DERWENT Valley, Central Highlands and Brighton bike riders are being urged to protect their bikes against a surge in targeted thefts from homes.

Bike retailer Byron Wallis has observed an increase in theft as the value and popularity of bikes have grown, with electric mountain bikes selling for up to $25,000.

“We’re seeing lots of people coming in who have had their bikes stolen to either replace them or get an insurance quote,” Mr Wallis, regional manager of Roll Cycles in Hobart, said.

“A lot of them are targeted thefts now. Criminals are watching what people have on the back of their cars, following them home and then coming back at night or when no one is home.

“A lot of people don’t have the right locks on their bikes, they are too easy to cut. We sell locks that you need a power tool to cut through.”

Crime Stoppers Tasmania has launched a free new tool to help police reunite stolen bikes with owners and crack down on the sale of stolen bikes.

Bikelinc is an online data- base where people can link their details with their bike’s serial number, so when police recover a bike, they can easily locate the owner. It also allows people buying a second-hand bike to check if a bike is stolen or lost.

Bikelinc started in Western Australia and has expanded to the ACT and Tasmania and now has more than 49,000 bikes listed.

Crime Stoppers Tasmania CEO David Higgins said on average a bike was stolen every day in the state.

“Tasmania Police does a good job recovering and retrieving bikes but has difficulty finding their owners,” he said.

“But if you register on Bike- linc, police can easily look up your details and you can get your bike back quickly.”

According to Tasmania Police most bikes are stolen from homes. In the 2021-2022 financial year, 240 bikes were stolen from homes and 62 from public places.

Anyone who knows anything about bike theft is asked to con- tact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au