Bike theft

What bike safety is

Keeping your bike safe is about different ways to stop it from being damaged or stolen.

Over 500,000 bikes are stolen in the UK each year. More than half of all stolen bikes are taken from the owner’s property.

If you want to tell us about bike theft, you can report it online, by phone, or in person.

If your bike is stolen, you can:

report it to us and ask for a crime reference number
report your bike as stolen on BikeRegister (even if it wasn’t registered) and download your proof of ownership
tell your insurer, ideally within 24 hours (you’ll need your insurance policy number, crime reference number, and proof of ownership or purchase)
if you do not have bike insurance, check if it’s covered by your home contents insurance
contact your bike or home insurance company (if covered) to claim the bike cost back
tell local bike shops about your bike and that it’s registered on BikeRegister (they can use BikeRegister checker to see if a bike brought in is stolen)
check websites such as Gumtree, eBay, Shpock, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace to see your bike is up for sale
set up alerts on these websites to tell you if a bike with the same make and model is put up for sale

You can also post a description and photos of your bike. You can share these on:

If you find your bike up for sale:

You can get support from other organisations:

BikeRegister to report your bike as stolen and get proof of ownership
Immobilise to record your valuables to make getting them back easier
Secured by Design for security standards, advice, and certified security products
Sold Secure for certified security products

To make it easier to find your bike if it’s stolen, you can:

take photos of your bike
record your bike’s details, including the serial number on the bottom bracket and any unique markings
make you bike look unique with stickers or transfers
add your bike to the BikeRegister and download your proof of ownership
mark your bike with a DNA marking kit such as a SelectaDNA kit and use one of their stickers to show it’s marked
use a UV pen to write your house number and postcode on your bike if you don’t have a DNA marking kit
insure your bike

You should also choose a strong lock. You can:

choose a Sold Secure bike lock
make sure it is a D-lock or thick cable lock
buy the best lock you can afford (spend 10% of your bike cost on a lock as a guide)

When not using your bike, you should:

lock your bike up every time you leave it
double lock your bike with two different types of lock if you can
keep locks off the floor (locks are easier to break on the ground)
fasten your bike through the frame and wheel to a fixed object or anchor
remove items on the bike which can't be locked, such as lights, pumps, water bottles, bags, and saddles

When storing your bike at home, you should also:

When locking your bike up when you’re out, you should: