For a number of MU students, bicycles are a great commodity for traversing a sprawling campus and exploring downtown Columbia.

That is, until your bike goes missing.

MUPD and MU’s Office of Sustainability held their second annual Bike Smart Bike Registration event Sept. 4 to help students avoid such a situation and abide by city laws.

A Columbia ordinance requires bicycles be registered with police in an effort to cut down on theft and abandonment.

Office of Sustainability coordinator Steve Burdic said the event is also a good opportunity to raise awareness about bicycle safety.

“It’s a good chance for us to tell everybody how to ride their bikes right,” he said. “You can watch people weave in and out of traffic at 25 miles per hour every day. This is a chance for us to tell them ‘Hey, you need to do it right.’”

Bradd Anderson, Missouri 4-H extension adviser and bike enthusiast, said he was excited for the event.

“I think all things biking are cool,” Anderson said. “I actually haven’t registered my bike yet, so it seemed like an easy opportunity.”

After hearing about the event from friends, freshman Izaak Mohling decided to stop by. He said the event was good for peace of mind.

“I want to make sure that if it (the bike) gets stolen I have a better chance of finding it,” Mohling said. “I think it’s a really good idea, I see a lot of bikes here.”

The event offered free pizza, refreshments and played music for those that stopped by.

Those who registered their bicycles received complimentary water bottles and an entry into a raffle for a new bicycle.