Bike theft: Don’t be a have-a-go hero, gardaí tell cyclists

Anyone who sees their stolen bike being offered for sale, in a bike shop or online, or sees somebody riding around on it should not take the law into their own hands, gardaí have warned.

“They would definitely need to contact us,” said a Garda source. “Things can go very wrong very fast and you can never be sure who you’re dealing with. Some of these people can be involved in very serious crimes.

“You could also end up in a conflict situation with someone who bought your bike secondhand and had nothing to do with stealing it. It’s not worth getting into a situation that can turn very nasty.”

The Government’s bike-to-work scheme offers a tax break, an effective discount of 51 per cent on the first €1,250 spent on a conventional bicycle and the first €1,500 spent on an ebike. As a result, there are now more high-value bicycles than ever in circulation in the Republic.

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Tracking device

Gardaí believe people who buy expensive bikes need to take extra steps to secure and track them.

“The owners of very valuable bicycles should also consider having an electronic tracking device covertly inserted within the frame,” Garda Headquarters said.

But it has urged any bicycle owner not to neglect traditional security steps, including recording the serial number of their frame, taking a number of colour photographs of the bike and marking it in at least two locations so it can be identified if stolen and recovered.

Gardaí advise cyclists to avoid locking their bikes on the streets, whenever possible, and to instead bring bicycles indoors to be locked. Cyclists should spend 10-20 per cent of the value of their bike on a good quality U-lock and cable lock, gardaí advise.