Tips on how to avoid getting your bike stolen

WINNIPEG — It’s the more active way to get around – but bike mechanics say they’re seeing an increasing number of cyclists left idle.

“It seems like a bad year for bike theft,” Robert Reimer, bike mechanic at MEC said. “If you spend a few more dollars on your lock early on and don’t mind carrying around a few extra pounds that bike will stay with you longer.”

Reimer suggests using both a cable lock and a u-lock, ensuring the tires and the frame are secured.

He also said having a photo of the bike and keeping the serial number in your records will be useful if your bike is stolen.

“It’s good to be prepared because once your bike is gone you can’t record your serial number or record your photos,” Reimer said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's good to be prepared because once your bike is gone you can't record your serial number or record your photos," Reimer said.

But even cyclists who are prepared say they’ve had bad luck this summer. One Winnipgger has had 6 bikes stolen.

“My most recent one was devastating, it was my dads 1970’s road bike and it will mean way more to me than anyone else,” one cyclist told Global News.

The city said they collect about 800 bikes per year, and some of them are returned to their owner.

“In the summer it’s busy. We are picking up bikes several times a week from different places – private or public properties where they’ve been abandoned,” Marcia Fifer with the city said.

It’s not clear why the numbers seem to be higher this summer.

“Are more people cycling and bikes are out and about more, or could it be increased reporting,” Fifer said.

Whatever the reason, making it more difficult for the thieves to take them is a good place to start. Reimer also suggested locking it up with other bikes and avoiding having your bike locked up overnight.