https://bikeindex.org/news.atomBike Index news2024-03-15T03:00:00-05:002024-03-15T03:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/university-of-utah-partners-with-bike-index-for-comprehensive-campus-bUniversity of Utah Partners with Bike Index for Comprehensive Campus Bike Management and Theft Prevention2024-03-15T03:00:00-05:00Jordani Sarreal<h3 id="university-of-utah-joins-bike-index-to-reduce-bike-theft-and-manage-bicycles-on-campus">University of Utah joins Bike Index to reduce bike theft and manage bicycles on campus</h3>
<p>The University of Utah has joined forces with Bike Index, a leading platform for bike registration and recovery, to combat bike theft and streamline bike management on campus. With over 35,000 undergraduates and a vibrant community of visitors, <a href="https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/preventing-theft-on-campus/">the university has been grappling with an increasing number of bike thefts in recent years</a>, putting students’ and visitors’ property at risk.</p>
<p>In 2021 alone, <a href="https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2022/02/05/bicycles-stolen-university-of-utah-campus/">69 bicycles were reported stolen from the University of Utah campus</a>, many of which had their locks cut—some in broad daylight. This alarming trend is not unique to the university, as campuses across the country have faced similar challenges with bike theft. To address this issue and ensure a safer environment for cyclists, the University of Utah has partnered with Bike Index and its comprehensive suite of <a href="https://bikeindex.org/for_schools">campus bike management tools</a>.</p>
<p>Through this partnership, the University of Utah gains access to Bike Index’s cutting-edge bike registration and recovery system, which is designed to deter theft and facilitate the identification and return of stolen bicycles.</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-bike-index-works-for-university-and-college-campuses">Key features of Bike Index’s campus bike management solutions</a> include:</p>
<p><strong>1. Mobile Bicycle Identification:</strong> Campus officials can quickly scan a QR sticker to identify a bicycle’s owner, send notifications, or tag bicycles for easy management.</p>
<p><strong>2. Message & Notification History:</strong> All messages and notifications related to a registered bike are conveniently stored in a centralized location, ensuring efficient communication and record-keeping with interdepartmental access.</p>
<p><strong>3. Location-Based Messaging:</strong> University staff can create and distribute notifications and follow-up messages based on the specific location of registered bicycles on campus, enabling targeted communication and enforcement.</p>
<p><strong>4. Simple Registration:</strong> Students simultaneously register their bikes with both the university’s campus management system and Bike Index’s national database, increasing the chances of recovery for the lifetime of the bicycle (not just its time on campus).</p>
<p>By leveraging Bike Index’s robust platform, the University of Utah joins a community of nearly 100 university partners committed to making campuses safer and protecting bicycles now and in the future. Bike Index’s comprehensive approach not only aids in theft prevention but also streamlines bike management, fostering a more organized and secure cycling environment for the university community.</p>
<p>In addition to its campus bike management tools, Bike Index offers valuable resources for bike owners, including tips for preventing theft, recovery assistance, and a vast database of registered bikes to aid in the identification and return of stolen bicycles. By partnering with Bike Index, the University of Utah demonstrates its commitment to promoting sustainable transportation, creating a safer environment for students, and fostering a bicycle-friendly campus culture.</p>
<p>To learn more about Bike Index’s custom campus bike management solutions and how ti can benefit your institution, email <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org?Subject=Campus Inquiry" target="_top">gavin@bikeindex.org</a></p>
2024-02-06T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/michigan-state-university-joins-bike-index-to-protect-students-and-redMichigan State University Joins Bike Index to Protect Students and Reduce Bike Theft on Campus2024-02-06T00:00:00-06:00Jordani Sarreal<h3 id="bike-index-is-partnering-with-michigan-state-university-to-minimize-bicycle-theft-and-provide-convenient-campus-management-tools">Bike Index is partnering with Michigan State University to minimize bicycle theft and provide convenient campus management tools.</h3>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7l3bsre8zezwyl9rag3bv/Michigan-State-University-Joins-Bike-Index.png?rlkey=g4zbi22tehykoaok0js753ax4&raw=1" alt="Photo by iStock.com/wellesenterprises" /></p>
<p>Nearly 40,000 students are enrolled at Michigan State University (MSU), with many using car-free modes of transportation to commute on campus or to nearby places. As a bike-friendly campus, this first-class institution wants its students to worry more about their classes and less about their bikes being stolen — which is why they’ve partnered with Bike Index to reduce the risk of this issue.</p>
<p>Bike theft is one of the biggest problems on college campuses. Over 1.5 million bikes are stolen on university campuses each year, leaving each four-year student with a bicycle a 53% chance of losing their bike to theft. MSU’s partnership with Bike Index will effectively combat this problem by allowing students to register their bikes for free while adding convenient and effective university tools to manage the bicycles on campus.</p>
<h2 id="qr-bike-stickers-mobile-identification-on-campus">QR Bike Stickers: Mobile Identification on Campus</h2>
<p>University campuses often face the challenge of effectively managing bicycles on campus. When bikes are parked in the wrong zones, recovered by staff, or need to be moved for construction or events, campus staff are left to manage these incidents, often without a way to notify and alert the bike owners.</p>
<p>Upon registration, each student receives a tamper and weather-resistant QR code sticker to identify their bicycle and receive notifications regarding their bike. With Bike Index’s integrated system, campus staff can send alerts and notifications directly to bike owners.</p>
<h3 id="location-based-messaging">Location-Based Messaging</h3>
<p>Now, during construction or events, bicycle owners can be instantly notified if their bike needs to be moved. If a bike is recovered by campus staff or security, the owner can also be notified immediately—providing convenient and timely pickup of collected bikes instead of a buildup of abandoned bikes that are never claimed.</p>
<p>The QR stickers also serve the bike owner after their time at university, serving as a bike theft deterrent and identification tool for the lifetime of the bike, even if it eventually switches ownership.</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-bike-index-works-for-university-and-college-campuses">Learn more about Bike Index tools for University and College Campuses.</a></p>
<h2 id="interdepartmental-communication">Interdepartmental Communication</h2>
<p>At a large campus like Michigan State’s, the simple bike registration and management platform by Bike Index provides a communicative and responsive solution between multiple departments. Campus Police, Campus Transportation, Cycling Services, and administration can all access a single database to reference misplaced bikes, issue notices, or send alerts, simplifying bicycle management for all.</p>
<h1 id="the-1-bike-management-platform-for-university-campuses">The #1 Bike Management Platform for University Campuses</h1>
<p>Bike Index is excited to include Michigan State University as one of its 1,500+ community partners and provide its students and staff with bike theft solutions that work.</p>
<p>To learn more about bringing Bike Index campus solutions to your university, <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org?Subject=Campus Inquiry" target="_top">gavin@bikeindex.org</a></p>
2023-09-11T18:06:55-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-tool-in-the-fight-against-bike-crimesBike Index's new tool in the fight against bike crimes - a bespoke intelligence platform2023-09-11T18:06:55-05:00Bryan Hance<p>After more than a decade of chasing stolen bikes and bike thieves, Bike Index found itself with an interesting new problem: <b>the absolute mountain of data that we collect on ‘bad guys’</b>.</p>
<p>‘Bad guys’ in this context is a long list of people doing bad things in the bikes sphere: think bike thieves, bike fences, black- and grey-market bike sellers, shop smash-and-grab bandits, bike shop scammers, various online fraudsters - you name it. There is unfortunately a very rich tapestry of idiots out there doing bad things in the bikes world, and we’ve encountered them all.</p>
<p>Every time we recover a bike, find a stolen bike being sold online, or catch a fraudster in progress - we collect some data on that person or group. It all adds up!</p>
<p>As Bike Index has evolved, we’ve come to <b>value this data and the things that we can do with it</b>. This information comes in handy when, for example, a new victim pops up with a ‘bad guy data point’ we’ve already seen before - and we’re able to tie a existing name/email/phone number/CashApp/Venmo/Offerup account to a specific ‘bad guy’. This lets us better define who we’re dealing with - and sometimes do things like reaching out to the very same officer who arrested that bad guy the last time, or advise the new victim on the prior behaviors and methods of the specific bad guy we’re currently dealing with.</p>
<p>Prior to today, this information lived in many different places - several inboxes, Google docs, in Facebook posts scattered across dozens of groups, in hand-compiled files and folders. It wasn’t a good system, and it has been clear for years that we needed a better way to <b>collect</b>, <b>analyze</b>, and <b>disseminate</b> this information to our partners. Plus, we needed to do this in a secure and centralized manner, with dozens of Bike Index constituents across the globe.</p>
<p>Enter the <b>PSU Senior Capstone program</b>:</p>
<p>Months ago, I met a wonderful person here in Portland who introduced me to <a target="_new" href="https://sites.google.com/pdx.edu/bruceirvin/capstone">PSU’s Computer Science Capstone</a> program, where ‘<i>…students design and implement new software to benefit a charity, government, school, company, organization or individual in our community</i>.’ This Capstone program pairs up community groups with specific problems they need solved with a team of coders to create and implement software to help those group’s needs.</p>
<p>This seemed like a perfect match for Bike Index, so I submitted a pitch back in February - and was luckily paired up with an amazing team.</p>
<p><b>From humble beginnings, an excellent end product:</b></p>
<p>I sat down and hand-drew <b>very</b> rough details of a bespoke record keeping system for Bike Index, one that would allow things like</p>
<ul>
<li>Secure access to thousands of records of several different data types</li>
<li>A bespoke search system that would let Bike Index admins correlate data across different 'bad guys'</li>
<li>Supporting file uploads/downloads, custom fields, and multinational data type support</li>
<li>Bulk upload and download capabilities</li>
</ul>
<p>The absolute joy of handing off a loosely defined spec, letting the team get their hands on it, and then watching them run with it cannot be understated. And the team absolutely knocked it out of the park! Over the next several months the team would run code sprints, present to me their changes, ideas and improvements, and we would back-and-forth about how to best forge a solution for Bike Index.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/743371/intel_001_small.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>The final product is several times more amazing than what I asked for</b>. The team not only met my specifications, but they were able to come up with all kinds of improvements and additions I never even thought of.</p>
<p>It was truly a pleasure working with this crew and seeing them tackle this project and work with them to refine it into the final end product that we are putting into production today.</p>
<p>By the very nature of the system I can’t share a lot of it here, nor are the screenshots very amazing because I’ve had to redact all the data. We need to keep our secrets a secret. But I’m not exaggerating when I say this new platform is going to save us <b>hundreds of hours of labor</b> each year. I’m very excited about using this going forward, and the ability for us to rapidly share the information we’ve collected with other key Bike Index users and partners.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/743374/intel_004_small.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Bike Index sends a massive THANK YOU to the PSU Capstone team for all their hard work, <b>long</b> hours of coding, and their dedication to this project - a HUGE thank you goes to</p>
<ul>
<li>Bruce Truong</li>
<li>Cheng Lin</li>
<li>Cristian Salazar</li>
<li>Emerson Peters</li>
<li>Matthew Istvan</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you, team!</p>
<p>This system is not public, however if you are a law enforcement, cycling industry, or other anti-theft entity already working with Bike Index you can drop us a line at contact@bikeindex.org</p>
2023-06-14T17:31:36-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/ten-questions-with-alberta-bike-swapTen Questions with: Alberta Bike Swap2023-06-14T17:31:36-05:00Bryan Hance
<p>One of the most fun things about working at Bike Index is meeting people doing cool things in the bikes space - people like Chris and Laura of <a target="_new" href="https://albertabikeswap.ca/">Alberta Bike Swap</a></p>
<p>We first met Alberta Bike Swap when they reached out to us to chat about integrating Bike Index search and registration into their software. They wanted to both a) make sure the bikes they were taking in weren’t stolen, and b) to also register the bikes they were sending out the door. It has been interesting to learn about their events and how they are crafting solutions to fit a <i>huuuuge</i> need in the bikes space - a place to buy and sell (and donate!) bikes, at scale and in person, in a safe and secure manner.</p>
<p><b>This is the kind of effort we love to support</b>, since we see the effects of rampant black/grey market bike fencing on Offerup, Facebook, Craigslist etc. pretty much every day here at Bike Index - and because <b>their passion for this work is clear</b>.</p>
<p>We wanted to do a little Q&A with Chris and Laura here to help them spread the word:</p>
<h3 id="q-so-pretend-i-know-nothing-about-your-org-or-your-software---whats-is-your-elevator-pitch">Q: So, pretend I know nothing about your org or your software - what’s is your ‘elevator pitch’?</h3>
<p>Both Chris and I had bad experiences buying and selling bikes online. Chris had been buying bikes from police auctions, repairing them, then giving them to friends or selling them for the price of parts to keep his bike tech skills active. He tried to sell a couple of these bikes out of our garage, but the person looked at everything else in our garage and we were robbed. In the same week I was looking at a full carbon road bike with a girlfriend in an unfurnished basement and the person wanted cash. Chris and I were cycle commuting home and saw someone cycle through a stop sign and we went home home and sketched out the processes to create the bike swaps - and fund safe cycling.</p>
<p>Our pitch - <b>We didn’t feel safe to buy or sell bikes online so we came up with a way to create a safe place to buy, sell, and donate bikes</b>. Our processes and software prevent stolen bikes from being in our event. Our events are a small part of what we do, we also use the proceeds to support safe cycling education, built (designed & patented) bike racks for community use, pledge people in charity rides if they bring in a bike to sell, collect & distribute bike donations, also help fund the repair of donated bikes.</p>
<h3 id="q-what-was-the-origin-or-genesis-of-this-software-what-are-your-respective-backgrounds">Q: What was the origin or genesis of this software? What are your respective backgrounds?</h3>
<p>We started recording serial numbers and the seller’s contact information on paper at our first event in 2011 and moved to POS software within a year, we then used consignment software, then an Access database that we’d product managed.</p>
<p>A software developer came forward after a TV show about our impact and coded our software to cloud services in C++ and use Bike Index’s open API and we aren’t sure what took us so long to get our software to where it is now. IRL Chris is a mechanical engineer that can take anything apart and put it back together, and whatever he takes apart usually always works better, except maybe that two-way light switch. Laura was diagnosed with MS in third year pharmacy and figured she wouldn’t be healthy enough to work in that field, so got a math/comp sci degree as one of three women in the early 80s. Cycling kept Laura’s MS at bay for over 40 years.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/710898/004.PNG" alt="Alberta Bike Swap" /></p>
<h3 id="qwalk-me-through-how-this-works---i-go-to-a-bike-swap-and-then-what-happens">Q:Walk me through how this works - I go to a bike swap, and then what happens?</h3>
<p>Our events are run by volunteers and all the background work is done by just the 2 of us. We have 50-80 volunteers per event and always have a wait list. We have a <b>12% rejection rate</b> of bikes with issues and have seen bikes with cracked frames and glued on pedals go back for sale online after we’ve rejected them. We always have a local bike shop on site to repair the small issues so a bike can get into the event.</p>
<p>A bike seller will bring in bike – we’ll tech check it to make sure that the bike is immediately rideable, then run the bike serial number into our software to <b>verify that the bike hasn’t been reported as stolen through Bike Index’s real-time stolen bike database</b>. The seller sets the price they want for the bike. We have something called a rack fee, which is the fee to get the bike into the event so if a bike doesn’t sell it still covers some of the expenses. We also charge a 15% commission fee when the bike sells. That 15% covers most of our expenses (but) … we won’t retire any time soon.</p>
<p>We have dream fulfillment volunteers to make sure no one goes home on an ill-fitting bike. The most important thing is that there is always a chain of ownership of bike and seller to bike and buyer. The software messages the seller when their bike sells, and if it doesn’t sell, then messages them to pick it up or if they’ve chose to donate it, we thank them. It’s ‘automagic’ software.</p>
<h3 id="qhow-many-bikes-do-you-tend-to-process-per-day-or-per-event">Q:How many bikes do you tend to process per day or per event?</h3>
<p>We intake bikes between <b>8am-2pm</b>.<br />
<b>2pm – 2:30pm</b> we let people in with stolen bike police reports<br />
<b>2:30-4:00pm</b> we sell the bikes<br /></p>
<p>The most bikes we’ve sold at an event is <b>620</b> and we had nearly 400 donated bikes as well. We will have to move it to a 2 day event – but cost and security are a concern.</p>
<h3 id="qwhat-do-buyers-and-sellers-so-far-have-to-say-about-your-work-do-consumers-understand-the-importance-of-checking-bike-serials">Q:What do buyers and sellers so far have to say about your work? Do consumers understand the importance of checking bike serials?</h3>
<p>Most people don’t know about serial numbers - and it’s a hard lesson if they get their bike stolen. We invite the police to our events and they attend
and promote us for what we do – they even gave us a stack of Bike Index stickers last week.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/710896/001.PNG" alt="Alberta Bike Swap" /></p>
<h3 id="qtell-me-about-the-upcoming-university-of-calgary-swap-what-will-you-be-doing-at-this-event-is-this-an-event-for-buyers-sellers-or-both-how-large-is-this-event">Q:Tell me about the upcoming University of Calgary swap? What will you be doing at this event? Is this an event for buyers, sellers or both? How large is this event?</h3>
<p>We were asked by the University of Calgary to host a bike swap event to create a bursary for kinesiology students and to showcase what we do on <b>June 17th</b>. I don’t want to say that we fly by the seat of our pants, but we do fly by the seat of our pants for bike or attendee numbers. No matter how much we advertise it is always word of mouth and reputation that gets us notice. There will be two bike shops at the swap and we’ve had over 100 people tell us they’ll be bringing bikes – I’d guess 350 bikes at this inaugural event and at least 2500 attendees.</p>
<h3 id="qhow-big-is-your-organization-whats-in-the-future-for-you-as-an-organization">Q:How big is your organization? What’s in the future for you as an organization?</h3>
<p>Our organization is just Chris and me and the swaps are bigger than the both of us. We are working on a succession plan. We already work with over 70 groups as big as Bike Index and the Canadian Automobile Association and as small as a small town Cycle Guild.</p>
<h3 id="q-how-has-your-software-evolved-like-what-were-some-of-the-things-you-didnt-expect-when-you-first-started-out-that-you-have-honed-as-time-has-progressed">Q: How has your software evolved, like what were some of the things you didn’t expect when you first started out that you have honed as time has progressed?</h3>
<p>The biggest issue we have is that the software is cloud-based so we have a problem when we have connectivity issues. We spend a lot of time ahead of an event checking connectivity between the printers, tablets, and laptops and we also choose venues where we can be hard- wired. We had working software so we used the waterfall method to complete the software improvements which seem to need a few tweaks to simplify a few things like reporting or messaging.</p>
<h3 id="q-you-are-a-non-profit-yes-tell-me-about-the-philosophy-behind-this-decision">Q: You are a non profit, yes? Tell me about the philosophy behind this decision</h3>
<p>We wanted to be transparent in all that we do so chose to be a non-profit. Being a non-profit has nothing to do with taxes or grants because we’ve never received any grant. We’ve been able to do what we do with our work salaries and keeping ~10K back every year to fund the events.</p>
<h3 id="qanything-ive-forgotten-to-ask-this-is-a-free-space---tell-me-what-i-should-have-asked-but-didnt-and-answer-that-for-me">Q:Anything I’ve forgotten to ask? This is a FREE SPACE - tell me what I should have asked, but didn’t, and answer that for me!</h3>
<p>We spend millions on cycling infrastructure, but nothing on how to get to/from or use that infrastructure. Education and infrastructure should work together and that’s why we fund cycling education. A person isn’t going to take swimming or CPR lessons from someone that hangs up their shingle as an instructor, an instructor should have qualifications, not just enthusiasm. The only standardized and recognized cycling education program in Canada is CAN-BIKE. Chris is the only CAN-BIKE Master Instructor in Alberta and one of three in the province. Yes, he’s enthusiastic, but he’s also knowledgeable and a qualified instructor.</p>
<p>PS - Chris and Laura were interviewed a while back and it’s a great overview of their work:</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZntnXr1p2p0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p>Want to know more? You can keep up with <b>Alberta Bike Swap</b> on their various socials:</p>
<p><b>Alberta Bike Swap Facebook:</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/albertabikeswap">https://www.facebook.com/albertabikeswap</a></p>
<p><b>Alberta Bike Swap Twitter:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/albertabikeswap">https://twitter.com/albertabikeswap</a></p>
<p><b>Alberta Bike Swap Youtube:</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nsZlI0UdQUsEMHmBVpG0g">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nsZlI0UdQUsEMHmBVpG0g</a></p>
<p>We can’t wait to see where they take this idea and we love what they’re doing!</p>
2023-03-30T04:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/the-city-of-napa-and-bike-index-team-up-to-fight-bike-theftThe City of Napa and Bike Index Team Up to Fight Bike Theft2023-03-30T04:00:00-05:00Jordani Sarreal<p>The scenic Napa Valley hosts nearly 200 miles of bike trails that are both home and destination for cyclists in the region. Now Napa, California residents now have another tool to combat bike theft in the region: bike registration through Bike Index.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.cityofnapa.org/">City of Napa</a> and the <a href="http://napabike.org/">Napa County Bicycle Coalition</a> have partnered with Bike Index to provide free bicycle registration to Napa residents. Together with the Napa Police Department, bicycles can now be reported and recovered more easily in the case of bike theft.</p>
<p>The tamper-resistant and weather-proof QR-coded bike stickers provided by Bike Index add another layer of theft deterrent and make it easier for local law enforcement to recover stolen bicycles and get them back to their rightful owners.</p>
<p>Napa residents can register their bikes through the <a href="https://www.cityofnapa.org/480/Bicycle-Registration">Napa Police Department</a> or add their already-registered bikes to the Napa Police Department’s database by following these instructions: <a href="https://www.cityofnapa.org/480/Bicycle-Registration">https://www.cityofnapa.org/480/Bicycle-Registration</a>.</p>
<p>Bike Index is proud to partner with the City of Napa, which joins over 1,400 other partner organizations using the Bike Index registry to fight bike theft.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in bringing free bike registration to your city, police department, campus, bike shop, or organization, we’d love to meet with you. Reach out to <a href="gavin@bikeindex.org">gavin@bikeindex.org</a> for more information.</p>
2023-03-23T07:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-storeBike Index Store2023-03-23T07:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><strong>Limited time only, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/kit">Bike Index kit order</a>!</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/kit"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/stored/2023-kit-order.png" alt="2023 Bike Index kit order" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Bike Index QR sticker (1), $5</strong> - <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.myshopify.com/">buy here</a></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/389102/DSC_1623.JPG" alt="qr sticker" /></p>
<p><i>Link a QR sticker to your bike and make it scannable. Weather-proof, tamper-resistant, and all-around awesome, allow people to scan your bike and send you a message if they find it. Place it somewhere visible to deter theft.</i></p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/info/how-to-use-bike-index-qr-stickers">How do I link my sticker?</a></p>
<p>Want to place a bulk order of QR stickers (500+) at a discount? Email <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org">gavin@bikeindex.org</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>To purchase a QR sticker, use the <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.myshopify.com/products/bike-index-qr-sticker">‘buy here’</a> link above 👆. For any of the following merchandise 👇, please make a donation for the cost of the item. Then, forward a copy of the donation receipt you receive in your email inbox to <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org">gavin@bikeindex.org</a> and include your mailing address. We will email you a confirmation as soon as your product ships.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bike Index Cycling Cap $15</strong> - <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index?amount=20">buy here</a></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/680378/cycling-cap-composite.jpg" alt="Cycling cap on a baby sticker" /></p>
<p><strong>Bike Index Base Layer $30</strong> (AKA long underwear) - <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index?amount=20">buy here</a></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/680891/base_layer.jpg" alt="Cycling base layer" /></p>
<p><strong>Shop/organization poster, $10</strong> - <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index?amount=10">buy here</a></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/256759/DSC_1836.JPG" alt="poster 1" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/256788/dont_buy_stolen.jpg" alt="poster 2" /></p>
<p><i>
Great to have in a shop or at a registration event. Inform your customers and your patrons how to buy a bike the right way, and make sure that they’re not getting scammed by a used bike salesperson.
