Project Freeride

If you ride bikes then you have had a bike stolen or know someone who has. This is a fact. Bike theft is rampant. This summer we have seen an elevated profile of bike theft in the local media both with police work and vigilantism. August alone saw Dunbar Cycles team up with police on an undercover operation that recovered their stolen property, police recovered seven bikes through their bate bike program, and a local Vancouver woman steal her bike back from a thief when she found it for sale on Craig’s List. And these are only the stories that have been publicized.


Bike theft falls into an ugly category of property crimes, the perfect storm for thieves; it is an easy crime with a value low enough to excuse any real punishment. Theft under $5000 in provincial court will garnish a slap on the wrist for first time offenders, fines ranging from $100-$400, suspended sentences with probation, or where there is prior related criminal behavior, short periods of jail time. With the frequency and growing popularity of it, bike theft was up 20% in Victoria last year and 38% in Calgary, we have ended up in a situation where insuring for actual value or claiming with the threat of rising deductibles often leaves us bikeless and bitter. In the past, reporting our bikes stolen to the police has felt like an exercise in futility. Often dismantled and shipped out of province before you pick up the phone, the chances of ever seeing your ride again are slim to none. But with a combination of the growing popularity of mountain biking and the rising value of our bikes, the police are taking a more pro-active approach and it leaves us, the bike owners, in the hot seat. Are we helping bike thieves and hindering police work?

On a ride-along with Cst. Dave Vunic, of the North Vancouver RCMP, I was able to see first hand the challenges of dealing with bike theft. While the police have any number of bike related traffic violations at their disposal to start a conversation with a suspected thief, it still requires a keen eye to spot when a rider does not match their ride. One thing that is on our side is that more and more police officers are now bikers. Just ask Castlegar RCMP Const. Ron George, who in a brilliant, if not planned, publicity stunt, upgraded the RCMP’s profile with mountain bikers when he dropped in for first tracks on a new local trail in full uniform. We have infiltrated the force, these people who are now looking for your bikes, might also have had their bikes stolen. They understand. They know the difference between a new Fox Float and a Canadian Tire ‘looks like full suspension’ special, and when they see it, they know that the twitchy dude who has it mounted backwards and didn’t lose his teeth from a riding accident, probably is not the rightful owner.

Finding a stolen bike in this manner, spotting suspected thieves on regular patrols, is a bit like finding a unicorn. It is awesome when it happens but you are not going to round up a herd this way. Really it is just an unlucky day for the bike thief who gets picked up on the side of the road. Additional programs have been tested, including running surveillance on locked mountain bikes in undesirable (read: where your stolen bike will likely end up) parts of town. But attempts to draw in bike thieves in this manner were unsuccessful and interest in and resources for these stings have dwindled.

Recently, however, the Whistler RCMP has deployed Project Freeride, a bait bike program where GPS units are placed inside multiple bikes throughout the municipality. Within three weeks of initiating the program a bait bike was stolen and located in a Uhaul along with seven other high end bikes on the Sea to Sky highway. These bikes represented an approximate $15,000 resale value to Danny Paquet and Michael Stone, the two men who were apprehended. Paquet, a 45 year old Vancouver resident, has been charged with mischief, theft over $5000, three counts of possession of stolen property over $5000, and two counts possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and heroin). Stone, a 47 year old Surrey resident, has been charged with mischief, theft over $5000 and three counts of stolen property. Within 24 hours of the arrests and recovery, eight other detachments had contacted the Whistler police about their program.


Out of all the stolen bikes that the police reclaim only about 30% are reunited with their owners. With the odds against us we have become lax in our vigilance. Without police reports filed, there is no opportunity for follow up. Furthermore without a serial number, when someone is apprehended with a potential stolen bike there is no course of action for the police to take. Danny Paquet and Michael Stone were caught with seven bikes, but so far have only been charged with three counts each of possession of stolen property as four of the stolen bikes, a Norco Reval, Kona Howler, Rocky Mountain Slayer, and Specialized Stump Jumper, remain unclaimed/reported stolen by their owners and therefore police cannot verify that they are actually stolen property. "This is a great example of some of the challenges we face. We have 4 decent bikes that have not been parted out that we would like to reuinite with their owners. Currently not only are we not able to do that, but it becomes difficult to charge the suspects with a theft when we cannot prove who the lawful owner is." says Whistler RCMP Sgt. Rob Knapton. We have become accomplices to the thieves. In fact the chances are that your missing bike has been called in over the radio but returned nothing, as it was not documented. Our sport is growing, bikes are becoming more and more expensive and with it we are grabbing the attention of both criminals and cops. But we are the ones who can make the most impact when it comes to loss prevention. We need to be attentive.

For all of your rides, record the brand, model, color, serial number, and modifications. Lock them up, and then lock them up again. Be aware of your surroundings. Stop Stravaing your rides from your house. Be smart, think about the bigger picture. While Kayla Smith 'stole' her bike back, and we all love a good vigilante story with a happy ending, the thief has probably already stolen a few more bikes since then. Adam Mantle from Dunbar Cycles teamed up with police and using his online research they were able to arrest and charge Wesley John Devries. He has not stolen a bike since. If your bike is stolen, by all means look for it on Craig’s List, put in the time and be proactive, but team up with police when you find it. While myopic actions can be sensationalized, they will do nothing to progress a solution for our community as a whole.

Even while following all of the steps and knowing that we are making progress in the war, nothing will make the realization that your bikes are gone feel any better. In the end bike theft is like cancer, it will affect your life in some way. Well, f*ck cancer and f*ck bike thieves. Like my favourite t-shirt says “I don’t even want this bike back. I just made up these flyers to tell you that I hate you, bike thief. I hope you ride my bike without a helmet and get hit by a monster truck. I hope my bike takes you straight to hell.”

Should you have any information that will help reunite the stolen bikes with their owners, and in turn help police to levy stiffer penalties against the accused, please contact Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044.

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