With all the coming and going, locking and unlocking, mounting and dismounting of the biking season, let’s recap three things you can do to prep for and avoid bicycle thefts.

3 Ways to Prevent Your Bike from being stolen:

1. Invest in a great lock. The U-lock is a favorite for city cyclists. Carrying a small U lock is definitely easiest for me, I can hold it over the handle bars with my thumb, or fit it into a variety of bags. Struggling to get the frame and the tire through a small U lock can be a challenge. Check out this helpful hint on just the back tire.

If you’ve invested in a lovely bicycle seat, you might even want to go the next step further and make sure you protect that too.

Don’t dig the U-lock-it-up? U-locks aren’t the only option. REI provides a good overview on other lock types worth considering.

2. Register your bike. If your bike does get stolen, the chances of being reunited are much better if the bicycle is registered. The Philadelphia police have a website for bicycle registry in the 6^th district, but it’s open to whole city. Take five minutes and register your bike now.

3. Insurance. Just about everything I own has insurance: my dog, my house, my car, my yoga practice. Should you insure your bike?

Once upon a time in college, I was using a lock way to cheap to keep my Gary Fisher Hybrid safe and it was stolen outside of my dorm. The Markel Insurance covered the loss. Something to consider if your bike is a critical part of your transportation plans.

For the super paranoid, you can always try to avoid the bike theft hotspots. Regardless, we hope you’ll be able to avoid becoming a bicycle statistic.

Readers, do you have any tips to keep your bike safe? Tell us in the comments.

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Grace Sica has a decade of experience working for mission-based organizations and 30 years of experience as an environmental advocate (just ask her mom). She has been lucky to work with good people throughout North America on recycling, fisheries, energy, and transportation projects. In 2011 she joined TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling the non-recyclable, and currently serves as their Director of Client Services. Grace manages the recycling programs and relationships with major brands to promote national recycling programs with innovative marketing and programming. View all posts by Grace Sica