Stolen Gary Fisher Hybrid

A friend of mine had his bike stolen yesterday and asked me to post a notice on Chainlink. I walked him through the usual steps: police report; Stolen Bike Registry; Swap-o-Rama. I am posting his description below. He believes the bike may be one that showed up on Craigslist. I'm less familiar with steps for recovering a bike from a Craigslist seller than at Swap-o-Rama, so if anyone can remind me or link to postings that offer advice, this would be much appreciated. His description:

 

2007 Gary Fisher men’s hybrid bicycle 63-65 cm.
Black paint on the back of the frame; after you get to the Silver Gary Fisher logo, the metal turns silver on the top and bottom tubes. 
Custom Parts:
• Custom made heavy back wheel.
• Vittoria Raindonneur back tire, only a month old.
• Planet Bike "comfort spring" seat, a month and a half old. 

Damage – 
• Rubber grip on the right handle deteriorating.
• Gary Fisher head badge has peeled off, to leave a little glue on the steer tube. 
• Low-hanging rear derailleur and adjustment barrel. 
• Rust on the front derailleur and some rust on the month and a half old chain. 
• The headset has rust inside of it and needs to be replaced. You can see that it’s rusted as the top two bolts that open it are rusted. 

 

[CL link removed by Moc Artsy]

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Melanie K on April 29, 2011 at 3:51am

I did a search on the address in the Craig's list ad- it is for a pawn shop- I am sure if he goes down there with the police, the shop will probably give him the bike back if he can prove it is his- good luck:

Just Pawn, Inc.

(773) 275-4677

4509 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 29, 2011 at 4:26am

No report received at the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry as of yet.

Time is of the essence.

If the color, size, and saddle match I think there's little doubt that's his bike (particularly due to the unusual size.)

What proof of ownership can he produce?

 

(As an aside there has been an uptick of thefts in Lakeview/Uptown over the past few weeks and I've been wondering where they're being fenced-- it would be a great service to the community if anyone checking this place out could check the other bikes there against the Registry and contact police/owners as necessary.)

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on April 29, 2011 at 4:43am
My friend contacted me and asked that I remove the CL link until he has gone to the source.
Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on April 29, 2011 at 5:07am
The bike at the pawn shop was not his bike. He just went there back and messaged me that it was not his.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 29, 2011 at 5:25am

Odd-- considering the pictures were pretty explicit.

It would be a hair easier to predict where it might turn up (and possibly help others) if anything at all was known about how and where it was stolen.

Permalink Reply by Sharif Youssef on April 29, 2011 at 5:47am

Thanks Moc Artsy. I'm the person whose bike was stolen. I spoke with Village Cycle this morning and they confirmed that in 2007 I bought a 2006 Gary Fisher Zebrano, unfortunately they didn't have the serial number on file and I was stupid enough never to have registered it (a mistake I won't make again). 

 

H3N3, the one at the pawn shop was the same make and model, but all the parts that I had replaced on mine weren't pictured or were hazy. For example, this one still had the logo pasted to the headpiece. The headpiece itself steered it smoothly, so the inside isn't rusted up. The tires and the seat are the same ones that came with the bike. It's like my old bike in suspended animation. The rubber on the right handle is intact, and so are the derailleur, adjustment barrel, chain, etc. The bike looks unused.  I ended up checking the serial number on the stolen bike registry as Moc Artsy suggested and I purchased it when it came up clear. It's basically the same as my old bike, however I will have to pay for a new, custom made back wheel to accommodate me, skewers, and a lock.

 

My bike was stolen from my apartment building on Sawyer and Belden yesterday in Logan Square. At 5:30 AM I heard a loud noise that woke me. I thought someone was inside my apartment. Once I cleared my apartment, I went back to bed thinking it was a vivid dream. At 8:45 AM I went downstairs to bike to work and noticed that the porch I'd attached it to had been vandalized. The strong wooden railings had been smashed to bits. I called 311. They sent out an officer. He refused to take a report, telling me it wasn't a real bike (motorcycle), and that the perpetrator was probably someone in my building since there is a large gate and fence and the area isn't visible from the alley. To my mind it is more likely that it's someone who visited the building looking for an apartment as I've lived there for two years and there has never been a crime. I called 311 back to make a police report over the phone; they spent 15 minutes chastising the officer while I was on hold. They took the report, but at the time I gave them very little information. I wrote the above description to take in to the station in-person this morning at 6AM before they became busy in order to produce a supplemental report that I could use to show anyone who had bought the bike that they were likely holding my bike. However, the police station at Belmont and Western could not write a supplemental report. They explained that their "logins" were being "used downtown" and that they couldn't access the computer system.

 

So if anyone does see the bike I described, please let me know. I'll be going to the Swap-a-rama flea market tomorrow to take a look around, on Moc Artsy's suggestion. It's close to my apartment and seems to be a likely place someone might try to hock it. The local bike shops also know my bike on sight and have been told to let me know if they see it. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.  

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 29, 2011 at 6:06am

Thanks for the explanation.

Considering the location and how it was stolen I don't think it's overly likely to end up at Swap-O-Rama, but if you've got time might as well head down there.

If you do see it you'll have to get police help as the so-called "security" there will protect the thieves and try to make you look like a fool without proof of ownership and a serial number.

The cops are likely to give you the bike back with only a police report number.

Sorry you had to go to such acrobatics to get the report done-- the CPD has all but declared that they are no longer interested in property crimes at this point.

Kind of odd (and I guess lucky) coincidence that an almost identical bike in such an unusual size showed up for sale just now.  I hope it serves you well.

Can I ask why you would not post a report at the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry?

Permalink Reply by Sharif Youssef on April 29, 2011 at 7:26am
That's interesting about property crimes. I was blissfully unaware of that. I did post something at CSBR but there was a delay as it was approved. I would have done it this morning when I learned of them but the police gave me the impression that Village Cycle might have the serial number in their records. I was waiting to have that at hand as well. Alas, they don't.

But if I see the bike tomorrow, I'll make sure to call the police instead of security. And again, if anyone sees the bike, please intervene or let me know. I rely on biking far more than I'd realized.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 29, 2011 at 7:42am
There must be some communication breakdown then since the last Gary Fisher reported on the CSBR was on April 15th and there's nothing awaiting approval. I do see a brief search around 10 A.M.
Permalink Reply by Sharif Youssef on April 29, 2011 at 7:43am
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 29, 2011 at 7:47am

Yes-- please click the hypertext 3 posts above. It's also linked here under "Useful Links" and if you click on "forum" you'll see a thread called "stolen bicycles- do this first."

Please please please don't ever offer a reward for stolen bike-- most likely you'll be paying a thief directly. I wish they would take that damn reward field (if not the whole site) down.

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on April 29, 2011 at 7:53am

Wrong site Sharif.

 

Here's the correct one: http://chicago.stolenbike.org/

 

Sharif Youssef said:

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