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Bicycle Security

Page updated: Wednesday May 05 2010

Bicycles, like cars, can be stolen therefore it is a good idea to take extra precautions to keep your bike safe.

Protect your bike from theft

Take these precautions to protect your bike from theft:

DO

DON’T

Keep your bike in a visible, well-lit high-traffic area. Use secure parking facilities (bike shelters or indoor bike parking facilities). Lock both wheels and the frame to the rack. Secure your bike’s components or remove them; consider using regular bolts instead of quick releases (wheels that use a mechanism to allow the wheels to be removed quickly and without any tools). Choose a strong lock and combine two different types of locks.

Don’t lock your bike to objects that can be easily cut. Don’t lock your bike to someone else’s bicycle. Don’t lock your bike in the same place all the time. Don’t place your lock near the ground where thieves can crush it.

How to lock up your bike

Type of Lock	How to Lock up Your Bike
U-lock	Place U-lock through both seat stays, the wheels, and around a post or fixed object. Try to fill as much of the space within the U as possible. For extra security, place the U-lock shackle around a post, the bike frame and through your rear wheel. Loop a cable around your front wheel, bike frame and onto your U-lock shackle.
Cable	Wrap the cable through both wheels, around the bike frame and around a permanent post or fixed object. Don’t place the lock against or near anything solid where it can be hammered. Pair with another style of lock (i.e., U-lock or padlock).
Chain	Wrap the chain around the bike frame and a post or fixed object. Use with another style of lock (i.e., U-lock or padlock).

Visit your local bicycle shop for more details on choosing the right lock.

Register your bike with the police

Registering your bike with your local police division will help police return your bike to you if it’s stolen. Registration forms can be picked up at your local police division.

Be sure to provide your bicycle make and model, colour, year and serial number. A registration tag will be added to your bicycle frame once you have registered your bike.

Brampton and Mississauga residents

Visit any Peel Regional Police division to fill out a bicycle registration form.

Caledon Residents

Pick up or fill out a registration form at the Caledon OPP detachment at:

Reporting a stolen bike

If you live in Mississauga or Brampton, please use the Peel Regional Police online Call for Service System to report that your bicycle has been lost or stolen.

If you live in Caledon, call the Caledon OPP detachment at 905-584-2241.