Along with the yet-to-be-identified reasoning for a nationwide toilet paper shortage, a spike in bicycle sales has led to the limited availability of bicycles in the Houston area. With this in mind, The University of Texas Police at Houston urges all bike owners to take special precautions in securing their property while stored at home or while away from their bikes during an outing.

In a recent Fox 26 news segment, bicycle shop owners warned of slow delivery for bikes manufactured outside of the United States. Many believe this back-log, coupled with increased demand, is contributing to low inventory in many stores. In the segment, other bikes in the shop were available, but many carried a price tag geared more toward the professional rider than one seeking a cruiser.

Here are our tips:

Register your bike

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to register your bike with UT Police. The link to do so, as well as additional bike safety resources, is available at utph.org.

Use a bike lock

As simple as this sounds, many bikes are stolen when their owners leave the bike unattended for a brief moment. No matter how short a time you think you’ll be away, LOCK.YOUR.BIKE. Visit utph.org to learn the proper way to use a lock and the most secure type to purchase. 

Follow road signs

Consider yourself lucky if you already own a bike. Keep yourself and your bike safe by adhering to traffic laws.

Know your route

BikeHouston has great tutorial on using Google Maps to set a cycling route before leaving your home. The organization has also suggested avoiding peak times in parks (5 p.m.-8 p.m.) for ultimate safety.