Wayne State University

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Bike registration and locks

Club bicycle locks

  • Discounted cost: $18.00

The WSUPD has a good supply of bike/utility bicycle locks made by Winner International, the same manufacturer that makes the Club steering wheel lock, and available through the same discount program as the Club twin-hooks steering wheel locks.

The lock comes with three weather-resistant, European-style, computer-cut, laser-encrypted keys with literally thousands of combinations, making it virtually impossible to pick. This is the first fully adjustable bicycle lock that eliminates dead space within the lock; it is self-locking for quick and convenient installation without the key.

The Club locks for bikes and steering wheels can be obtained Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Wayne State University Police Department, which is located at 6050 Cass Avenue at Burroughs (two blocks north of the I-94/Ford Freeway.) There is a limit of two (2) locks per person. Payment is by cash (exact amount) or a personal check only.

Ways to prevent theft

Bicycles, like any other items of value, can be a target of theft. Thieves often target bikes because they are valuable, portable and often very easy to steal. However, there are some simple and relatively inexpensive things you can do to deter a thief and help get your bike back if it is stolen. Here are six theft prevention and recovery tips.

  1. Register your bike:
    • The WSUPD offers free bicycle registration. Just bring your bike to the Wayne State University Police Department's records section (just inside our front door) during regular business hours. Bring your ID, and we will record your bike's identifying information and provide you with a registration tag and a copy of your bike's identifying information. 
    • Take a couple of photos of your bike with your cellphone. Then, email the photos, along with your bike's ID information and serial number, to yourself. You now have an easily accessible record of your bike.
    • You can also register your bike for free at https://project529.com/garage/.
  2. Use a quality lock, not a cable lock. Cable locks give the appearance of strength and security, but they can be easily cut with metal shears or bolt cutters. Solid metal U locks, D locks or O locks are a much better choice over cable locks, chains and pad locks.
  3. Know where to lock safely. Lock your bike to a solid metal object, not a chain link fence or metal railing. Use a bike rack. If none are available, permanently mounted metal poles or parking meters work as long as they have a top that your bike and lock cannot be lifted over or bolts that can't be easily removed. Shake the bike rack, pole or parking meter to ensure that it is secured to the ground. Lock your bike in an area where there are people around. Thieves don't like being observed and will prefer areas without natural surveillance.
  4. Know how to lock safely. Every locking strategy should, at the very least, secure the bike frame and the rear wheel directly to the bike rack, with the front wheel secured to the frame or rack. Remember to secure both front and rear wheels as well if you have the "quick release" skewers on your bikes wheel hubs. Make sure the U lock or O lock captures the bike wheel rims, the bike frame, and the immovable bike rack or the solid post.
  5. If your bike is stolen: The critical first step is to file a police report. You might think that a police report is unnecessary, but stolen bikes are recovered quite often, and without proper documentation, they can't be returned to their owners. Also, theft reports help police departments know where to allocate their resources, making it more likely they can resolve or reduce the theft issue.
    • You can list your stolen bike on the https://project529.com/garage website for free. Since 1984, the National Bike Registry (which has now partnered with the Project 529 Garage) has helped identify and return stolen bikes (and scooters) to their rightful owners. More than 48 percent of stolen bicycles are recovered every year by law enforcement, but only 5 percent are returned since they have no way to determine ownership.
    • Spread the word to your friends and coworkers, as well as to local bike shops and bike clubs. Post recent photos of your bike and information about the theft to social media and social news sites.
    • Scan Craigslist and eBay listings to find your bike using Google Alerts or some other automated search engine.
  6. If you find your bike, we do not recommend confronting the seller yourself as they could react violently. Instead, ask the local police for assistance, and bring a photo of your bike, serial number information and the police report as proof of ownership to reclaim your property. Even if the seller is not the person who stole your bike originally, they still have no claim to the property you have the proof of ownership and the police theft report and do not require compensation.