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“It’s just trying to increase your odds,” Cowie explained.

Several posts have populated the Facebook group with details of stolen bikes, as well as images and videos of some of the bike thieves taken from security cameras. But the point of the page is not to catch the thieves, it’s just to get bikes back to owners, according to group administrator Shelley Carr.

“They’re being stolen from everywhere . . . from inside people’s garages and off the street” Carr said. “I think a very serious bike-theft ring is operating out of London.”

Carr noted that stolen bikes usually show up online on sites like Kijiji or at pawn shops. But she said many of the high-end bikes that are being taken are nowhere to be found after they are stolen. Carr thinks they’re being taken out of the city, or are being stolen for specific people rather than being sold in public.

“Some (bikes) are pretty specific brands and are usually really hard to find,” Carr said. “Those aren’t coming up anywhere online.”

Cowie said when those bikes go missing it “really stings” because they are often custom-fitted to the owner. He noted that professional bike thieves will scout out high-end bikes, observe the owner’s patterns and routines and then quickly steal them when they get the chance.

“I tell everybody you’re protecting against amateur thieves . . . if a pro wants your bike, they’re going to take it,” Cowie said. “That’s why you get your bike insured.”

Cowie advises his customers to buy quality locks from their local bike store rather than a cheap dollar-store lock. He also tells them to lock their bikes in visible areas with a decent amount of foot traffic to discourage theft.