Cycle security

Having just bought the most expensive bike I've ever ridden and in the same week been told by a police officer that there is a spate of bike thefts going on in my neighbourhood I thought I'd ask how people tend to secure their bikes at home.

Mine is currently in a padlocked concrete shed in the back yard the only access to which is through my house or through an 8 foot high gate bolted from the inside. I know this is not enough so I'm curious to get some recommendations.

Does anyone use a tracking system? Which ones are best? Do the police really consult these? I mean really?

Linked-plate locks are becoming increasing popular as they pack down small and can offer decent protection. The FS455 from Trelock is far from being awful but doesn't offer the same protection as a similarly-priced U-lock.

The FS455 comes with a plastic cage to mount to your bike frame, and does pack down small: 19x7x4cm is the folded size. It's not particularly light at 1138g, so we had high hopes that the six hardened steel linkage plates would stand up to some serious abuse.

Master Lock's Street Cuff is basically a pair of handcuffs for your bike. One end goes round the frame and the other round a Sheffield stand, railing or other bit of street furniture. There's a hefty rotating linkage joining the two cuffs together and the whole thing is made from hardened laminated steel.

Magnum's CCL3 Coil Cable is a pretty standard 10mm cable unit that offers the kind of protection you might expect: not that much, really. At £15 you shouldn't expect miracles and you won't find any here; it's fine for securing your pub bike to the railings for a swift half but that's about the limit of its powers.

Measuring just 21x12cm, the Abus Granit Futura Mini is small enough to fit in the pocket of your jeans and strong enough to beat most thieves. It's light, too, and under 700g, and not too pricey either.