Everybody loves new bike day, right? But when you buy a new bike and bring it home for the first time, it’s important to spend a few minutes getting yourself organized. These few small steps can save you a lot of hassle down the road, especially if the worst happens and you end up dealing with a stolen bike.
Register it
The National Bike Registry is the best place to register your bike. Simply log on and in minutes, you can add information about your bike that registers it—and its serial number—to you, so that it’s logged in the database in the event it does get stolen.
Take photos of everything
And we really mean everything. Don’t just snap a single selfie with your bike, create a specific album and make sure to include:
- The whole bike
- The serial number (usually located under the bottom bracket, so you may have to turn the bike upside down
- Close ups of components: Shifters, crankset, wheels, saddle, seatpost, etc.
- Any ‘identifying factors’ like a sticker or certain paint scheme. If it’s a used bike, even photos of any dings or chips in the paint may be useful
- On an ebike, make sure you also take out the battery if needed in order to take a photo of any specific make/model/serial numbers on that
- … And yes, a photo of you with your bike. This sounds a little silly but it may actually be helpful if the bike is ever stolen!
Make sure you have a good lock
It’s important to protect any bike with a gold-rated Sold Secure bike lock. That rating insures that your lock has been third party tested by experts and rated as one of the safest, strongest options on the market. The difference between a cheap big-box store lock and a gold-rated Sold Secure bike lock could be a fair bit, since many gold-rated locks are in the $50-100 range, but when you consider how much you spent on the bike, isn’t it worth making sure it’s properly protected?
Get bike insurance
Consider protecting your new bike with Simple Bike Insurance. Prices start as low as $8 per month, and insurance covers more than just bike theft—it can cover everything from racing protection to cycling kit to roadside assistance if you forgot to get that mini-pump when you went home with your new ride. Check out your options right here and get a free instant quote to start protecting your new bike ASAP.
Save the receipts and photos in an easy-access place
We like the idea of also taking a photo or screenshot of your receipts for the bike and any components you subsequently purchase, plus the photos of your bike, a screenshot of your bike insurance policy, a screenshot of your bike registration, and even a screenshot of the receipt for your gold-rated Sold Secure bike lock in a simple album on your phone. Add photos of new gear (including cycling kit) and components as you buy them, including the receipts. This way, if anything happens to your bike, you have instant access to your records. Make sure your photos back up to the Cloud, or use a free app like Photo Vault so that your album is available no matter what happens to your phone.
Get out and ride!
Now it’s the fun part: Enjoy that first ride on your new bike!
