What to do if your bike is stolen – and how to break the cycle | Cycling

Whether you use your bike to shuttle daily, for quick trips to stores or long walks to stay in shape, flying it can be a nightmare. Here is what to do if yours disappears.

What if your bike is lost or stolen

• Report the flight to the police and describe the bicycle with as many details as possible, giving the model, doing and where it was stolen. You should also include a description of all scratches, bumps and brands that could help identify it, and an image if you have one. You can access your local police station or call 101 in the United Kingdom to submit a report. Make sure you get a crime reference number.

• Home insurance policies will often cover your bike when it is at home, but you will probably need to pay an additional cost to extend this when you are on the go or if you have a precious bike. Report the loss to your insurer and give it the reference number of the crime. Your bike will not be covered if you have not managed to take care of it, as not to lock it safely or with an appropriate lock.

• Display your stolen bike on Bike Recording, a British bicycle database – you can do it even if you have not recorded your bike before. This will help improve the chances of recovering your bike if there are images and descriptions of the bicycle and where it was stolen.

• Post on bicycle and cycling forums, such as the UK Cycling Forum, the bicycle forum and the cycle in case people meet when you are looking to buy a new bike.

• Look on resale sites such as Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Ebay to see if someone is trying to sell your bike. You can configure alerts for bikes that are the same brand and model. If you find one that looks like yours, alerts the police – they may be able to recover it. It is not advisable to create a bite or try to deal with the case yourself.

• Alert the local community to neighborhood forums such as Nextdoor or local Facebook groups and contact all nearby bicycle stores in case someone arrives in the store and try to sell the one that corresponds to your description.

What to do when you get a new bike

• Heat the frame a little using sandpaper, paint and stickers so that it is less attractive for thieves. Some kitsch, drawn hearts could save you a lot of hassles in the future.

• Register it on Bikegerister and download photos along the frame number, which is generally on the shell of the lower support between the pedals or on the rear dropouts where the rear wheels slip.

• Invest in two high quality locks to make your less target bike. At least one of them should be a good quality D-Lock. Make sure you set the frame to the stand when locking.

• Take removable parts with you every time you leave it.

• Find and apply for your nearest bicycle parking lot. This gives another layer of protective, but be sure to lock yourself up safely. In cities, there are also many cycle hangars, such as CycleHoop, which are small bicycle stores in the residential streets for which you can apply at a cost each year. Check if there is one near you.

• Hide a bluetooth tracker on your bike to help you locate it if it disappears. The smaller and more discreet the tracker, the better. The right places to hide them include under the seat or inside the handlebars. Apple Airtag and Sticker Tile are popular among bicycle owners.