Are stolen bikes ever recovered?

[Looeez]

While I was away visiting my family for the holidays thieves broke into my shed and stole various tools and 3 bicycles. One was my boyfriend's relatively inexpensive commuter, my cheap but much loved cruiser and worse of all my brand new, only ridden 3 times dutch bicycle that I won in a prize draw only a couple of months ago.

I am terribly disappointed. The police were called and I need to contact the insurance company this week to see what's covered. I'm assuming I'll never see them again - the police didn't really do anything other than give us some forms to fill in and my boyfriend said it's not something the police bother with. Are stolen bikes every recovered? has anyone ever heard of someone getting a stolen bike back?

[smilingcat]

Yes I did. Saw the guy riding my stolen kids 10 speed bicycle. Several adults held them there until the police came. and I got my bike back. +1 (30 some years ago maybe closer to 40 years ago)

Few years later, the poor bike got stolen again and I never saw it again. -1

Keep a lookout. It may not have travelled too far.

So my bike stays inside my house. NOT in the garage, not in the shed out back... My bikes are in my bedroom. guarded by two fierce tail wagging golden retriver and tail wagging white lab (he, at least, has a mean 'ol bark).

oh my sister and her husband had their MTB stolen out of the garage (it even had a garage door opener with the rolling code thingy)

Chances are pretty slim but you might get lucky and find your bike. Check with local bike shops and craig's list often.

smilingcat

[sgtiger]

Besides Smilingcat recovering her bike, there have been other reports of TE posters recovering stolen bikes. Almost all the ones I can think of required that the victim be proactive in the search of their stolen property.

Here's a couple of the most recent ones that come to mind:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=recovered
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=recovered

ETA: It never hurts to put out ads on cycling forums and craigslist so that others are aware to look out for your bikes. Pictures are helpful if you have any handy, otherwise give a detailed description of each bike.

[Biciclista]

my son's miyata fixie was cut free from its chain and stolen. A few weeks later (after we bought him a new bike) his brother saw a kid riding the bike and eventually caught up with him and informed him that the bike was stolen. My son later went to the kid's house (a 20 year old kid, sorry) and gave him 20 bucks for the bike. the kid said he found it outside the dormitory. So it pays to be alert, sometimes it happens!

[Looeez]

Thanks for the replies. I'm keeping an eye out and searching Craigslist etc although I'm not very optimistic.

I still have an old bike but I'm having a hard time motivating myself to ride. I know it's stupid but I feel really soured and put off cycling in general because of this. It's as though by riding my bike it keeps reminding me off it and so I'm avoiding everything to do with cycling for a while. Like I said, it's stupid but it's making me grumpy... I need to get a better outlook on this!

[tc1]

Check with your local law enforcement. A few times a year they may hold an auction of unclaimed recovered stolen property, and bikes are always on their list. I have never been to one, the boyfriend says 5 bikes is plenty. And we are out of storage space.

[NbyNW]

Yes, don't give up hope. I still haven't found mine (I may never stop looking), but Meg did find hers, seven months later on craigslist. The police recovered it and they have been reunited!

There was another woman who had her bike stolen around the same time as I did (a 44 cm Cannondale w/ 650 c wheels -- all of our bikes were distinctive for their small size), and I found her bike on craigslist a few weeks ago, for sale down in Tacoma. I called her right away, and she called the police. I have not yet heard back whether they've been able to retrieve it, but I noticed the next day that the ad had been pulled, so hopefully that's a good sign.

I ended up filing an insurance claim for my bike and had a new one in about two months. It's "of like kind" as far as the insurance company is concerned, but it doesn't feel the same as the one I lost, but bikes are unique that way . . . I'm getting used to it.

[newfsmith]

Many years ago, my son had a freestyle BMX that he had built part by part, until he finally bought the Haro frame of his dreams and transferred all the parts to it. A few months later, while he was delivering papers to a second floor apartment, it was stolen. We reported it to the police, but assumed it was gone. Fortunately for him, we were able to place a claim on our household insurance and he got a new bike. A year later, the police called and asked him to come ID his bike. It had been located 2 towns over, in a "bike chop shop" that had been found during a drug bust. We then had to go to the insurance company to pay back their settlement, but he did get his original bike back. However, he couldn't look at it without crying again. He finally gave it to a friend.