Thieves using creative ways to target Winnipeg bikes — before they're even locked up

It wasn't until Robert Lidstone was unlocking his bike outside a St. Boniface shopping centre in Winnipeg that he realized the rack he'd secured it to wasn't secure at all.

The black metal rack had a large cut through one of its poles, which would enable a would-be bicycle thief to slip a lock off and steal a bike.

"I'm lucky. I didn't even see that," he said Tuesday outside Dominion Centre on Marion Street. "Because somebody could have just lifted it right out of there."

According to the city, about 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg every year. About 1,000 are recovered, but only 10 per cent of those are returned.

In an effort to raise awareness and prevent thefts, some cyclists have taken to social media recently to point out how bike racks are being cut or unscrewed from the ground to make it easier for thieves to steal bicycles.

Charles Feaver with Bike Winnipeg said he's seen bike racks around Winnipeg with similar damage to the one at Dominion Centre.

Battery-powered tools can make it easier to cut through racks than U-Bolt locks, he said.

While cyclists do have to take precautions, Feaver said businesses and governments should invest in better infrastructure and be mindful of where they're placing bike racks.

"Sadly, a lot of bike lockups for businesses are really poorly thought out," he said.

"Businesses have to realize how many shoppers want to come by bike and make it nice for them to come there, right? It's part of customer service."

The precut bike backs, sometimes referred to as "sucker racks" by bike theft prevention experts, are one of the many creative ways thieves will try to get to your bike, said Rob Brunt, a former detective with the Vancouver Police Department who is now an outreach officer for the Project 529 online bike registration system.

That includes taking the head off a parking meter to get to a bike, or making off with the entire bike rack itself.

"I've seen at the University of British Columbia where they took the whole bicycle rack with five bicycles and just loaded it onto the truck," he said.

"There's unfortunately quite a few ways that, you know, 'Crime Inc.' has figured out how to make life miserable for a cyclist."

In his work for Project 529, he suggests municipalities and businesses use bike valets where cyclists can drop off their bike and have it parked in a secure location.

A less expensive solution is to secure bike racks with shear-off bolts, which are designed so the top of the bolt snaps off when it's tightened to its maximum, making it harder to unscrew, he said.

Ken Allen, a spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg's public works department, said bike racks installed by the city are typically embedded in a concrete footing so their base isn't accessible, or are installed using a tamper-proof nut and bolt that secures the rack to the ground.

When it comes to businesses, there is no standard for how bike racks are mounted or installed, but the city does provide recommendations such as using anti-theft head bolts and installing bike parking in an enclosed area.

Brunt said he wants to see cities and their police departments take the issue more seriously, especially since bikes are getting more expensive and in some cases can be as valuable as a used car.

"We need to educate police departments and the government that the importance and the value of the bicycle is not indicative of the value to the owner."

Lidstone, who is a recovering addict, said he's had multiple bikes stolen over the years — so much so that he never spends more than $100 on a bike.

Though it's a hassle for him personally, he said he's seen the bike theft issue from both sides and witnessed how bikes and/or parts are exchanged for illicit drugs like meth.

"It plays a pretty big role in the whole cycle of addiction," he said.

"So until we really tackle root causes like mental health addiction, homelessness, housing, you know the bike stuff, it's just going to keep happening."

Reporter

Sarah Petz is a reporter with CBC Manitoba. She was previously based at CBC New Brunswick. Her career has taken her across three provinces and includes a stint in East Africa. She can be reached at [email protected] or @sarahrosepetz on Twitter.

With files from Cameron MacLean