Over the years, ITC has on numerous occasions, reported about bikes being stolen from Lane Cove garages. Some of these bikes have been very expensive bikes!! Garages in Apartment/Unit blocks seem to be a bicycle theft hotspot. How do you take steps to track down your bike if it is stolen?
National Bike Register
The National Bike Register was initiated by Police and developed by Crime Stoppers, DataDot Technology and proud cycling sponsor, Subaru, to combat bike theft in Australia.
The initiative provides standardised information and communications for law enforcement.
The National Bike Register allows owners to log information about their bicycles and bike parts into a database, developed and maintained by Data Dot Technology Ltd, for free. Under the initiative, when a registered bicycle is stolen, the owner can report the theft to Crime Stoppers and police can access the National Bike Register for identification details. Another huge benefit is that this will create a “Chain of Custody” for the property. In the event that someone wishes to sell his or her bike, the true and rightful owner can be verified.
So get online and register your bike. If you are looking to buy a second-hand bike, check the register before closing the deal.
Bike Vault
Another resource for people who have had a bike stolen is www.bikevault.com.au.
The BikeVault website is recognised by the cycling community and police as the market-leading platform and specialist service to counter bike theft in Australia.
Starting from a zero base in 2015, propertyVAULT™ has successfully recovered bikes and other stolen property valued at more than $1.5 million. Their success rate is gaining momentum as more of the public, police, insurers and businesses (including Cash Converters) increasingly utilise this platform to identify and recover property.
Report Thefts Online
If your bicycle is stolen you can report the theft online – details of the online reporting system are here.
Look On-line
It is also worth checking out sites likes E-bay and Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. There have been media reports of people finding their stolen bikes on Gumtree. There has been a call by some for Gumtree and similar sites to be regulated in the same way as pawn shops to cut down the trade of stolen goods. Also check out Instagram by searching via a hashtag (ie if you bike is a Trek search #trek or #treksforsale)
Buy a Bike
If you want to buy a bike in Lane Cove you can support an independent local business – Renegade Cycles
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