Bicycle theft is on the rise in Portland. So much so that the Portland Police Department took to their Facebook page to remind cyclists to keep their bicycles safe and secure. They suggest storing your bike inside of a locked structure.

According to Portland Police, even if your bike is locked up it can still easily be stolen. Thieves are cutting through bike locks and discarding them. To help you keep your bike safe we've come up with a few helpful tips.

1. First off, start with the right bike lock. A cheap lock is pretty much an open invitation for bike thieves, so spending a little extra money on a good sturdy lock is worth it.

2. When parking your bike make sure it's in a well lit area, and if possible can be seen from where you are.

3. Remove the front tire as often as you can. Most bikes are made with an easily detachable front tire. Crooks are less likely to run off with a bike that only has one wheel.

4. Lock your bike to an immovable object. City provided bike locks are good. So are light posts! Check the bike can’t be lifted over the top of whatever you’ve attached it to. Or that the object can’t be easily unscrewed or dismantled.

5. Be sure to lock the frame of the bike, not just the tire. Sounds obvious, but I've seen just a tire locked up several times.

6. Use more than one lock.

Hopefully you're already doing everything you can to keep your bike safe and secure.