Free security marking, central London

[Notsototalnewbie]

Police are doing free bike security marking on Marylebone High St today, outside Waitrose.

I've already got one of my bikes done ages ago so I'll be sorting the other today.

Just thought it might be useful to the central London based commuters...

[clarion]

What sort of marking are they doing (not that it's much use to me as I can't get my machines up there)?

[Notsototalnewbie]

I'm afraid I don't know, the sign didn't say. Will know more after lunchtime...

Should be better than what the Eclipse currently has, which is nothing (I haven't even taken its frame number because it's hidden under the cable guides underneath the bottom bracket and I never got round to taking it off to have a look).

[clarion]

Um.  I think I made a note of it when I had the cable guide off.  Not sure where that'd be, but I'll have a rummage

[delthebike]

Are they checking that you are the owner of the bike you take along? 

[Charlotte]

Last time I saw one of these being done, it was a copper with a set of metal punches, turning kids' bikes upside down and punching their postcodes into the bottom bracket shell.

I hope things have moved on since then because there's not a chance in hell that I would let some yahoo with a hammer anywhere near my bikes.

[Notsototalnewbie]

When I had the hybrid done a year ago (at Paddington police station which is only up the road, so it may be the same lot) it was some kind of liquid epoxy stuff painted through a template thing to make a dotted number. The number is put on a database. Fairly unobtrusive, near the BB. The police bloke who did it was a keen cyclist himself and seemed to know what he was doing.

There is also now the option of a chip being glued inside the seat tube, I understand.

Thanks Clarion, that would be fab if you could find it.

[clarion]

...there's not a chance in hell that I would let some yahoo with a hammer anywhere near my bikes.

That's why I ask. 

But there's all sorts of different methods available now, with smartwater and chips.

Do me a favour, NSTN, and, if it's a chap wiv an ammer, take the Eclipse's delicate underparts away from the scene...

[Notsototalnewbie]

Come come, you know I wouldn't let anyone start doing neanderthal-esque things to The Purple Bike! 

[clarion]

[Kathy]

Mole Valley Police were doing bike security marking in the summer. It consisted of writing your postcode on the bike with invisible ink that was supposedly waterproof and permenant (though as it's invisible, I have no way of knowing if it's still there). They claim to check all recovered bikes with a UV light.  

I asked if they checked for Data Tags, and they had never heard of them, so I figure fitting those is a waste of money in Surrey.  

[Notsototalnewbie]

It was the same stuff they used to mark my other bike, Selectamark is its proper name. They are there all week including the weekend if anyone is in town; rest assured no hammers or metal punches are involved and no bikes were harmed in the making of this programme 

At least now there is slightly less chance of it ending up unclaimed in one of those auctions...

[russellm]

Mole Valley Police were doing bike security marking in the summer. It consisted of writing your postcode on the bike with invisible ink that was supposedly waterproof and permenant (though as it's invisible, I have no way of knowing if it's still there). They claim to check all recovered bikes with a UV light.  

I asked if they checked for Data Tags, and they had never heard of them, so I figure fitting those is a waste of money in Surrey.  

Oddly enough, Surrey police have been to the University of Surrey campus a few times in the last couple of years, fitting Data Tag equivalents for free. This includes taking a photo of the bike and adding it to their database with your contact details. So at least some of Ye Olde Surrey Constabulary are aware of that kind of thing.

Whether they actually ever bother scanning retrieved bikes for them is another matter ...