Nearly 770 bicycles were stolen by robbers across London last year averaging two every day.
Cyclists have demanded police do more to tackle the bike-stealing epidemic with some bikes costing as much as £15,000 new being taken from their owners.
Thugs on mopeds have targeted commuters, knocked them over and threatened them with knives in order to take their bikes within the capital.
Victims of bicycle theft reported thieves carrying ‘shopping lists’ which they used to check the make and model of the bikes to see how valuable they are, The Telegraph reported.
Especially popular kinds to steal include Brompton folding bikes as well as electric assisted machines.
Nearly 700 bicycles were stolen by robbers across London last year averaging two every day
It is believed that the majority of the models stolen have been shipped overseas by organised crime gangs so they can be sold on without being traced back to their owners.
In the 12 months to November there were 768 robberies that saw bikes stolen in London, a Freedom of Information request found. Other cities facing similar thefts include Manchester and Bristol.
Chair of the Regent ‘s Park Cyclists group Sean Epstein said: ‘These attacks are now happening every couple of days. They are having a huge effect on the cycling community: people are scared to ride their bikes, anxious every time they hear someone behind them.’
He added: ‘Victims report a disinterested, non-urgent police response.’
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘There are over 1.2 million bike journeys a year in London, the majority happen without incident. But we’re doing all that we can to prevent robberies and thefts targeted at cyclists as we understand it is a growing concern for some Londoners.
‘Through our new Cycle Crime Reduction partnership we are working to make it harder to sell on stolen bikes through the second-hand market. We also have more officers in hotspot locations, where our intelligence tells us victims may be more at risk.
The moment a man was robbed of his motorbike in Hatfield, Doncaster, was caught on camera
‘We are also holding daily pop-up events across London that work to educate and advise cyclists on how to store their bikes safely, as well as encouraging them to register their bike with the Met for free so we can track them if they are stolen.’
It comes as an explorer cycled 22,500 miles around the world in 430 days only to have his bike stolen from outside a pub in Hammersmith, London, in October.
Geordie Stewart, 34, had his bike stolen outside the Anglesea Arms pub in the west London area.
The theft of Stewart’s bike, which he nicknamed Dorothy, was captured by a security camera of a house in the area.
Stewart’s voyage started in London in 2018 and saw him cycle through France, central Asia, and New Zealand.
Last year data revealed that cyclists living in London, Thames Valley and Greater Manchester are more likely to have their bicycles stolen than any other region in England.
London had the highest predicted number of bike thefts in 2022, with 22,818 estimated to have been stolen by the end of the year.