When Eleanor MacLean had multiple bicycles stolen from her Kelowna, B.C., home about two months ago, she was in disbelief.
“We were shocked, devastated,” MacLean said.
The cycling enthusiast said a total of fives bicycles were stolen, including mountain bikes and road bikes the couple uses to get to work.
Culprits gained entry into the couple’s garage in the downtown’s north end after MacLean accidentally left her car unlocked with the garage clicker inside.
A neighbour’s security camera caught two suspects making off with the bikes.
“In the videos, you can see two different guys riding our bikes away down the lane, ” MacLean said. “The guy is riding one of our bikes and then holding another bike by his side, and they come back twice, 45 minutes apart, to steal all the bikes.”
These type of bike thefts are on the rise according to Kelowna RCMP, who say there has been a dramatic increase comparing the past six months to the same time period last year.
“There has been about a 25 per cent increase in bike thefts,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Allison Konsmo.
According to police, the jump in thefts is attributed to the prevalence of more valuable bicycles.
“The amount of e-bikes and high-end mountain bikes. Their increased value carries so much more weight,” Konsmo said. “They are very attractive to thieves.”
Konsmo said that many of the thefts are happening in daylight hours during the work week when people use bicycles to commute to and from work.
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She added that many of the thefts happen in public places, such as parks and parking lots.
RCMP are urging cyclists to take precautions to avoid becoming a victim including always locking up bikes with high-quality U-locks or heavy-duty chains.
Securing bikes to fixed objects in well-lit, high-traffic areas is also important as is keeping bicycles stored inside when possible.
RCMP also strongly recommend bike owners to register their bicycle on an online registration and recovery website, such as Project 529.
The online platform was designed to combat bike thefts and can be very beneficial in the recovery of a bicycle in the event it is stolen.
“You can register your bicycle. You can write the serial number, the make, the model, any distinguishing factors. You can take pictures and you can upload that, ” said Konsmo.
“All of the people on that website can see the bike and if you report that your bike is stolen, they’re always out and about and they’re always looking and they’re very vigilant.”
RCMP are also reminding the public to always report bike thefts to police.
In Maclean’s case, there was mostly a positive outcome following the thefts.
She and her partner were able to eventually recover four of the five stolen bikes, after sharing the images on social media and thanks to the help of some eagle-eyed citizens.
“We feel so lucky,” MacLean said. “You know this doesn’t happen to everybody.”
Even though the pair managed to get most of the bikes back, they aren’t taking any chances.
The couple is no longer keeping their garage clickers in their vehicle when parking outside and have also invested in a heavy-duty chain so they are locked up even in their garage.
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