I don't commute (since I'm a stay at home dad) but I figured this would be the best place to ask my question. I'm about to buy the most expensive bike I've ever owned and would like some tips on keeping it safe. I've been researching locks but I'd like some "professional" opinions from some of you!

Do you have any tips to keep your bike from being stolen? I've not owned a bike in about 12 years, give or take a couple. Every bike I ever owned and actually used was stolen, I'm guessing around five of them over the years. I still rode a lot even after I owned my own car when I was 16-18, then when my last bike was taken I just gave up and used my car, it was never stolen!

Two or three were taken from schools, one was stolen from our patio in an apartment building if I remember correctly. The other ones were taken from storefronts. They were all mountain bikes, and most of them were pretty cheap used bikes.

My favorite bike was taken from a storefront, it's the only time a bike of mine was stolen while it was not locked. I literally walked into a video game store to return a rented game and came back out, my bike was gone.

Every other bike was locked, one was with a pretty crappy lock when I was in elementary school, at the time I thought the lock was good, looking back now I could probably have just pulled the lock apart if I gave the bike a good tug with one hand.

The rest were, if I recall, Kryptonite locks. The big "U" shaped ones. (They were always easy to store on the bike. At one point I think I had some kind of a coiled lock too.

Now I understand that it's best to use two types of locks at the same time. So I'll probably do that.

What kinds do you recommend?

How do lock warranties usually work?

I was reading that bike couriers have their bikes stolen so often that they will buy two locks of the same type so if their bike is stolen they can break the extra lock to "prove" that the bike was taken if the thief takes the evidence with him/her. If they don't take the evidence then at least they already have another lock. It seems to me that if you have to do this to prove that the bike was stolen then the warranty is not a very good one... I figured they would want some kind of serial number from the lock and the bike anyway... unless they register both locks...

Does house insurance cover bikes, typically? I know I can get expensive items put on our house insurance so maybe a bike can go on even though it may not be at home when it gets stolen.

The bike I'm getting is a touring bike. Maybe I'll just get another cheap bike if I expect I'll be off it for any length of time (Getting groceries, etc.)

I live in Vancouver Canada, from what I understand we have the highest bike theft rate in the world.

Thanks for any tips!