</i></p>
2023-01-10T19:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-facebook-marketpWhat to do when you find your stolen bike for sale on Facebook Marketplace2023-01-10T19:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p><b>Did your stolen bike wind up for sale on Facebook Marketplace</b>? If so, this article is for you.</p>
<p>Online sales sites like Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and Craigslist are all fertile grounds for bike thieves and bike fences, mainly because they are fast, free, and relatively anonymous places to sell stolen goods with little to no oversight.</p>
<p>Each online sales service has its own little quirks that can help you ID and chase your bike, though, so we’ll focus on what to do with <b>Facebook Mareketplace</b> here. If your stolen bike is on <b>Offerup</b> or <b>Craigslist</b>, see our other write-ups - “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-offerup">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Offerup</a>” and “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-craigslist">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Craigslist</a>”</p>
<p>Fortunately, Facebook Marketplace tends to give up a little more information for us to use than, say, Craigslist, because the service itself is tied to people’s Facebook profiles. Yes, thieves are dumb enough to try and fence stolen bikes under their own real names.</p>
<p>So: Here’s what you should do if your stolen bike winds up for sale on Facebook Marketplace</p>
<h2 id="first-dont-bother-contacting-facebook-marketplace-for-help">First, don’t bother contacting Facebook Marketplace for help</h2>
<p>Facebook Marketplace will not lift a finger to help you, period. Don’t even try. You can click ‘report this ad’ or ‘report seller’ but I can pretty much guarantee you literally nothing will happen.</p>
<p>Facebook has no functional customer service, and to be honest they’ve repeatedly demonstrated that they do not care that Marketplace is used to fence stolen goods. There is literally nobody behind the scenes at FB Marketplace who is going to care, or help you.</p>
<p>Point being: <b>don’t waste your time contacting Facebook</b>.</p>
<h2 id="next-take-a-screenshot-of-the-ad-and-all-the-accompanying-photos">Next, Take a screenshot of the ad and all the accompanying photos</h2>
<p>The first thing you want to do is to take screenshots of the ad, including all of the individual photos of the bike, and save them somewhere on your computer for later.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667549/001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>You need to do this because thieves often remove and relist their Facebook Marketplace ads with regularity in order to avoid detection. So it is important you grab screenshots of the ad while it is still there - i.e. before the bad guy pulls the ad down and you can’t see it anymore.</p>
<p>We recommend you do this on a desktop (instead of a mobile device) because you’ll get larger, more detailed images, but you can work with whatever is available to you.</p>
<p>On <b>Windows</b>, you can either use the <a target="_new" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots-00246869-1843-655f-f220-97299b865f6b">Snipping Tool</a> to grab and save an image, or you can press the <b>Windows + Printscreen</b> keys at the same time which will save a screenshot to your ‘Screenshots’ folder, which is typically found in <b><i>C:\Users(your username)\Pictures\Screenshots</i></b></p>
<p>On a <b>Mac</b>, you can take a screenshot as <a target="_new" href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361">described here</a> - basically press keys <b>Shift - Command - 3</b> all at the same time, and this will save a screenshot to your desktop.</p>
<p>Take a screencap of the ad itself, then <b>be sure to click through to each one of the images posted with the ad</b>. Take a screenshot of those too, so you capture the maximum amount of detail from each and every image.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667550/002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If you want, you can also “save a copy” of the ad to a folder on your desktop, however this is often less useful than just having screenshots - and this typically doesn’t work that well with Facebook because of the way their pages are structured. Typically this is done in your browser, just right click anywhere in the ad and choose “<b>Save Page As</b>” and save it somewhere on your computer.</p>
<h2 id="next-examine-the-sellers-profile-and-other-things-for-sale">Next, examine the seller’s profile and other things for sale</h2>
<p>Facebook makes it pretty easy to see more info about the seller and what they are selling.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667549/001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If you click the ‘<b>Seller details</b>’ link to the right of the ad, you’ll get a pop overlay showing the seller name, a link to their profile, and also other Marketplace listings from the same seller.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667548/003.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Drop the “available & in stock” selector down to “All listings” so we can see more items from this seller</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667547/004.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<h2 id="next-try-and-see-if-ads-from-the-same-seller-contain-more-stolen-bikes-or-items-of-interest">Next, try and see if ads from the same seller contain more stolen bikes or items of interest</h2>
<p>If a Facebook bad guy has your bike, he probably has other stolen bikes or stolen goods, too, so we’re going to try and search for other ads from the same seller.</p>
<p>Why would you want to do this? Because it makes all the difference between calling police and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike for sale on Facebook </i>” and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike along with <b>six others</b> for sale on Facebook </i>”, which will likely get police more interested. Also, if you can cross reference bikes from the same seller to other Bike Index listings, it’s pretty easy to connect all the victims with the same officer or detective, if you can get one involved.</p>
<p>In general, what we’re looking for are other bikes, other stolen goods, maybe other photos that will betray more information about the seller. Go look for things like photos of locations, photos showing seller face or details, photos showing car license plates, etc. You’d be surprised what you can find when you look hard enough at a seller’s online listings - often they are posting images that will betray more information about who they are, where they are, and the other stolen goods they are selling.</p>
<p>In this example, there is one standout item in this seller’s sales - the $3500 “<b>Pctel Hbflex Scanner For Testing 5g</b>” item, which is a highly specialized piece of hardware. This stands out from all the rest of the items - which simply look like they were looted from somebody’s open garage.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667552/special001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>In this case the seller was nice enough to even post a photo of the serial number. The special nature of this device, coupled with the serial number, may be the thing that get police interested in them even if they aren’t interested in your stolen bike. <b>This is the kind of thing you are looking for.</b></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667551/special002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>In short: It’s also not uncommon for <b>other special items</b> bad guys are selling to be of more interest to police, because those items came from a burglary or other specific crime, so - you never know. Screencap all their other items for sale, if you have time.</p>
<p>Again: by dropping the “<i>available & in stock</i>” selector down to “<i>All listings</i>” you can see the rest of the items that seller still has up on Facebook Marketplace. Give it a quick scan and look for other bikes. If you find bikes, then:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cross check their other ads against stolen bikes in your area in Bike Index</li>
<li>If you find any potential matches, message that other Bike Index registrant with a link to the ad in Facebook Marketplace</li>
<li>Keep a running tally of how many other stolen bikes you can find. The more you can nail down to the same seller, the more likelihood of getting police assistance</li>
</ul>
<p>This may take some time and a little work, but again, it’s way more likely for you to get police assistance if you can bring them multiple bikes/multiple crimes instead of just your single stolen bike.</p>
<h2 id="next---see-if-they-also-posted-it-to-offerup-or-craigslist">Next - see if they also posted it to Offerup or Craigslist</h2>
<p>Thieves and fences often post their stolen goods on multiple platforms to move it as fast as possible. So: If your stolen bike is on Facebook, make sure you also check Offerup and Craigslist to see if it is posted there as well. If it is, screencap those ads too - you may just get lucky and the thief may let their name, email, phone, or location slip.</p>
<h2 id="lastly-call-your-local-cops---but-also-see-if-there-are-any-local-anti-theft-groups-you-can-liaise-with">Lastly, call your local cops - but also see if there are any local anti-theft groups you can liaise with</h2>
<p>Now that you have captured this data - screenshots of the ad, any names/data on the seller, and any other ads from the same seller that may also be for stolen bikes (or stolen goods) - call whatever local police you filed with and see if you can get their assistance.</p>
<p>At the time of writing this article (January 2023) not many police departments are offering help with stolen bikes found online. Your mileage may vary, depending on what city you are in. Typically these are factors that will help you get police help:</p>
<ul>
<li>If your bike was stolen in a home or business break-in and not just a simple off-the-street theft</li>
<li>If your bike is more expensive than usual</li>
<li>If you have matched other stolen bikes to the same seller</li>
<li>If you have identified specific details in the ads you have captured that make you 100% certain the ad is for your stolen bike, and can explain these to the officers</li>
</ul>
<p>So: keep the above in mind before you call.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you get police help, it’s also good to see if there are any <b>local anti-theft</b> Facebook groups for your area where you can liaise with people there. In many cities there are already anti-theft folks tracking known thieves and trading information (like screenshots) with each other to identify the bad guys in their cities.</p>
<p>In some cases, if you post “<i>this seller has my stolen bike</i>” to these groups, those groups may already know the sellers name and location and can advise you further. Working with these groups is often key to putting all the pieces together on bad guys who repeatedly sell stolen bikes online.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and we hope we can help you get your stolen bike back!</p>
2023-01-10T17:46:15-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-craigslistWhat to do when you find your stolen bike for sale on Craigslist2023-01-10T17:46:15-06:00Bryan Hance<p><b>Did your stolen bike wind up for sale on Craigslist</b>? If so, this article is for you.</p>
<p>Craigslist isn’t as much of a scourge these days as it was in the past - mostly thanks to competitors like Facebook Marketplace and Offerup who stole away their market share. However: we still see bikes pop up on Craigslist from time to time, because it is largely completely unregulated and gives thieves and fences near total anonymity when they list stolen bikes (or stolen anything) there.</p>
<p>Each online sales service has its own little quirks that can help you possibly ID and chase your bike, though, so we’ll focus on what to do with Craigslist here. If your stolen bike is on <b>Offerup</b> or <b>Facebook Marketplace</b>, see our other writeups - “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-offerup">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Offerup</a>” and “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-facebook-marketp">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Facebook Marketplace</a>”</p>
<p>And before we being: All the bikes and images in this ad were grabbed <b>completely at random</b> - we’re not implying or saying these sellers in these example images are selling stolen bikes - they were just the random ads we grabbed to create this article.</p>
<p>So: Here’s what you should do if your stolen bike winds up for sale on Craigslist</p>
<h2 id="first-dont-bother-contacting-craigslist-for-help">First, don’t bother contacting Craigslist for help</h2>
<p>Craigslist will not lift a finger to help you, period. Don’t even try. They don’t answer to anybody unless there’s a subpoena involved, which has made them a particular fave of bad guys, thieves and fences since their inception.</p>
<p>Craigslist has no functional customer service, and to be honest they’ve repeatedly demonstrated that they do not care their service is used to fence stolen goods. They simply can’t be bothered to help.</p>
<p>Point being: don’t waste your time contacting Craigslist. They’re worthless re: this.</p>
<h2 id="next-take-a-screenshot-of-the-ad-and-all-the-accompanying-photos">Next, Take a screenshot of the ad and all the accompanying photos</h2>
<p>The first thing you want to do is to take screenshots of the ad, including all of the individual photos of the bike, and save them somewhere on your computer for later.</p>
<p>You need to do this because thieves often remove and relist their Craigslist ads with regularity in order to avoid detection. So it is important you grab screenshots of the ad while it is still there - i.e. before the bad guy pulls the ad down and you can’t see it anymore.</p>
<p>We recommend you do this on a desktop (instead of a mobile device) because you’ll get larger, more detailed images, but you can work with whatever is available to you.</p>
<p>On <b>Windows</b>, you can either use the <a target="_new" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots-00246869-1843-655f-f220-97299b865f6b">Snipping Tool</a> to grab and save an image, or you can press the <b>Windows + Printscreen</b> keys at the same time which will save a screenshot to your ‘Screenshots’ folder, which is typically found in <b><i>C:\Users(your username)\Pictures\Screenshots</i></b></p>
<p>On a <b>Mac</b>, you can take a screenshot as <a target="_new" href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361">described here</a> - basically press keys <b>Shift - Command - 3</b> all at the same time, and this will save a screenshot to your desktop.</p>
<p>Take a screencap of the ad itself, then <b>click each one of the images with the ad so the image enlarges</b>. Take a screenshot of those too, so you capture the maximum amount of detail.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667511/001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667515/002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If you want, you can also “save a copy” of the ad to a folder on your desktop, however this is often less useful than just having screenshots. Typically this is done in your browser, just right click anywhere in the ad and choose “<b>Save Page As</b>” and save it somewhere on your computer.</p>
<h2 id="next-see-if-theres-a-reply-number-or-email-posted-with-the-ad">Next, see if there’s a ‘reply’ number or email posted with the ad</h2>
<p>Next, you will click the “reply” button in the upper left of the ad to see if the seller exposed an email or a phone number. We’re also going to take screenshots if they did either one of these.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667522/reply.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Here’s the thing - Craigslist (by design) lets sellers hide their email and phone number behind their system - and they also make you jump through the “Please click all these images” are-you-a-human check before letting you even see. So: either you will see data here or you won’t. But we want to check.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667512/003.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Here’s an example of an ad that does <b>not</b> expose an email or a phone number (007) - i.e. all you see is the “Craigslist hidden” email address. In this case, we don’t even bother screencapping this because it is worthless.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667509/007.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Now, here’s an example of an ad that <b>does</b> expose an email or a phone number (003) - i.e. once you click “reply” and (optionally) solve the “Click all the X” challenge, you may see something like this:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667510/006.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If there is a name, phone, or email address exposed, <b>take another screenshot of this</b> - <b>especially</b> if there is a phone number because reversing a phone number is fairly trivial, and of especial interest to law enforcement.</p>
<h2 id="next-try-and-see-if-there-are-other-ads-from-the-same-seller">Next, try and see if there are other ads from the same seller</h2>
<p>If a Craigslist bad guy has your bike, he probably has other stolen bikes, too, so we’re going to try and search for other ads from the same seller.</p>
<p>Why would you want to do this? Because it makes all the difference between calling police and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike for sale on Craigslist</i>” and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike along with <b>six others</b> for sale on Craigslist</i>”, which will likely get police more interested. Also, if you can cross reference bikes from the same seller to other Bike Index listings, it’s pretty easy to connect all the victims with the same officer or detective, if you can get one involved.</p>
<p><b>The first way to do this</b> is Just go to the “Bikes” section of your town’s Craigslist and look for ads posted with a similar background image as the one with your stolen bike in it. This is slow and tedious, but it’s pretty easy to just scroll through the last couple day’s worth of bike listings or so and see if you can see other bikes bikes posted with the same background as your stolen bike.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667513/009.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>In this example, it’s pretty fast and easy to ID all the bikes being sold with the same wall in the background.</p>
<p><b>Another method</b> is to search on <i>specific phrasing</i> in the ad that may be included in other ads by the same seller.</p>
<p>Sellers will sometimes put very specific phrases in their ads - things like “<i>Please CALL or TEXT me now</i>”, “<i>Delivery in the area is possible!!!</i>” or “<i>bike has been deeply cared for and maintained meticulously</i>” - that they will just copy-paste across all their other Craigslist ads. When they do this, they make it easy to find all their other ads - by just searching on that phrase.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667508/010.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Note that specific phrase - “Please CALL or TEXT me now” - with the capitalization – i.e. this seller puts “Please CALL or TEXT me now” at the bottom of all their ads. Searching for that “Please CALL or TEXT me now” in the Craigslist search bar brings up all their other ads.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667514/011.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If you find other ads from the same seller that has your stolen bike, do the following</p>
<ul>
<li>Cross check their other ads against stolen bikes in your area in Bike Index</li>
<li>If you find any potential matches, message that other Bike Index registrant with a link to the ad in Craigslist</li>
<li>Keep a running tally of how many other stolen bikes you can find. The more you can nail down to the same seller, the more likelihood of getting police assistance</li>
</ul>
<p>This may take some time and a little work, but again, it’s way more likely for you to get police assistance if you can bring them multiple bikes/multiple crimes instead of just your single stolen bike.</p>
<h2 id="next---see-if-they-also-posted-it-to-facebook-marketplace-or-offerup">Next - see if they also posted it to Facebook Marketplace or Offerup</h2>
<p>Thieves and fences often post their stolen goods on multiple platforms to move it as fast as possible. So: If your stolen bike is on Craigslist, make sure you also check Facebook Marketplace and Offerup to see if it is posted there as well. If it is, screencap those ads too - you may just get lucky and the thief may let their name, email, phone, or location slip.</p>
<h2 id="lastly-call-your-local-cops---but-also-see-if-there-are-any-local-anti-theft-facebook-groups-you-can-liaise-with">Lastly, call your local cops - but also see if there are any local anti-theft Facebook groups you can liaise with</h2>
<p>Now that you have captured this data - screenshots of the ad, any email addresses or phone numbers, and any other ads from the same seller that may also be for stolen bikes - call whatever local police you filed with and see if you can get their assistance.</p>
<p>At the time of writing this article (January 2023) not many police departments are offering help with stolen bikes found online. Your mileage may vary, depending on what city you are in. Typically these are factors that will help you get police help:</p>
<ul>
<li>If your bike was stolen in a home or business break-in and not just a simple off-the-street theft</li>
<li>If your bike is more expensive than usual</li>
<li>If you have matched other stolen bikes to the same seller</li>
<li>If you have identified specific details in the ads you have captured that make you 100% certain the ad is for your stolen bike, and can explain these to the officers</li>
</ul>
<p>So: keep the above in mind before you call.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you get police help, it’s also good to see if there are any <b>local anti-theft</b> Facebook groups for your area where you can liaise with people there. In many cities there are already anti-theft folks tracking known thieves and trading information (like screenshots) with each other to identify the bad guys in their cities.</p>
<p>In some cases, if you post “this seller has my stolen bike” to these groups, those groups may already know the sellers name and location and can advise you further. Working with these groups is often key to putting all the pieces together on bad guys who repeatedly sell stolen bikes online.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and we hope we can help you get your stolen bike back!</p>
2023-01-10T17:46:10-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-offerupWhat to do when you find your stolen bike for sale on Offerup2023-01-10T17:46:10-06:00Bryan Hance<p><b>Did your stolen bike wind up for sale on Offerup</b>? If so, this article is for you.</p>
<p>Online sales sites like Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and Craigslist are all fertile grounds for bike thieves and bike fences, mainly because they are fast, free, and relatively anonymous places to sell stolen goods with little to no oversight.</p>
<p><b>Offerup is by far the worst of these offenders</b>, and has been ever since it started operating. So we aren’t surprised your stolen bike wound up there.</p>
<p>Each online sales service has its own little quirks that can help you ID and chase your bike, though, so we’ll focus on what to do with <b>Offerup</b> here. If your stolen bike is on <b>Facebook Marketplace</b> or <b>Craigslist</b>, see our other write-ups - “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-facebook-marketp">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Facebook Marketplace</a>” and “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-you-find-your-stolen-bike-for-sale-on-craigslist">What to do if you find your stolen bike for sale online on Craigslist</a>”</p>
<p>(And before we being: All the bikes and images in this ad were grabbed completely at random - we’re not implying or saying these sellers in these example images are selling stolen bikes - they were just the random ads we grabbed to create this article.)</p>
<p>So: Here’s what you should do if your stolen bike winds up for sale on Offerup:</p>
<h2 id="first-dont-bother-contacting-offerup-for-help">First, don’t bother contacting Offerup for help</h2>
<p>Offerup will not lift a finger to help you, period. Don’t even try. You can click ‘report this ad’ or ‘report seller’ but I can pretty much guarantee you literally nothing will happen. There’s pretty much nobody home at Offerup support. You can email them, tweet them, hell, send them a telegram for all we care - we are telling you now that nothing will come of it.</p>
<p>Point being: <b>don’t waste your time contacting Offerup</b>.</p>
<h2 id="next-take-a-screenshot-of-the-ad-and-all-the-accompanying-photos">Next, Take a screenshot of the ad and all the accompanying photos</h2>
<p>The first thing you want to do is to take screenshots of the ad, including all of the individual photos of the bike, and save them somewhere on your computer for later.</p>
<p>You need to do this because thieves often remove and relist their Offerup ads with regularity in order to avoid detection. So it is important you grab screenshots of the ad while it is still there - i.e. before the bad guy pulls the ad down and you can’t see it anymore.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667563/001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>We recommend you do this on a desktop (instead of a mobile device) because you’ll get larger, more detailed images, but you can work with whatever is available to you.</p>
<p>On <b>Windows</b>, you can either use the <a target="_new" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots-00246869-1843-655f-f220-97299b865f6b">Snipping Tool</a> to grab and save an image, or you can press the <b>Windows + Printscreen</b> keys at the same time which will save a screenshot to your ‘Screenshots’ folder, which is typically found in <b><i>C:\Users(your username)\Pictures\Screenshots</i></b></p>
<p>On a <b>Mac</b>, you can take a screenshot as <a target="_new" href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361">described here</a> - basically press keys <b>Shift - Command - 3</b> all at the same time, and this will save a screenshot to your desktop.</p>
<p>Take a screencap of the ad itself, then <b>be sure to click through to each one of the images posted with the ad</b> by clicking on the images below the main photo. Take a screenshot of those too, so you capture the maximum amount of detail from each and every image.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667565/002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If you want, you can also “save a copy” of the ad to a folder on your desktop, however this is often less useful than just having screenshots - and this typically doesn’t work that well with Facebook because of the way their pages are structured. Typically this is done in your browser, just right click anywhere in the ad and choose “<b>Save Page As</b>” and save it somewhere on your computer.</p>
<h2 id="next-examine-the-sellers-profile-and-other-things-for-sale">Next, examine the seller’s profile and other things for sale</h2>
<p>Offerup makes it pretty easy to see more about other items they are selling, but they play ‘hide the ball’ when it comes to seller information.</p>
<p>If you click on the seller’s name you will see other items they currently have listed for sale on Offerup.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667569/003.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<h2 id="next-try-and-see-if-ads-from-the-same-seller-contain-more-stolen-bikes-or-items-of-interest">Next, try and see if ads from the same seller contain more stolen bikes or items of interest</h2>
<p>If an Offerup bad guy has your bike, he probably has other stolen bikes or stolen goods, too, so we’re going to try and search for other ads from the same seller.</p>
<p>Why would you want to do this? Because it makes all the difference between calling police and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike for sale on Offerup </i>” and saying “<i>I found my stolen bike along with <b>six others</b> for sale on Offerup </i>”, which will likely get police more interested. Also, if you can cross reference bikes from the same seller to other Bike Index listings, it’s pretty easy to connect all the victims with the same officer or detective, if you can get one involved.</p>
