Nowadays a bicycle can be a costly personal item and many of the cycles that are stolen are from young people. Here are some basic security tips for cycles and should be followed in order to prevent a person losing their cycle.

• Do not leave your cycle in isolated places.

• Park your cycle safely and considerately where it will not cause a danger or obstruction to others.

• Always lock your cycle when you leave it.

• Use proper cycle anchors or robust street furniture.

• Lock the wheels and other detachable parts.

• Remove smaller parts that cannot be secured and take them with you.

Locks and bolts

• There are many different products on the market. You should look for products that have been tested against attack. Look at the packaging and ask your retailer for advice, but try and look for a product tested to guard against the dedicated thief you need which has resisted attack for five minutes.

Marking

• Marking your cycle can act as a deterrent to theft and may also help the police to return it to you if it is stolen and subsequently recovered.

To be effective, a security marking must:

• Be clearly visible. Hidden marks do not deter theft unless they are backed up by visible ones - a tamper proof label for instance.

• Be placed in two separate locations on the bicycle and not on any part that is easily removed and replaced.

• Give clear information that will quickly lead the finder to the owner of the bicycle.

• If your bike is hijacked whilst you are riding, notify the police immediately, establish if there were any witnesses and try and memorise identifying features of the Car Jacker.

• Finally, keep you own record of your bicycle - make and model, frame number and colour. A photograph can also help.
  

Buying Second Hand Goods:

• Buying Second Hand Goods? most stolen bikes are sold on. If you have registered then it makes it harder to sell and this website gives you the facility to check before you buy, this site holds the largest database of stolen goods in Europe if not the world, to check any item is not stolen.  The website is called Immobilise .