getting your bike marked?

[Mrklaw]

not sure if it should be here or not, but will give it a go.

Whats the best way to get your bike marked to help in recovery if it is stolen? Back in my youth you had the local police stamp your postcode with a hammer, but presumably things are a bit more advanced these days?

I've registered with bikeregister.com - should I get one of their kits? I've seen the police at my local station occasionally doing marking, are they doing something different?

 

[ianrauk]

Check you local police website to see when and where they are doing marking. Also any local cycling groups.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Register your frame number on www.immobilise.com
All places like cash converters et.al. Check this site when taking a bike in.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Interesting this one, I was looking for my frame number the other day & couldn't find it, brand new bike to me direct from shop so don't expect it to be stolen, but figured if it ever was my insurance company would want to know it before paying out. I looked around the bottom bracket but it didn't appear to be there, why are they not more prominent on the headstock like motorbikes? Cube Attention if anybody knows?

 

[Cycleops]

That's only of use if police turn it up isn't it?
Wouldnt you be better off with one of the many tracker devices on the market?
Depends on the value of the bike I guess

 

[Racing roadkill]

Interesting this one, I was looking for my frame number the other day & couldn't find it, brand new bike to me direct from shop so don't expect it to be stolen, but figured if it ever was my insurance company would want to know it before paying out. I looked around the bottom bracket but it didn't appear to be there, why are they not more prominent on the headstock like motorbikes? Cube Attention if anybody knows?

There will be about 3 lines of numbers on the frame under the bottom bracket. The one you want starts with the letters WOWC.

 

[Mrklaw]

Didn't know you could get trackers for bikes. Might be an option I look into.

 

[Cycleops]

Here is one:
https://www.sherlock.bike/en/

 

[vickster]

I had a marked bike stolen, never saw hide nor hair of it again. The bikes I regularly lock up are marked, vague hope that the stickers might be some sort of mild deterrent as well as the big D lock(s) i use

Police do the bike register marking FOC, you have to pay for the kits

Locally the met do it every couple of weeks somewhere in my london borough

 

[mjr]

Note down your frame numbers and take pictures, especially of any distinctive bits. Keep it to yourself and only publish it on sites like immobilise and stolen-bikes if it gets nicked - immobilise has been hacked before. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30686697

Focus more on prevention (#properLockIt) than recovery.

 

[mjr]

I looked around the bottom bracket but it didn't appear to be there, why are they not more prominent on the headstock like motorbikes? Cube Attention if anybody knows?

It's on the headstock of my universal, seatstay of a couple of others. It varies.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Here is one:
https://www.sherlock.bike/en/

Although I like the idea having to take out the seat post every 2 weeks to recharge the battery is just daft,

 

[Mrklaw]

Although I like the idea having to take out the seat post every 2 weeks to recharge the battery is just daft,

says it inserts into the handlebars and the usb port is external so you can charge it in situ? Are the brompton handlebars not between 19-23mm then?

 

[Crankarm]

What is the value of your bike? It might be better just to get some f*** off locks instead and never let it out of your sight. You could fit a tracker but your bike would have to be seriously valuable to do that imho. You could easily be mugged for it. At least you'd be able to track it's subsequent journey though.

 

[fatjel]

Train travel is good for marking bikes.
My Boardman has some very noticeable gouges where it was strapped down