Keep Your Bike Secure

There are four secure bike shelters on campus for staff and students to use:

• Between Muirhead Tower and the Alan Walters Building. This compound can house 52 cycles.
• At the North-East Multi Storey Car Park.
• Outside the Medical School.
• Outside the Geography and Biosciences Building.

For instructions on accessing these shelters, please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk from your university email address. 

• There is also a compound in the Sport and Fitness Centre car park. Members of the new sports centre can access it their via swipe card.

Find these shelters, and the other 1800+ cycle spaces on campus, with this map. 

We have 42 bike lockers around campus available to hire at £4 per calendar month. If you are interested in hiring a locker please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk or fill in this form to join the waiting list.

Crime is generally low on campus, but, sadly, bikes are a prime target for theft. Remember that thieves are opportunists, so you can prevent unwanted attention with the some simple steps. Whenever you lock your bike, you should:

1. Choose a rack that is visible by passers-by or CCTV.
2. Use a strong D-lock to attach your frame to the rack.
3. Invest in a lock that is 25% the value of your bike.
4. Use a secondary lock to loop through the wheels.
5. Take stealable lights and panniers away with you.

Watch this video for a quick guide to locking your bike properly and this video for a longer discussion of the different locks on the market.

Students can get their bikes security marked and a FREE D-Lock via Security at the Community Safety Hub or at regular events on campus. For more information, please see the Community Safety Team's Bike Safety page.

Staff can buy a D-lock from the Community Safety Team for £15 by getting in touch via the UBSafe Facebook page, emailing communitysafetyteam@contacts.bham.ac.uk or visiting the Community Safety Hub during opening hours.

Gear Up will also sell discounted D-locks from their pod in Staff House Square.

You can hire a heavy-duty D-lock or chain lock for £1 per month. These locks are manufactured by Kryptonite and come with a 10/10 security rating. You can leave it wherever you lock your bike on campus to maximise the security of your bike. To register your interest please fill in this form. 

Each year a large volume of bikes are left abandoned on campus. These bikes take up valuable parking spaces, make campus look untidy and attract thieves.  

Bikes identified as potentially abandoned will be tagged and left for four weeks for the owner to take away. Uncollected bikes are given to local charities that refurbish the bikes for good causes or second-hand bike sales for staff and students.

If you spot a bike that you believe to be abandoned, please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk with a description of the bike, its location and preferably a picture.

If your bike is tagged in error, simply remove the tag and notify sustainable travel on the address above.