A sporting goods retailer is giving victims of bicycle theft in the GTA a hands up to replace their stolen ride.

Decathlon, which has six locations in the Toronto and Hamilton areas, is offering customers $50 off the purchase of a replacement bicycle at GTHA stores through its new, limited-time Stolen Discount program.

The promotion, which can be accessed by bringing in a valid stolen bike police report from 2023, will run until July 30 at Decathlon’s locations at Union Station, Scarborough Town Centre, Mapleview Shopping Centre, Bramalea Shopping Centre, Vaughan Mills, and Cadillac Fairview Markville.

In a statement provided to CP24.com, the company said that it launched the promotion now as “peak cycling season” approaches to “help support cyclists in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cope with theft given many of our neighbours rely on their bicycle for important trips – like going to their place of work, or even the local grocery store.”

“Thanks to inflation and the rising cost of living, bicycles are becoming a very important primary source of transportation to many. And bicycles themselves are becoming more and more expensive,” Decathlon said in an email.

“While thefts per year may be on the decline since their peak in 2020, those numbers are still high overall, and we want to be there to help anyone impacted by such an unfortunate event. This is especially critical as the summer months approach and costs of living throughout the region continue to increase.”

In a news release, Decathlon said the program also aims to raise awareness about the high number of bicycle thefts in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to more than 4,000 bikes that were stolen in 2020.

In Toronto, the number of bikes being reported stolen is notably down since 2020, which saw 800 thefts reported to police between Jan. 1 and May 14.

During the same time frame in 2023, Toronto Police Service data posted online indicates that there were 521 stolen bicycles reported.

It should also be noted that during that four-and-a-half month period over the last five years, this year is the lowest.