Your bike's gone. Here's what to do right now, today, and this week to give yourself the best chance of getting it back or getting covered.
Speed matters. The faster you report and search, the better your odds with police and your insurer.
Report it to police. In most states, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or report online through your state police website. In an emergency (theft in progress, offender still there), call 000. You need a police report number or event number for your insurance claim, and without one most claims stall. Give them the make, model, colour, frame size, component details, serial number, and any distinguishing features. If you don't know the serial number, check your purchase receipt or ask the shop you bought it from.
Go through your photos. Any pictures of the bike on your phone help. Photos showing the full frame, components, and custom parts support both the police report and an insurance claim. A photo of the serial number (usually stamped under the bottom bracket) is especially useful if you didn't record it elsewhere.
Contact your insurer. If you have bicycle insurance, start a claim immediately. Most specialist insurers let you file online. Have your policy number and the police report number ready.
Check the area. Stolen bikes sometimes get dumped nearby, especially if the thief wanted transport rather than something to sell. Check side streets, parks, behind buildings. If you have a GPS tracker (AirTag, Tile, See.Sense), check it now.
Once you've reported and searched locally, widen the net.
Register the theft on Bikeline. Bikeline is powered by Crime Stoppers and connects directly with police in WA, ACT, and Tasmania, with coverage expanding. Registering makes your bike searchable by serial number. Also register on BikeVAULT, which operates as a national registry. Both are free.
Post in local cycling groups. Facebook groups, Reddit (r/ausbike, city-specific cycling subs), and Strava clubs. Cyclists notice stolen bikes, especially distinctive ones. Include photos, a description, and the location it was taken from.
Watch the marketplaces. Stolen bikes show up on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree within days. Set keyword alerts for your bike's make and model. Check your city and neighbouring areas - bikes move.
Contact local bike shops. Thieves sometimes try to sell stolen bikes to shops or bring them in for service. Call the shops near you, describe the bike, and ask them to get in touch if they see it.
Here's what to have ready and what to expect.
You'll need the police report or event number, photos of the bike (taken before the theft), proof of purchase or valuation, and details of how the bike was secured - the lock type and what it was locked to. Lock requirements vary by policy, but most specialist insurers require a minimum standard (typically Sold Secure Gold or ART rated) for theft claims. If you met that requirement, the claim should process smoothly.
With a specialist cycling insurer, the person handling your claim knows bikes. They can tell the difference between a Shimano 105 groupset and an Ultegra, and they assess replacement or payout based on actual market values for cycling equipment. That's different from claiming through home and contents insurance, where the assessor may not understand why a set of wheels costs $2,000.
Claims get held up when the lock requirement wasn't met, the police report is late or missing, or there's no proof of value. Lock properly, report immediately, keep your receipts.
Harder path, but worth pursuing.
Check your home and contents insurance. Your bike might be covered as a personal effect, but the reality for most Australian home policies is rough. Excess is typically $500-$1,000, and portable contents cover (the bit that applies when your bike is away from home) often has a per-item cap of $1,500-$3,000. For a bike worth less than the excess, there's no point claiming. For an expensive bike, you might recover some value, but you'll also likely see a premium increase at renewal.
Document everything. Even without insurance, keep the police report number, serial number, photos, and proof of purchase together. If the bike is recovered, you'll need to prove ownership.
Replace if you need to. If you commuted on the bike, check local bike co-ops (many Australian cities have community bike workshops), verified second-hand sellers, or end-of-season sales. If buying new, get insurance on the replacement before you ride it out of the shop.
Register your bike on Bikeline and BikeVAULT when you buy it. A police officer who recovers a bike with a registered serial number can return it to you. An unregistered bike is much harder to reunite with its owner.
Use a lock that matches the bike's value. Sold Secure Gold or ART 2-star for bikes over $1,000. A $30 cable lock on a $3,000 bike isn't security - it's a suggestion.
Lock through the frame and rear wheel to something fixed. Bike racks bolted to concrete are good. Street signs that can be lifted off their base are not. Think about what a thief with bolt cutters and 60 seconds could do.
Vary your routine if you lock the bike in the same place regularly. Thieves who work an area learn which bikes are there every day.
Get insured before something happens. Specialist bicycle insurance in Australia takes effect within days and typically costs less per month than a takeaway coffee.
