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How to Lock Up A Skateboard – 5 Best Ways Explained!

How to Lock Up A Skateboard
Written by Brian G Smith

Most skaters don’t even bother locking their skateboards unattended. They just put the board in a bag and bring it along with them.

If you can’t do that, there are many ways to make sure your precious board won’t be lost and harmed when away.

See which method suits you best!

5 Effective Ways to Lock Up Your Skateboard

1. Lock with a bike rack or a pole

Lock with a bike rack or a pole

The best place to lock your skateboard is a bike rack or a pole. Most educational institutes have at least one. If your institution doesn’t have any, talk with the authority.

Many public places also offer purpose-built skateboard racks for better protection.

If you don’t have access to one, use a pole or a tree instead. Skateboards with a hole come in handy in this case.

What if your board doesn’t have holes?

You are free to dig holes on your board to get an anchor point. Just don’t dig them too close to the edge or else they may snap while you ride.

You can also install a baseplate that will act as an anchor point. Many purpose-built locks come with specially designed baseplates.

We recommend using combination locks or cable locks for better security. Pay attention to the lockable loop cable for better accessibility.

Find out the best-secured position to place the cable around the pole and pass the cable through the wheels and trucks.

2. Get a skateboard lock

skateboard lock

No lock is 100% safe. Given the right amount of time and tools, any lock can be broken. Usually, the heavier your locks are, the harder they are to pick.

There are a wide variety of general-purpose locks you can choose to secure your board. Find out which one works the best for you.

One other thing, skateboards with holes on them get an additional advantage while securing them with a lock. If your board doesn’t have one, don’t worry.

3. Try specialized locks

There are also specially designed locks for your skateboard. They are anti-theft, tamper-resistant, and a lot harder to pick that will give you additional protection.

You can easily install base plates that come with a purpose-built lock for skateboards. Some more advanced options are combination lock cables and remote security locks.

4. Use an alarm

If you have to go somewhere apart from your board for a long time and feel concerned about its protection, we recommend you use a small security alarm that gets triggered by vibration.

That way, if anyone tries to mess with your board, a loud beeping noise will set off letting all the people nearby know about the attempted theft/vandalism.

These alarms run on batteries. Don’t forget to check on the power level and keep extras nearby.

We recommend placing the alarm in a way that isn’t easily noticeable.

5. Try a large locker

Large skateboard locker

You can also use the lockers in your school, local store, or office to safeguard your board. Boards occupy more vertical space than most items.

You’ll need to use bigger lockers. Lockers available on most beaches, hotels, and airports are perfect for this job.

However, we wouldn’t advise trusting locker security blindly as locker theft has become more persistent. Use locks for an additional layer of security.

4 Tips to Secure Your Skateboard

Tips to Secure Your Skateboard

1. Get a foldable board

Locking isn’t always the best option. If you can get your hands on a foldable skateboard, securing it will become a lot easier.

That way, you can fold your board and carry it in your backpack/hand wherever you go.

2. Get a carry strap or special carrier

Get a carry strap or special carrier to carry a skateboard

Not everyone has access to a foldable skateboard. With that being said, a more practical approach is to get a specialized backpack, carrier, skate pack, or carry strap.

There are a number of specialized skateboard bags/carriers in the market. You can also make DIY carry straps. They will make carrying your board around a lot easier and safe.

3. Keep your skateboard in your vehicle

If you don’t feel safe even with your boards locked up and/or find it difficult to carry around, you are always welcome to leave your skateboard inside your car/vehicle.

But a fancy skateboard may attract a lot of unwanted attention even when they are inside your car! That’s why we recommend covering them up.

4. Don’t leave them for too long

No matter what you do to protect your skateboard, nothing/nobody else can provide better protection than you.

Even the mightiest security systems can be exploited with enough time.

Carrying your board around all the time may not seem practical. If you must lock your board up, don’t forget to check on it every once in a while.

How to Lock up an Electric Skateboard?