<p>In general, what we’re looking for are other bikes, other stolen goods, maybe other photos that will betray more information about the seller. Go look for things like photos of locations, photos showing seller face or details, photos showing car license plates, etc. You’d be surprised what you can find when you look hard enough at a seller’s online listings - often they are posting images that will betray more information about who they are, where they are, and the other stolen goods they are selling.</p>
<p>In this example, the seller was nice enough to include the serial of the “Hilti Lazer Level” they are selling, which is something to be on the lookout for.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667568/004.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Other things to look for are: items in the background, anything like a car license plate or location information, and/or anything that would let you triangulate their location further from the already anonymized ‘map’ that Offerup posts with every ad, (shown below) that gives a rough approximation of where the seller is located.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667571/map.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>If the poster’s ad contains photos with a specifically identifiable building or landmark in that green ‘circle’ on the map, then you can effectively track down where the photos were taken. This is of use.</p>
<p>In short: It’s also not uncommon for bad guys to slip up and post things in photos and other item ads that lead to their identity and location - you never know. Screencap all their other items for sale, if you have time.</p>
<p>While you are doing this, give it a quick scan and look for other bikes. If you find bikes, then:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cross check their other ads against stolen bikes in your area in Bike Index</li>
<li>If you find any potential matches, message that other Bike Index registrant with a link to the ad in Facebook Marketplace</li>
<li>Keep a running tally of how many other stolen bikes you can find. The more you can nail down to the same seller, the more likelihood of getting police assistance</li>
</ul>
<p>This may take some time and a little work, but again, it’s way more likely for you to get police assistance if you can bring them multiple bikes/multiple crimes instead of just your single stolen bike.</p>
<h2 id="next-switch-to-offerups-moble-app-so-we-can-pull-down-friends-followers-and-profile-image">Next, switch to Offerup’s moble app so we can pull down friends, followers, and profile image</h2>
<p>One of Offerup’s quirks is that their <b>mobile app provides more information and details on a seller than their website</b>.</p>
<p>So, at this point you’ll have to install the Offerup app on a phone, switch to your phone, and set the Offerup search location to wherever your stolen bike is by clicking the <b>location</b>, which is just below the “<i>Search items for sale</i>” searchbox.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667567/005.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>This is a little annoying because Offerup mobile asks for a zipcode - means you have to figure out a zipcode for whatever city your bike was posted in, set the Offerup app to that zipcode, and then search until you find your stolen bike again. (In this example, we’re using a Tacoma WA zipcode because the seller is in Tacoma.)</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667562/006.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Once you have done that, search for your item again, click it, and click on the seller’s name.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667566/008.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>You’ll see now that the seller’s <b>followers</b>, <b>who they are following</b> etc are now clickable. This is not something you can do on the website - <b>this can only be done in the mobile app</b>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667570/009.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Clicking the ‘<b>Followers</b>’ or ‘<b>Following</b>’ here will show you lists of those followers and who the seller is following:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667564/010.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Have a scroll through their followers and who they are following. You can sometimes triangulate around who a person is by their Offerup friends and followers, i.e. if you can locate those same friends and followers on social media and match up details that lead you to the seller. This is something of a dark art, and probably best left to a future blog post. Point being: you can get more information here - so go looking.</p>
<p>Lastly, in the mobile app the seller’s ‘profile image’ is clickable, and provides a higher resolution image than what you can get on the website.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667570/009.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>This is often useful because the image can be <b>reverse-searched</b> (in something like <a target="_new" href="https://images.yandex.com/">Yandex Images</a> or <a target="_new" href="https://pimeyes.com">Pimeyes</a>)</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/667561/011.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>In this case, it’s kind of pointless because the seller has used an images of supermodels taken from a GQ photo - and not a photo of themselves or something they took from their Facebook profile. But for sellers who use their own face or profile photo as a profile photo, this often bears fruit.</p>
<h2 id="lastly-call-your-local-cops---but-also-see-if-there-are-any-local-anti-theft-groups-you-can-liaise-with">Lastly, call your local cops - but also see if there are any local anti-theft groups you can liaise with</h2>
<p>Now that you have captured this data - screenshots of the ad, any names/data on the seller, and any other ads from the same seller that may also be for stolen bikes (or stolen goods) - call whatever local police you filed with and see if you can get their assistance.</p>
<p>At the time of writing this article (January 2023) not many police departments are offering help with stolen bikes found online. Your mileage may vary, depending on what city you are in. Typically these are factors that will help you get police help:</p>
<ul>
<li>If your bike was stolen in a home or business break-in and not just a simple off-the-street theft</li>
<li>If your bike is more expensive than usual</li>
<li>If you have matched other stolen bikes to the same seller</li>
<li>If you have identified specific details in the ads you have captured that make you 100% certain the ad is for your stolen bike, and can explain these to the officers</li>
</ul>
<p>So: keep the above in mind before you call.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you get police help, it’s also good to see if there are any <b>local anti-theft</b> Facebook groups for your area where you can liaise with people there. In many cities there are already anti-theft folks tracking known thieves and trading information (like screenshots) with each other to identify the bad guys in their cities.</p>
<p>In some cases, if you post “<i>this seller has my stolen bike</i>” to these groups, those groups may already know the sellers name and location and can advise you further. Working with these groups is often key to putting all the pieces together on bad guys who repeatedly sell stolen bikes online.</p>
<h2 id="next---see-if-they-also-posted-it-to-facebook-marketplace-or-craigslist">Next - see if they also posted it to Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist</h2>
<p>Thieves and fences often post their stolen goods on multiple platforms to move it as fast as possible. So: If your stolen bike is on Offerup, make sure you also check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to see if it is posted there as well. If it is, screencap those ads too - you may just get lucky and the thief may let their name, email, phone, or location slip.</p>
<h2 id="theres-one-final-thing-to-do">There’s one final thing to do</h2>
<p>We’ve long given up on Offerup to do anything about all the stolen bikes on their platform - and we’ve also watched Offerup continue to route people to their useless “support” black hole in order to detail them or misdirect them from getting anything actually done.</p>
<p>So, if you do find your stolen bike on Offerup - regardless of if you get police assistance or not - we’d like you to file a complaint with the WA Attorney general against Offerup. (WA is where Offerup is based) This is free, fast, and it gets it on the WA Attorney General’s radar.</p>
<p>There is an article that explains how to do this here: <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-to-file-a-wa-attorney-general-complaint-against-offerup">How to file a WA Attorney General complaint against Offerup</a></p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and we hope we can help you get your stolen bike back!</p>
2023-01-02T19:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/2022-the-year-in-review-at-bike-index2022: Our Year at Bike Index2023-01-02T19:00:00-06:00Jordani Sarreal<p>2022 marked the 9th year of Bike Index’s registration and recovery nonprofit services. In it, we reached new milestones, expanded the registration network, and entered into exciting new realms of research and academia.</p>
<p>Here are some highlights from 2022 and where we’re trekking in the year ahead.</p>
<h2 id="bike-registration">Bike Registration</h2>
<p>Before the midyear mark, the Bike Index registry reached a record 800,000 registered bikes. That not only means that 800,000 bikes have a better chance of being recovered if they are ever stolen, but that the global community of cyclists fighting bicycle crime is also growing and expanding.</p>
<p>By how much? In 2022:</p>
<ul>
<li>246,368 bikes were registered on Bike Index</li>
<li>18,074 bikes were marked stolen on Bike Index</li>
<li>1,669 stolen bikes were recovered through Bike Index</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="why-does-bike-registration-matter">Why does bike registration matter?</h3>
<p>Bike registration prevents bike theft by providing a single, searchable database for those purchasing a used bike, for law enforcement to find the owner of a recovered bike, and for bike shops, universities, municipalities, and other organizations to curb bike theft as a whole.</p>
<p>The 246,368 bikes registered in 2022 further expand the registered bike community and add another layer of prevention against bike theft—making the black market for stolen bikes smaller. There’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re inspired by our quickly-growing community.</p>
<h2 id="community-partners">Community Partners</h2>
<p>Community partners are the activators of bike registration. It’s your local bike shop owner or mechanic, or university registration program that often serves as the introduction to Bike Index and its benefits.</p>
<p>In 2022, our network of community partners grew by 174. That includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>83 Bike Shops</li>
<li>35 Police Departments</li>
<li>10 Schools & Universities</li>
</ul>
<p>With their existing connections within the biking community, these partnerships provide a powerful bridge for both connecting with the community and tracking stolen bikes.</p>
<p>For example, large universities such as UCLA or the University of Iowa (who both joined Bike Index in 2022) introduce thousands of students to bicycle registration. Their registered bikes stay registered within the database and can be used to locate stolen bicycles off campus or in years after graduation.</p>
<p>This year, we’re looking to expand our community partnerships even further so more people and more organizations can tap into the potential of a global bike registration network.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in becoming a community partner, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/where">learn more here</a>!</p>
<h2 id="donations">Donations</h2>
<p>Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with over half of our revenue coming from donations. To fund our stolen bike recovery efforts and research opportunities, we rely on donations from cyclists like you.</p>
<p>In 2022, we received donations from nearly 4,000 donors totaling over $73k of taxable contributions! Thank you for supporting Bike Index!</p>
<p>Those funds will be going straight to recovering more stolen bikes and furthering the Bike Index mission.
If you’d like to make a donation for our work in 2023, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/why-donate">you can donate here</a>.</p>
<h2 id="the-year-ahead">2023: The Year Ahead</h2>
<p>With 2022’s growth, we’re excited for the year ahead. 2023 marks ten years of Bike Index and we hope there will be plenty more to celebrate throughout the year.</p>
<p>This year, we’re on target to reach 1 million registered bikes on Bike Index. So spread the word and get your bikes registered!</p>
<p>Here are a few ways you can support Bike Index this year.</p>
<h3 id="how-you-can-help">How you can help:</h3>
<p><strong>1. Get Your Community Involved</strong></p>
<p>Are you a bike shop owner? A transportation administrator? A passionate cycling community member who likes to get involved in great causes?</p>
<p>We’re looking to expand our partnerships and grow our registry with more bike shops, municipalities, schools, universities, and community organizations.</p>
<p>Learn more about how to get involved, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/where">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>2. Donate</strong></p>
<p>Our nonprofit runs from the generous donations of Bike Index users like you. Any dollar amount helps support the prevention and recovery of stolen bikes and allows us to continue our mission. <a href="https://bikeindex.org/why-donate">Make a donation to Bike Index</a>.</p>
<p><strong> 3. Participate</strong></p>
<p>Bike Index has partnered with UCSB and UC Davis for groundbreaking research into bike theft and its effects on communities.</p>
<p>You can help by making a donation to help us continue our research or participate in research studies and surveys as they’re posted.</p>
<p><strong> 4. Tell Us About Your Biking Events</strong></p>
<p>If you have a biking event coming up, we’d love to be a part of it. Reach out to us at <a href="mailto:press@bikeindex.org?Subject=Biking Event for Bike Index" target="_top">press@bikeindex.org</a> to see how we can best collaborate with you.</p>
<p>As we enter our tenth year, we look forward to making 2023 the best year yet. More registrations, more recoveries, and more community members like you.</p>
<p>Thank you for supporting Bike Index, and happy riding!</p>
2022-08-24T17:48:11-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/how-bike-index-works-for-university-and-college-campusesHow Bike Index Works for University and College Campuses2022-08-24T17:48:11-05:00Jordani Sarreal<h2 id="bike-index-is-the-1-platform-for-universities-to-manage-bikes-and-keep-them-in-members-hands-heres-how-it-works">Bike Index is the #1 platform for universities to manage bikes and keep them in members’ hands. Here’s how it works.</h2>
<p>College towns historically have <a href="https://www.mynspr.org/news/2018-08-08/does-chico-have-a-higher-rate-of-bike-theft-than-other-towns-is-proposition-47-really-to-blame">higher rates of bike thefts</a> than other non-college cities. In addition to this, bicycle thefts on campus are still trending upwards. For example, in Fall 2021 UC Santa Barbara experienced the <a href="https://dailynexus.com/2021-11-07/on-campus-bike-thefts-increase-from-previous-years/">highest number of bike thefts</a> in the last three years with an 85% increase from 2019.</p>
<p>Of course, colleges and universities tend to have a higher number of bicycles and so a correlating number of thefts makes sense. However, the physical markers of bike registration serve as a deterrent to thieves who know they will have a harder time fencing the stolen bike, and having a comprehensive bike registration system in place has been proven to significantly <a href="https://edmonton.taproot.news/news/2022/06/10/stolen-bike-recovery-climbing-thanks-to-online-registry">increase the rate of bicycle recoveries.</a></p>
<p>For these reasons, implementing Bike Index as the campus registration system for universities and colleges provides a sustainable solution to curb bike theft on campus while also providing effective transportation management services with a variety of benefits.</p>
<h1 id="the-benefits-of-bike-index-for-universities-and-colleges">The Benefits of Bike Index for Universities and Colleges</h1>
<h2 id="an-integrated-registry-system">1 An Integrated Registry System</h2>
<p>While some college campuses have some sort of registration system in place for student bicycles, these systems are often outdated and limited in efficacy because they can only recover stolen bikes found on campus.</p>
<p>As Jeffrey Bruchez, the Bicycle Program Coordinator at UC Davis points out, “We historically were registering several thousand bikes per year, which was excellent for managing the campus issues with stolen and abandoned bikes, on campus. Sadly, many, if not most, of the stolen bikes were quickly whisked away from campus.”</p>
<p>The integrated system of the Bike Index platform allows for campuses to have their own custom system that is also linked to the national registry database. If a campus member’s bike is taken from campus, Bike Index can still help recover the bike through their 1,300+ community partnerships and universal platform.</p>
<h2 id="modern-campus-specific-features">2 Modern Campus-Specific Features</h2>
<p>Bike Index replaces legacy systems and paper registrations through a simple database to which all previous records can be transferred. This technological solution is not only more reliable and user-friendly, but it also introduces modern features for managing bicycles on campus, such as:</p>
<p><strong>Mobile Bicycle Identification via QR Codes</strong>: Any official campus member (transportation services, security, etc.) with a smartphone or smart device can scan a QR code sticker on a registered bike to find the owner, send notifications, or scan and tag bikes.</p>
<p><strong>Message & Notification History</strong>: All messages and notifications for each registered bike are saved in one place – making it simple to implement campus rules and security measures.</p>
<p><strong>Simple Registration with Multiple Options</strong>: Instead of long lines and registration delays, any campus member can register their bike from their smartphone without any app required. Students can also register their bikes through embedded forms or in-person with campus transportation.</p>
<p><strong>Interdepartmental Communication</strong>: The single registration system provides a communicative and responsive solution between departments like: Campus Police, Campus Transportation,
Sustainability Department, Campus Cycling Services, and similar. All departments can access a single database to reference misplaced bikes, issue notices, send alerts or find the owner of a found bicycle.</p>
<p><strong>Location-Based Messaging</strong>: University staff can create parking notifications and follow-up messages based on the location when a campus member’s bike is in the wrong place, or is about to be moved to an impound lot.</p>
<p><strong>Custom Messaging Features</strong>: Campuses can customize their messaging features based on campus policy with options including location-based messaging, bulk notifications and messaging history.</p>
<p><strong>Impounded Bike Features</strong>: Bikes can be tagged with custom, university-specific tag numbers and tracked by impound location. University staff can create a public list of impounded bikes (including listings made for unregistered bikes), where campus members can make claims to prove ownership. This gets bikes back to owners faster and decreases the volume of bikes in impound locations.</p>
<h2 id="a-sustainable-solution">3 A Sustainable Solution</h2>
<p>Campus registration services serve students for the years they are on campus, but once students graduate, their bikes are no longer registered.</p>
<p>Bike Index solves this problem by offering a customized campus platform that is managed by the university to issue notices and keep campus transportation data organized, but once students graduate, their bicycles are still protected without any additional action.</p>
<p>This one-step registration process helps curb bike theft for the long-term with a bicycle being tracked by its serial number throughout its lifetime.</p>
<h2 id="a-nonprofit-partner">4 A Nonprofit Partner</h2>
<p>Bike Index is the number one platform for universities to manage bikes and keep them in campus members’ hands. Their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status allows them to focus on providing a public and social benefit to mitigating bike theft that not only helps your school, but cyclists at-large.</p>
<p>Because the majority of their revenue comes from donations, they can provide their services to campus partners at a reasonable price and offer multiple campus tools through their open-source and universal software. They offer flexible solutions for campuses to implement Bike Index’s national bike registry with both free and paid options.</p>
<h1 id="how-it-works">How It Works:</h1>
<p><strong>Create a free organization for your campus at</strong>: <a href="https://bikeindex.com/for_schools">https://bikeindex.com/for_schools</a>
Campuses can embed a registration form on their website for registrants to sign up for free straight from their smartphone.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p><strong>Purchase a custom-built landing page and campus-specific features for your college or university.</strong></p>
<p>Registered bikes through your platform appear on your campus’s bike list where you can manage, search and sort your own data, contact owners, and use the campus-specific features provided by Bike Index.</p>
<p>For more information on making Bike Index the comprehensive solution for your campus, contact <a href="gavin@bikeindex.org">gavin@bikeindex.org</a>.</p>
2022-08-24T10:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/an-investigation-into-bike-theft-and-how-you-can-helpAn Investigation into Bike Theft and How You Can Help2022-08-24T10:00:00-05:00Jordani Sarreal<h3 id="understanding-bike-theft-is-essential-to-creating-more-livable-and-sustainable-cities-but-the-comprehensive-data-we-need-doesnt-exist-bike-index-is-partnering-with-ucsb-and-uc-davis-to-investigate-bike-theft-and-its-impact-on-transportation-and-peoples-lives">Understanding bike theft is essential to creating more livable and sustainable cities, but the comprehensive data we need doesn’t exist. Bike Index is partnering with UCSB and UC Davis to investigate bike theft and its impact on transportation and people’s lives.</h3>
<p>It’s no surprise that bike riding contributes to more livable and walkable cities, carries a host of health benefits, and is one of the most effective ways for individuals to reduce their global warming footprint. When city planners and transportation specialists improve the urban infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, it builds the local economy and creates a more sustainable future — one less reliant on single-driver automobiles.</p>
<p>In 2014, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140514000486">a study of 24 California cities</a> shed some light on the relationship between urban street design and public health. It revealed that compact and connected street networks not only increased walking, biking, and transit use, but were also correlated with reduced rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease among city residents — and those are just the health benefits of more walkable and bike-friendly cities.</p>
<p><a href="https://smartgrowth.org/using-form-based-codes-create-vibrant-walkable-communities/">City plans that incorporate walkable spaces</a> have also been shown to improve community sentiment, public safety, and foot traffic for local businesses to thrive. And, <a href="https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/carbon-costs-quantified">commuting via bicycle reduces one’s CO2 output</a> 3x more than becoming a vegetarian (including the additional greenhouse gas emissions from raising beef), and nearly 4x more than having one fewer child. All that to say…the benefits of bike-friendly and walkable cities are multi-faceted and significant. From what we’ve learned chasing down stolen bikes every day, we know bike theft has a huge impact on cyclists, but we want to investigate this further and understand its impact on policy, transportation, and cycling adoption. This is our objective in our ongoing study with UCSB and an upcoming study with UC Davis.</p>
<p><a href="bikeindex.org/why-donate">Support our research by donating today</a>.</p>
<h2 id="the-current-statistics-on-bike-theft">The Current Statistics on Bike Theft</h2>
<p>Despite the benefits of bike riding for transportation, it seems apparent that bike theft is a deterrent to people making the switch. After all, when your bike is more than <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15568318.2013.811332">4x as likely to be stolen than your car</a>, your mode of transportation becomes a lot less reliable.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15568318.2013.811332">A 2015 Montreal Study</a> seems to support this theory. In more bike-friendly cities where bicycles were most popular, the ratio of bicycle theft per owner was higher – leaving a challenging crux between creating urban spaces that encourage cycling while discouraging bicycle theft.</p>
<p>According to the FBI, <a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/larceny-theft">over 157k bicycles were reported stolen in the U.S. in 2019</a> (3.1% of all larceny thefts). The FBI values these bikes and their stolen parts around $350 million a year, but this value only accounts for those bikes reported stolen. It’s unclear exactly how many bike thefts occur without being reported to police, but anecdotal evidence and our own experience show that it’s a common occurrence.</p>
<p>For example, of the 11,504 bikes reported stolen on Bike Index in 2019, only 75% of them (8,591) had a police report number. Of course, this is not a definitive sample to reflect all bike thefts, but an estimated 25% rate of underreported thefts within our own numbers is something worth noting.</p>
<p>Accounting for unreported bike thefts, some <a href="https://socalcycling.com/2022/02/28/bicycle-theft-is-becoming-increasingly-common/">estimate the total number near 342k</a>, while others <a href="https://cyclingindustry.news/bicycle-theft-surpasses-2-million-a-year-in-the-usa/">estimate nearly 2 million</a> bike thefts annually.</p>
<h2 id="a-new-study-on-bike-theft">A New Study on Bike Theft</h2>
<p>These unknown and unmeasured factors skew the little data that’s available and make it difficult to get a clear image of the prevalence of bike theft. As the number of people who ride bikes increases <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/191204/participants-in-bicycling-in-the-us-since-2006/">(from 48.9 million in 2019 to 52.73 million in 2020)</a>, accurate statistics, figures, and reports should be made available so we can determine who’s being affected by bike theft and how to best prevent it.</p>
<p>That’s why we feel a new study on bike theft is necessary. We think bicycle theft impacts the adoption of cycling for transportation, but most of our data is anecdotal. In our own survey in 2017, nearly half of the participants (47%) indicated that the theft of their bike impacted their ability to get to and from work. 49% indicated that it would likely take longer than one month to replace their stolen bike, and 11% indicated that they weren’t buying a replacement bike at all.</p>
<p>Anecdotal evidence exists from the thousands of bikes we’ve recovered, with victims sharing the grief of losing a bike they’ve had for several years, to them indicating the anxiety they now feel from having to run or walk for transportation (and the additional safety concerns that arise from that). We need a way to quantify these stories into statistics that can make a real difference in city planning, policy, registration adoption, and recoveries.</p>
<h2 id="how-bike-index-is-investigating-bike-theft">How Bike Index Is Investigating Bike Theft</h2>
<p>To start the investigation, we partnered with <a href="https://www.geog.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/trisalyn-nelson">Trisalyn Nelson of UCSB</a> for a study led by <a href="https://www.sparlab.org/">SPAR Lab</a>, the research team that developed <a href="http://www.BikeMaps.org">BikeMaps.org</a>, to learn more about the effects of bike theft on bike theft victims. Together, we sent surveys to 10,000 victims of bike theft with the objective of learning more about the behavior of victims after the theft.
