Edinburgh police recorded 1,848 bikes stolen between July 2023 and December 2024. That number is 20 per cent higher than in the previous 18 months.
The data was released following a request from Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs after complaints from constituents.
Bike theft has long been a cause for concern, as Police Scotland estimates over 500,000 are stolen every year, with more than half taken from the owner’s property.
University students have not been exempt from the rising trend, with a majority of bike owners having been affected or know someone who has been affected by bike theft.
One student shared his experience of his bike being stolen, telling The Student: “At first I felt stupid. I work with bikes, I like them, I cycle a lot so I know how thieves operate and how they can steal bikes.
“By some miracle, the police found it and I got it back but it was quite damaged so I had to spend some money fixing everything.”
The University of Edinburgh offers advice on preventing bike theft, including using bike stores and D-locks, registering and insuring your bike, and the ability to report thefts to university security.
Yet even with these precautions, thefts still occur, and can turn violent quickly, said one student sharing various stories: “One of my friends got mugged with a knife under a bridge on the canal.
“Another friend had their rear window smashed and their bike stolen when it was left in their car overnight.
“I’m heavily involved in the mountain bike community and at least weekly see someone share a post that their ‘garage got broken into last night’ and several mountain bikes stolen worth thousands each.”
To learn how to protect your bike, visit Police Scotland for more details and updates on protections taken to reduce theft.
“Mile End Bike Garage” by xddorox is licensed under CC BY 2.0.