Don't lose your bike in Stockholm

Over 10,000 bikes are stolen every year in Sweden's capital alone. 

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  When biking in Stockholm, lock your bike! 10,030 bikes were stolen last year in Stockholm municipality; 5,434 of them were stolen in the city itself. Above: A young biker in Paris in 1868.

• 10,030 bikes were stolen last year in Stockholm municipality. 5 434 were stolen in Stockholm city alone. And watch out for Södermalm – here the risk is the highest of having your bike stolen. A stolen bicycle is one of the most common property crimes.
  BIking is popular in Sweden so there's no shortage for the thiefs Bring out the bicycle!
  A study from Brottsförebyggande rådet (The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention) shows that 6.5% of all households in Sweden at some point have experienced bicycle thefts. Meanwhile, the real number is much bigger. Only 38% of all stolen bicycles are reported. The 10 030 bikes stolen in Stockholm municipality last year were reported, and the neighborhoods with the highest number of bike thefts were Södermalm and Norrmalm. In total, 60 450 bikes were stolen in Sweden. It’s important to remember in all of this, that many Swedes use their bikes to get to and from work, school, shopping etc. So what can you do?
  “Whether it’s an organized theft or a drunk person who takes your bike just because he needs to get home, you can make it harder on the perpetrator if you use an approved lock,” says Pia Lindström, vice managing director at Stöldskyddsföreningen. The market for stolen bikes is huge in cities with many students. So when buying a second-hand bike, make sure you ask to see the seller’s ID. “If the person doesn’t want to show you their ID, then watch out,” Lindström says. Also ask to see the original receipt for the purchase of the bike, that’s a good way of finding out if the seller and the bike actually are connected. “Is the price too good to be true? Then it probably is too good to be true.” You can no longer say you acted in good faith, if you buy a stolen bike. Ways to make it harder for the thief: 1. Lock your bike onto a permanent fixture. 2. Park your bike somewhere open, where lots of people pass by. 3. Mark your bike so you recognize it easily. 4. Register the number of the bicycle. 5. Cover or put a sticker over the bike's label (especially if it's an expensive bike). 6. Remove the seat of the bike, if possible.