CHICAGO (BRAIN) — Bike Index released its annual 2025 report showing a 15% increase in reported thefts of the 1.3 million bikes it registered, and more than two million are stolen annually in the U.S. with a value of more than a billion dollars.
According to the report, 18,942 bikes registered with Bike Index were stolen last year. The 2.4 million annual stolen bikes figure with a value of $1.4 billion comes from a survey conducted in 2024 by Bike Index, the Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California Davis, and the Department of Geography at University of California Santa Barbara in partnership with YouGov.
"With over 58.2 million people riding bikes in the United States and Canada, cycling continues to gain popularity and the need to address bike theft has become increasingly crucial," according to the report. "In this report, we explore the many facets of bike theft and its effects on individuals and communities."
Bike Index incorporates national crime statistics — which it says are underreported and incomplete — into its research, making it difficult to gauge the full extent of U.S. bike theft. Most FBI crime statistics, according to Bike Index, point to bike theft decreasing this decade but it notes the numbers are incomplete because nearly 37% fewer law enforcement agencies have been reporting crime stats to the FBI since 2021. In 2023, an estimated 127,646 bikes — representing 3% of all larceny thefts — were stolen in the U.S., according to national crime statistics. This was an increase of 1.1% from the 126,153 reported in 2022.
"The question remains: Has bike theft really decreased? In our own data analysis at Bike Index, we observed a 15% increase in reported stolen bicycles in 2024. With notorious underreporting of stolen bicycles and an incomplete picture from national crime statistics, it seems likely that this increase is universal.
"Anecdotal evidence from our recovery efforts also suggests a more complex picture. We've witnessed an increase in smash-and-grab retailer thefts and e-bike thefts, as well as stumbled upon some intricate crime theft rings in our recovery efforts."
Bike Index published a study in 2022 on one Facebook Marketplace seller in Mexico who had a stolen inventory estimated at more than $1 million.
The 2024 survey also reported:
- Bikes are 2½ times more likely to be stolen than a car.
- 59% of bike thefts occurred in residential areas.
Bike Index also reports about 40% of bike thefts are not reported to police. Of the 11,504 Bike Index registered bikes reported stolen in 2019, 75% of them had an associated police report. "Taking into account that Bike Index users only represent a segment of bicycle owners, the number of unreported bicycle thefts is likely much higher with most estimates lying between 40-75%," according to the 2024 report. "In a more recent research survey done in partnership with UCSB and SPAR Labs, only 37% of bike theft victims reported the theft to police."
The report also references its 2017 survey on the impact of bike theft on victims.
- 47% said the theft affected their ability to get to and from work.
- Grief accompanied having a bike stolen with the emotional cost outweighing replacement value.
- 49% said it would take longer than a month to replace and 11% said they would not buy a replacement.
Seasonal trends also were measured in the report, with warmer months (May through September) being the most active for theft. In the past five years, more bikes were stolen in August than any other month. Last year, 3,048 bikes were stolen in May, the highest monthly volume recorded.
Bike Index says bikes often are stolen from parking facilities and home garages, locations owners consider secure. Citing 2023 FBI crime data, Bike Index reported that 45% larceny thefts take place at home or in a parking facility. Sidewalks and racks also are prime locations for theft, and Bike Index recommends owners taking their bike with them whenever possible.
Last year, Bike Index added 186,409 bikes to its registry, and it says registration improves recovery rates and reduces theft. In addition to properly securing a bike, Bike Index recommends engagement with local shops and community groups that promote registration and anti-theft initiatives to create a network of vigilance and support for bike owners.
