ode to a stollen bike

[Trek420]

I'll need to find a new name.

My much loved and much upgraded TREK 420 was stollen from our home. The end of many happy miles and years of obsessing about upgrades.

I've reported it to the police, local used bike shops, the national bike registry.

You can list a stolen bike on the national bike regisrty for $0.99! If the bike is not found in 6 months, you can list another bike free.

I planned to buy a new bike in May anyway but I would always have kept this bike, it fit perfectly and I loved the double takes when cyclists saw that this was not just a regular 420.

People who know didly squat about bikes liked it because of the cool purple to green fade paint job and complimenting cinelli purple cow-spot handlebar tape. I clean all our bikes often so she looked brand new.

People who know about bikes would do this funny double take when they saw it's Ultegra throughout, flightdeck and the Mavic pro rims on a 420. Oh well, by now she's either sold for a hit of crack or stripped for the parts 8-(

But we're so lucky because if the break in occured while I was home things could have been much worse. And if it occured while we were away they could have taken more or worse harmed our dog to quiet her. I'm sure Mae tried to let the whole neighborhood know. But we're all ok and the weird thing is the only thing taken was this bike.

The four other bikes in the next room are locked to each other by multiple locks which then weave through a bike rack making stealing them a 6 person job. Unfortunately I'd taken the TREK off the rack and it was unlocked on my cycleops. I would not have thought I needed such security in my own home but...it happens.

I urge you all to lock your bikes even when in your home.

TREK420~maybe renamed Mondonico soon

[Kpicha]

Wow, I'm really sorry to hear about that! That's really creepy to think some stranger walzted right into your home and took your bike! I sure hope it'll turn up, and in one piece!

Cheers,
Kristina

[Irulan]

on my "other " bike forum, a guy has a great/sad tale about his bike being stolen. One of a kind paint job too. Six months later he sees the guy and follows him home. I forget what happened after that, IIRC a non violent confrontation of some sort and he got the bike back!!!


Irulan

[Trek420]

"Wow, I'm really sorry to hear about that! That's really creepy to think some stranger walzted right into your home and took your bike! I sure hope it'll turn up, and in one piece!"

Waltzed? that's a funny image, picture bike thief with Blue Danube playing in background ;-)

If I see someone out on my bike THEY will not be in one piece ;-)

My mechanic thinks the bike, whole or in parts was likely sold at one of the local flea markets, or changed just enough to sell online as a different bike. I often see bikes on BART with electrical tape or duct tape wrapped around the frame either to make the bike unnatractive to theives or unrecognisable to orriginal owners who might see it. So it may be out there but repainted.

Our neighbors bike was stolen at about the same time; old women's style frame not a very valuable bike but upsetting to them.

Our house is set back on a private drive: theives, delivery men, door to door sales, missionaries, everyone has trouble finding it...except this &^%$ thief

[Kpicha]

LOL! Yeah, I guess that does provoke a funny image! Black ski mask and all! :)

[Trek420]

"LOL! Yeah, I guess that does provoke a funny image! Black ski mask and all! :)"

...baggy clothes, prison tatoos, big beefy guy coasting down the hill on teeny-tiny 47 cm road bike with knees up around his chin...trying to figure out "where are the brakes? where are the pedals? these can't be pedals!?" meanwhile in background ....LOL

[Kpicha]

ROFL!

Its good to see you've got a good sense of humor about all of this! :) Ain't no sense in gettin' angry :)

[Trek420]

"on my "other " bike forum...."

you're seeing another forum? we're jealous...just kidding ;-)

"a guy has a great/sad tale about his bike being stolen. One of a kind paint job too. Six months later he sees the guy and follows him home. I forget what happened after that, IIRC a non violent confrontation of some sort and he got the bike back!!!"

I'm glad he go his bike back! And good for him keeping things nonviolent.

