At first you don't believe it. There must be a mistake. You definitely left it here didn't you? You feel that familiar anxiety at the pit of your stomach. You clench your fist, your heart rate goes up. 

You look around desperately for clues. Someone must have seen something? Isn't that a CCTV camera? You swear blind revenge on whichever evil spirit caused you this misfortune. 

Eventually, anger subsides to grief, and grief to regret. If only you have parked in a different space. If only you had... Done the following 5 steps before your bike was stolen. 

1. Your Receipts? SAVE IT. ALL OF THEM.

Do we really mean hold onto every receipt associated with your bike? Yes, yes we do. Of course include the main receipt for your bike when you purchased it, but also every single proof of purchase for every single part, accessory, repair or clean could be vital on your hunt to reclaim your bike. There might be hundreds of Raleigh Choppers out in the wild, but only one with your shiny pink saddle (maybe). 

So, start building a (physical and digital) file right now. And if you haven't got any receipts to hand? Well, I'm sure you didn't need us to give you an excuse for your next bike-related treat... ;) 

Crumpled receipts are better than no receipts at all. Keep em' safe. 

But seriously, start collecting. These receipts will be your proof of ownership should the worst happen. 

2 (A) Organise a Bike Photo Shoot 

Now, there's no need to match your Instagram poses here. When we say photo shoot, we just mean keep a regular recent picture of your bike hanging round.

Added a new part, new mark or scar recently? Great - this will help distinguish your bike compared to others should you need to identify it. But it's no good if you can't prove it. So, get papping and keep a wonderful picture album of your trusty bicycle as it ages. 

Lots of bikes look the same. Capturing each and every angle of yours will help identify it. 

2 (B) - Don't Forget To Take A Picture of Your Bike's Serial Number 

If you're going to be recording every flattering (and unflattering!) angle of your bicycle, make sure you don't miss this. 

Every bike ever produced, has a unique identification number. Often these are based on the company, the model and the year - but frankly that's not important. 

What is important, is finding it and grabbing a picture alongside your other distinguishable features. And if possible, write it down and record it with your receipts. Because, just like the tips above, this piece of information could be vital in recovering your specific bike should the situation arise. 

So, how do you located your bike's serial number? This chap explains it pretty well. Basically, stick it upside down, and look down near where your pedals are. 

Sometimes it will also be located near the headset (where your handlebars are), or on the part of your frame that is by the back wheel too. 

Your serial number might not be as clear as this - but take a photo even if you can't make out the specifics. 

3. Sign Up With Bike Register 

BikeRegister are the UK's largest bike database, and if the police find your bike, they will look for your bike's details on here before doing anything else. 

If you lose your bike, you will regret not taking this simple piece of action. Every police force within the UK use BikeRegister, so you'll be covered even if your bike is moved to the other end of the country. 

That should be enough to make you sign up immediately (yes, we've included the link twice. Go and do it right now!). 

Other BikeRegister benefits? It's free, and it becomes the digital record for your bike, compiling much of the information we've talked about above. Plus, you can add kits which will deter thieves from stealing your bike (why would you steal a bike that has a tamper proof sticker that you won't be able to legally sell on?), as well as harder to detect backups including marking which are only detectable under UV light. 

We can't say it enough - sign up for BikeRegister. 

4. Join the Stolen Ride Community And Start Paying It Forward

It's time to start earning the good karma. Stolen Ride are a community focused solution that uses all of our collective eyes and ears to retrieve our lost bikes. 

Follow their Twitter, and their Instagram, and start getting involved right away. 

Why? Because, and hopefully this never happens, if your bike gets stolen, you'll be relying on the good people of the Stolen Ride community to help retrieve your bike back. 

It may also be worth searching for, and joining, your local area's cycling group on Facebook. While it may not be as large, you'll likely find an engaged community here who may spot your bike more easily than you think. 

The face of a man who's just nailed his bike insurance. 

5. Get Insured

Now, this isn't a particularly sexy topic. But, if the worst happens, we guarantee you will be kicking yourself you didn't insure your bike. 

For the price of a couple of coffees a month, you could get part of or the entire value of your bike refunded after a theft. That seems like a pretty good deal to us. 

Plus, your household insurance may actually cover your bike already (although, we recommend checking the small print - sometimes these policies won't stretch the household possessions that are stolen away from the home). 

Our final piece of advice when signing up for insurance - check the small print, and if your provider asks for pictures of the bike all locked up, make sure you take a picture every time.

Here at Spokesafe, we are happy to recommend Bikmo. Their award-winning cover provides peace-of-mind protection against theft, vandalism and accidental damage to your bikes. It even includes personal accident / public liability / clothing + accessories / worldwide travel / event and competitions / friends and family and even has a up to 50% multi-bike saving. 

If you need to make a claim, their team of bike nuts will help you get back on the saddle as quickly as possible. Bikmo is underwritten by top underwriters so claims are settled fast and fairly. 

You can even use the code SPOKESAFE for 10% off cycle insurance.

Whether you commute, race or explore Bikmo provides cover to help you ride more. 

Signing up for insurance might not be as fun as riding your bike. But you won't regret it should the worst happen. 

And there you have it. While ticking off these steps won't always prevent a bike thief ruining your day, they'll might give you some more hope of getting that treasured bike back (or getting a new one). So, make sure you complete these 5 things to do before your bike gets stolen. 

Anything we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll add it in.