The Chainlink

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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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 30, 2011 at 4:53pm

Thanks, Scott. I might not have slept enough last night (or any night), but I'm having trouble parsing:

The Kona Jake is yours, and it was spotted by someone other than you at Swap O Rama on Sunday?

Also I spoke to another victim named Brian today, who got a call from a Scott-- if that was you, huge thanks-- he did make it down there and did end up getting his bike back.


Scott Larson said:

I was down there because my girlfriend's bike was stolen over the weekend and spotted at the Swap-o-rama on Sunday:

Brown Kona Jake

Brown Kona Jake cyclocross bike, 54cm. Everything on it is stock. Seatpost clamp rack on the back.

Stolen outside of an apartment at Armitage and Damen. U-Lock was cut through.

Reward if found. If found or seen, please call me (630-815-2339) or email me (goldscott@gmail.com).

Spotted at Swap-o-rama on 4100 S Ashland on Sunday Aug 28.


I'll be going back Thursday.

The swap is outside on Tuesdays and Thursdays ($1 admission, just walk in like you own the place and don't pay). On weekends (not sure the days/times) the building is also open and apparently it's $2 admission. I would imagine there's lots more bikes there on weekends.

Again, the Brown Kona Jake I posted above was spotted on Sunday there, but not today (Tuesday Aug 30). Both my girlfriend and I will be out of town this weekend, but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE you and buy you a drink if anyone would go down there and check it out this weekend. Girlfriend is offering a reward for her bike back. Chicago police report and serial number posted here: http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/191721.

Thanks all!


More info:

I was there this morning (tues, aug 30) from 8-10 or so, then 12-1 or so.

When I came back in the afternoon, there was a SE Draft (or Lager, but I think Draft) with a sparkly greenish frame and blue V (aeroheads or Deep Vs or something shallower) rims.


There were also three hipster looking kids on fixed gears there and I have descriptions of their bikes as well (maybe they're stolen, maybe not). They might've been there looking for stolen bikes as well, for all I know, but they had pretty unique looking bikes:

Black VISP with a white front aerospoke.

White CUTTER with a red rim in front and blue rim in the rear.

Black frame, couldn't get a good grasp on what it was due to no decals, looked like H+Son (or equivalent looking) black rims, Alpha Q fork.
Permalink Reply by Scott Larson on August 30, 2011 at 6:17pm

The brown Kona Jake is my girlfriend's bike. We went down there to look for it, and I wanted to look for other stolen bikes as well. Her bike was stolen early Sunday morning (midnight to 8 AM), so she posted and ad on Craigslist and received two responses saying that it was seen at the swap on Sunday afternoon.

 

Yes, Brian was the fellow I helped today.

 


h' said:

Thanks, Scott. I might not have slept enough last night (or any night), but I'm having trouble parsing:

The Kona Jake is yours, and it was spotted by someone other than you at Swap O Rama on Sunday?

Also I spoke to another victim named Brian today, who got a call from a Scott-- if that was you, huge thanks-- he did make it down there and did end up getting his bike back.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 30, 2011 at 11:06pm

Your community-mindedness is much appreciated!


Brian's listing p/update:

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/191667

 

Scott Larson said:

The brown Kona Jake is my girlfriend's bike. We went down there to look for it, and I wanted to look for other stolen bikes as well. Her bike was stolen early Sunday morning (midnight to 8 AM), so she posted and ad on Craigslist and received two responses saying that it was seen at the swap on Sunday afternoon.

 

Yes, Brian was the fellow I helped today.

 


h' said:

Thanks, Scott. I might not have slept enough last night (or any night), but I'm having trouble parsing:

The Kona Jake is yours, and it was spotted by someone other than you at Swap O Rama on Sunday?

Also I spoke to another victim named Brian today, who got a call from a Scott-- if that was you, huge thanks-- he did make it down there and did end up getting his bike back.

Permalink Reply by Scott Larson on August 31, 2011 at 2:27pm
Hi All,

Went to another Swap-o-Rama, this one in Alsip at 127th and Kostner.

Not as many bikes at this one, only one vendor who had 6 bikes.

Vendor info: White Dodge Ram 1500 V8 pickup truck with "For Sale" sign, IL Truck license plate.
Towing a black trailer, IL trailer license plate.

Sorry, didn't get great photos.

