Rick Shone’s Bike Is Gone. He Left It All Alone, Now He’s Riding the Bus Home.

Winnipeg Mayoral candidate Rick Shone's bike was stolen on Wednesday, shortly after he made a campaign announcement focused on active transportation and anti-bike theft measures. He had left his orange Rossin bicycle cable-locked to a rack on his truck outside his West End business, but when he ran inside for a moment, a pair of people riding by snapped the lock and made off with the bicycle. In a social media post, fellow mayoral candidate Rana Bokhari gave her condolences. Shone is promising to "at least double" the $18.8 million the city expects to devote to active transportation over the next four years, if he wins the mayoral race.

Rick Shone poses for a photo op with his instantly recognizable orange commuter bicycle.

Rick Shone's bike was stolen just after he made a campaign announcement focused on active transportation and anti-bike theft measures. He had left the bike's wheel cable-locked to a rack outside his West End business, but it was snapped by a pair of people riding bicycles by. In just a few minutes, they made off with the bicycle. Shone said, "I'm going to say it was a dumb thing on my part, but in reality, I shouldn't have had my bike stolen either."

The event was ironic because Shone has made active transportation a key part of his platform, and has promised to invest in cycling infrastructure if elected. The theft of Shone's bike highlights the need for improved security measures to protect cyclists' property.

In a social media post, fellow mayoral candidate Rana Bokhari gave her condolences and promised to keep an eye out for the bike.

Shone is promising to at least double the $18.8 million the city expects to devote to active transportation over the next four years, if he wins the mayoral race. He says he would fast-track cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, if elected, prioritizing investments that complete gaps in the existing bike network, add protected bike lanes, offer more bike racks, improve the sidewalk network, or improve wayfinding.

In his Wednesday announcement, Shone also promised to replace Winnipeg's bike registration system with a national network that aims to deter theft. There are 14 candidates registered to run for mayor in the municipal election, which will take place Oct. 26.