Toronto Cyclist Finds Her Own Stolen Bike, But Experts Warn It's Dangerous

A Toronto woman was able to get her stolen bike back after seeing it listed for sale on Kijiji, but police and experts say you shouldn't try to get your hands on stolen items.

🔹 How was the bike stolen?

Liz Salley, 38, locked her bike near the University of Toronto on Nov. 21. When she returned, she found the lock had been cut and the bike was gone.

She, who uses her bike as her primary means of transportation, was so upset that she only asked people to keep an eye out for her bike on social media.

🔹 She found her bike online

A few days later, while searching Kijiji, she saw her bike listed for about $110, far less than it was worth. She called the seller, made an appointment, and while she was testing the bike, she hopped on and drove away. He then texted the seller: “This was my bike and I got it back.”

🔹 Why is this dangerous?

Experts say this method can be very dangerous:

Toronto police say if you find your bike online, don’t make an appointment with the seller yourself; just give the ad information to the police.

“You might go for your bike, but you might come back with a broken face,” warns a cyclist lawyer.

🔹 Toronto bike theft statistics

There were 2,062 thefts reported this year, down 21% from 2024.

But many cyclists still feel like the police aren’t taking these cases seriously enough.

🔹 Proposed solutions to reduce theft

Experts say that to reduce bike theft, we need to:

Create more secure parking

Use apps like 529 Garage

Invest in better infrastructure

Tackling root causes like poverty and homelessness