Another stolen bike :- (

My teen son's bike was stolen from the rack at NSCP at Kedzie and Bryn Mawr.   He went home early from school yesterday due to illness and didn't take the bike.  It was locked to the rack with a Kryptonite lock but of course that's not much security.   Bringing the bike home would have been.


Bike is fairly unique looking so I have a faint hope someone will spot it.  Unfortunately I don't have a photo to upload.

It's a 70s Motobecane (headbadge still on) brushpainted BROWN with the original red showing through the scratches.   Bullhorns with inverse brake levers in the ends, no bar tape but blue masking tape is holding the (red) brake cables down.

Semi-deep-V rims over high flange Nashbar hubs (flipflop rear), very unusual BROWN Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires (fat) with wide reflective sidewalls.

There is a security camera and they are looking at the tapes for what that's worth.  I have already put up a listing on the CSBD.  I may look at the notorious flea market for it, schedule allowing.   The bike is not worth much but son is pretty disappointed esp as it's the second bike he's had stolen this year.

Any information gratefully received.   Please, comments about how bad an idea it was for him to have left the bike there would not be helpful.

Thanks for reading.

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on September 7, 2012 at 12:23pm

Sorry for the bike loss, Al.  I'm sure all of us will keep our eyes open for your son's bike.  Beyond scouting Swap-o-Rama this weekend and putting Google alerts on Craig's List & eBay for the Motobecane, you might want to post flyers in all the area bike shops, so that the shop employees & customers are aware.  Lately, area bike shops have been in the forefront of a lot of bike recoveries.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on September 7, 2012 at 12:37pm

In my searches i've found statewidelist to be a big help in searching craigslist. It searches the entire state, so that you don't have to search individual cities. I would also recommend checking bordering states if it's something you think may turn up or are really invested in getting it back. 

The site isn't perfect and it takes a few minutes to get used to, but it's worth it in my opinion.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on September 7, 2012 at 12:42pm

^^  +1 J. Smith!  ^^

Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on September 8, 2012 at 6:31am

Thanks, guys, esp Thunder Snow.  I put up a listing on CL, no responses yet, and we may contact local shops.   Doubtful if that will work without a photo.    I have the rest of our family's bikes documented well, but this was a recent addition and son was seemingly never home, so it never got its picture taken or SN recorded.

'Statewidelist' is a CL aggregator, and I kind of doubt anyone would take this bike out the area to sell it.   I've used 'Searchtempest' which goes straight by mileage distance, perhaps more useful as it would show Milwaukee or Gary before say Carbondale.   However it can also make Kalamazoo appear easily accessible since it doesn't care about the lake.  Best of all was jaxed.com, which collected *all* CL listings and then allowed you to narrow it to state or region; that's where I found my Motobecane (in Milwaukee), however they've apparently been hit with another cease and desist order.  Not sure how the others get away with it.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 8, 2012 at 10:55am

I am surprised that a kryptonite was cut through at that location. My undersatanding is only the serious bike thieves have the equipment/will  to cut those and they go after expensive bikes in the loop/lincoln park. Not a slam on kedzie/bryn mawr (i live in uptown)..just not expected.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 8, 2012 at 12:14pm

Interesting...good theory.  I'll bet they had a van..maybe coming down Bryn Mawr.

Permalink Reply by Barse5 on September 8, 2012 at 4:14pm

I am sorry to hear about your son's bike and will keep a look out. There have been a few bikes stolen from Northside College Prep. I would hope that the school is making the kids aware of this...recently  the security guard bike was also stolen.

Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on September 9, 2012 at 4:53am

We'll see what security at NS says tomorrow about the tapes.  Our daughter's bike was stolen from there a few years ago, but it only had a cable lock.  That was a beatup mixte that I would not have thought was of interest to a thief...they took it while taking the wheels off a very nice bike that was next to it.

I had not heard about the guard's bike also being stolen...you'd think that would have caused some more measures to be taken.   Not that I know what those would be!

Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on September 10, 2012 at 9:33am

Well, with the strike, no chance of reviewing the school's security tapes today.  On Friday the security guard had at least started with that process.


And as chances of recovery seemed slight and a teen without a bike is like a...something that needs something very much...we scanned CL over the weekend, and he ended up buying a vintage Trek that someone had done a fixie/ss conversion on.  The conversion is pretty slapdash, cheap wheels, stem and bullhorns mounted upside down.   And an inspection of the BB revealed it had not even been overhauled, though it turned out to be in okay condition.  But son is very happy with the new bike and hopefully has learned a valuable lesson.   And so have I--bike is already photographed and serial number recorded.

Of course before even going to look at the bike, I searched the CSBR to make sure this bike was not stolen, at least not recently.    I wonder what percentage of bikes 20+ years old have been stolen at some point?  I would bet a large number, maybe a majority, esp if you were to include 'changed hands accidentally due to being left behind in apartment, dorm storage, etc.'

Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on September 10, 2012 at 2:03pm

Lesson learned:  though it was properly locked, he shouldn't have left the bike at the school overnight.  And while I (or Mom) would have been the ones to fetch it in the van, it was up to him to tell us it shouldn't stay there.  

His previous bike was stolen in the spring from a friend's garage; there was a party at the house (parents absent) and it got out of control.  Son and a few others left and went to Margie's; when he came back he found someone had made off with the bike.  In that case he hadn't locked it as it was in the garage, people were home, he figured it was safe.

So that's a couple of lessons learned (and bikes lost) in six months, hopefully that's enough for a good long while.

Permalink Reply by Gerry G on September 10, 2012 at 3:34pm

Terrific his ol' man can turn a wrench or three.  The independence bubble is re-expanded now that he's back in the saddle.   

Albany Park Al said:

a teen without a bike is like a...something that needs something very much...

Permalink Reply by Barse5 on September 10, 2012 at 4:11pm

Glad to hear he has another bike but I still hope Northside College Prep will do something to protect the bike area during school hours. Maybe moving the rack closer to the front and making kids aware to lock there bikes properly. Recently one bike was locked by strapping his helmet through it,,,it was saved when a security guard saw it and brought it inside. So point is awareness since your son's was not the first.

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