Safeguarding your cycle

Bicycles are reported lost or stolen every day, causing distress and inconvenience to the owners.

The good news is that many of them turn up at police stations, thanks to honest members of the public. The bad news is that a large number of them end up in property disposal auctions because their owners cannot be traced.

This is what you can do to protect your bicycle:

  • Keep a record of the make, model and colour of your bike in a safe place. Turn the cycle upside down and look for the frame number on the hub, where the pedals are attached. If the worst happens and your bike goes missing, this information can be made available to every officer in the area through the computerised recording system.

  • Consider marking cycles with your postcode or a unique reference number.

Specialist kits, meeting the British Standard for property marking, are available and, with visible warning stickers, can be a deterrent to thieves. Some shops and suppliers keep a computer database so stolen or lost bikes can be checked by police and potential buyers.

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