The preliminary data seems to support our theory and supplement the results of our 2017 survey: that bike theft seems to reduce people’s use of bicycles.</p>
<p>From the first respondents of the 10,000, a lot of interesting data has been collected - but it needs to be further analyzed before the findings can be revealed.</p>
<h2 id="our-current-objective">Our Current Objective</h2>
<p>Our next objective is to conduct a statistically rigorous survey to quantify how pervasive bike theft is. To do this, we’re working with <a href="https://bicyclingplus.ucdavis.edu/people">Dillon Fitch</a>, Co-Director of Bicycling Plus at UC Davis. With the measurable statistics of this second study and the results from the SPAR Lab survey, we hope to create a current and holistic view of the pervasiveness of bike theft and how it impacts people’s decisions to ride their bikes for transportation.</p>
<p>These comprehensive studies are still ongoing and require a significant amount of resources, but our hope is that the results will influence real change in our communities, cities, and policies.</p>
<h2 id="how-you-can-help">How You Can Help</h2>
<p>Whether you’ve been a victim of bike theft yourself, are one of the 58+ million cyclists who ride for transportation or recreation, or are someone connected to a bike business or organization, you can support our mission of quantifying bike theft to keep bikes safe and accessible.</p>
<p>Any donation helps us further this mission and is tax deductible.</p>
<p><a href="bikeindex.org/why-donate">Click here to donate today</a></p>
2022-06-08T22:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/spotlight-series-bike-shops-making-the-differenceSpotlight Series: Bike Shops Making the Difference2022-06-08T22:00:00-05:00Jordani Sarreal<p>Summer’s just around the corner which means <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-theft-season-is-here---what-can-you-do">bike thefts are on the rise</a>.</p>
<p>Between the daily reports of stolen bikes coming in and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/closing-the-loop-a-deep-dive-on-a-facebook-reseller-of-bikes-stolen-in">tracking down international bike theft rings</a>, the stories of bicycle recoveries and their grateful owners provide a welcome reprieve.</p>
<p>Our community is full of good samaritans helping strangers find their beloved bicycles. Everyday bikes are being recovered by cyclists just looking out for fellow cyclists…and sometimes going above and beyond to aid in the recoveries themselves.</p>
<p>Like this <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shmemmmy/video/7087752714138045742?_t=8Ra5L3zugCk&_r=1">TikTok story</a> of a stranger who identified a stolen bike from Bike Index at a flea market, retrieved the bike from the seller and got it back to the owner on the same day.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UPDATE: An angel found my bike at the Laney flea market, recognized it from the post, got it for me, and waited for us to come pick it up 😭❤️ people ARE good I can’t believe I got it back <a href="https://t.co/vUZo94860P">https://t.co/vUZo94860P</a> <a href="https://t.co/ce8R11Rpxa">pic.twitter.com/ce8R11Rpxa</a></p>— Emily Kager (@EmilyKager) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyKager/status/1515825041707081734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Or this <a href="https://twitter.com/justindlai/status/1519477140554600448?s=20&t=EW-Eg18P__G483RuxxDRMg">Twitter thread</a> of a would-be buyer realizing the bike he was about to buy was stolen and operating his first “sting operation” to get it back to its owner.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">well, I was planning on purchasing a <a href="https://twitter.com/RadPowerBikes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RadPowerBikes</a> radrunner plus on Craigslist today<br /> <br />I ended up orchestrating a sting operation instead. Oops <br /><br />(Thread for some more info, with tips if you get your bike stolen or find what you think might be a stolen bike)</p>— Justin Lai (@justindlai) <a href="https://twitter.com/justindlai/status/1519477140554600448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>But another great part of our community are the bike shops who stop thieves in their tracks and proactively fight bike theft by activating their communities to get registered.</p>
<p>Shops are on the frontlines of curbing theft and limiting the options thieves have to fence their stolen goods.</p>
<p>This vigilant work is coming from bike shops of every size.</p>
<p>At <a href="https://www.bayoubicycles.com/">Bayou Bicycles</a> in New Orleans, a bicycle mechanic thought something was odd when a customer came in requesting to have a flat changed on his Bianchi and do some other work that seemed misplaced.</p>
<p>He looked up the serial number on Bike Index to find that it had been stolen five years ago and started tracking down the owner through a Bike Index community partner, <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.com/">Stolen Bikes Nola</a>.</p>
<p>That’s when the owner started getting phone calls about their bicycle being found: an 18 year old bike that was originally purchased from the very same shop years earlier and was still dearly missed.</p>
<p>Bayou Bicycles offered to do a little work before picking it up with a new hub and seat and before long, the Bianchi was back in the right hands.</p>
<p>“It is just so nice to have this bike back - yes I still had my Janus Hybrid and a couple of years I broke down and bought a retro street bike. But Bianchi is the one.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIKE RECOVERY:"Bayou Bikes thought person that brought it in was a bit suspicious and checked it out! They checked Bike Index! Yeah Bike Index!!!!!" <a href="https://twitter.com/BianchiOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BianchiOfficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesnola?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stolenbikesnola</a> <a href="https://t.co/ATb36PY3kt">pic.twitter.com/ATb36PY3kt</a></p>— Bike Index (@BikeIndex) <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex/status/1486712650239143942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>From local operations to major retailers, bike shops are making a real impact in curbing bike theft in their communities.</p>
<p>Just last week in Boulder, Colorado, The Pro’s Closet aided in a bike recovery when a thief tried to sell a stolen bike to them. By checking the serial number on Bike Index, and with the assistance of the local police, the stolen bike was recovered and returned to the owner.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIKE RECOVERY: "Thief tried to sell to bike shop, who checked serial numbers on Bike Index and saw it was stolen. Worked with police to have it recovered!" <a href="https://twitter.com/VitusBikes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vitusbikes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesDEN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stolenbikesDEN</a> <a href="https://t.co/1xeg3CqcGa">pic.twitter.com/1xeg3CqcGa</a></p>— Bike Index (@BikeIndex) <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex/status/1532540776969916416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>In addition to these vigilant recovery efforts, bike shops are in the unique position of being able to register a bike from its initial purchase and help protect that bicycle throughout its lifespan. As of May, Bike Index has over 800,000 bicycles in its registry, and over $18 million of stolen bikes recovered.</p>
<p>The Pro’s Closet is one of 1,370 community partners who use Bike Index for registering inventory and referencing the stolen bike database to fight theft proactively.</p>
<p>Bike shops can register for a free Bike Index shop account and integrate their POS to automatically register bikes at purchase to help curb bike theft in their local communities.
You can learn more about Bike Index for Bike Shops, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/for_bike_shops">here</a>.</p>
2022-05-02T15:21:37-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-theft-season-is-here---what-can-you-doBike Theft Season Is Here - What Can You Do?2022-05-02T15:21:37-05:00Bryan Hance
<p><strong>Bike Theft season is upon us</strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562737/SEASON.JPG" alt="Bike Theft Season is Coming" /></p>
<p>Bike Theft season is here.</p>
<p>It happens every year - as the weather gets warmer, the thieves come out in droves and ‘bike theft season’ officially kicks off.</p>
<p>There has always been a seasonality to this that we watch here at Bike Index - and this year is no different. It is like clockwork. Very, very depressing clockwork.</p>
<p><strong>So: What to do?</strong></p>
<p>We are seeing that seasonal rise again - <b>right now</b> - so we wanted to publish this post and provide some quick tips to help you get ahead of this year’s bike theft season.</p>
<p>These are quick, <b>free</b> tips that literally <b>everybody</b> can do right now. We’d love it if you could send this to any cyclists/shops/friends and social media circles that you can, because the more we get folks engaged <b>right now</b>, the more bike thefts we can stop.</p>
<p><strong>First: Register your bike</strong></p>
<p>Let’s get the easy one out of the way: Registering your bike is <b>simply the most obvious, easiest, fastest thing you can do right now.</b></p>
<p>Grab your phone, take a couple photos of your bike, and then pop on over to <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">bikeindex.org</a> and
register your bike. Better yet, include a <b>selfie of you with your bike</b>, so there’s little debate about proof of custody/ownership later on.</p>
<p>This gets it in the Bike Index system, fully documented, and drastically reduces any thief’s ability to resell or fence that bike later on. And it’s all free - and fast.</p>
<p>You would think we still wouldn’t have to beg people to do this one simple thing, but we still have stolen bike entries come in every day that lack both a <b>photo</b> and a <b>serial number</b>. And these victims are usually kicking themselves for not taking two proactive minutes to register with us before they suffered a theft.</p>
<p>I guarantee you if those theft victims had registered earlier, we’d be getting more bikes back. So we’re begging you: get your bike registered with <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">bikeindex.org</a> right now.</p>
<p><strong>Harden your bike’s storage environment</strong></p>
<p>Where is your bike right now? Is it in a garage? Is it in a basement? Parked at work? Take a moment and ask yourself “<i>How can I harden my
bike against theft in this place</i>”?</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562750/rekt.JPG" alt="rack" /></p>
<p>We see countless bikes getting stolen from garages, apartment building parking, and businesses. In fact, we <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/so-lets-talk-about-secure-bike-parking">wrote an article about this that you may be interested in reading</a>. The upshot? Bike parking is a prime target for thieves, building management doesn’t care, and countless bikes get stolen from apartment garages because they are easy pickings.</p>
<p><b>Garages:</b> garage thefts are a favorite target for bike thieves, because once they’ve defeated whatever simple mechanisms (the door, glass, or cheap locks)
to get into your garage they basically have the run of the place. This makes them very ‘low hanging fruit’.</p>
<p><b>Solutions:</b></p>
<p>1) <b>Lock the bike to something/ use anchor bolts</b>: real simple, if your bike is left standing unlocked in your garage, this makes
it easy to steal once a door is breached.</p>
<p>Make sure you’re locking it to something sturdy, thick, and impossible to cut through. Even better, use an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-16mm-Bicycle-Stronghold-Anchordp/B000LF903M/ref=asc_df_B000LF903M/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198084925599&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13184984639442550601&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061081&hvtargid=pla-381360329985&psc=1">anchor bolt</a>
of some kind to make sure they bike is securely locked to a floor bolt and not going anywhere.</p>
<p>2) <b>Security cameras</b>: consumer grade security cameras are so <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=home+wifi+camera&i=tools&crid=1OFSR0OMF39G5&sprefix=home+wifi+camer%2Ctools%2C157&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">stupidly cheap right now</a>! They’re worth buying. Get some, add them to your garage, and set up motion alerts. Get two: make one very overtly visible, and make the other one well hidden and placed at head height.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562741/motion.JPG" alt="motion detector" /></p>
<p>3) <b>Motion detectors</b>: A while ago I went looking for the cheapest WiFi connected motion detector that I could find, and I <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MFMDCPH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details">found this</a>. For $22 you get a motion detector that audibly alerts on motion and also alerts your phone, and can be controlled via an app.</p>
<p>It isn’t much, but for $22 it’s a great cheap defense for a garage space that will likely scare off any casual burglar with a loud alarm and also alert your phone.</p>
<p>4) <b>Disable your garage door release</b> - take a moment and
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO_HTBHLFI">watch</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLa8eCjzjiA">any</a>
<a href="https://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/how-thieves-break-into-homes-by-the-garage-door/">one</a> of these videos about
how thieves use your emergency release pull cords to break into garages.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562754/release2.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Now - go <b>disable that latch</b> on your own garage door.</p>
<p><b>Apartment Buildings</b>: we see a lot of bike thefts stolen from apartment ‘bicycle parking’ rooms. Again, it’s a long subject and we wrote a whole article about it, so we won’t reiterate
all those points here. <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/so-lets-talk-about-secure-bike-parking">Go read that article if you want the lowdown</a>.</p>
<p><b>Solution:</b> Many people ignore their building management and keep their bikes in their apartments, instead of the basement bike parking. We’re big fans of this.</p>
<p>If you <b>are forced</b> to use the building’s parking, double the number of locks you are using, make sure you’re locking to something solid (and not the cheap racks often supplied
by buildings) and pester your building management about getting better security mechanisms installed - and ask them about their insurance policies. Make them nervous, which will make them take the problem
seriously.</p>
<p><strong>Next: Engage your community & register more bikes</strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562752/strip2.JPG" alt="we work with everybody!" /></p>
<p>Registering one bike is great, but registering a hundred bikes is epic. And the thing is - <b>it’s not even that hard</b>.</p>
<p><b>Do you belong to a cycling group?</b> Point them towards <a href="https://bikeindex.org">BikeIndex.org</a>, or send out a link in your local mailing list,
and ask everybody to register their bikes for free, right now. Not sure what to say? We’ll help you put a blurb together, if you want some help.</p>
<p><b>Are you a member of a cycling Facebook group?</b> Same thing - Drop a link to <a href="https://bikeindex.org">BikeIndex.org</a> in your next post, comment,
tweet, email, communique, manifesto - <b>whatever!</b> Let them know Bike Theft Season is here, and they need to get proactive.</p>
<p><b>Are you a student? Tell your school about Bike Index!</b> A shockingly large number of the stolen bikes we see are taken
from campuses and schools who sadly don’t have the best security setup with their bike parking. It’s simple, fast, and free
to get your <a href="https://bikeindex.org/for_schools">school signed up with Bike Index</a>.</p>
<p><b>Tell your local Bike Shop about Bike Index!</b> Better yet, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/for_bike_shops">get them signed up to register bikes</a>
via their point of sale system - and you’ll be responsible for registering thousands of future bikes.</p>
<p><b>Tell your local city about Bike Index</b> - but be prepared for slow progress</p>
<p>We would love it if you engaged your local city about bike theft. We’ll be honest though: The thing about cities is, <b>they move slow</b>.
