Bike Theft in Toronto 2012

A recent bike theft in downtown Toronto, lightened me of my silver Specialized hybrid bike which I enjoyed so much. Since this occurance,  I have learned something about the bike stealing industry, as it is a multi million dollar trade. First of all, there are about 3100 bike thefts reported every year in Toronto. This is just the ones that are reported! That makes the GTA one of the top urban areas in the world for this type of crime.  I thought carelessness was a majour culprit. I left my bike unlocked inside my sales booth while working at Buskerfest 2012. I felt I erred by not locking it as well!  However, I have learned that bike thieves are quite industrious. One friend had his bike stolen right from his locked garage.  Another had it stolen,while visiting a shop quickly on Queen street. Another one now locks his bike inside his own garage!

Some cycling shops try to upsell you on the quality of the bike chain and lock that is used. Apparently, none of this matters, as bike thieves can either take your bike apart and leave the lock or use chain cutters to break the chain. Apparently there is a warehouse filled with bikes that police have found, but never return to their rightful owner.Another reason that bikes are often not found, is the police have little incentive to track down minor criminals. Some bikes are taken apart and sold for parts. Others are sold on Craigslist in other cities.


One suggestion is take a picture of you and your bike, so that you can prove to the insurance that you owned it. Keep your proof of purchase and the  serial number, as you need it for the police report in order to claim insurance. Another solution is, either microchip your bike, as you do with your cat or dog, or use a good lock, and lock it in a very public place with the rear wheel and chain locked to the fixed object. One more idea is to increase the penalty for bike theft to the equivalent of horse theft, and jail anyone who is found trying to steal a bike.

Whatever the method, be wary with your bike, because some little creep might be watching it carefully and waiting for the correct time to snatch it.

Cycle Safely,


The Adventure Guy