FREE: Bug your bike to blow off burglars

You try to be a good, earth-friendly person and take your bike whenever possible. Then one day, you walk outside and find out your bike has been stolen.

It’s a damn shame.

But now, you can have your bike chipped. The City of Columbus’ Bug Your Bike initiative is a free and simple way to increase your chances of recovering your stolen bicycle.

Step 1: Register online

Click here to enter some basic info about you and your bike into a database. You you can call (614) 645-8366 to register, also.

Step 2: Receiving and installing chip

You will receive a free chipping device in the mail which contains all the info you entered into the database. To install, clean a small surface of your bike’s frame with alcohol pad, remove red tape from chip, and press on the chip. The city suggestions the following locations:

Step 3: Recovering stolen bike

If, God forbid, your bike gets stolen, don’t sweat! Whether a bicycle is recovered by the City of Columbus, The Ohio State University, or COTA (latter two are partnering organizations), the chip containing your info can be scanned and find its way back to you.

The city suggests the following tips to prevent your bike from being nabbed in the first place:

• Lock your bicycle to a bike rack whenever possible to the following locations/objects:
  • Small trees, aluminum and wooded posts or chain link fences can easily be cut. The City of Columbus offers a variety of secure bicycle parking options:
  • Rack: Typically is a standard hitching post, inverted-U or other design often found along sidewalks.
  • Shelters: A series of bike racks under a roof structure. These amenities also commonly offer features such as maps, repair tools and vegetated green roofs.
  • Corrals: A series of bike racks in a portion of the street protected by posts, rubber blocks and markings.
  • Locker: An enclosed box in which a bicycle may be secured by a user-supplied lock. To suggest additional public bike parking locations call 645-3111 or visit 311.columbus.gov.
• Use a U-lock together with a cable lock around both wheels for the best protection. Chain or cable locks alone are easier to cut.
• Secure your bicycle in a visible and well-lit area and avoid keeping bicycles outside overnight.
• Once your bicycle is locked, remove any valuable/detachable items (light, helmets, odometers).
• If the bicycle is being stored in a garage, ensure that the garage is closed when not in use.
• Engrave, paint or otherwise personalize your bicycle in discrete locations (below seat or on handle bars).
• Take a picture of your bicycle and keep it for your records.

Visit Columbus.gov for more.