Bike Theft

Group of bikes leaning against a wall

Know the Risks of Buying Stolen Bikes

Picture this: Late one evening, you find yourself tucked away in a cozy corner, bathed in the gentle glow of your laptop. You’re scrolling through page after page of used bikes on Facebook Marketplace. Suddenly, your heart skips a beat—a bike catches your eye. It’s the model you’ve always dreamed of, lightly used, and it’s even cheaper than you’d hoped!… Read more →

529 Garage’s simple guide to the complex world of bike locks

You already know that having locking is critical for the safety of you bicycle. But, shopping for a lock is complicated – there are many different types of bike locks, they work in different ways, they protect different parts of our bike, and of course, there are multiple rating standards. So how do you work through the maze and figure… Read more →

529 Garage Surpasses 1 Million Bikes

529 Garage surpasses one million searchable bicycles worldwide

World’s largest bike database program spreading throughout North America, transforming the way police fight bike theft SEATTLE, WA, July 24, 2019 – 529 Garage has surpassed one million searchable bicycles worldwide, locking in its status as the world’s largest bike registration program. More than 1,400 law enforcement, city, university and bike shop partners have now signed on throughout North America,… Read more →

Bike Theft Victim Do’s and Don’ts

Bike Theft Victim Do’s and Don’ts We hope you never have to deal with having your bike stolen but if you do, here are some tips: DO… Report the crime to police either in person, online or via the non-emergency number, obtain a crime reference number and contact your insurer. Fire up the 529 Garage, find (or register) your bike… Read more →

Reflections on our 3 year pilot to reduce bike theft in Vancouver

3 years ago I visited Vancouver to kick off Bike to Work Week. We announced a 3 year pilot in cooperation with the Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Police Foundation to address the region’s growing bike theft epidemic. Constable Rob Brunt, a veteran of the VPD was assigned the task to investigate what could be done and reached out to… Read more →

Vancouver recognized as world leader in fighting bike thefts

Bicycle thefts drop 30% in three years VANCOUVER, B.C. (Monday, Oct. 29, 2018) – A Vancouver pilot project focused on cutting bike crime is showing astonishing results and attracting worldwide attention. With local bicycle registrations surpassing 70,000, the joint initiative of the Vancouver Police Department, City of Vancouver and Project 529 has resulted in a 30-per-cent drop in bike theft.… Read more →

Bike Theft, Bike Registration, QR Codes

The “other” QR – Quick Response Codes

Dear Annie,  I don’t understand why there is a 7 character code on 529 Shields. Seems very 20th century. Why not join the 21st century and use QR codes to make the bike more easily scannable? Everyone has smartphones today! – Computers read a code kleaner CRACK, QR, or quick response codes have been around since the early 90’s. From a… Read more →

529 Garage, Bike Registry, Bike Theft, GPS Trackers

GPS – The bike theft silver bullet?

Dear Annie,  I left my iPhone on the bus last winter and recovered it using the “Find my iPhone” feature from my computer. Seems that doing the same kind of thing for bikes would be the best possible solution to help recover a stolen bike. Why doesn’t 529 just add “Find my Bike” to their app and sell GPS trackers… Read more →