Abandoned bike removal, keeping your bike safe, and access card sign-up improvements for safety

This Bike-n-Ride Update covers:

• Abandoned bike removal
• Keeping your bike safe
• Access Card Sign-up Improvements for Safety

Abandoned Bikes

Abandoned bikes will be removed along with any other items from the bike-n-ride shelters that have been left to gather dust. Each abandoned bike will be tagged 30 days before the bike is removed. Only bikes that look abandoned will be tagged. What does an abandoned bike look like? It might be dusty and have a flat tire or two.

If your bike has been tagged (example in photo below), you have 30 days from the date on the tag to remove the bike. The terms and conditions for using the shelters allow bikes to be stored in the shelter for 30 days in a row without removing it. If you use your bike during the 30 days, the 30-day clock starts over so this only applies to people who are not using their bikes at all for 30 days in a row.

Keeping Your Bike Safe

The Bike-n-Ride shelters keep your bike out of the weather and add one more layer of protection from theft, but security is not guaranteed. Sadly, bike theft can happen anywhere even the bike-n-ride shelters. This is not to dissuade you from using the bike-n-ride shelters. The bike shelters are used every day by dozens of people and reports of stolen bikes are rare.

There are a few steps you can take to make it much more difficult for someone to steal your bike: Lock your bike with a U-lock. If you don’t know which kind to buy, ask at your friendly neighborhood bike shop. Lock both the frame AND the front wheel to the rack because the front wheel is easy to remove. You might need two locks to
do this. Locking the rear wheel is extra added protection. Record your bike’s serial number and store it on Bike Index.

Having the serial number does not make the bike harder to steal, but it does increase your chances of recovering your bike if it is stolen. To find the serial number on your bike look at the bottom bracket - the metal part of the frame between the pedals. It is usually stamped into the frame underneath. It is also usually on the store receipt for new bikes.

The City of Boulder Police and others recommend using Bike Index. It only takes a few minutes to put the serial number of your bike on the Bike Index site.

Access Card Sign-Up Improvements for Safety

We have added more layers of bike safety to the sign-up system. People who sign up for a new or replacement bike-n-ride shelter access card will be asked to upload a government issued photo ID and you will be limited to sign up for a total of three bike-n-ride shelters. This is to improve safety for your bikes. If you do need to have access to more than three shelters just contact me at bikes@bouldercounty.gov.

As always, please contact me if you have questions or comments. Wishing you Happy and Safe Pedaling 😊

Alexandra Phillips
Boulder County Bike Planner
bikes@bouldercounty.gov
303-441-4520