Lock it or lose it! Tory MPs simply cannot get close enough to their beloved bikes. Has anyone seen a recent photograph of David Cameron, Boris Johnson or Ed Vaizey NOT on two wheels?

I never thought I'd be able to say that Conservatism was cool, but try as I have, I simply cannot fault Boris Johnson on an election pledge published in The Guardian (March 18): "When (ahem if?) Cameron's Conservatives come to power, it will be a golden age for cyclists and an Elysium of cycle lanes, bike racks, and sharia law for bike thieves. And I hope that cycling in London will become almost Chinese in its ubiquity. Cameron's Conservatives will go further. We will offer no new restrictions on cyclists and certainly no ban on talking on a mobile whilst cycling, but we offer this deal to pedestrians: we'll stay off your pavements if you jolly well watch where you're going."

Cool or what? Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon, though. This enlightened cycle-consciousness at a national level hasn't filtered down to the Tories on the ground. Locally, many Tory councillors are much less bike-zealous.

Insurers Halifax have revealed that Oxford's £500,000 per annum bike theft problem is among the worst in the country. No surprises there.

It isn't just cyclists who are paying for these thefts, either. Anyone with an OX postcode will be paying a higher premium to cover these losses. Cue Thames Valley Police, who have a special unit cracking down on this antisocial and costly menace. They have also started tagging bikes with electronic devices. These are planted in city-centre theft hotspots as a trap for unsuspecting crims, who can then be traced and apprehended. But remember that the police are only part of the equation. Cyclists themselves have a vital role to play.

Cyclists must use a D-lock to secure their rear wheel and frame to an immovable object. Flexible chains are lighter but they are not as secure. The police suggest spending 10 per cent of the value of your bike on the lock, advice which I second.

Always seek out one of those black hoops that come out of the pavement. Don't use racks that you slot your front wheel into. Lock your front wheel to one of those and all you'll find when you get back is one bent front wheel.

Needless to say, never lock the bike "to itself" and lean it against a wall you will waste your own and the police's time if you do.

It's worth getting your bike "post-coded". The police regularly set up shop around town and stamp post codes on to bike frames this simple ID does deter thieves. Large employers, such as Oxford Brookes University as well as many bike shops, also offer post-coding. Get yours post-coded.

If, as is all too common, you find that there is no cycle rack near your destination, tell On Yer Bike and we'll tell the county council. They've started putting more racks in, but lots more are needed still. Never leave an unlocked bike unattended, ever. Remember that old police slogan "Lock it or lose it".