber’s account:

“Ken was my first great love, the first bike I bought when I moved to London. Ken was fast and fun and really different from the bikes I’d had before. I kept Ken in my bedroom because I wanted us to be together forever, and because I lived in a flat with no access to secure bike parking. Eventually Ken was stolen from outside the helpline I volunteered at, while I did a night shift. They didn’t have secure bike parking either. 

Serge, was a Peugeot; French, so it was tragically fitting that following a charity London to Paris ride, he was stolen on our first night in Paris. He’d reliably carried me 16 miles every day on my daily commute across London and after this trip I’d tragically lost my primary means of transport. 

After Serge I got Andre. I named him that because he is a giant. When I picked him up it was clear I was confused about how bike sizes work. I kept him anyway. Andre and I were together ten years, I think in part because he wasn’t really a looker. He was large and old and a bit creaky, but frankly, so am I, so it was a good fit. We’ve been to Brussels, Amsterdam, Manchester, Copenhagen, Dublin, Marseille together! This spring he was stolen from outside a work event at a venue that didn’t offer secure bike parking.  

Now I have Gary. Gary has no personality and makes me feel nothing, but he was my first bike with decent gears. A younger model. Three days after I got him I locked him up outside a church which did not have secure bike parking. When I came back the cables had been cut through and the whole handlebars, gear levers, brakes and everything had gone. Gary lived, decapitated, locked to the railings outside our flat. Eventually I replaced the stolen parts. It took a few months. The parts cost nearly as much as Gary had. I did a bad job on the bar tape and now I keep it that way in an effort to deter thieves. 

I’m on the waiting list for secure bike parking on our estate, but we’ve been told we won’t be a priority because our flat has a (non-secure) garden. All of these bikes were locked up properly, but that wasn’t enough. If London wants to ease pressure on public transport, reduce air pollution, and help people stay fit and healthy, we desperately need more secure bike parking. We need it on residential streets and estates, but also to support community centres and businesses.”