Stolen Bike Registry - do this when your bike gets stolen

"With all the stolen bike posts lately (and no one thinking "I wonder if there's something under Useful Links for this."), I think it's well past time to make a sticky about the Stolen Bike Registry"

 - Tank-Ridin' Ryan

 

Well said Ryan.

 

 

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/

 

Done and done.

 

And sticky too.

 

 

Cheers - Lee Diamond

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Liz on April 24, 2012 at 11:02am

Permalink Reply by Liz on April 24, 2012 at 11:05am

Howard, do you have any estimates of what the price for stickers is from past sticker printing experience?

Permalink Reply by Comrade Cycles on April 24, 2012 at 4:04pm

Sorry to get off the sticker topic, but I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of posting to this site if you're bike is stolen. Today we recovered and returned a second stolen bike in the two months we've been open. Today's had been gone for two years. That's a lotta 2's. Sorry. Anyhow, neither would have been possible without being able to track them through the registry. Not all bikes get recovered, but you have a much higher chance if you give people on the lookout a way to ID it.

Also, and I can't stess it enough, record you serial numbers.

Permalink Reply by Comrade Cycles on April 24, 2012 at 6:15pm

Glad to be a part of returning a bike to it's owner. However, it wouldn't be possible without the resource you and others help maintain. Thanks to everyone working on the stolen bike registry!

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on April 25, 2012 at 3:50am

I'm going to second this. 

I see bikes often that are very likely stolen but I have no way to prove it and the bike goes back out the door.

Comrade Cycles said:

Sorry to get off the sticker topic, but I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of posting to this site if you're bike is stolen. Today we recovered and returned a second stolen bike in the two months we've been open. Today's had been gone for two years. That's a lotta 2's. Sorry. Anyhow, neither would have been possible without being able to track them through the registry. Not all bikes get recovered, but you have a much higher chance if you give people on the lookout a way to ID it.

Also, and I can't stess it enough, record you serial numbers.

Permalink Reply by Tim S on April 25, 2012 at 4:00am

So Comrade and nDUG,

What does the customer that brought you the hot merchandise say when you inform them that you found out that the bike they brought to you was stolen? I imagine most purchased in good faith through CL or S-o-R (a hotbed for so much illegal) and may take issue with "their" bike being withheld. Absolutely not suggesting you stop for I would be forever grateful if you were to recover a ride of mine, just curious...

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on April 25, 2012 at 5:35am

Sometimes they just bug out other times there is a very, very awkward conversation.

The times I have recovered bike the person who has bought it got the kind of price on it that caused them to suspect it was stolen.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on April 25, 2012 at 5:54am

Here is a good bike shop recovery story and good way to think on your feet if the opportunity is ripe (like, I can't change a flat tire).  Bike was stolen 3 houses from mine.  

Permalink Reply by Liz on April 25, 2012 at 7:41am

that's not too bad, does anyone have any opinions or ideas on sticker design?  

Is what I came up with ok, or is there something else people would like to see? 

h' said:

The above sticker would probably run something like $350 for 2000. 

Permalink Reply by chuck kurdin on May 2, 2012 at 2:22pm

Great initiative!



Peter Muller said:

Hey everyone,

I just started a Chicago stolen bikes Twitter feed. We need to get bicyclists to follow the feed so that in the event a bike is stolen, the word can get out ASAP to everyone and eyes can be immediately peeled.

follow "chistolenbikes" or just tweet @chistolenbikes

Finally, a useful purpose for Twitter!
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on May 15, 2012 at 8:01am

I want to make the point here that those recovery stories at Comrade could not have happened if people had not put their bikes on the registry.



The lest week or so I have seen several bikes that I would bet cash money were stolen and none of them were on the registry.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on May 15, 2012 at 8:22am

I will also contribute time and money.

Cameron Puetz said:

Do people still want to pursue this? I'll volunteer time and money to make it happen as well.



Liz said:

that's not too bad, does anyone have any opinions or ideas on sticker design?  

Is what I came up with ok, or is there something else people would like to see? 

h' said:

The above sticker would probably run something like $350 for 2000. 

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