Starting in 2015, Boulder has kept a relatively meticulous and public record of where bicycles have been stolen around town. With roughly two months to go in 2024, bike theft numbers of this year have already passed those of 2023.

In 2023, a total of 644 bikes were determined to have been stolen, worth $1,250,941 in total (average cost of $1,942 per bike). Of those bikes, only 55 were recovered.

As of November 1, 2024, a total of 651 bikes have been stolen in Boulder worth $1,432,800 (average cost of $2,201 per bike). Sixty-three bikes have been recovered so far this year.

These numbers add to a total of 8,434 bikes (including 2023 and 2024) that have been stolen locally since the start of 2015, worth a total of $14,184,618 (that’s an average of $1,682 per bike). Of all of those bikes, only 430 were reported to be recovered – about five percent.

Here’s a look at how numbers have changed over the years:

2024 (to-date): 651 bikes stolen; value of $1,432,800 (average cost of $2,201 per bike); 63 recovered (9.6 percent)

2023: 644 bikes stolen; value of $1,250,941 ($1,942 per bike); 55 recovered (8.5 percent)

2022: 839 bikes stolen; value of $1,552,722 ($1,851 per bike); 62 recovered (7.4%)

2021: 930 bikes stolen; value of $1,726,430 ($1,856 per bike); 51 recovered (5.5%)

2020: 1,106 bikes stolen; value of $2,225,586 ($2,012 per bike); 70 recovered (6.3%)

2019: 791 bikes stolen; value of $1,572,214 ($1,988 per bike); 42 recovered (5.3%)

2018: 1,153 bikes stolen; value of $1,669,340 ($1,448 per bike); 66 recovered (5.7%)

2017: 854 bikes stolen; value of $927,249 ($1,086 per bike); 21 recovered (2.5%)

2016: 854 bikes stolen; value of $1,014,534 ($1,187 per bike); 0 recorded bike recoveries

2015: 612 bikes stolen; value of $812,800 ($1,328 per bike); 0 recorded recoveries

A quick glance at those numbers reveals that while bike thefts spiked during pandemic years, the recovery rate has also increased.

A big reason behind this increase is likely local law enforcement’s concerted effort around encouraging people to register their bike’s serial number. This makes it easier to get a stolen bike back to an owner once it’s located. Registering a bike in Boulder is free and easy, able to be done online. Bicycle owners should also consider registering their bike with Bike Index, which is a national database that’s been used to recover more than $27,000,000 worth of bikes.

Explore the data for yourself here.