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The Northeast Ohio Media Group is launching a three-day series that will examine bicycle theft in Cleveland and 12 suburbs.

(Brandon Blackwell, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While bike theft might seem like a minor crime, it can be painful to riders who use bikes each day to commute to school or work or to exercise.

Tomorrow, the Northeast Ohio Media Group will launch a three-day series examining how bicycle theft affects residents in Northeast Ohio.

Reporters collected and analyzed bicycle theft data from Cleveland and 12 suburbs. We've also created a searchable database that will allow you to examine that data, too.

Our reporters spoke with riders, law enforcement officials, bike shop owners, insurance providers, and bike-sharing programs across the U.S. to examine the impact of bike thefts.

Over the next few days we'll be featuring stories about topics such as the effectiveness of bike locks, how your bike is protected by your insurance, and how communities such as Lakewood and Cleveland Heights are addressing bike theft.

This project is the second in a series about Crime in Your Neighborhood. In June, reporters examined burglaries in Northeast Ohio communities, and spoke with some of the people directly affected by those crimes.

We're hoping you'll share your own stories or tell us your thoughts about these issues in the comments.