WASHINGTON – Bike theft can skyrocket in the summer. In the Metro system alone, 100 bikes were reported stolen in May and June, according to the Metro police. But riders now have a new way to guard against it.

If you use one of Metro’s 1,700 bike racks, you can register your bike with the Metro Transit Police.

You can sign up on Metro’s Web site at www.wmata.com/registerbike by giving them your bike’s make, model, serial number, color and frame size.

The Metro police say registering your bike gives you the best chance of getting it back if its lost or stolen. They also say that using a U-Lock instead of a chain or cable lock makes it much more difficult for bike thieves in the first place.

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