And we know that cities move slow. But Bike Index <b>lets you move fast</b>.</p>
<p>With Bike Index, you don’t have to wait for your city to ‘<i>form a committee to investigate the possibility to examine the implementation of a
community bike theft effort</i>’ which, in all reality, would probably be implemented sometime in 2045 if they start right now.</p>
<p>What you <b>can</b> do though, is everything above this paragraph that we’ve already listed. And you can do it <b>right now</b> - with no city assistance required.</p>
<p>And in no time, you can tell your city “<i>This is what we, the cycling community, are already doing to help fight bike theft here. We invite you
to come join us and pitch in.</i>”</p>
<p><strong>Come hunt bikes - and thieves - with your community!</strong></p>
<p>The strongest anti-theft communities are those that have people actively ‘bike hunting’ and coordinating with victims in their local communities.</p>
<p>This means they have people checking the usual crop of online fencing sites and apps - <b>Facebook Marketplace</b>, <b>Offerup</b>, and <b>Craigslist</b> - and cross matching stolen
bikes from Bike Index against those bikes posted for sale. This kind of sleuthing can be done quickly and safely, from home, without ever leaving your chair.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/562749/offerupsucks.JPG" alt="Offerup sucks" /></p>
<p>This is an incredibly easy way to spot stolen bikes - especially on <b>Offerup</b>, which is a chronically terrible repeat offender and the single largest
place thieves are fencing stolen bikes (and stolen everything) these days.</p>
<p>Other communities have people that go to ‘known hot spots’ - usually swap meets or flea markets with dubious reputations - and surreptitiously check the bikes
for sale there against Bike Index listings. This is a little more involved, but there are enough cyclists out there that are fed up with the thefts in their community that they
are making it happen.</p>
<p>Point being: <b>If you want to get move involved, it’s always possible.</b> Drop us a line and we can usually point you towards the folks doing this work in your area.</p>
<p>The best part about all of these suggestions? <b>They are all free!</b> Everything I’ve just listed is completely free, free, <b>free</b>. As it should be.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading - and thanks for getting ahead of this year’s bike theft season.</p>
<p>-Bike Index</p>
2022-03-21T13:52:01-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/sprocketbike---a-market-we-likeSprocket.bike - a market we like!2022-03-21T13:52:01-05:00Bryan Hance<p>We spend a lot of time looking at and thinking about bike marketplaces here at Bike Index.</p>
<p>This is because lots of stolen bikes wind up on the <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/closing-the-loop-a-deep-dive-on-a-facebook-reseller-of-bikes-stolen-in">black and grey markets</a>. And, honestly, because most marketplaces out there are <b>terrible</b>. Not a single day that goes by that we don’t find stolen bikes posted on Offerup and Facebook Marketplace - because neither one has any form of anti-theft controls built in. Even when you catch thieves selling stolen bikes on those sites, they usually continue to sell stolen bikes there. Nobody removes their accounts, and they continue to fence stolen bikes unimpeded.</p>
<p>Sadly neither of those platforms has showed any interest in doing anything to address the problems that let thieves & fences sell stolen bikes online - or deal with <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/offerup/comments/tdms6t/offerup_where_dudes_occasionally_just_maybe_post/">more absurd examples of abuse</a> in their ads. These platforms simply aren’t built to weed out the bad guys - all they want is your money.</p>
<p>Fortunately, we also encounter lot of people - usually cyclists! - who are looking to solve this problem by building their own markets. These are entirely new places to buy and sell bikes, but with safety, security, verification, and customer <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/the-pros-closet-in-lockstep-with-bike-indexs-mission">protections</a> in mind. <b>As tech-heavy, bikey startup folks ourselves, it’s always nice to meet kindred spirits working in the same space.</b></p>
<p>We’re firm believers that <b>the only people who are really going to solve the ‘rampant black market’ problem</b> are cyclists, developers and other people whose priorities lie with their community - and not just a drive to make as much money as they can selling <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-to-file-a-wa-attorney-general-complaint-against-offerup">other people’s stolen bikes</a>.</p>
<p>Because of this, Bike Index is always on the lookout for smart entrepreneurs and other folks who have the bigger, better picture when it comes to building the marketplaces of the future. And, we’re not going to like, we give then bonus points if they also make their product videos while <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOlm2JnVD7k&list=PLFWWt2y9VGYwyEmM820M14HFEWeDPsf55">literally on a bike</a> because that’s just frankly awesome.</p>
<!-- Seven image -->
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546272/SEVEN_USE.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Today we’re chatting with <b>7</b> of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sevenshurygin?trk=public_profile_browsemap">Retrographic LLC</a> - the entrepreneur behind <a href="https://sprocket.bike/app">sprocket.bike</a> billed as “the worlds first bike marketplace app”.</p>
<p>7’s background is both a cyclist and ‘an out-of-the-box thinker, multi-disciplinary software designer with more than 12 years of experience building mobile apps’. Furthermore, Sprocket has been using <b>Bike Index</b> for a while now to verify serials as part of Sprocket’s dedication to marketplace safety and legitimacy. Which we think is awesome.</p>
<p>But - as you can read below - there’s a lot more going on ‘under the hood’ that makes Sprocket special.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What’s your Origin story?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Answer:</strong> I immigrated to this country from the former USSR and grew up in Cupertino, CA in the shadow of Infinite Loop. Because of my fathers experience in advanced art and engineering I have always been keen to do something that would involve both sides of my brain. When I went to college to get my Digital Arts Degree for the video game industry, I ended up illustrating some of the first indie games for the iPhone. Landing an accidental hit, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9tJ3Ey32fE">Blast Monkeys</a>, that overtook Angry Birds ( for a short time ) led to a life-long career in what was at that time a new specialization of Mobile App Design.</p>
<p>In 2014 I spontaneously made my way out to Burning Man, where I got the opportunity to meet many beautiful human beings and experience what modern society should be like. The event forced me to realize some important questions; like how to bring Burning Man’s proto-culture to the default world and how I can play an active role in creating a sustainable and vibrant future for our world. It was at Burning Man, that someone misheard and misspelled my name on a coffee cup, giving me the name ‘Seven’.</p>
<p>At first I worked on Sprocket on the side after work and on weekends. The first version was actually a database to store specifications on ~60k bikes to make compatibility, maintenance and repair easier. However this first version led dozens of people to approach me inquiring about a “good deal” on a “used bike” to start riding. This is why I pivoted into Sprocket as the worlds first mobile bicycle marketplace, which allows you to buy and sell bicycles and bike parts!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546019/001.JPG" alt="Sprocket" /></p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: How many of you are working on Sprocket? How big is the team?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Seven/Sprocket:</strong> We were way ahead of the whole corona thing as a distributed company. I run the company and do so with the help of 5-10 UpWork contractors from all over the world. These contractors have represented as far and wide as Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Brazil, India, USA. Essentially were headquartered on the world-wide internet.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What other apps and projects have you worked on?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong>: I started working on iPhone apps when Steve announced the App Store in college. Some of the most recognizable software I designed on was <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soundhound-music-discovery/id355554941">SoundHound</a> music recognition app, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hound-voice-search-assistant/id1032432287">Hound</a> voice assistant app, <a href="https://onesignal.com/">OneSignal</a> dev notif platform and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lyft/id529379082">Lyft rider/driver apps</a> where I was responsible for authentication, referrals, coupons, growth and a whole bunch of other incredibly hard mission critical stuff.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What were you trying to solve with Sprocket? What made you sit down and say ‘this is the thing I’m going to build’ ?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong>: I can talk at length about the common verbal and physical abuse on American roadways when I got on my bike in 2008, but it really goes back to reading books from the 70s about climate change. (<i>Editor’s note: Right there with you on this one - I think I read Harry Harrison’s ‘<b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_Room!_Make_Room!">Make Room Make Room</a></b>’ about 20 times</i>) Scientists realized that we were creating a destabilized world even back then! Its apparent that while the car saved us from the horse, it created an unholy alliance with mass-media advertising that is the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546024/MRMR.JPG" alt="If you read this book, you know what I am talking about" /></p>
<p>Working backwards from us solving this ‘somehow’ it was clear that someone was going to have to create a change in societal behavior, that would make it easy, affordable and cool to give up the car. As a mobile app designer I was surprised that there were very few people who took climate change seriously back in ‘08-’14 and saw this as a tremendous business opportunity. This is especially lucrative when you consider the inevitable emissions regulations which are coming to a country near you very very soon.</p>
<p>Having already knocked around the idea in my head for 2 years at that point I decided to put the first pedal strokes down in 2014 after visiting Burning Man. Aside from climate change my goal was really to restore the commons to public spaces and public discourse, which have been nearly obliterated by the car. In traversing urban areas, human beings used to flint against one another creating sparks of public discourse necessary for society to function. Much of this has been lost as sole-profit-motive corporations packaged us away in steel coffins that make these spaces and conversations non-existent. Like the top-soil in a jungle that’s washed away, we’ve lost the common ground which is needed for these ideas to flourish and grow! I know that people on bicycles are exposed to one another and the individuals they pass along the way. And that this to a large extent may fix what the automobile industry broke.</p>
<p>Right now what I’m creating is a platform for those ‘n00bs’ who are interested in cycling or in the idea of giving up their car but for one reason or another and can’t get over the fence to do so. I am working out how to provide those new cyclists a resource they can download and walk away with their first used bike by connecting them to a local community member.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What is the Sprocket revenue model? How do you make money? </strong></p>
<p><strong>7:</strong> Virtually all of 2012-2021 I earned money from designing for Silicon Valley corporations and invested that into development and R&D while handling design myself. More recently I have sold all of my equity in Lyft and am using that to work on the app full time.</p>
<p>Its true that the first sale is FREE and so is every 1 sale when you refer a friend and they sign up. After that the app lets you buy a sale ad for a bicycle or a bicycle part for $1 ( in the US ). We are in the process of shipping the ability to buy a sale ad for bicycle part bounty or a bicycle bounty for $1 as well to assist people during these global shortages. Lastly we are working out subscriptions which will allow garage flippers and bike shops to pay $10 and get 20 ad listings for free. And this is all available on Android, ChromeOS, iOS, macOS and Web.</p>
<p>Where we go from here, who knows, but one thing is for sure, it is the people that roll a D20 throw themselves at the ground and aim to miss that change the world and soar! <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sprocket-sell-buy-bicycles/id899907986">Downloading the app</a>, rating, sharing and sending us feedback really helps more new riders to discover Sprocket.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: Tell me about the thought process that went into designing Sprocket as a safer, more verified, more trusted marketplace. Did you start out with the marketplace first and then add in verification and security later, or were these things you thought about from the very start?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong>: From day 1, I have been interested in figuring out how to do right by riders and the bicycle retail industry. Specifically I did not want to repeat obvious mistakes the likes of Airbnb in respect to the hotel industry but instead augment and symbiotically enhance the great stuff that is already happening in the space i.e. put community before money.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546051/smallfix.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>With the very limited funding we had most of the time it really took a lot of effort to get just the basic features expected from a bicycle marketplace off the ground.</p>
<p>The first security feature we built was adding the sale’s city, as some are safer than others ( we later expanded this to include tapping through to see it in Gmaps ) The very next two security features we built were actually to show the authentication provider and to show the image that the account was registered with. This gives you an insight into the flavor of the individual you might be dealing with, for example if they choose not to have a photo of their face.</p>
<p>When we discovered <a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation/api_v3">Bike Index had an API</a> for serials to validate against, that made it a really easy decision! That was actually something one of our contractors could pick up and integrate into the application relatively easily. The other thing we added to our serial verification subsystem was the ability to add an un-validated serial number which can be checked against databases manually and visually inspected during the purchase. This is also frequently used internationally in countries like India where Bike Index is not yet widely used.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: Tell us how you went about designing a marketplace that focused on bike legitimacy?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong>: I think our biggest differentiator is that I think about it as a ‘gradient of security’. I kind of realized its not possible to force people to provide security information. Instead I anticipate organized chaos and give sellers choices about how fast and how well they want to sell. The more security signals they choose to give the better the platform will work for them. The less they want to give us … lets just say it helps fund future security developments on our end.</p>
<p>In this way definitely when you choose to provide an avatar that lets people be comfortable with you and know what to expect when they meet you, you will have an easier time. Your serial verification, should you choose to use it, will likewise show up on all lists and detail pages of your sales prominently and aid in directing offers to you.</p>
<p>Recently we started working on integrating Strava authentication so even with the provider you choose as your sign in, you will be able to show that you are not some rando but a member of the cycling community. Going further we plan to implement ride history lists you can pair with your sale to show that you’ve been riding the bike your selling for months or years - kind of like a used CarFax.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: Tell me about your integration with Bike Index and how that keeps Sprocket users safe? What differentiates buying and selling on Sprocket from, say, Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong> All general marketplaces are generally the same in that they’re not ideal for the sale of bicycles. It is precisely because they are concerned with facilitating the buying and selling of everything from a couch, a TV, a PC and a bicycle that they will never be specialized enough to meet the needs of the bicyclists. Some of them like OfferUP and Mercari have shipping/payment protection systems but they are only valid for items that can fit into the back of a car trunk, so bikes don’t qualify. The only platform where this works would be eBay.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546043/SPROCK2.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>The other thing you have to worry about with those starting in 2022 is that everything over $600 has to be reported by a ‘payment processor’ to the IRS. They then have to store and secure all of your highly-sensitive data against hacking ( which we do not ).</p>
<p>In terms of serial number verification we’re really the only one that is specialized enough to be in a position to do it. Is not really worth the time/value of someone like OfferUp or eBay to implement this because of the variety of stuff they’re helping people move between each other that is not bicycles. On our platform not only is it clear which bicycles have serial numbers included/verified but you can run a filter for them!</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: Tell me about your use of bitcoin / cryptocurrency a little bit more. What problems does this solve and how does this make bike buying and selling easier?</strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546048/btc_smaller.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><strong>7</strong> Based on our understanding of Ethereum and Bitcoin we see them inevitably both becoming the first international currencies. This is evidenced by not just El Salvador but now also Ukraine and Russia adopting them among with many other countries. This trend will inevitably result in Earth reaching the status of a Type 1 civilization, on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale">The Kardashev scale</a>, with a single non-sovereign monetary standard.</p>
<p>Having such a standard is long overdue because companies such as Retrographic which exist only on the internet and develop things like international community marketplaces have to on a daily basis deal with hundreds of currencies, tax laws and local regulations. As Jack Dorsey puts it: “<i>There has to be an internet currency that allows an internet service to facilitate international buying and selling with one currency. It is inevitable</i>” ( paraphrasing )</p>
<p>Currently any time someone wants to sell something in the world on a software client somewhere in the world we have to follow a fairly complex process: ask for permission to ascertain location through Google ( or offer to enter it manually through a more complex method, or not at all and default to something in the US ), Then we have to figure out what currencies are in use in that country. For this purpose we actually had to build entirely custom tables designating the symbol in each country. We then need to make some logic rules such as that having the geo-location of a country means they are unlikely to want/need to sell in a currency of a bordering country.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546030/ether2.JPG" alt="eth" /></p>
<p>After all this we get a system where for the most part if you are selling items and give us your location in US, UK, India your currency symbol will be in USD, Pounds or Rupees. However now if you want to buy that bicycle and have it shipped in order to understand its true value you still need to manually convert it from the geographic fiat to your geographic fiat.</p>
<p>Not only is this cumbersome but it reduces your chances of making an offer or completing a purchase depending on your exchange rate. Also, let me remind you we pay Google for every time we make these inquiries to the Gmaps API to sort this out! 0.001 Satoshi in US is the same in the UK and its the same in India. This is internet money displayed neatly in an internet service. Furthermore you know its value relative to your country without having to do math to calculate its difference in value across borders.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/546031/BTC.JPG" alt="btc" /></p>
<p>The most fantastic property of Ethereum and Bitcoin transactions is that they are decentralized and non-reverseable. We have found an innumerable amount of scams on these online marketplaces with everything from fake cash, to cashiers checks, to PayPal/Venmo and so on and so forth! Crypto fixes this as it is unfakeable, immediately verifiable and can not be rolled back by a scammer through an exploit of a centralized authority. In essence not only do you have to worry about buying a fake bike but the seller has to worry about getting his money for selling a real bike. And by allowing sellers to list in ETH/BTC we have closed that security issue for those who are willing.</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What question haven I not asked you that I should? </strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong> Not only has there been work done on Sprocket App but daily, since 2014, I’ve also been running <a href="https://instagram.com/sprocketblog">@SprocketBlog</a> on Instagram. And the question to ask is from all that blogging where do I think that biking is going in general?</p>
<p>The simple answer is eBikes.</p>
<p>Back when <a href="https://instagram.com/sprocketblog">@SprocketBlog</a> started there were barely any eBikes in public spaces or available for sale. In the last 8 years monumental progress has been made in battery size and energy capacity. This has really changed the possible utility for bicycles. Two of the most exciting areas, which were simply not available before, are bicycles for seniors who practically haven’t been able to bike otherwise at all, and bicycles for people looking to switch from a car to something just as fast.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index editor Bryan Hance chimes in here</b> - <i>I absolutely agree with this, it has been real interesting to be around for ‘the ebike wave’. If you would have told me five years ago that three out of four of my immediate family members would all own ebikes - myself included - I wouldn’t have believed it. And now they’re simply everywhere, and empowering a whole new demographic to enjoy cycling mobility again. They’re fantastic. To see my parents zipping around on ebikes (and driving less!) it absolutely brings a huge smile to my face. (And our e-bike stolen bike recoveries, too.)</i></p>
<p><b>7 continues:</b></p>
<p>In this future where bicycles have batteries they will also have more embedded software. We have seen some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmOxeYIU3bY">experimental shifting systems</a> which are able to sort out drive train load shift for you without shifter levers. We will equally start to see bicycles that track you with an embedded version of Strava. Where this gets really exciting is when these bicycles start to include a way to identify the verified serial number in software through Bike Index… and perhaps use that as some sort of digital ride unlock key like on Lyft bikeshare!</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What’s next for Sprocket? What kind of additions, features, and new bits do you want to roll out this year?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong> Aside from the previously mentioned Strava security stuff and Sprocket subscriptions were primarily focusing our runway funding on SEO for the rest of the year. I feel we’ve build a very robust and capable marketplace that riders are actually paying us to support as opposed to free alternatives. However modern ‘mobile’ applications still inexplicably as it turns out require a ‘website’ for Google to index in order to send traffic to. I absolutely agree with you, it boggles the mind that owning 75% of mobile Google does not index Android applications for Google search. So figuring out how to do Search Engine Optimization really well is the killer feature we see helping us take off in 2022!</p>
<p><strong>Bike Index: What would you like the future of cycling and bikes in general to look like? How would we all get there?</strong></p>
<p><strong>7</strong> A really exciting future for me would be where in the next decade we’ve solved the climate emergency in the nick of time by switching to bicycles for 80% of the trips globally which take ~20 miles or less to complete. And in this future where we have also eliminated bicycle theft in such a way that bicycles can be left unlocked. Just like what I saw at Burning Man, or at RABRAI or San Jose Bike Party - 1000s of bikes are strewn everywhere! Nobody cares and nobody has an incentive to care. In part because bicycles are cheap and accessible - but also impart because stealing and reselling one has been made by software too prohibitively difficult to even make it worth a while.</p>
<p>That’s the future we all want. That’s the future we need. And with your support and sharing of my app that’s the future I hope we all get a little closer to.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Fantastic. Thank you Seven for your time and thoughts - for all our readers be sure to check out <a href="https://www.sprocket.bike/app">sprocket.bike</a> both on the web and on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/sprocketblog">@SprocketBlog</a> - and also on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS30n2W8alkPpjQzAzNG2yg">Youtube</a> </b></p>
<p>-Bike Index</p>
2022-02-19T05:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/the-pros-closet-in-lockstep-with-bike-indexs-missionThe Pro's Closet in lockstep with Bike Index's mission2022-02-19T05:00:00-06:00Gavin Hoover<p>LOUISVILLE, Colo. (BRAIN) — Because it deals exclusively with pre-owned bikes, e-commerce seller The Pro’s Closet remains up to date on the latest bike theft trends. But even it was taken aback by the uncovering of a Mexican Facebook Marketplace seller’s stolen bike enterprise.</p>
<p>“It’s a gut punch, a slap in the face,” said TPC Chief Revenue Officer Travis Erwin. “This is truly happening and people are building a business on theft in our industry. It’s always discouraging when you hear about this. We want to ensure we are doing everything in our power to put these thieves behind bars.”</p>
<p>TPC is a client of Bike Index, the registration and recovery group that did the deep dive into the Mexican stolen bike market in December. TPC and Bike Index are aligned in promoting an industry-wide effort to fight bike theft.</p>
<p>“Not only with Bike Index, but local and national authorities, and the manufacturers at large to make sure we can have a collective effort,” Erwin said. “It can’t be just one entity trying to take down these sophisticated rings.”</p>
<p>The Pro’s Closet was founded on a mission of building a trustworthy and safe marketplace for resale. It was a natural fit to use Bike Index to register inventory and use its stolen bike database. It also uses the national database LeadsOnline and submits seller information and serial numbers through both before making an offer and registering with Bike Index.</p>
<p>“If anything comes across from Bike Index or LeadsOnline, we obviously relay that information to the local authorities,” Erwin said. “We turn at that point to let them track down any sort of issue.”</p>
<p>Sometimes, even the database checks aren’t enough. He said TPC has an algorithm that looks at anybody regularly submitting bikes, the types of bikes, and the rate.</p>
<p>“Are they a 6-foot tall male on their driver’s license? Do they have an extra-small Bianchi?” Erwin said. “These are the types of things we might not have the rock hard data that it’s stolen because it’s not located on LeadsOnline or hasn’t been registered at Bike Index. Then we have to use a bit of profiling and reach out to these customers to create some friction before there’s any sort of purchase. That’s the due diligence we’re doing on our end.”</p>
<p>Erwin, like Bike Index co-founder Bryan Hance and Executive Director Craig Dalton, urges manufacturers to become involved in the registration process. “If we could have the support from the manufacturers and push more people to register bikes — and what Bike Index is doing in getting dealers to register their bikes — all of the forces would be going in the right direction,” Erwin said.</p>
<p>He favors a government mandated VIN-like code for bikes. “It’s in many ways the fingerprint of the bike. If we can have a standard here, and have all the manufactures come together, then it’s a lot easier than managing it through each IBD and how Bike Index has been doing it.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/540431/tpc-vertical-black-500_2.jpg" alt="theproscloset" /></p>
2022-02-01T14:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/were-partnering-with-bike-index-so-you-can-ride-with-confidenceOnnee are partnering with Bike Index so you can ride with Confidence2022-02-01T14:00:00-06:00Gavin Hoover<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/512165/1_jbOk_z6_Ccdu377eb-8Zkw.jpeg" alt="manstandingwithbike" /></p>
<p>For the average cyclist, the simple act of proving that their bike belongs to them can be virtually impossible.
If a stolen bike is recovered by authorities, how does a rider prove that it’s theirs? What if two people claim the same bike? How does a buyer know a used bike isn’t stolen? In these circumstances, and many others, the answer is often an indiscriminate shrug; There isn’t a way</p>
<p>While many police departments and universities have their own proprietary registration systems, these have extremely limited adoption. As a result, the vast vast majority of bikes are unregistered.
Today, we’re pleased to announce that the upcoming Oonee app will offer free integration with Bike Index, the nation’s leading database for bicycles.
Oonee ID & Bike Index</p>
<p>When creating an account, each new user will be prompted create an Oonee ID, which will make them eligible for our insurance program and a number of other operational benefits. Each Oonee ID will be unique to the user and will feature photos and key information about the bike(s) that are in use throughout our parking network.
Oonee ID information will also automatically be shared with the nationwide Bike Index database, which is widely used by advocates and authorities across the United States. Though the cross-registration feature will be automatic, cyclists will be able to opt out. After completing their Oonee ID, new users will have the option of receiving a Bike Index QR code that can be posted to their bike as well.</p>
<p>Oonee ID will be dynamic.</p>
<p>Users will be able to register multiple bikes throughout their Oonee experience and with updated data automatically shared with Bike Index. Users will also be able to “transfer” ownership to another individual, even if that person is not an Oonee member. Ownership transfer information will also be shared with the Bike Index database.
No matter where Oonee members go in the USA, they’ll have seamless, up-to-date registration of their bicycles within the largest and most recognized national cycling database.
Now that’s peace of mind.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/512166/1_o86SOmgIflrXW7nMy5Ifsg.png" alt="stolenbikesregistry" /></p>
2021-12-16T19:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/closing-the-loop-a-deep-dive-on-a-facebook-reseller-of-bikes-stolen-inClosing the loop: a deep dive on a Facebook reseller of bikes stolen in Colorado2021-12-16T19:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance
<blockquote>
<b>In a hurry? </b>Here's the synopsis if you're pressed for time:
<ul>
<li>In early 2021 several people tipped Bike Index off to a Facebook seller in Mexico that appeared to be selling bikes stolen from Colorado</li>
<li>Bike Index confirmed there were many stolen bikes in that seller's sales in our initial examination - but we wanted more confirmation</li>
<li>We then enlisted the help of the Colorado cycling community and confirmed even more stolen bike matches</li>
<li>Since February 2021, Bike Index has been capturing a record of all the seller's listed bikes - screenshots, prices, descriptions, etc.</li>
<li>We have spoken to many victims already, but there are likely <b>many more victims</b> that we haven't spoken to yet whose stolen bikes are in this archive</li>
<li><b>We are publishing this seller's archive of bikes here, so other theft victims can look through these bikes</b> - and to highlight the problem re: stolen bikes being moved out of state and fenced on Facebook</li>
<li>We are publishing this archive on the heels of the Colorado AG's announcement about '<b><a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/press-releases/11-17-21/">Operation Vicious Cycle</a></b>', which hinted at bikes from Colorado being fenced in Mexico - but did not go into any detail re: that</li>
<li>The Google doc manifest - with link to stolen bike images - is <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z4VDiTo-ByTK4vEZ1nEQYfAdefY4eXHtj3tA6TqBNuE" target="_new"><b>here</b></a> but please consider reading this article to learn how to navigate and search it</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>Want the long version? Read on.</p>
<p><b>The beginning:</b></p>
<p>In early 2021, several people tipped us off to a Facebook seller in Juarez, Mexico who appeared to be selling bikes stolen from Colorado. Our first examination noted that:</p>
<ol>
<li>The seller's Facebook page was <b>region locked</b>, and could only be viewed from Mexico </li>
<li>The seller has been operating since at least <b>2019</b> (best est)</li>
<li>The seller's Facebook page has well established <b>marketing and branding</b> and utilizes multiple social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) - although Facebook is the primary sales channel </li>
<li>The seller ships bikes to buyers all over Mexico - their <b>ability to ship bikes to all parts of Mexico</b> is highlighted in almost all their posts.</li>
</ol>
<p>In short order we found enough red flags - and tactics we had seen with other suspect sellers - that it piqued our interest and we spun this off as a special project to look closer, compile data, and learn what we could about this market.</p>
<p>Just in case it’s your first time here - some basics about Bike Index:</p>
<blockquote>
<b>Who we are:</b> We're BIke Index! We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit that registers, recovers, and protects bikes all over the world! You can <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/help">learn more here</a>.
