As more Revelstoke cyclists have returned to the roads this spring, most bike thefts in April and May are happening to bikes that were securely locked, Revelstoke RCMP has shared.
Noticing numerous informal reports of bike thefts on the Revelstoke Community Facebook page, Black Press Media asked Sgt. Derek Rondeau, operations NCO for the city's police detachment, about any common trends between incidents.
Reviewing files between April 1 and May 15, Rondeau reported that local RCMP received four reports encompassing eight stolen bikes. He said only one of these eight bikes was left unlocked, in this case leaning against an alley wall outside an undisclosed commercial business.
The largest cyclist theft this spring saw four bikes swiped from an underground parking area below a condo complex. At least three of the four bikes had been left secured to a bike rack, but had their locks cut, Rondeau confirmed.
"Unfortunately, on all of these matters, which were attended by the members, no suspects were identified," he noted by email.
Rondeau added that Revelstoke RCMP takes bike thefts "seriously," saying that the combined cost of bike thefts this year is about $27,000, based on owners' own estimates.
While he said these bikes were stolen in "various areas in the downtown corridor," there isn't one particular spot where bikes appear.
Dipendra Thapa, who came to Revelstoke from Nepal and works as a cook at the Regent Hotel, shared on Facebook Wednesday, April 2, that his bike was stolen outside the hotel. Thapa hadn't been securing his bike recently, as he'd already gone through two or three locks that jammed or broke and given up relying on them. However, he hadn't had issues with bike theft in the last year, and was even going to buy a new lock the next day.
"It was on my mind for some reason, so I was planning to go to the hardware store after my shift Thursday," Thapa recalled, adding that a community member who saw his Facebook post kindly gave him her bike while she's pregnant and not riding.
Another person in town shared Monday, May 12, that his mountain bike got swiped after he left it locked outside the Revelstoke Railway Museum.
Last July, someone had their cruiser taken from outside Red Cedar Physiotherapy, near the Save-On-Foods where Tantrum Ride Co. supervisor Leon Topps says bike thefts in town are likelier to happen.
Rather than buy the cheapest-possible cable lock to secure your bike, Topps recommends spending a few more dozen dollars on a "chunky chain" or U-lock that are more challenging for thieves to sever.
In particular, he said employing a U-lock while still also using a cable to secure multiple parts of the bike to the adjacent structure can make it highly inconvenient for theft.
Over at Cycle Logic, bike mechanic Sam Lawton said Kryptonite's guarded cable locks not only provide greater security, but are highly rated by Sold Secure and in some cases even eligible for compensation if cyclists still have their bike stolen.
Generally, he recommends riders look to chain and metal locks for securing their prized possession, with trusted options starting at about $40.
"If you get a really low-end cable lock, it's going to be really stealable," Lawton said. "With a big chain lock, you'd be looking at power tools to cut it."
For some of the highest-level bike protection available in town, prices enter the hundreds based on how much Sold Secure rates a lock out of 10.
"If you're moving up to around $150, those locks are about eight out of 10," Lawton added.
Topps, originally from London, U.K., and no stranger to bike theft, said Revelstoke is tamer for this type of crime than other B.C. Interior communities, but investing in a stronger lock can provide peace of mind.
"Just to stop that opportunist from picking it up and throwing it in their truck," he remarked.
Still, Revelstoke RCMP's data shows that even this year, not all stolen bikes disappear for good. Out of two earlier incidents in March where an unlocked bike was taken, Rondeau shared that one owner successfully recovered theirs.