Just like regular skateboards, electric skateboards also can be secured with a lock. If your board has a hole in it, use that hole to secure your board with your preferred pole/rack/tree.

If there is no hole, install a baseplate with a dedicated hole and use that as an anchor point. You can also be a little creative about wrapping the cable around.

Just pass the cable through the hole and between the pole and the board. Now lock it up with your preferred lock.

We recommend that you use an alarm system alongside the lock, such as motorcycle motion alarms.

Skateboard lock types

  • Key lock – Thieves can easily break this type of lock and you may lose the key too.
  • Combination lock – This lock is more reliable as the combination is hard to guess. But you may face problems if you forget the code, especially when not used frequently.
  • Bracket lock –  A little bit hard to use as it is not flexible, heavier in weight, and bigger in size. But the protection level is too high.
  • Chain lock –  Bulky and heavy but you can trust it. Easy usage as it is flexible (easy to bend)
  • Cable lock – You will get enough protection as it is hard to cut. It’s also easy to use because of its lightness.
  • Rope lock – Same as cable lock in terms of flexibility and weight but it provides low-level protection as cutting with tongs is easy.

How to Secure a Skateboard to a Bike Rack?

How Customizing Helps Secure Your Skateboard

If done right, personalizing your skateboards can offer you some degree of protection as well.

For instance, a skateboard with your unique tags is less prone to being stolen and used within your neighborhood.

How customizing helps secure your skateboard

You would be able to recognize your board if someone else tries to ride it in front of you.

What if that’s not the case? There is a possibility that the thief might sell your board or its parts illegally. That’s why securing your board neatly is the best option.

While we recommend personalizing your board, don’t go overboard. That way, your board will catch a lot of unwanted attention. Make sure your boards don’t stand out too much.

Why You Shouldn’t Keep Your Board Unattached in Public Areas

Don’t forget, the best way to minimize the chance of your skateboard getting stolen is to reduce the time you leave it out in the open.

No matter how solid your security system is, it can be exploited. That’s why the longer you keep your skateboard close to you, the better.

Even protecting your board with advanced security options won’t ensure 100% safety. If you leave your board unattached, it’s security becomes vulnerable.

FAQs

1. Can I carry my skateboard in a store?

Ans: Yes. Almost all large stores allow carrying skateboards as long as you don’t start riding them.

If a store doesn’t allow it, they most probably have dedicated spaces for safekeeping your boards while you shop.

2. Are skateboards allowed in airports?

Ans: Yes but with limitations. There is a size limit for how long your board can be. Smaller boards usually face no issue. Talk with the airlines to know about the size limits.

However, you can get away with boards slightly bigger than the limit if the airline allows it and you manage to carry your board without causing any fuss.

3. How to look after a skateboard?

Ans: Keep the following in mind –

  • Keep your board safe from the elements
  • Check your bearings regularly
  • Rotate your wheels periodically
  • Look for broken kingpins
  • Check the deck for any sign of wear and tear

4. What’s the best way to keep my skateboard locked for a quick break?

Ans: Lock your board with a bike rake, a pole, a tree, or a fire hydrant. Wrap the cable around the board and secure it with the lock of your choice.

5. What’s the best way to keep my skateboard locked for some time?

Ans: We recommend that you take additional security measures like an alarm system, combination locks, or purpose-built locks. The heavier the lock, the harder it will be to pick.

About the author

Brian G Smith

“Hey, are you out of your mind?” - this is what I often hear when people see me performing some really dangerous stunts. While most people use scooters to commute, I use mine to hone my stunting skills. Yes, that’s me, Brian Smith. I’ve a small group of like-minded people in my team that love to do all sorts of stunts with their kick scooters and skateboards. My fans also ask me to teach them a thing or two every now and then. This is why I am here. In my leisure time, I like to write about what I do with my scooters and what I am going to do next. One thing I want to say to all my fans - Don’t hit the streets without proper information and training..

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