<br /><b>What we do: </b> We build advanced systems and partnerships to protect bikes and support cyclists all over the world. Curious about what this looks like? <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news">Learn more here.</a>
<br /><b>Why we do this:</b> Because we love bikes, we hate thieves - and honestly <b>nobody else out there is doing this kind of work.</b>
<br /><b>We collect intelligence:</b> We learn all kinds of things about the <b>'grey'</b> & <b>'black'</b> market for stolen bikes, the operators in those spaces, and their tactics, techniques, and procedures.
<br /><b>We operate based on donations from individuals and the bicycle industry</b> - please consider supporting our work with a <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/donate">donation</a>.
</blockquote>
<p>
</p>
<p><b>The Seller:</b></p>
<p>Meet <b>Alexander’s Bikes</b>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500627/alexanders001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Alexander’s bikes has a dormant, legacy Facebook page here: <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/Alexanders-Bikes-109771243714067/">facebook.com/Alexanders-Bikes-109771243714067</a></p>
<p>… which dates back to 2019 - and is viewable from the US - but this is no longer the current page for this seller.</p>
<p>The <b>current</b> Alexander’s Bikes page is <b>only viewable from Mexico</b>, here: <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/Alexanders-Bikes-461529120720739">facebook.com/Alexanders-Bikes-461529120720739</a></p>
<p><b>Again - you can’t see this page if you are coming from non-Mexican internet. If you want to see this page, you’ll have to use a VPN to route your traffic through Mexico. </b></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500628/alexanders002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Alexander’s is also on <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/alexanders_bikes">Instagram</a> and <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/alexanders_bikes">TikTok</a>, although the main sales channel is the region locked Facebook page.</p>
<p><b>Collaboration with Colorado cycling community</b></p>
<p>Skimming this seller’s listings, we made several quick initial matches on stolen bikes that had been listed with Bike Index.</p>
<p>We also saw bikes with obvious stolen indicators in this seller’s stable that <b>weren’t</b> listed in Bike Index. When we dug into these bikes we often located the owners - typically through Facebook posts in various Colorado cycling groups. (This was slow going, and it would have helped us greatly if these bikes were simply listed as stolen in Bike Index.)</p>
<p>In order to get a better first assessment, we enlisted Colorado-area anti-theft folks to help us evaluate a larger ‘batch’ of bikes we had already archived. We knew that partners in Colorado would be more familiar with bikes stolen from their region then we were and could find more matches - which they did. Bike Index sends a <b>massive thank you</b> out to those people for their help with this.</p>
<p>We shared screenshots of bikes, their details, and data with a handful of trusted Colorado cycling folks - and the results came back pretty quickly. The process went like this</p>
<ol>
<li>Examine a bike in this seller's listings</li>
<li>Find a possible owner via Bike Index or local connections, Facebook posts, etc.</li>
<li>Email that suspected owner photos from the bike's sale listing</li>
<li><b>Get a confirmation</b> from the owner via any special details, configurations, scratches, or other indicators that made them <b>sure</b> the bike was a match</li>
<li>Collect police department name and case number from the victims</li>
<li>Advise the owner to let their police department know we found the bike, and to offer our assistance</li>
</ol>
<p>Fortunately the seller’s ads- which included multiple high quality photos of each bike - also left a lot of remnants and identifiers behind.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500757/245911183_1823303661209938_1369809635340090905_n.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500758/fullcycle.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>These are just some quick examples, as you look through the archive you’ll see other things like: bike shop stickers, dents/dings, bike customizations, bike decals, etc. that are all helpful identifiers.</p>
<p><b>Point being: we went through many steps to have owners positively make sure sure these bikes were indeed their stolen bikes.</b> In many cases some components had been swapped out before being listed on this seller’s Facebook page - yet there was still enough detail or other identifiers that owners were able to ID these bikes as theirs.</p>
<p>In that first batch of <b>43</b> bikes, we identified <b>10</b> that were matches to stolen bikes. <b>Seven</b> of those were “absolute confirmed matches” - and <b>three</b> were “close matches”, i.e. owners essentially said “<i>this looks extremely similar to my bike but I cannot discern enough details to be 100% sure.</i>”</p>
<p>Here are the bulk of those first matches, to give you an idea:</p>
<p><b>Bike 1: </b><br />
Make: Grimsley 29er, blue and black<br />
Details: “<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/938086 ">That is absolutely my bike!</a>” “Lock cut in underground, garage storage on Wednesday, October 5, 2020, between 12pm and 10pm. 5th theft occurrence at The Brodie Apartments in one week”
<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499487/Grimsley001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499488/Grimsley002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Bike 2:</b><br />
Make:Commencal Meta HT AM, blue<br />
Details: Bike matched without a Bike Index listing, via assistance from Commencal - “….that is 100% my bike I had that same different front brake than the rear and all the other components are the same other than he must’ve changed the tires”<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499489/commencal002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Bike 3:</b><br />
Make: <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/151391898605510/user/15907808">Orbea Occam, Orange</a> <br />
Details: “Stolen from the bike storage in my apartment. The thief rode off with the bike on his motorcycle … “<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499492/orbea001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499493/orbea002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<!--
<b>Bike 4:</b><br>
Make: Trek Slash, Black/Red <br>
Details: (details ommitted)<br> <!- Think it's this guys bike https://www.facebook.com/groups/151391898605510/user/558992278/ ->
<img class='post-image' src='https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499495/TREK001.JPG' alt='ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE'>
-->
<p><b>Bike 4:</b><br />
Make: <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10221395753575656&set=gm.912498155828210 ">Specialized Stumpjumper S-works with OHLINS shock</a> <br />
Details: “Specialized S-Works green Stumpjumper stolen July 27th from Residence Inn in Lakewood around mid-day from locked bike rack. Unique build and frame.” …
“That is 100% it. The red Specialized S on the back of the down tube is not stock with the bike. I have photos that show that. “
<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499497/OHLINS001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499496/OHLINS002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Bike 5: </b><br />
Make:Guerilla Gravity Gnarvana, Red/Grey<br />
Details: “Hey GG riders, especially Colorado Springs, got some sad news from my bike shop today, they had a break in and my bike was the target. So be on the lookout for a Gnarvana (Red) with a Box Prime 9 drive train, absolute black oval, red oury grips, and red one up pedals. Shop is going to make it right, but bike thieves still suck”<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499506/GG003.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499507/GG004.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Bike 6: </b><br />
Make:Guerilla Gravity Megatrail, black/green<br />
Details:”This definitely looks like my bike. The wear and tear on it resembles all the ares especially underneath and also the scrapes on the stem and the Megatrail text area, because it was a demo it had more scrapes etc than most bikes. Check out the bent rim right on the W - My photo is attached and I circled the bend in red from your screen grab. “ (Further ID’d via cosmetic defect, and via the serial number that the seller had inadverdently posted in his sales photos)<br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499505/GG002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499508/GG000.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /> <br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499509/GGBEND.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /> <br />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499510/GGBEND2.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>At this point we felt that we had more than enough matches to confirm this seller had enough stolen bikes from Colorado that it went beyond any sort of ‘accidental chance’.</p>
<p><b>Of interest: Wide geographic scope and various sources of stolen bikes that all lead to one seller</b></p>
<p>During our work, we encountered bikes that were stolen from multiple scenarios - home break-ins, vehicle break-ins, commercial burglaries, bikes snatched off the street, from garages, businesses, etc. These bikes were from all over Colorado, with no one real ‘town of focus’ or point of origin. This pointed to multiple different thieves, in multiple different cities, using multiple different methods.</p>
<p>That all these bikes stolen from such a wide geographic area - and from very different scenarios involving likely multiple different criminals - this was of specific interest because in a sense ‘<i><b>all roads lead to this seller</b></i>’. Meaning this seller is at the end of some organized effort to collect, ship, and resell bikes stolen from multiple thieves in multiple cities.</p>
<p><b>Shifting to data collection</b></p>
<p>We shifted from finding and making stolen bikes matches to just capturing everything we could from this seller for later, and looking for some way to route it to all these victim’s various law enforcement agencies.</p>
<p>We set up a process to capture screenshots of all their listings, turn these into MS Excel manifests, and then started asking victims to reach out to whatever departments they had filed police reports with.</p>
<p>The way this seller operated made this time consuming. Their listings updated almost daily, and would mix ‘old’ previously listed bikes in with new bikes. Each bike listing would contain between ten and
twenty five images of the bike that needed to be captured. The seller also posts batches of everything all at once, so in one day they may list 40 or 50 bikes - i.e. mostly repeats, with some occasional new bikes mixed in. Pulling out and focusing on just the new bikes took a lot of work.</p>
<p>The seller would also periodically dump an entire listing of their whole inventory at once, meaning we had to separate these ‘promotional’ type posts from the individual bike sales posts. We still captured them for posterity, and you will see these posts in the archives.</p>
<p>Two things we were interested in during this data collection process:</p>
<p><b>1: Rapidity of shipping</b>: We wanted to know how fast bikes stolen in Colorado were being listed for sale in Mexico. This Zerode Katipo (for example) was stolen on 8/22/2021 in Denver Colorado, and listed on 09/07/2021 for $89,700 pesos ($4480 USD) on the seller’s site. This means this bike went from Denver Colorado to Juarez Mexico - over 600 miles away - <b>in a little over two weeks</b>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499528/zerode002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499529/zerode001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>2: Pricing and resale values</b>
Nobody has ever really quantified the economics of the black market for stolen bikes, and this seller’s listing gave us a very good look at these numbers.</p>
<p>Clearly we don’t know the seller’s overhead for shipping, commissions, and storage etc - but it allows us to put some numbers around the economics of this specific market.</p>
<p>For example - This 2020 YT Jeffsy Pro Race
would retail/resell for about $4800-5000 USD (used) at the time this article was written, but is being sold on this seller’s page for $89700 pesos - roughly $4300 USD.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499524/JEFFSY.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Location attribution & shop interior</b></p>
<p>This seller says they are located in Ciudad Juarez Mexico, and in one post lists its exact street address. Photographs from the seller’s various social media line up with the Google Maps images of that street address in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.</p>
<p>This seller is also <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@alexandersbikes">TikTok</a>. After months of looking at the seller’s photos and trying to discern more details about the shop, these TikTok videos instead provided a rare glimpse
into the interior workspace, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@alexandersbikes/video/6908903636630310146?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1">packed with bikes and tools</a>, and the same visual backdrop that appears in all of their ads.</p>
<p>Links, for posterity:
Tiktok logo: <a href="https://colorado.bikeindex.org/tiktok/tiktok.PNG">Seller TikTok logo</a><br />
Video 1: <a href="https://colorado.bikeindex.org/tiktok/alexanders001.MP4">archive</a><br />
Video 2: <a href="https://colorado.bikeindex.org/tiktok/alexanders002.MP4">archive</a><br />
Video 3: <a href="https://colorado.bikeindex.org/tiktok/alexanders003.MP4">archive</a><br /></p>
<p>Because of this, we can say the shop pictured in all these photos is physically in Mexico. Any photo of any bike taken with the branded seller backdrop is in Mexico. Facebook comments on the seller’s page confirms the exact address in Mexico and the visual details line up with that location and address.</p>
<p><b>Police involvement</b></p>
<p>At one point we did get connected with a detective who was aware of a ring of bike thieves operating in Colorado. This is all we will say about this specific phase of our work.</p>
<p><b>Enter Colorado’s “Operation Vicious Cycle’ </b></p>
<p>On November 17, 2021 the <a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/press-releases/11-17-21/">Colorado Attorney General announced</a>
the indictment of ‘<i>eight individuals on 227 counts for allegedly committing a series of crimes involving 29 bike shop burglaries, 22 auto thefts, and multiple attempted burglaries and thefts stretching from Fraser to the Denver
metropolitan and Boulder areas</i>’. The multi-agency effort was titled “<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/press-releases/11-17-21/"><i>Operation Vicious Cycle</i></a>”.</p>
<p>The AG’s press release stated that “<i>The value of the stolen vehicles, stolen property, and property damage carried out from December 2019 until June 2020 is approximately $1.5 million,</i>” and most notably: “<i><b>Prosecutors have credible evidence suggesting the group worked with “fences”—individuals in a criminal enterprise whose role is to resell stolen goods—who moved the bikes out of state and possibly into Mexico.</b></i>”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/499527/viciouscycles.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>While Bike Index doesn’t have a full accounting of all the bikes stolen from the thefts linked to the thieves in these indictments, we believe we have matched bikes from some of those shops to the bikes listed in this seller’s archives. Many of them still have the shop stickers on their frames, and match make/model/descriptions of bikes taken in these thefts.</p>
<p>The individual indictments themselves (<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Acosta-Larkin-Court-Stamped.pdf">1</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Butler-Austin-Court-Stamped.pdf">2</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Garcia-Gerald-Court-Stamped.pdf">3</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Leday-Maurice-Court-Stamped.pdf">4</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Melina-Gregory-Court-Stamped.pdf">5</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Mena-Barreno-Salvador-Court-Stamped.pdf">6</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Quijada-Jason-Court-Stamped.pdf">7</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2021/11/CO-State-Grand-Jury-Indictment_Rocha-Chairez-Adrian-Court-Stamped.pdf">8</a>) are a very interesting read and provide lots of detail about how the indicted folks operated - including details on the border crossings.</p>
<p><b>Here’s the part you’re here for - the archives</b></p>
<p>Bike Index has catalogued and screenshot all of the bikes sold on this seller’s Facebook page since February 2021.</p>
<p>This archive contains roughly <b>1077</b> bicycle sales listings and over <b>15,000</b> screenshots of those listings along with their descriptions and sale price (listed in Mexican pesos).</p>
<p><b>We built a tool to help theft victims find their bikes in this seller’s listings.</b></p>
<p>Our goal is to bring light to the larger problem of stolen Colorado bikes being taken out of state, make victims aware of the issue, and to locate/identify more victims from this archive that can be attributed to this seller’s sales.</p>
<p>Ideally, this article would hopefully help de-platform this seller off of Facebook, but we aren’t holding our breath on that one. Facebook is basically terrible about this, and their existing mechanisms for dealing with reporting sellers like this simply don’t work. More about this in a moment …</p>
<p>To do this, we turned this archive into a searchable Excel document, so victims can examine these listings and search for their own stolen bikes. <b>We would appreciate it if you could help
us spread this link to any other Colorado area victims whose bikes were stolen since roughly 2019 to now.</b></p>
<p>So- please send this article to</p>
<ul>
<li>Any Colorado shop you know was robbed</li>
<li>Any Colorado cyclist you know who had a bike stolen since 2019-ish</li>
<li>Anyone you know in the industry, law enforcement, or online investigations who wants to know more about bike theft </li>
</ul>
<p><b>How to search these archives:</b></p>
<p><b>Step 1:</b> Open this link: <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z4VDiTo-ByTK4vEZ1nEQYfAdefY4eXHtj3tA6TqBNuE">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z4VDiTo-ByTK4vEZ1nEQYfAdefY4eXHtj3tA6TqBNuE</a></p>
<p><b>Step 2:</b> This is a read-only Google Doc. Note there are <b>multiple tabs</b>, one for each month, and you can use <b>Control-F</b> to search each tab. For example - “Guerilla Gravity”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/501252/tabs.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/501253/guerilla.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>Step 3:</b> For listings with screenshots, the left hand “<b>Folder</b>” column will have a link. Click the link to see the image listings. Click individual listings to see that screenshot.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/501254/link.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/501255/index.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/501256/photo.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><b>If you find your stolen bike in these listings</b>, please:</p>
<ol>
<li>Email us at <b>colorado@bikeindex.org</b></li>
<li>Send us your stolen bike's link from the archives</li>
<li>Inlcude your <b>Bike Index link</b>, if you have one, and make sure that listing includes your <b>police report</b> number.</li>
<li>Feel free to update whatever police department you filed with that your bike is with this seller in Mexico.</li>
</ol>
<p>Do not contact us for more images of bikes in this archive. We don’t have anything else - we’ve published everything we have.</p>
<p><b>Lessons learned</b></p>
<p>Some thoughts on ‘lessons learned’ from this project.</p>
<p><b>The market for stolen bikes is larger than most people realize</b></p>
<p>Basically: Bikes taken from ‘simple’ crimes that are low on the radar in Colorado are making their way to this black market - way out of state. The idea that a bike being smash-and-grabbed in Colorado and winding up for sale in Juarez Mexico a couple weeks later is <b>way</b> outside of everybody’s threat model - be it victims, law enforcement, and even us until now. Our research, combined with the Colorado Attorney general’s indictments, should re-align people’s thinking on this issue.</p>
<p><b>Nobody is doing the proactive anti-theft ‘bike hunting’ work - except us, and bike victims</b></p>
<p>We hate to say it, but it’s not like Facebook or local police are looking at these kinds of online listings to find stolen bikes. Facebook is a terrible monolith of badness, local cops are overextended, and because this page is region locked, victims can’t even hunt for their bikes properly either without some technical knowledge.</p>
<p><b>Chasing stolen bikes is time consuming and expensive. Selling stolen bikes appears very profitable</b></p>
<p>A lot of labor went into this project just to quantify the problem - but this was all done for zero dollars. The costs and time on this were absorbed by us and helpful volunteers.</p>
<p>At the same time, this seller was listing so, so many bikes - and making sales and profit all along the way. Facebook too is making a profit here, via the associated advertising and user monetization of having a popular page with tens of thousands of followers generate traffic on their platform.</p>
<p><b>Facebook is basically terrible and we lay the majority of the blame for this problem directly at their feet</b></p>
<p>Facebook’s general terribleness has been quantified to no end - in almost every facet - but we’ll just zoom in on a couple quick specifics here:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500642/reportpage001.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>1) Facebook’s process for flagging sellers like this is effectively worthless. We know, we tried, we flagged the seller - nothing happened. Because the only applicable “report this page” options are for “click for trademark infringement” or “Unauthorized sales”. And, all you can do is click buttons - there’s no ability to send in any information to back up the report. There is no button to click where you can explain to anybody at FB “this is a repeat seller of bikes stolen in Colorado, and here’s our proof, and here’s our contact info.” etc. <b>It is almost as if their system for reporting stolen goods is designed not to work.</b></p>
<p>2) There’s also the problem here that most, if not all, victims can’t see this page to report it in the first place, because they’ve region locked access to it. <b>We</b> were able to get around this but we don’t expect normal victims to have the technological means to do this.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/500643/reportpage002.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>3) Lastly - it’s not clear to us how the hell we would even get this seller banned. Facebook’s only mechanism is to “report the seller” which we did, which did nothing. And we’ve spoken to law enforcement about this in several states. About the only way law enforcement interfaces with Facebook is to subpoena information for investigations - <b>not</b> to, say, contact them and say “this seller is bad, get rid of them.” That doesn’t exist as far as we’re aware.</p>
<p>We also indirectly spoke with some Facebook employees over email, whose response basically boiled down to ‘we work with law enforcement’ and ‘report the page via our existing mechanisms.’ It is worthless corporate-speak, further designed to deflect their responsibility.</p>
<p>So, sadly it looks like Facebook is the only one who could take the initiative to boot this seller off their platform - and the odds of that happening are pretty low, in our opinion.</p>
<p><b>Like our work? We’d appreciate your assistance</b></p>
<p>Want to help us find more bikes? Want to support our work? <b><a href="https://bikeindex.org/donate">You can do so here. We’d really appreciate it.</a></b></p>
<p><b>Press inquiries</b></p>
<p>Press inquiries about this article can be sent to <b><a href="mailto:press@bikeindex.org">press@bikeindex.org</a></b></p>
2021-11-03T19:51:43-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/maxtracker-moves-the-needleMaxTracker moves the needle2021-11-03T19:51:43-05:00Lily Williams<p>Like many good ideas, MaxTracker was born from frustration. Steve Maxey stopped at a deli on the way to the trail and within 10 minutes someone had cut the locks of his roof rack and stolen his two mountain bikes.</p>
<p>The first run of the new MaxTracker production units will come out in December after <a target="none" href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/maxtracker-anti-theft-gps-bicycle-security-system--2/x/24148782#/faq">a successful Indiegogo campaign</a> and will cost $179. Connect MaxTracker’s app to your device and locate your bike if it goes missing.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/maxtracker-anti-theft-gps-bicycle-security-system--2/x/24148782#/faq"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/495255/Screen_Shot_2021-11-03_at_1.50.11_PM.png" alt="maxtracker video" /></a><small>“In America, a bike is stolen every 22 seconds.”</small></p>
<p>The weatherproof, waterproof, and durable tracking unit bolts and locks to the bike through standard bottle cage mounts and has over two months of battery before needing a simple recharge. The simple design is something that a novice bike thief could easily miss - until it sounds an alarm upon movement.</p>
<p>The unit is equipped with GPS, motion detection, a cellular connection, and the MaxTracker guarantee, which will replace your stolen bike if it is not recovered while using a MaxTracker.</p>
<p>“Our Mission is to reverse the outcomes of the bike theft industry so that bike owners win,” says CEO and founder of MaxTracker, Steve Maxey.</p>
<div class="side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/495250/1B.jpeg" alt="maxtracker blue" /></div>
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/495253/MaxTracker_Studio_0007.jpeg" alt="maxtracker white" /></div>
</div>
<div class="side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-xs-6"> <img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/495251/3A.jpeg" alt="maxtracker red" /></div>
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/495252/Black_Silver2.png" alt="maxtracker black" /></div>
</div>
<p><small>MaxTracker will be available in four colors.</small></p>
<p>In a market where there is a huge demand for bike theft prevention technologies, MaxTracker sets itself apart from other tracking devices. Instead of using Bluetooth like Tile or AirTags, where the signal range is good only up to about 200 feet - at best - MaxTracker uses a modern 5G cellular network that can locate a bike that is blocks or miles away, tracking its movement in real-time, right on the owner’s phone. If a bike is ridden away from the theft site it is often out of the range of Bluetooth trackers immediately.</p>
<p>Paired with Bike Index recovery services, MaxTracker is set to reduce bike theft starting this December.</p>
2021-09-16T18:47:39-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/mandatory-municipal-bike-registration-doesnt-work-bike-index-doesMandatory municipal bike registration doesn't work. Bike Index does.2021-09-16T18:47:39-05:00Lily Williams<p>After many years of building the world’s best registration and recovery system, Bike Index has a few notes about the need for universal, non-mandatory bike registration.</p>
<p>There are still many states in the U.S. use or mandate antiquated, municipally-run bicycle registration systems that don’t successfully return lost bikes. Typical hallmarks of these registration systems are:</p>
