Lock it or Lose it: Tips for Keeping Your Sweet Two-Wheeled Ride Secure

Temperatures are warming up and many are starting to take their bikes out of storage and out for a ride.

As bike season begins, Fargo Police want to remind you to keep your bikes secured at all times.

The department says during the warmer months, they usually see an increase in bicycle thefts.

They say to avoid being a victim of theft, there are a few helpful tips you should know

Fargo Police say if you’re not on your bike, you need to lock it up.

That means keeping your garage door or storage area locked and closed.

They also say taking a photo of your bike and writing the serial number down can make all the difference.
 
“To have that information when you make a police report, we can easily return that bike to the rightful owner if it’s recovered,” said Deputy Chief Joe Anderson of Fargo Police.
 
Anderson says they also recommend submitting that information to their online website.
 
“Myproperty.com is a program the Fargo Police Department has had for quite a few years and it’s not just for bikes it’s for anything of property you can log into that site,” said Anderson.
 
Fargo Police say another way to prevent your bike from being stolen is by getting yourself a good lock.
 
“We see a lot of lock sales happen now, as we see the bike sales increase,” said Tom Smith Manager at the Great Northern Bicycle Company.
 
Tom Smith of the Great Northern Bicycle Company says when buying a lock, it’s important to do one thing.
 
“We make sure that they’re getting a lock that will provide security that they need but also the simplicity that they need if a lock is not used property then it’s not going to be very secure at all,” said Smith.
 
John Schultz of Fargo and his wife recently bought two news bikes and they learned the hard way.
 
“I’ve had a bike stolen one time, it was just setting out for a short period of time and then it was gone,” said Schultz.
 
They say going without a lock just isn’t worth the risk.
 
“So now that we’ve paid the money, we don’t want to lose them,” said Schultz.
 
In 2015, Fargo Police received just over 170 reports of stolen bikes.