The cop I reported the theft to said often your bike turns up, either you see it, it returned via lost/stollen property, they "joy ride" and ditch it and it's returned if you have any id on the bike, and the national bike registry

If I saw someone riding my bike I would do the same thing that's follow them, call the cops. But they'd have to hope that the cops came quickly, I'm not sure the confrontation would be non-violent, this person broke into my house! (see cross training/other sports thread for 20+ years of martial arts training)

A coworker who rides said a thief broke into his house, there were 4 bikes; 2 expensive Italian road bikes and 2 dirt-cheap mountain bikes. The thief took a mountain bike and ignored the road bikes. Mountain bikes are easier for them to sell but in my case harder to get at, he took the easy way :rolleyes:

[MightyMitre]

That's horrible Trek - I'd be totally gutted if my bike was stolen. Sounds like it had some nice kit on it too.

You mentioned a neighbour also had a bike taken- do you think the thief was specifically looking for bikes to take and sell on, or just some guy who thought he'd look less conspicuous walking a bike down the road than carrying a TV & video under his arm.

You also mentioned Irulan is seeing "another bike forum". I thought we were exclusive - I didn't realise we were only dating...:D ;) :D

[Trek420]

"do you think the thief was specifically looking for bikes to take and sell on, or just some guy who thought he'd look less conspicuous walking a bike down the road than carrying a TV & video under his arm."

I think it's the latter, we may never know.

S/he probably walked back here, saw the neigbors bike out on their driveway with the garage door open, took that and on the way in or out saw mine through the window and came back, or at the same time with another person or a car. It would be hard to "waltz" down the road with 2 bikes ;-)

The cops won't dust for prints which could find the culprit if they have a record, guess they have other fish to fry.

Do theives go looking for bikes or specific ones? I would never run an add like "wanted thus and such a bike this size with this and that", bad karma if a theif would steal one to sell it to me

"You also mentioned Irulan is seeing "another bike forum". I thought we were exclusive - I didn't realise we were only dating...:D ;) :D"

It's ok Irulan, as long as your bringing the info home to us
;)

gotta go see Lance in SF (I hope he's over the flu) (see thread "who's going to SF....) I was at the SF farmer market yesterday, so exciting to see the US Postal team cars, vans, equipment trucks etc parked downtown

[kimba]

Hey Trek!

I was looking at bike frames on Ebay tonight and I saw a Trek bike and thought of you!
It had that crazy green to purple paintjob- and I remembered that's what yours had.
But it's in, like Ohio, so I don't think it's yours.
How did that ever come out? Did you ever find it or find some leads?

Just wondering...
Kimba

[Trek420]

kimba wrote: Hey Trek!

"I was looking at bike frames on Ebay tonight and I saw a Trek bike and thought of you! It had that crazy green to purple paintjob- and I remembered that's what yours had. But it's in, like Ohio, so I don't think it's yours."

thanks for checking kimba!

hmmmm, just checked E-bay and don't see it, maybe it's sold already? I looked in "bike frames" and "complete bikes"

Online auctions were the first thing I checked. I saw one from my hometown, same size, color, different kit, but aluminum not steel.....

One of my workout buddies, a Fremont cop also my LBS say it was likely sold at a local flea market for the going rate for drugs.

But crooks do move bikes around, especially good ones. If they have half a brain they swap parts so likely if I did see my bike the Ultegra power train would be on ANOTHER bike and the kit would be unrecognizable.

A recent article in Cycle California says one reason folks don't get bikes back is that if you register your bike localy (you can do it for free at local fire departments) when stolen bikes are found the police check that registry but if you're in Paris TX and your bike winds up in Venice CA .... that's why the national bike registry is a good idea as well.

If you love your bikes, lock them up, even in your home. Wouldn't it be funny if they had "lowjack" for bikes? I'm picturing riding around with a little GPS reciever "beep, beep, beeeeeep"

"How did that ever come out? Did you ever find it or find some leads? Just wondering..."

Thanks for asking. I'm going forward with getting a new bike probably one from .....

http://www.torelli.com/mondonico/mndnico.html

:cool: