Bike theft in Lewes
Cycle Lewes regularly hold bike register events. If you are a member, look out for email notification of an upcoming session.
A study into bike theft in the UK has revealed that a staggering 1,100 bikes are stolen every day, and yet, theft is rarely a barrier discussed by policymakers looking to increase cycling participation.
There are an estimated 20million bikes in UK, and this has increased during the Covid pandemic.
42% of UK population either owns or has access to a bicycle. According to these statistics over 7000 of us Lewesians own or use a bike.
We want to encourage everyone who has a bike in Lewes to lock it securely and log it with Bike Register to deter theft. Cycle theft is increasing in the UK, and there is a growing market in second-hand bikes. Bikes do get stolen in Lewes and we know some of these aren’t always securely locked.
Not locking a bike, poor quality locks & bad locking techniques make cycles more vulnerable to theft and once stolen the lack of identifiable information to prove a crime often prevents the police from being able to connect stolen bicycles with their owners or take action against thieves.
Over the past two years Cycle Lewes has registered more than 200 bikes with “Bike Register”; the UK’s National Cycle Database which has over one million registered bikes.
Bike Register is a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and they will be arrested.
We have held sessions together with Dr Bike and at various events in the County Town, & aim to hold further registration sessions in the summer of 2023.
Cycling UK also provides useful advice on how to avoid your bike getting stolen, and what to do if it does. (Cycling UK link)