The Chainlink

"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

Views: 27018

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

The best idea I've heard is to carry around an extra lock and lock it up if you spot it. Then call the cops. That way they can't flee on it.

That would require that the theft had already been reported to police; we don't know if Katie's has; we don't even know if "I think I've located it" means sitting on the street, or in a pawn shop, or on craigslist.   Also, once locked, I wouldn't let it out of my sight otherwise you're likely to be out a lock in addition to the original theft.

Sean Struble said:

The best idea I've heard is to carry around an extra lock and lock it up if you spot it. Then call the cops. That way they can't flee on it.

regarding my recent theft and recovery...
A) we were sure to file theft report with the police. serial # always helps.
B) reported the theft to stolenbikeregistery, providing pictures, details. I also included a reward as insurance deductible/ replacement costs were high.
C) post on FACEBOOK. let's face it, people now seem to think it doesn't exist unless it's on facebook.
Post pic/detail/stolenbikeregistry link on your wall, and in bike groups/pages such as critical mass etc
D) when fielding emails from tipsters, i suggested if they found the bike locked up to remove wheel skewers and/or use their lock if they had one and call me... I never insisted they confront "owner."
E) keep pictures, details, police reports, and any printouts of correspondence/ online posts in a file/folder.
F) if found, contact 911 with location, info and provide that file/folder of items on site.

Again I would not suggest confronting "owner" if you do not have to.

Congrats to Katie and husband on the recovery of the bike in question. Will let her provide the details if she so chooses.

Regarding rewards- I know I can't expect every bike theft victim to consider themselves part of a greater community, or to think of themselves as bicycle advocates, but I believe that ultimately by offering a reward you support bike theft and hurt everyone.  Of all the bicycle recovery stories that have come my way (here's a sampling), I can't recall a single one in which a reward was a significant motivation in getting the bike back to its owner, or one case in which it was necessary to pay reward money (rather than get police help) to get a bike back. 

sorry, really wasnt asking for a critique.
just providing the information in which i recovered my bike after 7 long wks.

it can happen to you

good luck to all

We did recover the bike (it was my husband's).  We had done all the appropriate things: filed a police report, did a listing on stolen bike registry, and started monitoring Craigslist and ebay, etc.  A listing for the bike style appeared on Craigslist.  It was a stock picture and a generic description of the bike, which was what tipped us off.  We used a newly-created email account to arrange to meet the seller the next day at a busy train station.  

My husband walked by the seller, could verify by sight that it was his bike and turned around the corner and called the cops.  The seller was obviously not the original thief, but he had purchased the bike off a street corner.  In email, he had tried to pass the bike off as one he had had awhile,  He did seem rather scared by the process, so hopefully that's one less person willing to try buy stolen bikes off of street corners.  

Husband had the police report, his original sales receipt (with serial number) and any other paperwork the cops could want, so they processed the bike and released it to him.

I'm not sure that exact situation can be replicated, but perhaps some of it can be useful to someone in recovering their bike.

My bike was stolen Saturday night at around 11pm from Wilson Skatepark. 

Here is a link to the post on the stolen bike registry. 

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/193063

If you have any knowledge of this bike, please call me immediately. 

734 516 8177

Thanks. 

Okay, I chuckled at this recent entry.

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/193153

"Went to bed at my girlfriend's house, woke up and she was gone."

So which was stolen, the bike or the girl? lol

I thought it might mean that the sign was gone, but decided to just leave it alone.

I was afraid to ask how "she" was locked up...

Damn thats a nice bike.  I'll keep my eyes open.

Matthew Steven Brideau said:

My bike was stolen Saturday night at around 11pm from Wilson Skatepark. 

Here is a link to the post on the stolen bike registry. 

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/193063

If you have any knowledge of this bike, please call me immediately. 

734 516 8177

Thanks. 

Last I checked women are not property -thus can't be "stolen."   At least that is how it is here in the civilized western world.

Dragonborn said:

Okay, I chuckled at this recent entry.

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/node/193153

"Went to bed at my girlfriend's house, woke up and she was gone."

So which was stolen, the bike or the girl? lol

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service