BikeRegister

[glocal]

Has anyone used the free UK BikeRegister service for a folder? I know making the marking as visible as possible is part of the idea in deterring thieves, but somehow I am not very keen on having my Brompton marked this way. I believe they have a 'virtually invisible' method as well. Any thoughts?

 

[Rocky]

I haven't used it (and I don't separately insure my Brommie). I tend to take my bike with me rather than leave it locked up outside - it's a tad inconvenient for some meetings but most places are obliging. I know it's impossible to avoid 100% getting your bike stolen, but IMO having a folder means you can always keep an eye on it - removing the need to have it marked.

 

[Tilley]

I have used Bike Register for my Ice Trice recumbent trike. The scheme applies 2 non removable stickers similar to those applied as asset tags to electrical equipment. One sticker is placed in a visible location as a deterrent and the other in a more obscure location. You get to chose exactly where the stickers will be positioned. Much less invasive than the old system of marking the bottom bracket with your post code.

 

[Arjimlad]

I registered all our bikes by frame number only, no stickers on them.

 

[glocal]

I registered frame numbers with them and immobilise and I am thinking about the UV method. I am not sure about the stickers yet, although the detterent factor may be more useful than recoverability. I would never leave my Brompton outside, but Bike Register and the police organise local free-marking events, so I thought why not?

 

[Arellcat]

All of my bikes, including my Brompton, are on BikeRegister. For all but one I used the stencil and marking compound kit. My carbon Quest has neither paint nor powdercoat and so has the QR code tamperproof stickers, one obvious and one hidden. You get one sticker with the stencil kit, and two if you're doing QR codes.

I'm also a cycle champion at my work, and I've security marked probably two hundred bikes with BikeRegister. The 'virtually invisible' method, which I presume is the marking compound, results in small navy blue dots that fluoresce under UV light. The end result ranges from visible but unobtrusive on white paint, to very unobtrusive on dark grey or black paint, to completely invisible for all practical purposes on matt metallic paints. Not everyone at my work has opted to have the marking compound, but most have. And almost everyone has put the tamperproof sticker(s) on their bike; some prefer the top tube, some prefer the down tube, some underneath the downtube; and those with Bromptons tend to have the sticker on the main frame ahead of the front hinge, and the stencil on the seat tube.

 

[glocal]

those with Bromptons tend to have the sticker on the main frame ahead of the front hinge, and the stencil on the seat tube.

I think I would go for these too, and the 'virtually invisible' dots as my choice of marking. Thanks.

 

[Dancetiludrop]

They were offering the service at Marylebone Station so I took advantage - unfortunately the Work Experience lad applied the number to my bike and it is blurred and wonky...the only plus is that it is on the underside so not visible for OCD purposes!

 

[Kell]

I did a similar thing when they were doing them en masse.

I *think* mine was done in Regent's Park as they used to occasionally set up a tent there.

Wasn't that bothered by either the sticker or the marks TBH.

The bike shop I bought it from stuck a sticker on there. I also had to have a sticker to park my bike in our works car park.

One more wasn't going to make too much difference.

 

[Gunk]

I registered all our bikes by frame number only, no stickers on them.

Me too, the stickers are a bit pointless

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

About 4 years ago I successfully returned a stolen bike to its owner using Bike Register as the intermediary. It would not have been so easy without the sticker. To be honest, I don't think it would have occurred to me to contact Bike Register if the sticker hadn't been there.

 

[ukoldschool]

Pointless having it done and not putting the sticker on, its part of the idea of the scheme to try and stop the opportunist thieve from half hinching your wheels, prevention being a lot easier than recovery.
Vanity is a fickle master....