What to do if your bike is stolen

Register the frame serial number on www.immobilise.com before your bike gets stolen, so if found by police it can be returned.

I have no connection to the site (other than as a user of it myself), but it's one of the few databases that the police bother to check. You can record any serial numbers on there eg xbox etc so if a thief gets caught with some stuff the police can actually prove it and get a conviction. Most items and bikes are sitting in police pounds or returned to thieves because no-one ever knows their serial numbers!

I use this as well (and have got one of their cheap little immobitag radio trackers with a horrible nasty sticker for my lovely frame). Not only do the police check it but also secondhand shops are supposed to check it before taking any goods (otherwise they can get done for handling). not much use to anyone whose bike has already been nicked to be fair (unless you have the actual serial number) but if you have something distinctive you can put it up there after the fact.