Over 800 bikes have been reported stolen in the city so far this year and police say the vast majority are crimes of opportunity.

Bike thefts have increased in the city over the last few years and 840 were reported missing in the first five months of this year.

Last year, 933 were reported in the same time period and by the end of 2016 that number was over 2500, double the number reported in 2010.

Police say bike thefts spike between May and September and that thieves are resourceful.

“Thieves use many different methods to take bikes. Everything from industrial level cable shears to battery operated angle grinders, so I think bike thieves are quite adept at getting what they want,” said CPS Acting Sgt. Phil Holloway.

Trevor Willoughby is one of the many Calgarians who have had their two-wheels stolen by thieves.

“I was at Starbucks and locked my bike to a tree. I was only gone for a very short period of time and I came back and my bike was gone, my lock was gone, no sign of it, nobody saw anything,” he said.

Valerie Turbak works at Bow Cycle and says she gets two to three calls a day from customers who have been ripped off. She says there are steps cyclists can take to protect their rides.

“The serial number is probably the most important piece of information you can get off your bike as well as a good description or a photo just in case your bike gets stolen,” she said. “I would say invest in a good lock. We do sell all types of locks here but investing in a good U-lock with a cable that can run through all parts of the bike, it may cost you $80 to get a good lock like that but it is worth it.”

Police say most of the thefts are crimes of opportunity and that people should get in the habit of locking bikes up even if they are in a shed or on a balcony.

Stolen bikes are often recovered by police but tracking down the owners can be a challenge if they don’t record the serial numbers.

Bicycles that are recovered are eventually auctioned off if they are unclaimed.

Bike Calgary has a number of tips to help cyclists prevent bike theft, click HERE for more information.