Transport for LondonAvoid theft
As soon as you buy a bike you should:
Register it. Register your bicycle model, make and frame number at Immobilise.
If you can't find your bike frame number, have a look:
- Near the handlebars
- Below the seat post
- By or underneath the pedals
- Towards the back wheel
Buy a decent lock - or preferably two. Check the London Cycling Campaign website for types of lock and Sold Secure for certified locks. Expect to pay £40+ or 20 per cent of the value of your cycle on a lock.
Get insurance. An easy way to do this is to extend your home contents insurance to cover your bicycle - but make sure it covers you for thefts outside the home too. If your bicycle is particularly valuable you may need to insure it separately. See Bike For All for recommended insurers.
How to lock your bike safely
It's always best to use two different locks - it makes it harder to steal as the thief needs different tools for each lock.
- Lock 'tight' so that your bike is hard to move around when parked
- Lock both wheels and the frame to a bike stand or other immoveable object
- Secure your lock so it does not touch the ground
Extra points to remember
- Park your bike where everyone can see it - people will also see if someone is trying to steal it
- Make sure the locks catch the bike frame as well as both wheels and the post, or a thief may steal the bike and leave the wheels behind. Also, make sure the post can't be cut through, or the bike lifted off it
- Don't leave your bike in the same place every day
- Locks can be picked, so face the lock to the ground (but not resting on it) so it can't easily be turned upwards for picking
- Make it impossible for a thief to smash the lock open: fill the D part of a lock with as much of the bike as possible. Never leave the lock lying on the pavement, where it can be sledgehammered easily
- Take with you any items that can be removed without tools - wheels, lights, pump, computer, panniers, seat post and saddle
Find out more about what our partners at Bikeoff are doing to reduce bicycle theft.
One of the joys of my ride home is the way you reconnect with the seasons. 
