Love Your Ride – Register Your Bike
Prevent Bike Theft
Bike theft happens. You are 5x more likely to recover a stolen bike if you register it!
It Works Like This: Submit the Serial Number and Other Bike Details to the National Bike Index
We recommend you register your bike, e-bike, tandem, skateboard, hoverboard, etc. immediately. It’s free and only takes a minute! You can register a stolen bike or non-stolen bike. Bike Index is a free online national bike registry with more than 70,000 registered bikes and hundreds of partners throughout the US. Be sure to provide a detailed description of your bike by including your serial number and photos that show your bike’s unique characteristics.
Lock It or Lose It
Lock your bike like your ride home depends on it! Use a high-quality U-lock or ABUS and a cable lock to secure your frame and your wheels. Not all locks are created equal – avoid locks that cost less than $40. Be especially cautious in known bike theft hot spots such as State Street, the Santa Barbara central library, low visibility areas, and your back yard. Remember that high traffic areas can be just as susceptible to bike theft as a dark alley – there have been many reports of bike theft occurring in broad daylight with onlookers present.
Report a Stolen Bike
Use Bike Index to report your bike as stolen, whether it was registered or not. Including photos, fine details and the serial number of your bike are the keys to recovering it. File a police report – less than 1 out of every 4 bikes is ever reported stolen. Report the crime as soon as you can, provide as many details as possible, and include a link to your Bike Index registration.
Recover Your Bike
Thousands of bikes have been recovered through Bike Index. Once you post the stolen bike on Bike Index it will be tweeted at @StolenBikeSBC and posted on Facebook at StolenBikeSBC. Be sure to share these social media channels with your friends. Keep in mind that most thieves are looking for cash, not a new bike, so keep your eyes on Craigslist for used bikes for sale within the tri-county area to see if your stolen bike is posted there. Save time on your Craigslist search by creating an RSS feed or using an auto-search app for your smartphone. You can also contact local pawn shops to alert them of your stolen bike.
Replace Your Ride
The sooner you get on a bike, the better you’ll feel. If you have home renter or owner insurance, it may cover the cost to replace your bike. If a brand-new ride is not in your budget, buy a used one at MOVE Bici Centro in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria or on Craigslist. Beware of a Craigslist deal that’s too good to be true – it’s probably a stolen bike!
About Love Your Ride
Love Your Ride is a community-based bike theft prevention program in Santa Barbara County, coordinated by the SBCAG Traffic Solutions division. The program empowers the cycling community to prevent bike theft and recover stolen bikes through educational materials, free and convenient bike registration, and social media channels. Cyclists that love their rides not only keep theme clean and functioning, they also protect them against bike theft.
