Bike Registration

NOTICE: Changes to Bike Registration in Fitchburg

---Lea sobre el cambio al registro de bicicletas en español---

On June 8, 2021 the Fitchburg Common Council repealed the City’s mandatory bicycle registration requirement, Sections 283-286 of Chapter 68 in the Fitchburg Code of Ordinances. As of that date, Fitchburg residents are no longer required to register their bicycles with the City, and the Fitchburg Police Department is not accepting new bicycle registrations. The current registration database will be maintained by the Police Department for a period of two years, after which the database will be archived. The new system described below is voluntary. The City of Fitchburg will be sharing this new process on our applicable websites and with bike shops in the area. This change supports Fitchburg’s goal of being a bike friendly city for our residents by eliminating a potential barrier to owning and operating a bicycle.

The City still believes there is value in registering bicycles, but the mandatory registration program was very limited in its reach. Registering your bicycle with a national database greatly increases the chances of recovering your bicycle if it goes missing, and signing up is easy from any place with internet access. Therefore, Fitchburg cyclists are now advised to register their bikes with a national bike registration system that will store your bike’s registration information in a more widely-accessible database that allows for tracking of lost or stolen bikes across city and state lines.

Bicycle owners looking to register their bikes with a national registry currently have two options: Bike Index, and 529 Garage. We have obtained basic municipal accounts with both of these databases to facilitate searches and bicycle recovery, and if either option is selected as the primary choice for the City of Fitchburg, we will promote it accordingly to Fitchburg residents. Registration is free on both websites, and a decal sticker can be purchased for $10 or less to mark your bicycle as registered and to facilitate its return if lost or stolen.

If you need assistance registering your bike with either of these databases, you can contact the Fitchburg Recreation Department or Sustainability Specialist, ask at your local bike shop, or reach out to any of the organizations linked at the bottom of this page.


INFORMATION YOU'LL NEED FOR YOUR ONLINE BICYCLE REGISTRATION

Please have the following information ready to be able to complete the bicycle registration form. The first 4 items are the most important to include, as they’re primary means by which a bicycle is identified; the additional 8 items provide a more thorough description of your bike and can help with identification if for some reason any of the initial 4 are missing. 

  1. Diagram Description automatically generatedSerial Number: This is the most important identifying feature of your bicycle. Including the SN with your registration is the best way to facilitate recovery of a lost or stolen bike. This number is unique to the bicycle and is found on the bicycle's frame (see image below for typical placement).
  2. Manufacturer: This name should be on the front of the bicycle's head tube. Examples include Cannondale, GT, Huffy, Raleigh, Schwinn, Trek.
  3. Model: This is the secondary name for the bicycle. Examples include 730, CX, Discover, Gulch, Ironman, Mojave, Varsity.
  4. Existing bicycle registration number (if currently registered with the Fitchburg Police Department or any other
  5. Frame Type/Material: This is the material out of which the frame is constructed (examples include ‘carbon fiber’, ‘aluminum’, and ‘steel’). If you are unsure, leave blank.
  6. Bicycle Type: (examples include ‘road’, ‘mountain’, ‘BMX’, ‘hybrid’, or ‘recumbent’). If you are unsure, leave blank.
  7. Wheel Size: Indicated on the sidewall of the tire. An example of a wheel size on the tire is 27 x 1.25". Select 27 as the wheel size in this case. Mountain bikes typically have 26 or 29 inch tires, hybrids and road bikes have 700c.
  8. Other Description: Optional. Indicate any unique identifying features such as baskets or decals.
  9. Number of Speeds: Indicate number of speeds or gears on your bicycle. To find how many speeds your bicycle is, multiply the number of chainrings (the gears by your pedals) by the number of cogs on your rear wheel. Common speeds include 16 (2 x 8) and 27 (3 x 9).
  10. Diagram Description automatically generatedFrame Size: See diagram below for more details. Measure from the top of the seat tube (not the seat or seat post) to the center of the bottom bracket (crank). Round to the nearest half-inch or centimeter. Frame sizes for an adult are typically between 14 and 23 inches, or 35 and 60 centimeters.
  11. Frame Size Measurement Units: Select Centimeters or Inches
  12. First and Second Frame Color: If the bicycle has one predominant color, write that color under "First Color" and leave "Second Frame Color" blank. If the bicycle has two colors, write the most predominant as the "First Frame Color" and the secondary color as the "Second Frame Color."

 

Resources

Bike Fitchburg:                        https://bikefitchburg.org/

Fitchburg Chamber:                https://www.fitchburgchamber.com/

Bike Index:                              https://bikeindex.org/

529 Garage:                            https://project529.com/garage