<ol>
<li>“<b>Closed systems</b>”, meaning the public doesn’t have access to the data inside the registry, even their own data</li>
<li><b>Expensive</b>, costing money for overhead and/or some kind of salaried position to maintain the registry</li>
<li>Made for <b>local use</b> without integrating with other city or state registries</li>
<li>Have little, if any, buy-in from local bike shops and cycling organizations</li>
<li>In general, <b>just don’t return many bikes</b></li>
</ol>
<p>Utah is an example of one of these states with laws in place requiring municipally-run bike registration across the state. If Utah wants to increase overall usage, reduce costs, and return more lost bikes to their owners, the state would benefit from repealing its mandatory bike registration law and replacing it with a modern alternative, such as Bike Index.</p>
<p>Since 2013, Bike Index has been promoting <strong>free, open, community-driven bicycle registration and recovery</strong> with an anti-theft focus. Bike Index combines modern technology with cycling community buy-in which both increase recovery exponentially. Thanks to an open API, access to the public, and partnerships with key entities in the cycling world, Bike Index has returned almost <strong>$16 million in stolen bikes</strong>.</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://www.eastbaytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/20160617__cct-bikes-0617-11.jpg?" width="800" alt="bike east bay" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/prinzrob" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1413982405820518400/iUT01II__400x400.jpg" alt="rp handle img" /><span class="tweetor-name">Robert Prinz</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@prinzrob</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Oakland PD wrote the staff report to city council, but it was actually local advocates (myself included) who pushed starting 2014 to have the requirement repealed. OPD's original proposal was to raise the bike registration price, not eliminate it. <a href="https://bikeeastbay.org/OaklandBikeReg">BikeEastBay.org/OaklandBikeReg</a></div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/prinzrob/status/1385706939703730178" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In the past, city or state-run ‘pen and paper’ registration systems had some success. But it’s 2021, and these closed systems don’t cut it anymore,” says Bryan Hance, co-founder of Bike Index. “We know that once you give the community the means to register, recover, and check serials on bikes online - for free - the success rate skyrockets.”</p>
<p>Oakland, CA switched away from their mandatory registration system to Bike Index in 2016 after a push for modernization by <a target="none" href="https://www.bikeeastbay.org">Bike East Bay</a>. The history of the Bay Area cyclists and police and their use of bicycle registration is a long and convoluted topic but the upshot is that bike registration in Oakland is now a tool for residents to recover their property and less of a tool for penalizing individuals. It’s also cheaper.</p>
<p>“The end result is that by removing bike registration requirements and instead promoting free, optional services online, the number of people who register their bikes goes up and the cost to the city goes down,” <a target="none" href="https://bikeeastbay.org/OaklandBikeReg">said Robert Prinz</a> of Bike East Bay.</p>
<p>Before, “Oakland collected around $800 in bike registration fees but operating the program cost them just under $18k every year,” said Prinz.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_cities">Cities and law enforcement agencies</a> can partner with Bike Index by <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/organizations/new">creating a free account</a> on Bike Index and putting web registration forms online to allow citizens to register with the city. Anyone who registers with a city on Bike Index also adds their bike to Bike Index’s universal database so their bike is registered and searchable no matter where they take it. Cities and law enforcement agencies can look up bike owner contact info and get in touch if they recover a bike, dramatically boosting return potential.</p>
<p>Bike Index provides additional tools such as integration with LeadsOnline, a daily emailed stolen bikes hot sheet, registration credibility scores, and the regional dashboard so municipalities can see where and how registrations are coming in. Bike shops can also <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_shops">automatically register bikes</a> at point of sale and Bike Index has tools for universities and advocacy groups as well. More than just a database, Bike Index is a recovery platform.</p>
<center><a target="none" href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1De4TeyXdqshjhxBdrP9YL_f2AmzRkNx8VuRVCiniUic/edit?usp=sharing"><strong><i>Check out the Bike Index partner deck for law enforcement and municipalities.</i></strong></a></center>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re in an age where the community has devised its own solution. Bike Index is a modern solution with backing and usage by the community itself, and a track record that proves cost-effectiveness,” says Hance.</p>
<p>Legislation that governs bike resale and pawning is also antiquated. When thieves have their choice of <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-is-a-solitary-resource-against-stolen-bike-sales-online">multiple online apps and sites to fence stolen goods</a>, closed systems simply aren’t working. Resale laws penalize businesses by burdening them with rules that online sellers don’t have to follow, in addition to saddling them with the burden of manual registration efforts.</p>
<p>“One of the biggest problems we’ve solved is connecting a victim’s bike for sale on, say, Offerup to a victim, ASAP,” says Hance. “The simple fact that Bike Index gives anti-theft folks and victims the tools to match stolen bikes is exactly how we’ve recovered millions of dollars in stolen bikes without burning municipal employees’ time and taxpayer money.”</p>
<p>Utah currently has bike license laws that require each town, city, and municipality in the state to maintain its own registration system. These systems are closed to the law enforcement agencies in each municipality. The isolated registries typically do not cross-reference and do not account for bikes that come in from out of state. Only a handful of cities have gone to the effort of producing the required licenses and mandatory registration systems across the country have been criticized as tools for <a target="none" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-23/the-biggest-problem-with-bicycle-licensing-laws">racial profiling</a> and selectively targeted enforcement.</p>
<p>In 2018 <a target="none" href="https://le.utah.gov/interim/2018/pdf/00003392.pdf">a Utah group</a> brought a proposal to the Utah State Legislature to repeal mandatory bike registration codes. The Utah codes in place included:</p>
<ul><i>
<li>5.18.030: Salt Lake City dealers must license all sold bikes with name and address of dealer and purchaser, make, model, year, description, and frame/serial number</li>
<li>5.18.040: dealers must serialize bikes without a serial number</li>
<li>5.18.060: dealers cannot sell bikes without documentation</li>
<li>12.80.010: bikes must be licensed to ride</li>
<li>12.80.190: judges in traffic cases can revoke and suspend licenses if the owner of the bike is not the licensee or if the owner has allowed the bike to be used in violation of the license. Police can impound these bikes.</li>
</i></ul>
<p>The group in Utah was not successful in repealing the mandatory licensing requirement but noted a few key takeaways - most notably: that it “did not work to return bikes to their owners.”</p>
<blockquote>Oakland collected around $800 in bike registration fees but operating the program cost them just under $18k every year.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Robert Prinz, Bike East Bay</div>
<p>In 2017, of <strong>1,406 bicycles</strong> that were stolen or abandoned in the Salt Lake City Police jurisdiction, <strong>only 83</strong> were returned to their owners. Only about 1,500 bicycles are registered in the SLCPD’s database each year. Currently, on Bike Index, <strong>about 1,500 stolen bikes alone</strong> are registered in Salt Lake City. Registration systems are not accessible to members of law enforcement state-wide and searching registrations across local databases requires coordination among those municipalities.</p>
<p>For Utah - and for any municipality, state, or country - we urge you to consider a free, universal bike registration platform. If the goal is to return bikes to owners, no other system makes sense. If the goal is to raise funds, mandatory registration still does not make sense.</p>
<p>With Bike Index, cities can put a web registration form on an existing website, and bike owners in the area or coming through can add their bike information from their phone or computer. There are no cumbersome paper records, and owners can update their registration or transfer it to someone else if they sell the bike or give it away. Registration protects a bike no matter where its owner takes it. And as a nonprofit, <strong>Bike Index can invest all efforts back into cyclists</strong>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/473432/snip.JPG" alt="pros of Bike Index" /></p>
<p>The benefits speak for themselves. <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/calgary-doubles-bike-recovery-rate-with-bike-index">Take Calgary</a>, who doubled their bike return rate with Bike Index. Everybody has their part to play in protecting and recovering bikes, and Bike Index has shown that putting tools and means into cyclists’ hands is the modern way forward.</p>
<p>Want to make this happen in your own city or state? <strong><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_cities">Switch to Bike Index</a></strong>.</p>
2021-07-02T10:40:37-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/nbda-teams-up-with-bike-indexNBDA teams up with Bike Index 2021-07-02T10:40:37-05:00Lily Williams<p><a target="none" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/v53RV9LL5y0?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/451330/roman-koester-v53RV9LL5y0-unsplash.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></a></p>
<p>Bike Index is excited to join forces with the <a target="none" href="https://nbda.com/">National Bicycle Dealers Association</a> to provide the value of bike registration to bike shops and customers around the country.</p>
<p>The mutual goal of protecting customers’ bikes and offering bike shops an additional tool to build and retain a loyal customer base makes the partnership between the two non-profits a logical one.</p>
<p>“The NBDA is proud to partner with Bike Index to bring resources to our members to further provide exceptional customer experience,” says Heather Mason, NBDA President.</p>
<p>Bike Index offers tools for bike shops to automatically register bikes at point-of-sale, via free integrations with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a> Retail. With easy registration, the goal is to get more bikes registered in Bike Index before they even leave the shop floor.</p>
<p>“We are passionate about protecting our industry and riders,” says Mason. “With bike theft numbers at record highs, now is the time for retailers to take the extra step to unite against theft.”</p>
<p>The NBDA provides member bike shops tools for strengthening their retail bike businesses. Resources such as research and reports on industry data, industry job listings, bicycle dealer forums, and networking opportunities are available to NBDA members. The NBDA also hosts <a target="none" href="https://nbda.com/#!event-list">regular events</a> for participating dealers.</p>
<blockquote>Now is the time for retailers to take the extra step to unite against theft.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Heather Mason, NBDA President</div>
<p>The goal is to increase the number of registered bike owners as well as use free registration as a tool for bike dealers to provide value at the time of sale.</p>
<p>“Bike Index is a fantastic way for retailers to protect their customers before they even leave the store,” says Mason. “We look forward to working closely to educate retailers and consumers on the resources available.”</p>
2021-05-27T17:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/calgary-doubles-bike-recovery-rate-with-bike-indexCalgary doubles bike recovery rate with Bike Index2021-05-27T17:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Are you looking for a model example of municipal investment in cycling? Look no further than Calgary, Alberta, who returned <strong>21.5 percent of bikes reported stolen</strong> to the Calgary Police Service in 2020.</p>
<p>“From 2014 to 2019 we averaged only a 12% return rate to owners. With the introduction of Bike Index, we have seen that number grow to 21.50%. I think that is a pretty good start to the first year of use,” says Sergeant Brennan Vanderwater of the Calgary Police Service.</p>
<p>Thanks to easy registration with Bike Index, Calgary has jumpstarted bike registration and recovery efforts, registering nearly <strong>16,000 bikes</strong> in just about a year since their public launch.</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/434643/E0owI2EVUAAyG16.jpeg" alt="CPS infographic" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-right tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/CalgaryPolice" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1356306402029961216/HoSrWSxa_400x400.jpg" alt="CPS logo" /><span class="tweetor-name">Calgary Police</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@CalgaryPolice</span></a><div class="tweet-body">In 2020, we returned 21.5 per cent of bikes reported stolen to their rightful owners through collective efforts of our Evidence and Property Unit and <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a></div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/CalgaryPolice/status/1389976575760732165" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bike owners in Calgary have reported over 1,823 stolen bikes on Bike Index since the beginning of 2020. According to CPS, Bike Index has aided in the recovery of <strong>212 bikes</strong> in Calgary since the official launch of their partnership Bike Index in June of 2020.</p>
<p>Real registration, theft, and recovery numbers are likely higher as Bike Index data are self-reported. Users may have registered with Bike Index but did not add Calgary as their location. Bike theft victims may have also reported their thefts to Calgary without sharing their Bike Index registration info. 3,152 stolen bikes were reported to CPS via their internal system and CPS gained an additional 336 recoveries from this system in 2020, where there could have been some unlinked overlap with Bike Index reports.</p>
<p>What is certain though is that the chance of recovery skyrocketed for users who reported their thefts to both Bike Index and CPS. Calgary’s recovery rates in 2020 were over <strong>double Bike Index’s typical recovery rate</strong>.</p>
<p>Numbers from Calgary show what is possible when communities make registration easy and accessible, and successfully encourage bike owners to report bike thefts.</p>
<p>Since implementing Bike Index, Calgary has recovered an estimated <strong>$339,000 USD in stolen bicycles</strong>. For each bike owner that has registered their bike in Calgary, Calgary has been able to return around $21 in stolen property to bike owners.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/434645/Screen_Shot_2021-05-18_at_5.08.24_PM.png" alt="recovery 1" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/434644/Screen_Shot_2021-05-18_at_5.08.43_PM.png" alt="recovery 2" /></p>
<p>During the busiest cycling weeks of the year - typically in the warmer summer months - over 700 Calgarian cyclists registered their bikes with Bike Index and CPS via easy online registration forms that CPS put on their web pages and advertised on social media.</p>
<p>A huge registration booster came from bike shops and local organizations that offer free <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_shops">registration for their patrons</a>, adding upwards of <strong>300 additional bike registrations per week</strong> in Calgary. Numbers are expected to be significantly higher this summer, as registration efforts have become streamlined since implementation last year.</p>
<blockquote>The Calgary police Service is very happy with the success we have had incorporating Bike Index into our Crime Prevention initiatives. Bike index has been used to help recover and return over 212 Bikes to date since the public launch in Calgary in June 2020.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Sergeant Brennan Vanderwater, CPS</div>
<p>CPS credits their Evidence and Property Units for reuniting recovered bikes with their owners.</p>
<p>“The messaging we try to get out is that the program is working, and so simple to use,” says Vanderwater.</p>
<p><i><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/info/found-a-bike-register-it-as-abandoned-or-impounded">Learn more about Bike Index’s impounding features for law enforcement.</a></i></p>
<p>Calgary is the perfect example of how, when a law enforcement organization incentivizes free and easy registration throughout their community, they reap the recovery benefits.</p>
2021-05-03T14:46:35-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/cycling-hackers-5-bike-gps-tracker-picksCycling Hacker's 5 bike GPS tracker picks2021-05-03T14:46:35-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>Article by Chelsea Smith of <a target="none" href="https://cyclinghacker.com/">CyclingHacker.com</a></i></p>
<p>Whether you are cycling for pleasure, commuting, or working out, the last thing you would ever want is for your priceless possession to fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, ensuring that your bicycle is locked correctly is essential. And for your own peace of mind, make sure it has a GPS tracking device so that you can track it when the worst-case scenario happens. After all, a reliable bike GPS tracker can be the difference between you never seeing your bike again or being united with it after it has been stolen.</p>
<p>But finding the right gear for your bike can be quite challenging, especially with the numerous options in the market. Luckily, <a target="none" href="https://cyclinghacker.com/">Cycling Hacker offers plenty of info</a> on bikes ranging from cycling gears to different types of bikes. So we have prepared the following review of the best bike GPS trackers to help you narrow your search for the best option available.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/427976/coen-van-de-broek-OFyh9TpMyM8-unsplash.jpg" alt="more road cyclists" />
<small>Photo by <a target="none" href="https://unsplash.com/@ocen?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Coen van de Broek</a> on <a target="none" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>.</small></p>
<h3>Best Bike GPS Trackers: Our Picks</h3>
<p><strong>1. Tracki 2021 GPS Tracker:</strong></p>
<p>Tracki 2021 has coverage in about 190 nations, so you will always know where your bikes are and track them when lost. Thanks to its international SIM, you will always have peace of mind knowing that you can get your bike back when it gets stolen or find it after you have forgotten where you parked it. And the only thing you have to do is pay a monthly charge of $19.95.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N4DHFZM/">Tracki 2021</a> is one of the lightest (1.26 oz.) and smallest (0.55 by 1.5 by 1.75 inches) tracking devices in the market. This device includes a lanyard, keychain, belt clip, and a strong magnet. And it has a reliable battery that can last for between 30 to 75 days when used 1-3 times per day. With real-time tracking every 5 minutes, its rechargeable battery can last for 2 to 3 days.</p>
<p>Tracki 2021 uses GPS satellites to track your assets when outside, and when indoors, it matches Wi-Fi routers MAC-ID to Wi-Fi databases to locate your asset. Plus, you will receive real-time alerts when your asset crosses the designated geo-fence zone. You will also receive start, moving, speeding, low battery, and SOS alerts.</p>
<p><strong>Pros</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It comes with a lifetime warranty</li>
<li>It has a revolutionary technology that works both indoors and outdoors</li>
<li>Affordable</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Its batteries have a short life</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker:</strong></p>
<p>Thanks to its 24/7 tracking capability, you will always have peace of mind knowing the exact location of your bike. The <a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0888192R6/">Invoxia tracker</a> is ideal for tracking a wide range of vehicles, bikes, bags, and children. And its real-time anti-theft alerts give you more than enough time to react in case of any suspicious activities. Plus, you can set a Geo-fence zone and get notifications when your asset enters or leave the region.</p>
<p>Another thing that makes this tracker stand out is its battery life. Invoxia GPS tracker can last several months between charges. Plus, you can recharge it within an hour. And instead of monthly fees, Invoxia Tracker comes with a 2-year subscription of $39.90 per year. This tracker uses Wi-Fi tracking, LTE-M, and 4G to keep your asset safe. This device even works in places with AT&T coverage like Hawaii and Continental USA.</p>
<p><strong>Pros</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>No monthly fees</li>
<li>It has an exceptionally long battery life</li>
<li>It can even work in places with AT&T coverage</li>
<li>It sends real-time anti-theft alerts</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It's quite costly</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. PrimeTracking Personal GPS Tracker:</strong></p>
<p>Just like a cellular phone, the PrimeTracking device uses an in-built SIM to provide unlimited data coverage. This device also offers SOS, speeding, geo-fencing alerts, and an unlimited tracking range. And despite having a monthly subscription fee, you can cancel it anytime. In fact, this device has no activation or contract fees.</p>
<p>With <a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KPVVKQ4/">PrimeTracking</a>, you can confirm where the person riding your bike is going and even get alerts if they go too far. And thanks to its small size, this device can be easily concealed on your bike or vehicle. Plus, you can easily track your asset from anywhere in North America using your phone, tablet, and computer.</p>
<p>PrimeTracking can work on multiple networks and devices, so you will never have to worry about losing your asset. This tracker uses state-of-the-art 4G LTE technology to instantly give you numerous information, including direction, movement, and location. PrimeTracking tracker has a 10 seconds update rate.</p>
<p><strong>Pros</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It sends instant alerts</li>
<li>Lightweight and small</li>
<li>It comes with a reliable geo-fencing setup</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It only covers Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Spytec GPS GL300 GPS Tracker:</strong></p>
<p>Spytec GPS offers the fastest and easiest tracking services thanks to its reliable 4G satellite technology. Therefore you will receive location updates from this tracker to your Android/iOS apps instantly. Thanks to its intuitive features and software, you can watch your asset move on the map, monitor the speed, distance and even pull historical data.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S7DVT33">Spytec GPS</a> is a small and versatile device that is about 1” thick and has a battery life of about 2.5 weeks. So all you have to do is install and activate it on your bike, and you are good to go. After all, Spytec has reliable service with 0.256 millisecond processing time and over 99.99% uptime; therefore, you will know exactly where your asset is at any given time of day.</p>
<p><strong>Pros</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Affordable</li>
<li>Small and versatile</li>
<li>It sends location alerts to your phone</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It has a short battery life</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. XOSS G+ GPS Bike Computer Tracker:</strong></p>
<p>XOSS tracker is an in-built GPS chip that allows the bike’s positioning system to connect with four satellite connectivity: Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, and GPS. Not only does this tracker give you the exact position of the rider, but it also records the used track. And thanks to its odometer and speedometer, you can ride your bike effectively and scientifically. After all, it will record your current cycling time, speed, distance covered, maximum speed, and total mileage, among others.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XDSPXR4/">XOSS</a> cycling computer app allows you to upload your info via Bluetooth and even synchronize it with strava, thus making it easy to share your experience. Its 1.8” screen makes it quite easy to read the information even while cycling. And thanks to its rechargeable battery with 25 hours runtime, you can have fun cycling and even monitor your bike the whole day. And the fact that it has IPX7 waterproof protection means that it can still be used when it’s raining.</p>
<p><strong>Pros</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Waterproof</li>
<li>Allows you to share your experience with other cyclists</li>
<li>It helps you monitor your speed distance covered and mileage</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The LCD display is not scratch resistant</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<h3>Final thoughts</h3>
<p>Cycling is a fun activity with numerous health and mental benefits; therefore, most cyclists spend a huge amount of cash on their bikes and gear. In fact, some cyclists customize their bikes, making sure that they match their size and style. And the fact that they are lightweight means that they can be easily stolen. So other than locking them properly, cyclists should invest in a reliable bike GPS tracker. Luckily, some trackers can do more than help you find your bike when misplaced or stolen. These trackers can also inform you when someone rides your bike beyond the set geo-fence.</p>
2021-04-22T23:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/add-another-layer-of-protection-to-your-bike-with-velosuranceAdd another layer of protection to your bike with Velosurance2021-04-22T23:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>If you’ve owned a bike, chances are it’s been thrashed, stolen, or crashed. Bikes are meant to be ridden outside, but that comes with the inherent risk of theft or damage. And while Bike Index can help you search for your bike if it’s stolen, sometimes you lose your ride due to damage or an accident. That’s why we’re partnering with <a target="none" href="https://velosurance.com/"><i>Velosurance</i></a>, a bike insurance company that goes a long way in helping you fix damage to your bike and person.</p>
<p>Bike Index is all about bike-centric solutions. As riders, commuters, racers, and general bike fans ourselves, we know the value of bike-specific insurance for when your bike gets stolen, you crash, collide with someone else, get hurt, or even if you just bonk on the side of the road. Velosurance is much more than insurance for your physical bicycle - it’s a resource to turn to when you and your bicycle get into trouble.</p>
