have you ever wondered if the bike rider has stolen the bike?

[smilingcat]

Lately, around my neighborhood, I see lot of very high end bicycles. This itself isn't so strange. But when you look at the rider, the way they dress, and their form I just have to go Is that bike stolen?

I've seen high-end Specialized, Cervelo, Orbea being ridden by someone in street cloth with regular tennies on their feet. Their riding style is just plain atrocious to say the least. And they sure don't look like they can afford a $3,000 or more bike. And these bikes are relatively new!!

Am I being too cynical? Would you ride your clipless pedal with regular tennis shoes or flip flops? I just have to really wonder sometimes. Every week I see a police report, care of neighborhood watch group, and we must have about half a dozen cases of bikes being stolen. Mostly out of garage or "parked" out on a street with chain/cable lock.

I really want to engage in some conversation with these riders. "Hey what kind of pedals are they?" "How do you like your brifters?"... I swear, the bike must be stolen... The rider and the bike just don't match.

[papaver]

they can also buy stolen goods... they don't have to be the thieves themselves.

[Biciclista]

is it always the same person?

[GulfCoastAmy]

I would be suspicious too, but then again, I would ride in tennies. But not street clothes! Weird....

[uk elephant]

I have been seen riding in street clothes and tennies/sandles with my clipless pedals if I'm just nipping out. But I do see your point. A news story in the local paper from home just last week....the police stopped a student late at night drunkenly riding a bike that very obviously wasn't his. Turns out he had stolen it and he was made to hand it back to the owner himself. The owner, a 6 year old boy, was somewhat disappointed though. He was hoping for a new bike since his had been stolen. Now he was stuck with the returned old bike for a while longer.

[Biciclista]

well, actually, I can be seen riding in street clothes almost every single day on my fancy road bike. I wear my expensive red Italian leather shoes(SIDI) and helmet as well..

[ginny]

I also would wear street clothes on my roadie before I had my commuter... but, I see the point. Though, the police reports say stolen from being parked outside. Who would leave an orbea outside and unattended? I don't leave my roadie parked outside at all... if it can't come in with me when I run inside, I take the great blue tank (my commuter). You are in So Cal? Yeah, I can see someone stealing high end bikes and then riding them in their baggie shorts... (I grew up in south OC). Well, take special care of your road bike...

[MartianDestiny]

I routinely wear street clothes (and a backpack) while riding my $3.5k carbon race bike. I like to ride it, so when I can I commute on it. No point in full kit to go 3 miles to work...

I do tend to wear my bike shoes though, only because the contact area on my pedals is puny (mountain bike pedals).

But yes, I have seen bikes that I thought just HAD to be stolen. Like a nearly new, but obviously abused Specialized, must have been a 3-4k bike, with very old school cage pedals that were beaten to heck. The rider looked like he hadn't showered in a week and his clothes and shoes were in dire need of replacement...

[Fredwina]

There was an article in Bicycling a while back (click here) about day laborers and bikes.
Basically , Stolen bikes are a lot less expensive than a Huffy.
I've seen bikes that don't belong with the ride (Specialized Tarmac, Rivendell Rambolieut, and a Vitus 992(though that may be a goodwill special))

[kenyonchris]

they can also buy stolen goods... they don't have to be the thieves themselves.

If one knowingly purchases stolen goods, he is a thief himself.

Bikes are easily stolen, they are stored in garages that are left open or are easy to get in and get out. They wind up in a pawn shop or craigslist (most often craigslist, a good pawn shop will run the serial number).
Thieves (except stupid kids, who are, by definition, stupid) don't ride the bikes they steal. They pull up, throw them in the back of the car, and drive away. THey sell them as quickly as possible and want to get as much money for them as possible, and seem as legit as possible. Now, stupid kids may take one on dare or impulse and try to ride off on it....

[smilingcat]

It's not the same person. They are many of them.

Nor do they look like they decided not to get into their kit because it was a short trip somewhere.

I've been riding long enough to tell if the cyclist is experienced or not. The ones I question are not even dressing down. It just looks really cheap. bikes do not fit them!! Just yesterday, It was Cervelo S1/2/3 with the aero seat post. The frame was too big for the rider, his hands were in the drops, out of the seat, leaning way forward just so he could reach the bars. The bikes swayed left and right and the front wheel kept on turning left and right so that the bike was meandering down the road. He was't dressing down. I think that was the way he normally dresses. What am I supposed to think??

Each day when I go for a walk with my partner, (so she gets some exercise), I keep pointing out all the expensive bikes that go rolling by with rider not matching. Orbea, Trek, Cervelo, Felt, Specialized... I wish I could have one of those bikes in my size.

Maybe they bought it off craigslist or on some corner.

My sister and her husband stored their bike locked in the garage. Both were stolen. So they keep theirs in the basement now. This is in Utah. I keep my bikes in my bedroom. Just no way am I going to risk it in the garage especially after reading all the police report stating that the bike was locked with chain/cable in the closed garage.

[redrhodie]

a good pawn shop will run the serial number

Sorry for the hijack, smilingcat, but a quick question to chris about running serial # of bikes. Is there a national police databank of stolen bike serial #s?

[Ana]

I like to take little impromptu joy rides sometimes when I'm moving my bike or if I'm around it... I pedal in my shoes (or sandals) on the flat sides of my SPD-Ls. Admittedly, I do this rarely (and only for 5 minutes or so) but I like how it makes my heart swell

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

There was an article in Bicycling a while back (click here) about day laborers and bikes.

That's a very good article, thanks.

[Geonz]

I'd hate to "profile"- but indeed, sometimes the bike and rider are a painful mismatch. Usually the purchaser of a high end bike who is doing it the standard way has this idea about becoming a higher-end rider, after all

I do remember the time I had to break a chain around a bike and put mine on it... and I didn't want to litter with the chain so I stuffed it into my backpack, not realizing that the broken part was dangling out.
I wondered why that driver behaved so oddly, honking at me in that 'excuse me, did you realizing you were losing soemthign?' way and then peeling around me and driving off... \

I'd be tempted to take a picture of a suspicious combination (if I could do so without putting myself at risk) - 'round here, our bike discussion list sometimes has posts when a bike is swiped.