Insure your bike, either by including it on your home contents insurance or through a separate policy. It’s best to do this at the time of purchasing the bike, or you may never get round to following it up.

Security mark, this can be a visible deterrent and can assist in the return of your bike if recovered by Police. Products can be found on www.securedbydesign.com 

Record & Register your bike on the National Cycle Database by visiting www.bikeregister.com, the model, make and frame number will be required. Registering on this database will assist Police in returning recovered bikes to their rightful owners. Consider taking a photograph of the bike and record a detailed description of it, including any unique features for reporting if stolen and also for insurance purposes.

Keep your bike somewhere secure such as a shed or garage and ensure that the door is kept locked, and the bike is secured with a lock within the shed or garage.  This is particularly important in the summer as people are often in and out of the shed throughout the day and it is easy to presume it is locked – make a special effort to check each evening.

Keep it out of public view. As with all valuable items don’t advertise them to thieves.  A bike is obviously going to be seen whilst out and about but if you nip in the house don’t leave it at the front or propped up against a wall where it can be easily taken.

Secure it to an immovable object even within the shed or garage making it doubly difficult to steal.  You can also consider installing a floor or wall mounted anchor lock for security. 

Avoid isolated or dimly lit places.  Ensure your bike is left in an area that is well lit, with lots of people around. If someone wants to steal it, they will have to do so in a crowded area, increasing the risk of being caught and deterring the thief from targeting your bike. 

Always lock your bicycle, even if you are just leaving it for a few minutes.  If your bike is expensive or rare try to avoid securing it in the same place all the time so it won’t be noticed and stolen to order.

Lock your bike to an immovable object such as designated bike racks and ground anchors. A designated space is unavailable, lock it to robust street furniture such as lampposts or railings, but be careful to observe any requests not to use certain items of street furniture and not to cause any damage. Remember that thieves can lift a bike off a signpost and drainpipes can be removed so when securing your bike think like a potential thief, if you can think of a way to remove it, they will too!

Think about where the lock is positioned. Lock your bike through the frame as it is the strongest part of the bike. Some wheels are quick release and can be easily removed from the frame, which can allow for the frame to be taken. Locks can be picked so face the lock towards the ground, so the lock can’t be easily turned and picked. Make your lock and bike hard to manoeuvre when parked so a thief cannot position the lock in a way that allows them to smash it off. 

Buy a good quality lock, choose a ‘sold secure’ recommended bike lock, ideally with a gold standard rating from  Bicycle Security Products - Find Sold Secure Approved Bike Lock...Using more than one lock can be a deterrent, one of the most important factors in protecting your bike is how resistant your security is to attack. 

Consider an audible alarm, smart locks and GPS tracker to secure your bike. This can alert passers-by to a potential theft and the bike can be tracked.

Wheels, seats and storage can all be expensive to replace and easily removed by a thief. If leaving your bike unattended it might be worth removing these items prior to leaving your bike. 

Use locking skewers or nuts to secure parts permanently if appropriate. 

Call Police on 101 to report your bike stolen, include any distinguishable details. If the crime is in progress call 999.

Update the National Cycle Database, if the bike is taken out of force this will allow for other force areas to receive notification if the bike is recovered.