Since theft is the hot topic of the moment in the cycling community, here are some extra resources for people trying to make sure they won’t be the next victim. We have a pretty in-depth section on secure ways to lock up your bike here, but the sites below are also very good and approach the problem from a lot of different angles and opinions.

Michael Bluejay’s venerable BicycleUniverse.info site has a good resource, with some in-depth information on the ways of registering bicycles available (such as the National Bicycle Registry) and ways to at least try to get your bike back if it is in fact stolen.

Jason at ATXBS of course has a long-standing registry of accounts of bike theft and recovery. It’s a good first option if you’ve just gotten bike-napped.

Kryptonite, makers of locks themselves, have a decent page on locking your bike, although it’s lacking in photos. I liked their tip #10, “A thief may notice a pattern and target your bike if you lock in the same location all the time. Mix up the locations a little bit, especially if you are a commuter.” Sounds like something you would do if you were marked for assassination or something.

Treehugger asserts that one of the best ways to prevent your bike from getting stolen is to make it unattractive in the first place, or so heavily personalized that it just wouldn’t be worth the effort. Strangely, a story at cycleicio.us suggests just the opposite! Or maybe they just work at a bike shop.

Some higher-tech solutions are bound to be heavily promoted in the future, such as RFID-based implants and such like the ones in this press release about DataDots in Australia. Or you could try low tech options like rust stickers to uglify your ride. Still, nothing beats using a really good lock, or several, and parking in a good location.