How to prevent bike theft in Montreal

It's clear bike theft can happen to anyone.

Le Journal de Montreal reported that Montreal police (SPVM) chief Fady Dagher had his own bicycle stolen recently. Police won't comment on the reported theft, but cycling advocates say there are some key things to keep in mind to keep your ride safe.

Louis Lalonde, a spokesperson for Velo-Quebec, knows what it's like to have a bike stolen.

"It happened to me about three months ago. There's a general concern around bike theft, that's for sure," he said Friday.

He says locking a bike with a quality lock in a visible place is key.

"I got my U-bike lock attached to the frame, the wheel and rack as well," he said.

And when that's not enough, he says registering the bike on Ggarage 529 so that it can be tracked is helpful.

"This is an app where you can register your bike online the SPVM and the SQ [Sûreté du Québec] have access to those data and you can report your bike if ever it is stolen," Lalonde said.

Through the app, an alert is sent to other users and to local police, making it a bit easier to get the bike back.

Velo-Quebec says more bike racks need to be installed by the city so riders don't need to lock their bike onto less secure places. For longer periods of time, parking the bike indoors is ideal.

Montreal police say bike thefts in the city average around 2,000 a year and that 2023 is shaping up to be about the same.

• 2019: 2,002
• 2020: 1,732
• 2021: 1,886
• 2022: 2,199
• 2023: 929 (as of July 1)

With at least 929 bikes stolen since the beginning of July, Lalonde is one of the few that got his bike back.

"Luckily, I was registered on Garage 529, so I reported it and they found it about one month later.

Registering a bike on Garage 529 is one way to keep your bike safe from theft. (Christine Long/CTV News)

Another cyclist who has been riding for about 45 years told CTV News he only had his bike stolen once.

He said the secret is having a sturdy lock and an ugly bike.