Don't lose your pride and joy. Follow these tips from Dorset Police and keep your bike safe and secure.

At Home
When storing at home make sure it is in a secured shelter i.e locked garden shed, porch etc. If in a garden shed still lock it to the fabric of the shed and consider purchasing a shed alarm (they are only £10 - £20 from most hardware stores or Maplin). First thing to do is property mark the bicycles and record identification details. The police approved way to do this is through www.bikeregister.com who will put the cycle and owner details on to a database. You can also purchase a police approved etching kit with a unique serial number and includes labels to say the cycle is identifiable so informing a potential thief that he/she will have trouble selling or using the cycle. Other forms of approved property marking can be found at www.selectamark.co.uk.

Away From Home
The other issue is to secure the cycle if it is going to be left unattended for any length of time. Approved methods of securing bikes can be found on www.soldsecure.com which gives a list of chains, padlocks and cycle locks to gold, silver or bronze standard, obviously the gold standard devices are the more thief resistant.

The basic rules of thumb are: • Don't leave your bicycle in secluded places. • Always lock it to a railing or similar even if you are leaving it for a short time. • Lock your bike through the frame. • Lock wheels and other detachable parts. • If they can't be locked take them with you i.e quick release wheels, saddles, lights etc.

Useful Security Links