There have been 25 reports of bike thefts in Guelph the past 21 days, say police.

"What caught my attention was...the [majority of] these bikes were locked. I mean it's given people a sense of safety and security...but these culprits are simply cutting locks right off the bikes and taking them," said Guelph Police Service Const. Mike Gatto.

"If you're going to buy a lock for your bike, I mean I suggest getting a good lock. Spend the extra money. Get one that's a lot more heavy duty."

Gatto also suggested keeping your bicycle in a garage or inside your house if possible, as many bicycles were stolen from residences.

Recovering a stolen bike can be difficult for police because owners don't often have all the necessary information, Gatto said.

"People don't have their serial numbers. In many cases they can't tell us the make or model, or what colour it is," said Gatto. "Bicycles, to be honest, they're small, they're everywhere. They're almost like ghosts out there when they get stolen."

Bicycle thefts can be reported to police using their online reporting tool.

Gatto said anywhere between five and 20 bikes are brought into the police station on a weekly basis. These bikes have been found abandoned in parks or on private property, but often don't match up with bikes that have been reported stolen.

"We literally have a whole section in our garage where we keep all these found bikes. Every three to four months, it's full," said Gatto. "What that tells us is that there's probably a lot more bikes being stolen than are even reported."