Bike theft is on the rise. With the increasing popularity of e-bikes and all forms of cycling more and more people are buying bikes, and many are worth a significant amount of money.
What can you do to deter bike theft?
- Register your bike with 529 Garage bike registery for free.
- Add a 529 Garage shield to your bike.
- Lock your bike properly.
529 Garage Project – Free Bike registration
You can add a level of security to keep your bike safe by registering it with 529 Garage. It’s free, easy to do, and helps Police return stolen bikes to their rightful owners. 529 Garage Project is a community-powered bike recovery service. Widespread use of 529 Garage has the power to reduce bike theft. The more people using the system the more powerful it becomes. The app moves with you so if you report a stolen bike immediately the community closest to the location is the first to be notified of the theft.
Local Councils, Bike advocacy groups, the New Zealand Police, and Bike shops are coming together to try and reduce bike theft and improve the chances of reuniting stolen bikes with their rightful owners.
Benefits of 529 Garage
- Your bike will be included in a secure nationwide database.
- If your bike gets stolen you can use 529 Garage to send an alert to the local 529 community.
- If someone sees your bike, they can contact you anonymously through the app.
- 529 Garage makes it easy for Police to return your bike to you if it is found.
- You can use the database to check if a second-hand bike you are considering purchasing has been flagged as stolen.
- No personal information is required to complete the registration, just an email address.
You can register your bike on the web, or download the app at:
Add a shield
- Once registered you can add a 529 shield which is a tamper-resistant decal with a unique code that adds another layer of protection to your bike. Shields can be purchased online from participating bike stores and advocacy groups.
- Follow Bike Northland Facebook page for information about coming registration events.
Locking your bike
- Use a high-quality, durable lock – not a cable lock that is easy to cut. Check out this simple guide to the complex world of bike locks.
- Find something sturdy to lock your bike to – a bike rack, pole or object.
- Secure your whole bike not just the wheels or seat.
- Check out this short video on how to lock your bike to keep it safe.
