Sask. cyclists say stolen bikes are a problem. So what is the solution?

CBC

12-05-2025

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With warmer weather hitting Saskatchewan, cyclists are hitting the trails and pavements.
There's only one problem: stolen bikes.
Many cyclists may know that sense of relief when they approach a bike rack and see that their faithful steed is still there. But they also may know the frustration of discovering their bike has been stolen from their home, or even worse, their kid's bike is gone. Then there's that feeling of anger when they find that parts of their bike have been taken.
The Regina Police Service told CBC that 602 bikes were reported stolen in 2024, which is actually down from previous years. Police were able to return 163 bikes back to their owners last year.
But cyclists are still worried.
Ellen McLaughlin, from the group Bike Regina, said she is usually pretty confident leaving her bike locked in public spaces, because she chooses spots that typically have a lot of people around it.
But McLaughlin's bike has been stolen once.
"It was locked onto the back of my vehicle on, like, a bike rack in a residential area, with not a lot of guys on the street."
Within 10 minutes, McLaughlin's bike was gone.
She said a lack of protected infrastructure for bikes is the most common cause for people not wanting to cycle, but fear of theft is often the second most common cause.
Gordon Holtslander, from the group Saskatoon Cycles, has had a bike stolen from his home garage. And it was a special one.
"They kicked in the door and took one of my bikes. It was my wife's bike that I built for her. And so she was heartbroken that her candy apple bike was gone," he said.
Holtslander also said infrastructure is a big problem and more bike racks are needed. He said bike theft is a business and many thieves take the stolen bikes to other cities to sell undetected.
Lawrence Vandelinden, co-owner of Dutch Cycle in Regina, has had his bike stolen, but he also had a $6,000 bike walked out of his store on a chaotic, busy Saturday.
"Somebody diverted one of the salesmen and somebody [else] just hopped on a bike and rode it out."
Vandelinden also said that in the past, Dutch Cycle had people take bikes out on test drives and never come back.
"Now we're a lot more diligent with that though. And don't just say, 'oh yeah, try out a bike and let me know what you think in 10 minutes.' There's ID and cards. Now we take that before we let people test-ride bikes."
How to avoid bike theft
RPS said it encourages people to use its bike registry, or have a record of the serial number. This is one of the main ways that police will be able to return a bike if they find it, either as lost or stolen property.
Unfortunately, police said, many bikes go unclaimed due to missing serial numbers or other distinguishing information.
RPS said people can check if the service's lost and found has their bike, but will need a serial number or other identifying information to verify ownership. The bikes are not available to be looked at without documentation.
Auctions are done by McDougall Auctioneers monthly, RPS said. If bikes do not have a serial number, they are kept for 30 days before going to auction. If they do have a serial number, they are kept for 90 days.