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Missing Bikes

During the summer vacation, bicycles on campus will be checked and any which appear to have been abandoned will be removed. After three months, unclaimed bicycles are recycled. You will need to make sure that we know not to remove your bike. Please read on for more information.

What should I do if my bike has gone missing?

The first thing you should do is contact us

They can check their records to make sure your cycle hasn’t been collected with other abandoned cycles. If they have your bike, they can arrange a suitable date and time for you to collect it. If they haven’t got it, they can advise you on how to report stolen items to the local police.

I’ve noticed this tag on my cycle, what does it mean?

Abandoned bike tag

We've attached this tag to your cycle because it looks abandoned (e.g. it has flat tyres, rust, missing parts, hasn’t been moved for some time etc...). These tags stay in place for 10 days to give you a chance to remove the tag place onto the cycle rack and continue using the bike. If after 10 days it hasn’t moved and the tag remains in place, then the cycle gets cut and removed. 

Before we remove the bike, we record details - make, model, colour, location and distinguishing features.

What happens to bikes that have been removed?

Recycle your Cycle logo

Every bike that has been removed because we believe it to be abandoned is stored in a cycle compound on campus. It stays in this compound for 3 months, giving you plenty of time to make contact with us via the above form to check and claim your cycle back.

If no one claims a bike by the end of 3 months of storage, we pass it on to Recycle your Cycle, a charity who recycle abandoned bikes. Recycle Your Cycle work with prison students to repair and refurbish old bikes. 90% of all donated bicycles are refurbished.

The refurbished bikes are sold back through the charity retail sector, enabling them to raise funds for their particular causes. Currently we work with over 20 charities who have over 150 shops throughout England and Wales and the number of our charity partners is growing all the time.

What should I do if I can’t open my d-lock?

Raise a request via the Estates Service Desk with full details of your bike; make, model, colour, where it is located, what type of lock, your student ID number and anything to prove that this is your bike. The Service Desk will then contact the abandoned cycles collection team who will make contact with you and arrange a suitable date and time to cut the lock off for you.