At Bike Index, we’re continually inspired by the dedicated individuals and groups who work tirelessly to combat bike theft in their communities. Today, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on one such initiative that’s making waves in Boulder, Colorado.

We recently interviewed Trish Emser, Team Lead for Bike BOLDER, a grassroots organization that’s revolutionizing bike theft prevention in their city.

What makes their efforts particularly noteworthy? In 2024, Boulder has seen an impressive 10% recovery rate for stolen bikes—about 5x higher than the national average of 2%.

The impressive recovery rate in Boulder is no coincidence—it’s directly linked to the area’s high bike registration numbers. In addition to Bike BOLDER’s grassroots work, Bike Index collaborates closely with university partners across Colorado, including CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, and CSU Fort Collins, with university campus tools for bike registration, recovery, and management.

In Boulder alone, the engagement has been remarkable: CU Boulder and Boulder PD are each approaching an impressive 10k+ bike registrations. With over 20k bikes registered in the Boulder area, this creates a robust network that significantly enhances theft prevention and recovery efforts. Such widespread registration makes it easier for law enforcement to identify and return stolen bikes, contributing to Boulder’s above-average recovery rates.

Read on to dive into the story behind Bike BOLDER, exploring how they’re fighting bike theft, building awareness, and leveraging Bike Index to create real change in our full-length interview with Trish Emser.

How did the Bike Bolder program come about?

Our goal was to have honest conversations about how much bike theft affects our community. We were both inspired and shocked to learn from the University of Colorado (CU) Chief of Police that the number one crime at CU is bike theft – often impacting unsuspecting students. Our team is compassionate; we’ve understood that these crimes disproportionately impact the young and the poor. For many, a bicycle is the only transportation they can afford and the only exercise they get.

We also learned that the bike theft rate in Boulder is quite high; partly due to the availability of many high-end bikes, combined with thieves bearing portable angle grinders. And even when a thief is caught, these crimes rarely result in jail time–and the thieves know it.

Initially, our team wanted to focus on innovative ways to combat theft, offer bike valets and use air tag tracking. As our Bike BOLDER team worked with [local officers, they] taught us how other cities have dramatically reduced bike theft. [They] stressed the need for citizens to use a bike registry that documents ownership and supports the recovery of found bikes. As luck would have it in our community, the City of Boulder, Boulder Police and CU Police all actively promote bike registration using BikeIndex.org.

How does the program work, and how are you using Bike Index?

Bike BOLDER focuses on teamwork, and we’ve expanded our members this year to include City Council, the CU Environmental Center, City Parks and County District Attorney representatives. We meet monthly at a bike shop (Full Cycle Multisport). Our meetings are casual and transparent. We set priorities each year and then survey the team to make sure we’re headed in the agreed direction.

Based on 2024 priorities, our top goals are to engage with the community on:

- Bike Registration using Bike Index
- Bike Education; how to best secure bikes, best locks
- Bike Events; conducting 2 exclusive Bike Theft Prevention Expos in 2024

Can you share any early results, stories, or personal anecdotes from the program so far?

As Bike BOLDER participated in several events this year, we’ve focused on having real conversations with our community. One of the most popular expos we ran in June was at Community Cycles where we demoed lock cutting with a thief-inspired grinder. Gotta admit–it was both dramatic and hard to watch as a $100 U-lock was defeated in about 30 seconds…

What are you most excited about with this program, and where do you see it going in the future?

Bike BOLDER conducted an energizing bike valet in early September at the city-wide ‘What’s Up Boulder’ event. Our team was thrilled with the level of engagement expressed by Boulderites as we shared information about locks, crime hot spot, and why registering their bike matters.

Despite the number of bike and E-bike thefts being steady over the past few years in Boulder, we’re lucky that our Police focus on improving bike recovery with the support of Bike Index. So far in 2024, about 10% of Boulder bikes reported stolen have been recovered (this is roughly 5 times the national average of 2%).

How can people support your cause (locally or online)?

This year has been the start of true momentum as we’ve engaged with Boulder; we have a zero-dollar investment to date, thanks to the generous support of our team volunteers and sharing of spaces with bike shops.

Next, we are working on a web presence to widen our education outreach–we plan to share our new site with the Bike Index community before 2025!

Any advice for people looking to do a similar program in their community?

Find people you like with a shared passion for what you care about–that’s the magic that has worked for Bike BOLDER advocacy.

Anything else you think people should know about the new bike theft prevention program in Boulder?

Our Bike BOLDER team is driven by the desire to make cyclists feel more confident about riding and securing their bikes–it’s that goal of cyclist empowerment that we hope to inspire into the future.

Join the Fight Against Bike Theft

Bike BOLDER’s success is a testament to the power of community-driven programs tackling bike theft by working together.

If you’re passionate about making a difference in your own community, we encourage you to take action. If you’re interested in starting a similar program in your area, we’d love to help! Reach out to gavin@bikeindex.org to learn more about fighting bike theft in your community.

Together, we can create a world where every cyclist feels secure and empowered.