Bike Auckland says bike theft in Auckland is likely far higher than the official picture, and it wants more riders to take basic steps that make stolen bikes harder to move on.

Bike owners report about 500 to 1,000 bikes stolen each year.

Bike Auckland says the real number is likely 2,500 to 5,000, because many people do not report theft.

It also says some cases end up recorded under broader Police categories like “theft” or “burglary”.

One issue, Bike Auckland says, is what happens after a recovery.

Police do recover stolen bikes, but often cannot return them because the owner cannot be identified. Bike Auckland says less than 5% of stolen bikes are returned.

Bike Auckland supports riders logging identifying details of their bikes, including through the free 529 Garage registration system.

It says a registration record can help Police match recovered bikes to an owner, and it can also help buyers check second-hand bikes if a registration code is provided.

The first defence is still a decent lock.

Auckland Transport sometimes runs Bike Lock Amnesty swaps, where cable locks are exchanged for quality D-locks for free. Details are here.

On the Hibiscus Coast, Bike Burbs in Orewa and Whangaparaoa give locals an easy place to turn concern into action.

Bike Auckland says community groups can help by registering bikes at events, and Bike Burbs can be one of the groups doing that, alongside bike shops registering bikes at the point of sale.

You can find the local groups here.

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