Photo: Castanet Staff - File Photo

The theft of bicycles is on the rise in Kelowna.

To date, nearly 160 bikes have been stolen in 2015.

Bicycle theft prevention is the message especially with “Bike to Work Week” next week.

Police say there are several ways in which you can protect your bike, including:

• Store out of sight of a thief (out of sight is out of mind), keep it locked even inside a storage locker or a garage.
• Record serial number, make model, colour, special identifying parts, take a photo and keep the record safe at home.
• Use Theft Protection devices when leaving it in a public place. Use high quality locks of case-hardened steel as poor quality locks can be cut in seconds. It’s important to secure it to an immovable object. If possible take all removable parts with you.
• Report promptly any theft of bicycle to local police.

“Make your bike hard to steal” says Cpl. Joe Duncan spokesman for the Kelowna RCMP.

“While it's not possible to make your bicycle 100% theft-proof, there are some simple steps you can take to increase the security of your bicycle and its parts.”