Trek DS 8.3 MTB, white and black with red trim
trek ds 8.3

trek ds 8.3


Jamis Explorer grey hybrid
jamis explorer


Giant Rincon black & blue hybrid
Giant Rincon

Giant Rincon


Specialized Hardrock gold MTB and Specialized Crossroads grey hybrid
Specialized bikes


Giant FCR3 black, with white and red trim, didn't get good pictures of it.
Giant FCR3


Another angle of the bikes
bikes

bikes
Permalink Reply by Scott Larson on September 2, 2011 at 1:04am
I went to the Swap on 4200 S. Ashland again today.

The same two vendors were there as in my post above from Tuesday.

There was another vendor (White Mitsubishi Fuso box truck, IL plates) selling:

Blue Schwinn Madison (contemporary version) with the lower half chrome fork legs.

Red Schwinn Sport LE size Large.

Bronze Diamondback MTB, looked like a cheap one from a big box store, brand spankin' new.

Specialized Expedition hybrid, metallic grey/bronze color.

Grey Novara Safari touring bike, size Large. Recovered to proper owner.

Red Novara Transfer touring bike. Recovered to proper owner.


A white Ford van with IL plates was selling:

Jamis Exile 29, color grey.

White Motobecane road bike.


Lastly, as I was walking out through the parking lot I saw two men loading their Chevy van, IL plates with two nice road bikes way out of their league:

Black Cannondale CAAD?.? (didn't get a close look at the numbers)

White Trek with blue TREK logoing on the downtube.



Sorry, no pictures today.

The two bikes recovered were the only ones I was able to find on the chicago stolen bike registry. It's a vital tool. Use it immediately if your bike or the bike of somebody you know gets stolen.
Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on September 2, 2011 at 7:51am


Way To Go Scott!!!  You are the Terminator of the Swap-O-Rama!


Scott Larson said:

I went to the Swap on 4200 S. Ashland again today.

Grey Novara Safari touring bike, size Large. Recovered to proper owner.

Red Novara Transfer touring bike. Recovered to proper owner.


Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on September 2, 2011 at 9:00am
I second that.  Great work Scott!!

Thunder Snow said:


Way To Go Scott!!!  You are the Terminator of the Swap-O-Rama!


Scott Larson said:

I went to the Swap on 4200 S. Ashland again today.

Grey Novara Safari touring bike, size Large. Recovered to proper owner.

Red Novara Transfer touring bike. Recovered to proper owner.


Permalink Reply by Elliot Bennett on September 2, 2011 at 9:37am
Scott...you are my hero.
Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on September 2, 2011 at 10:20am

How important is proof of purchase when trying to prove ownership when trying to recover a stolen bike? All of my bikes have been purchased used, and there's not clear paper trail for each of my bikes; I paid cash for one, and was given another.

 

Is having pictures, serial numbers, and a stolen bike registry post good enough?

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on September 2, 2011 at 10:34am
Yes. The police do not require an original receipt. They also like police report numbers, but not required.

Kelvin Mulcky said:

 

 

Is having pictures, serial numbers, and a stolen bike registry post good enough?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 2, 2011 at 10:45am

It sounds like, reading this story, that it is pretty DARN important.  This incident seemed pretty touch-and-go without the police cooperating.

 

Whenever I sell a restored bike I give a full data sheet with all the details of the bike, any provenance I can find with it, and specifying everything from color, frame size, equipment specifics, serial numbers and locations and any other details.  I also have a bill of sale form that has make/model/year/Serial # and location on it along with buyer and sellers name and signature and it is dated.  I keep a copy for my own records.  Along with that information I also give a link to Bikeregistry.com that is a free bike registry for life service.  All the info needed to fill out the web form at that site is on the lists I give the buyer.  In addition to that I offer to keep the Craigslist ad up for 24 hours so the buyer can download the large and clear pictures I post when selling a bike (I host my pictures off-site so they are 800pixels wide and you can actually SEE the bike and what it looks like.)

 

All this information is handed over to the buyer. What they do with it from that point is up to them. If they are too lazy to act on it and register the bike for FREE, or save the information and bill of sale in a safe place (like with their auto titles and birth certificates or whatever) then that is their own problem.

 

You can lead a horse to water but you can not make them drink.  I rest knowing that I did my part. 

Kelvin Mulcky said:

How important is proof of purchase when trying to prove ownership when trying to recover a stolen bike? All of my bikes have been purchased used, and there's not clear paper trail for each of my bikes; I paid cash for one, and was given another.

 

Is having pictures, serial numbers, and a stolen bike registry post good enough?

Permalink Reply by bryan on September 2, 2011 at 11:27am
i joined the site just so i could post that this is awesome. i havent had a bike stolen yet but many thanks and appreciations for the people in this world who still give a shit about doing the right thing. thank you.

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