More than 250 bicycles will go up for auction in Red Deer starting next week.
Montgomery Auction Service will host an online timed auction from June 18 to 23, with bidding opening at 9 a.m. on the 18th and closing at 9 a.m. on the 23rd.
There will be children’s bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes and more – the items can be previewed at www.montgomeryauctions.com/listings.asp?id=501.
Successful bidders will make payment online and will be provided with pickup information.
“We make every effort to reconnect found bikes, whether stolen or abandoned, with their rightful owner,” said Bart Rowland, municipal policing services manager.
“However, this can be very difficult if bicycles are not registered, or do not have identifying markers such as serial numbers.”
Community peace officers and RCMP recover stolen or abandoned bikes regularly in the city.
Bikes are stored for a minimum of 30 days and efforts are made to contact the owner. When a citizen reports a bike stolen or missing, the description of their missing bike is checked against those in storage to attempt a correct match.
A city press release says bike theft is a common property crime in Red Deer.
Residents are urged to take steps to protect their bikes from theft, including using proper bike locks and registering their bike with 529 Garage.
“Bikes registered with 529 Garage deter potential thieves by automatically sending a message that this theft will be recorded and reported,” said Rowland.
“If your registered bike happens to get stolen, our peace officers will be able to notify you immediately if it is found.”
The Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre will register sold bikes with their new owners during pickup. In previous years, this annual auction was held in person, however, due to the ongoing pandemic, it was moved online.
For more information, including how to pre-register for the auction, visit www.reddeer.ca/bikeauction.
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