There is much more to biking than learning how to keep your balance. While they often go ignored by most people, registering, protecting, and locking your bike are integral aspects of a safe biking experience. However, these questions are difficult to untangle for someone who may not be familiar with biking. Thankfully, Bike at Illinois offers several resources to students. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions students have about biking
- How do I register my bike?
- Bike registration is mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff at the University of Illinois. To begin the process of registering your bike, you must first fill out the Bicycle Registration form. This form can be found on the Bike At Illinois Website. You should include your personal contact information, as well as state your relationship with the University of Illinois. There is a $10 registration fee per bicycle to purchase a 529 Shield sticker, following which you will receive a payment confirmation email, with the link to register your bicycle in the UIUC’s Project 529 system. On this website, you will provide detailed information about your bicycle, including the serial number, manufacturer, model, frame color, and pictures. This form also lets you select one of the eight pick up locations for your 529 Shield sticker. When picking up your sticker, be sure to bring the confirmation of your bicycle registration fee payment as well as an official I.D. Finally, place your sticker in an easily seen area on your bike and complete the “529 Shield” field on the 529 Garage Website. If you are unsure about anything during the bike registration process or if you do not see the option to select a pick-up shield location, please reach out to us at bike@illinois.edu.
- How do I prevent and report bike theft?
- Bike theft is not a problem restricted to areas with high amounts of theft. It is important to know how to prevent bike theft as well as report it. First and foremost, you must lock your bike to a bike rack. Since July 2020, 18 bicycles were reported as stolen in the UIUC bike registration system alone, and of those 13 bicycles were not locked at the time of theft. Second, use a sturdy U-lock (use two locks if possible), you should lock your wheels, and make your bike unique so that it is thus easily identifiable. Third, you should register your bicycle. The University of Illinois bike registration is a National Bike Registration system, so if/when you move to another city in the US or Canada, your bicycle will still be registered in the system, and local authorities will have a better chance to recover and return your bicycle in case of theft. Since July 2020, the University has recovered and returned 2 of the 18 stolen bicycles. If your bike is stolen, file a complaint by calling the University of Illinois Police Department at (217) 333-1216 and mark the bike as stolen on your 529 Garage Bicycle profile
- How do I properly lock my bike?
- Before locking your bike, be sure to lock it solely in areas that are designated for parking bikes. Use a sturdy U-lock, and, if possible, use two locks (one U-lock and one chain lock) to secure both wheels of the bicycle as well as the frame. Be sure your lock is well above the ground and for extra precaution, make your lock appear difficult to break. You can purchase a U-lock at the Campus Bike Center.
While biking is more than often an enjoyable experience, by registering, protecting, and locking your bike you can ensure that those around you enjoy biking as well. Keep all of this information in mind before riding your bike, and always be sure to use a helmet as well as abide by traffic laws. To learn how to maintain your bicycle or for repairs, you can visit the University of Illinois Campus Bike Center at 51 E Gregory Dr., Champaign, IL. For any question regarding bikes on-campus, please reach out to us at bike@illinois.edu, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Written by - Alex Gallardo
alexgallardo516@gmail.com
