• Know your bike’s serial number.  Learn how to locate your number here. Record your number with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition form here. We will email you a copy for your records.
  • Use a U-Lock. We like the OnGuard brand. Be aware that a lock with a key is better than a lock with a combination. Cable locks are bad because they are easily cut. Quality counts! Expect to spend more than $35 on a good lock.
  • Know how to lock up your bike. A nice guy named Hal shows you how here.
  • Keep the receipt from your bike purchase in a safe place.
  • Take photographs of your bike. You can use these if your bike ever goes missing. Take a close up of the serial number too.
  • Register your bike at stolen.bikeindex.org Registering your bike before it is stolen increases your chances of getting it back.
  • Tweet @isitstolen. Don’t want to accidentally buy a stolen bike? Tweet the serial number to @isitstolen to see if it has been reported as stolen.

If your bike is stolen…

  • Call and report it to the police. It is very important to make an official report. If law enforcement notices an increase in bike theft they will take action. No report, no action. You do not need your serial number to make a report.         

   District Police: (707) 527-1000

  • Contact your insurance. Bicycles are often covered under your homeowners or renters insurance. If you used a credit card you might even be covered there too.
  • Set up Google Alerts to send your emails when Craigslist ads matching your search queries pop up.
  • Add your bike to the Stolen Bike Registry here.
  • Post your bike to Sonoma County Bike Watch Facebook group.

Register your bike!

Safety Tips

We can make bicycling safer for all by observing the following safety tips:

  • Always wear a helmet

  • Obey all traffic controls: these go on your permanent driving record and are very expensive

  • At night, make sure you are visible with a head and rear light, it's not only good sense, it's the law!

  • Ride your bicycle near the right-hand edge of the road

  • Never carry another person on your bicycle

  • Always use hand signals when turning or stopping

  • Bike defensively: look out for cars at cross street, driveways, and parking places

  • Be careful when checking traffic and don’t swerve when looking over your shoulder

  • Give pedestrians the right-of-way

  • Keep your bicycle in good condition

  • Always ride carefully

Remember a bicycle is a vehicle. Just like automobiles, we are required to follow and abide by all local and state laws. Bicyclists share a complex traffic environment with other larger forms of transportation. Work together to keep everyone safe! Learn about Sharrows and how motorists should be sharing the road.

Learn How to Share the Road in this Video

Additional safety tips:
http://bicyclesafe.com/
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffdl37.htm
https://la-bike.org/resources/safety-guides/

Join the Bear Cub Bike Club

The Bear Cub Bike Club is a student club that meets weekly during fall and spring semesters.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Club E-mail: bearcubbikeclub@gmail.com
Club President: Jack Henderson, jackalexanderhenderson@gmail.com