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

Laura Sciarpelletti · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

With warmer upwind hitting Saskatchewan, cyclists are hitting the trails and pavements.

There's lone 1 problem: stolen bikes.

Many cyclists whitethorn cognize that consciousness of alleviation when they approach a motorcycle rack and spot that their faithful steed is inactive there. But they besides whitethorn cognize the vexation of discovering their motorcycle has been stolen from their home, oregon adjacent worse, their kid's bike is gone. Then there's that feeling of choler erstwhile they find that parts of their motorcycle person been taken.

The Regina Police Service told CBC that 602 bikes were reported stolen successful 2024, which is actually down from erstwhile years. Police were capable to instrumentality 163 bikes backmost to their owners past year.

But cyclists are inactive worried.

Ellen McLaughlin, from the radical Bike Regina, said she is usually beauteous assured leaving her bike locked successful nationalist spaces, due to the fact that she chooses spots that typically person a batch of radical astir it. 

But McLaughlin's motorcycle has been stolen once. 

"It was locked onto the backmost of my conveyance on, like, a motorcycle rack successful a residential area, with not a batch of guys connected the street."

Within 10 minutes, McLaughlin's motorcycle was gone. 

She said a lack of protected infrastructure for bikes is the astir communal origin for radical not wanting to cycle, but fearfulness of theft is often the 2nd astir communal cause. 

Gordon Holtslander, from the radical Saskatoon Cycles, has had a motorcycle stolen from his location garage. And it was a peculiar one. 

"They kicked successful the doorway and took 1 of my bikes. It was my wife's bike that I built for her. And truthful she was heartbroken that her candy pome motorcycle was gone," helium said.

Holtslander also said infrastructure is simply a big problem and much motorcycle racks are needed. He said motorcycle theft is simply a business and galore thieves instrumentality the stolen bikes to different cities to merchantability undetected. 

Lawrence Vandelinden, co-owner of Dutch Cycle successful Regina, has had his motorcycle stolen, but helium besides had a $6,000 motorcycle walked retired of his store connected a chaotic, engaged Saturday. 

"Somebody diverted 1 of the salesmen and idiosyncratic [else] conscionable hopped connected a motorcycle and rode it out."

Vandelinden besides said that successful the past, Dutch Cycle had radical instrumentality bikes retired connected trial drives and ne'er travel back.

"Now we're a batch much diligent with that though. And don't conscionable say, 'oh yeah, effort retired a motorcycle and fto maine cognize what you deliberation successful 10 minutes.' There's ID and cards. Now we instrumentality that earlier we fto radical test-ride bikes."

How to debar motorcycle theft

RPS said it encourages radical to usage its bike registry, oregon person a grounds of the serial number. This is 1 of the main ways that constabulary volition beryllium capable to instrumentality a motorcycle if they find it, either arsenic mislaid oregon stolen property. 

Unfortunately, constabulary said, galore bikes spell unclaimed owed to missing serial numbers oregon different distinguishing information.

RPS said radical tin cheque if the service's mislaid and recovered has their bike, but volition request a serial fig oregon different identifying accusation to verify ownership. The bikes are not disposable to beryllium looked astatine without documentation. 

Auctions are done by McDougall Auctioneers monthly, RPS said. If bikes bash not person a serial number, they are kept for 30 days earlier going to auction. If they bash person a serial number, they are kept for 90 days.