<p>Bike Index and Velosurance are teaming up to provide Bike Index users comprehensive protection for when you can’t get your bike back from a thief or for when you double flat on your evening commute in the middle of the winter. Here are a few of the reasons we think the partnership is a great fit:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Velosurance has a network of bike shop partners.</strong> At Bike Index <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/thank-your-professional-mechanics-for-being-a-line-of-defense-against">we know the value of a trustworthy local bike shop</a>. Velosurance integrates into your local cycling landscape to work with mechanics across the country who will help you get the best estimate of damage and/or loss when you have an accident with your bike. When you're looking to file a claim, you can do so with local help, which means less time on the phone, and real, in-person help from a shop you already have a working relationship with. And if your shop isn't already partnered with Velosurance, you can still utilize their help for a Velosurance return.</li>
<a target="none" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broken_bike_fork_1.jpg"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/422075/800px-Broken_bike_fork_1.jpeg" alt="broken fork" /></a>
<li><strong>Comprehensive damage protection.</strong> We wouldn't ride if we didn't accept the risks, but mistakes and accidents happen, whether that's slipping on wet pavement or watching your bike bag smash onto the baggage claim. More than just for peace of mind, having protection when accidents happen means you'll be able to get back out sooner. Velosurance will not only cover the cost of damage to your bike in case of a wreck or mishap, but also the cost of apparel and other equipment that's damaged.</li>
<a target="none" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broken_derailleur_hanger_mountain_bike.jpg"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/422073/Broken_derailleur_hanger_mountain_bike.jpeg" alt="broken derailleur" /></a>
<li><strong>Roadside assistance.</strong> You've got the dreaded double flat, the derailleur rip-off, the cable snap, the seatpost slip, and even the very rare unicorn of the crankset fall-off. Luckily, Velosurance can pick you and your bike up and bring you where you need to go within a 35-mile radius. You could even call Velosurance during a race if you flat out and your team car is nowhere to be found. (But we hope you'll be in the winning move 😉 )</li>
<a target="none" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portishead_MMB_15_Marina.jpg"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/422070/800px-Portishead_MMB_15_Marina.jpeg" alt="flat tire" /></a>
<p><li><strong>Medical insurance.</strong> Having medical insurance is a wonderful addition to Velosurance's policy. Coverage even extends around the globe, which is a nice alternative to the oft-questionable travel insurance. <a target="none" href="https://www.slowtwitch.com/Lifestyle/Insurance_for_your_bicycle__3594.html">This article</a> outlines the benefits of Velosurance when going through the claims process.</li></p>
<a target="none" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MTB_over_the_bar_crash.jpg"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/422086/MTB_over_the_bar_crash.jpeg" alt="bike crash" /></a>
<p><li><strong>Theft protection, of course.</strong> At Bike Index we'd like to believe we're pretty amazing. But even though we've helped recover more than $14 million in stolen bicycles, countless bicycles are stolen each day. Velosurance fills in the gaps by taking claims for bike theft to get you back out there. Velosurance will cover the bike for theft so that the financial loss is equivalent to the deductible. They'll cover loss both at and away from home and cover partial losses from stolen components to vandalism.</li></p>
</ol>
<p>If you care for your body and your bicycle, tuck Velosurance into your saddlebag. To add to the list of Velosurance benefits above, consider the added benefit of great customer service. You’ll get your claim resolved quickly, without groveling for every last penny.</p>
<p>Combine <a target="none" href="https://velosurance.com/">Velosurance</a> with your Bike Index registration for the ultimate protection.</p>
2021-04-05T15:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-is-a-solitary-resource-against-stolen-bike-sales-onlineBike Index is a solitary resource against stolen bike sales online2021-04-05T15:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>So you found an awesome bike on OfferUp for a great deal - a $3,500 bike for maybe $600. Sure, it looks a little banged up, and the photos are poor quality, and you yourself believe that the deal might be a little too good to be true, but you also want to believe that you’ve just lucked out.</p>
<p>You might also believe that OfferUp - and platforms like it - would flag and prevent the sale of obviously stolen property.</p>
<p>You would be incorrect.</p>
<p>OfferUp, Craiglist, Facebook Marketplace… all of these online sales platforms fail to prevent the sale of stolen property on their sites - and do pretty much nothing in the wake of the complaints about sellers that do. Additionally, they’re next to impossible to police and they place the burden of proof - and almost all the legwork - on victims, buyers, and local law enforcement.</p>
<p>“Online sales platforms provide this thin veneer of legitimacy, hiding behind their weak and easily circumvented ‘checks,’ or total anonymity,” says Bryan Hance, Bike Index co-founder. “These are businesses with billions in investment funding and they expect local police to not only chase down all the stolen goods on their sites, but also to provide ‘safe meetup spots’ for online transactions. They’ve basically outsourced all the enforcement and ‘user safety’ to local cops, burning taxpayer money in the process.”</p>
<p>Bike Index is one of the few modes of recourse for a bike owner who sees their stolen bike listed for sale online, with stolen bike reports that used bike buyers can cross-reference before making a purchase from an unverified online seller.</p>
<p>Take this Salsa Warbird. New, it’s about a $3,000 bike. A Bike Index user saw one listed on OfferUp for $1,000:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413747/ExhnanpVgAAGJCT.jpeg" alt="offerup ad" />
</p>
<p>At first glance, the seller looked valid. They could have needed to get the bike off their hands, explaining the price for a used bike in good condition. Veneer of legitimacy - check. However, the Salsa was a direct match to a stolen Warbird on Bike Index. Local anti-theft groups (collections of regular citizens that can be found in almost every city and who routinely help recover fellow cyclists’ bikes) set up a meeting with the seller. Engaging OfferUp was a lost cause.</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413741/ExhnannVEAAb_sz.jpeg" alt="Jessica" /><div class="tweet-align-top-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/BRAT_Seattle" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1373465173847990273/PkOD_3do_400x400.jpg" alt="BRAT logo" /><span class="tweetor-name">Bicycle Recovery Action Team - Seattle</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@BRAT_Seattle</span></a><div class="tweet-body"><a href="https://twitter.com/FifePD">@FifePD</a> Recovered Nicole’s stolen Salsa Warbird today in Fife. Picture is of seller with said stolen bike. DM if you need additional information. Thank you,<a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindexstolen">@bikeindexstolen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">@stolenbikessea</a> - Bike Index works!</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/BRAT_Seattle/status/1375963401537523713" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Or take this kid’s Co-Op, for sale on Craigslist. Also a direct match to a stolen bike listing on Bike Index.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/415120/download__2_.jpeg" alt="cl ad" /></p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ExRqcn_UcAYW5P2?format=jpg&name=large" alt="returned bike" /><div class="tweet-align-top-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/BRAT_Seattle" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1373465173847990273/PkOD_3do_400x400.jpg" alt="BRAT logo" /><span class="tweetor-name">Bicycle Recovery Action Team - Seattle</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@BRAT_Seattle</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Recovered and returned the cutest little bike to its owner today! Mom Jenn used <a href="https://bikeindex.org">BikeIndex.org</a> to register her daughter’s bike - and Bike Index <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindexstolen">@bikeindexstolen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">@stolenbikessea</a> WORKS!</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/BRAT_Seattle/status/1374841034966921220" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Each site is making hundreds if not thousands of transactions each day. We do not have anywhere near enough resources to watch every sale (some of which take place in a matter of minutes) and vet it for criminal activity,” says Constable Kenny McKinnon of the Edmonton Police Service in Alberta, Canada. “We currently rely on people coming forward telling us that their property is being sold. Once we receive that info we can target that ad or sale.”</p>
<p>EPS has done a stellar job in recovering bikes from online listings, lack of resources notwithstanding. In March they recovered this GT from an online seller, and have dozens of similar stories:</p>
<p>
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/414025/Screen_Shot_2021-03-30_at_12.46.07_PM.png" alt="GT recovery" />
</p>
<p>Buyers and law enforcement can use Bike Index to make direct comparisons to stolen bike listings. Bike Index allows potential buyers of online bikes or finders of stolen bikes to message owners on Bike Index when they find a match. As the risk of discovery increases, Bike Index puts pressure on thieves that think they can make money selling stolen bikes online.</p>
<p>Taking the quick step to check Bike Index is essential to curbing this issue as online platforms do next to nothing to prevent abuse at the root of their systems.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>All these platforms ... they've privatized the profit of having so many sales and users, but they've socialized their losses - by pawning off all the enforcement and grunt work to overworked local cops, who have to chase down goods on the taxpayer's dime.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Bryan Hance, Bike Index co-founder</div>
<p> </p>
<p>Take these <a target="none" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/1025457355/">two Rad Power bikes listed for sale on an OfferUp account</a> under a fake name, despite the seller being a <a target="none" href="https://mynorthwest.com/27934/arrest-release-arrest-of-15-time-convicted-felon-highlights-flaws-in-the-system/">15-time convicted felon</a>. Law enforcement recovered the bikes and returned them to their owners, but the OfferUp account is still active.</p>
<p>Or, take this other seller, who is still active and listing bikes as <a target="none" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/1069946573/">recently as one month ago</a>.</p>
<p>
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413775/download__1_.jpeg" alt="active account" />
</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erf2KzXVkAA8XRk?format=jpg&name=medium" alt="guns" /><div class="tweet-align-top-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/BothellPolice/" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1359187359443476481/rkUKJR13_400x400.png" alt="Bothell logo" /><span class="tweetor-name">Bothell Police</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@BothellPolice</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Officers' hunt for a Bothell man's stolen bike recovers much more; several stolen firearms, pounds of dangerous, illegal drugs... and one bicycle. <a href="http://bit.ly/stolengunsbpd">http://bit.ly/stolengunsbpd</a></div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/BothellPolice/status/1348817682187964418" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Further compounding the difficulty of used bike sales are the procedures that legitimate local shops have to deal with.</p>
<p>“We have small bike shops in Portland that can’t sell used bikes without securing a <a target="none" href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/29978">secondhand dealer’s permit</a>,” says Hance. “They have to have good track records, hold the property, and process used bikes to make sure they are not stolen, which all takes time and money to do correctly. But do it all online with zero controls in place - and poof - suddenly no one cares.”</p>
<p>Take this Cannondale, which was found listed on Facebook Marketplace and returned to the seller via a tip on Bike Index:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413764/1231.png" alt="500 mile recovery 2" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413750/Untitled13.png" alt="500 mile recovery" />
</p>
<p>The owner alerted the local police where the bike was listed - 500 miles away from where they lived - and made the commute to pick up the bike once the police made the recovery.</p>
<p>
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413748/image__2_.png" alt="500 mile recovery 1" /></p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/a-canadian-case-study-in-better-bike-theft-mitigation">Both Edmonton Police Service</a> and the Los Angeles Police Department, who recovered the above bike, are <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/press-release-lapd-now-registering-bikes-with-bike-index">Bike Index partners</a>, which provides them with the resources necessary to contact bike owners through Bike Index’s universal registration system. Regardless of registration location, bike owners can mark their bikes as stolen and receive messages when someone sees or finds their bike.</p>
<p>As more and more bikes are taken out of their theft locations for sale online and elsewhere, Bike Index will prove critical for recovery.</p>
<p>And while bike shops might face challenges when selling used bikes, those that do so successfully can register bikes on behalf of their customers, creating verifiable registration data that immediately proves ownership of bikes.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>We recommend buying used if you’re itching to get your hands on a bike now. In her guide to the best hybrid bikes, Christine suggests using sites such as <a target="none" href="https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/">Bicycle Blue Book</a> and <a target="none" href="https://www.theproscloset.com/">The Pro’s Closet</a>, both of which require sellers to provide bikes’ serial numbers. “One point that we’d like to underline: No matter who or where you’re buying a used bike from, ask the seller for the bike’s serial number so that you can see if the bike has been reported stolen,” she writes. You can check the serial number against <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/">Bike Index</a>, a nationwide nonprofit registry that maintains a list of stolen bikes.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Elissa Sanci of <a target="none" href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/dumbells-camping-gardening-back-in-stock/">The New York Times</a> quotes Senior Editor Christine Ryan's <a target="none" href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-hybrid-commuter-bike/">NYT piece</a> about the best hybrid bike. The Pro's Closet is also a Bike Index partner.</div>
<p> </p>
<p>So - what can we do about online bike sales?</p>
<p>Constable McKinnon in Edmonton has a few tips. “Right now, our Corporate Communications puts out tons of info to educate the public in an effort to combat this trend,” says McKinnon. “It is suggested that:”</p>
<ol>
<li>Transactions take place during the day in well-lit, video-monitored locations</li>
<li>Buyers check the item’s serial number on CPIC</li>
<li>Buyers ask questions (like why are they selling it, where did they buy it, original receipts/bill of sale, etc.)</li>
<li>As always, BUYER BEWARE (if it seems to good to be true it probably is)</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>Constable Dana Gehring of EPS adds that “anything suspicious or problematic should be reported to local police sooner than later. Timely reporting makes a big difference between catching the suspect and the suspect getting away. Reporting also helps prevent further victimization of other citizens.”</p>
<p>Don’t forget to:</p>
<ol>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes?stolenness=all">Check Bike Index</a> before making any purchase of a used bike, online or in-person.</li>
<li>If you find a match but the owner hasn't opened their account for messaging, <a target="none" href="mailto:contact@bikeindex.org">Contact us</a> and we will message the owner</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/session/new">Register all of your bikes on Bike Index</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://youtu.be/pLuv8uvC0uw">Add your bike to your local police department's organization on Bike Index</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://files.bikeindex.org/stored/dont_buy_stolen.pdf">Check out our resources</a> for <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-not-to-buy-a-stolen-bike-online">not buying a stolen bike</a> online.</li>
<li>And keep an eye out for others. If you see something weird, check Bike Index!</li>
</ol>
2021-03-10T02:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/how-i-got-my-stolen-bike-backHow I Got My Stolen Bike Back2021-03-10T02:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Have you had a bike stolen and know that “terrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? And that stabbing feeling to your heart?” Learn about how Paul Andrews of <a target="none" href="https://bikeintelligencer.com/">Bike Intelligencer</a> recovers his stolen bike. Not the one stolen from a bike shop where it was being serviced, not the one double locked to his hitch rack, or the double bike theft of two of his bikes locked together along with a bunch of cinderblocks. Yet another one.</p>
<p>Seattle Police and Bike Index unite to recover Andrews’ bike in 2019.</p>
<iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/2O4b6e0tGqwkEQBtwARzpb" width="100%" height="232" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>
<p>A short listen at just over 22 minutes, Andrews calls Bike Index "the real deal."</p>
2021-03-09T22:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/boulder-co-presenting-the-unified-front-needed-to-reduce-bike-theftBoulder, CO presenting the unified front needed to reduce bike theft2021-03-09T22:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>As bike shops and cycling organizations scramble to keep up with the massive demand for all things bicycles into 2021, a parallel spike in bike thefts has been causing additional strain over the past 12 months. In response, collaboration among bike theft-sympathetic organizations has become the standard for putting pressure back on bike thieves.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2021/02/09/pandemic-fuels-break-ins-%E2%80%94-and-retailer-cooperation#.YD0PGpNKiXQ"><i>Bicycle Retailer</i> has chronicled</a> how bike shops are banding together and working with local law enforcement to fight this rise in bike thefts, with the aid of tools like Bike Index.</p>
<blockquote>One resource mentioned... is Bike Index, a non-profit bike registry that's recovered over $13 million worth of bikes stolen from shops and individuals. Co-founder Bryan Hance called 2020, "...a mother of a year for smash-and-grabs at shops. Once everything locked down in the spring, no one wanted to use public transportation. Then we saw massive step-back by law enforcement stretched thin by protests in Portland. Shops were broken into three or four nights in a row."</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Bicycle Retailer, February 2021. Some bike shops in Chicago and Portland have had smash-and-grabs on multiple instances in a week.</div>
<p>If curbing bike theft is no longer possible alone, cycling businesses and organizations are up to the task of collaborating to compound their dent in bike theft. One of the best examples of this approach is in Boulder, CO, where the <a target="none" href="https://bouldercolorado.gov/police/bicycle-registration#:~:text=Through%20Bike%20Index%2C%20community%20members,is%20FREE%20to%20community%20members.">Boulder Police Department</a>, local bike shops, and the <a target="none" href="https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/transportation/bicycle/bike-registration">University of Colorado Boulder</a> have all started using Bike Index to register and recover bikes together.</p>
<p>“The Boulder Police Department has launched several initiatives to address bike theft,” says Boulder Police Officer Mitch Trujillo. “Site security surveys are performed at the bike shops in order to target harden the business and make them less vulnerable to theft, including smash-n-grabs.”</p>
<p>Mitigating break-ins is just one part of the solution. BPD officers are returning bikes to their owners through Bike Index tools (like the <a target="none" href="https://youtu.be/Fbd8pDdHX8g">daily stolen bikes hot sheet</a>), bike theft prevention spoke cards, and bait bikes.</p>
<div class="side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/400863/Bike_Theft_Prevention_Card_OL_r4_2021-02-09.jpg" alt="theft prevention card" /> </div>
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/400864/Bike_Theft_Prevention_Card__2__OL_r4_2021-02-09.jpg" alt="theft prevention card back" /></div>
</div>
<p><small><i>Boulder PD’s weather-resistant, eco-friendly bike theft prevention cards - officers on foot and bike patrol place these cards in the spokes of parked bikes. The cards have a QR code that links to information cyclists can use to register their bike with BPD and Bike Index, or trade the card in for a discounted bike lock at participating bike shops. The page is also translated for Spanish speakers.</i></small></p>
<p>BPD is looping bike shops in with incentive programs and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_shops">Bike Index registration tools</a> that automatically register bikes at point-of-sale. “Bike Index registration decals are provided to bike shops who have signed on to Bike Index. Stores are then strongly encouraged to register their bike inventory and then decal the bikes to the new owner before they leave the showroom.”</p>
<p>Boulder Police Officers also engage the local cycling community on social media to “provide prevention tips to the public including where to search online for their missing bike and the steps to follow if they locate it,” says Trujillo.</p>
<p>These tools are Boulder’s equivalent of Bike Index’s <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-promoted-alerts-are-the-megaphone-crooks-dont-want-you">promoted alerts</a> and <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/bikeindexstolen">Twitter shoutouts</a> for stolen bike listings.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/401431/Screen_Shot_2021-02-19_at_8.57.38_PM.png" alt="Boulder recovery" /></p>
<p>The collaborative approach has <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/a-canadian-case-study-in-better-bike-theft-mitigation">already worked well</a> in Edmonton and Calgary, both in Alberta, Canada. Edmonton alone has registered almost 55,000 bikes in Bike Index since 2019 and their bike recovery rate has gone through the roof, thanks to local bike shop registration efforts and community outreach.</p>
<p>With input and a small bit of effort from all of the major players in any given city, the incentives for bike theft begin to decrease. With law enforcement, community nonprofits, bike shops, and the university all registering and searching bikes on Bike Index daily, the risk of stealing or selling a stolen bike rises.</p>
<p>BPD Officers “periodically assist victims in the recovery of their bike when meeting with a ‘seller’,” says Trujillo.</p>
<p>Boulder’s collaborative investment in Bike Index registration and the reduction in bike theft is rapidly moving the small mountain town into one of Bike Index’s most successful partnerships.</p>
2020-11-18T21:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/end-2020-with-a-donation-to-bike-indexDonate to Bike Index2020-11-18T21:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Thank you to everyone who has been part of Bike Index’s journey. Each year we grow more than ever, registering and recovering bikes at rates we dreamed of when all of this started almost eight years ago now. <strong>We rely on your continued support</strong>.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://youtu.be/rECKmYHmjXY"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/362577/Screen_Shot_2020-11-13_at_4.43.02_PM.png" alt="video" /></a></p>
<p>We need you more than ever.</p>
<p>As the world continues to change, so do we. More people are relying on Bike Index to keep their bikes safe. More advocacy groups getting people safely onto the road, more bike shops registering bikes for their communities, and more people like you - cyclists who have the right to ride without the fear of bike theft.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/"><img width="100%" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/498041/since_2013_edit.png" alt="since 21013" />
</a></p>
<p>Which is why we are a non-profit. We’re here to provide free, easy, and low-barrier registration for each cyclist around the world. We are the world’s most widely-used registry, and we’re doing it with tools that we can offer at low-cost thanks to donations like yours.</p>
<p><img width="100%" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/361122/hi_copy.png" alt="recovery 1" /></p>
<p>Your donations have recovered thousands of stolen bicycles, all across North America and the world. These aren’t just toys, these bikes are rides to work and school and lifelines to the community during hard times.</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/365518/twitter-image.jpeg" alt="EPS" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-right tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/edmontonpolice" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/611536010921390080/nf65iEM-_400x400.jpg" alt="EPS" /><span class="tweetor-name">Edmonton Police</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@edmontonpolice</span></a><div class="tweet-body">It's World Bicycle Day! Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex" target="_blank">@BikeIndex</a>, we have already recovered 6 bicycles and returned 4 of them to their owners this week. Since we partnered with Bike Index last year over 19,000 bikes in YEG have been registered. Have you registered on <a target="_blank" href="https://bikeindex.org">BikeIndex.org</a> yet?</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/edmontonpolice/status/1268233837907042308" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p>You are making the difference against bike theft. And you can continue to make this difference. Donate to Bike Index today.</p>
<p><img width="100%" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/365516/hi.png" alt="recovery 2" /></p>
<p>Want to donate via PayPal? We have that too:</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.paypal.me/bikeindex"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/386148/Screen_Shot_2021-01-03_at_3.45.40_PM.png" alt="paypal button" /></a></p>
<p>You can also make an impact while you shop online. Use <a target="none" href="https://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4296194">our Amazon link</a> and AmazonSmile will donate to Bike Index NFP, at no cost to you.</p>
2020-11-13T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/call-to-los-angeles-bike-shopsCall to Los Angeles bike shops2020-11-13T17:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p><a target="none" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Los_Angeles_Beach_bike_path_2003_(10221445255).jpg"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/362575/800px-Los_Angeles_Beach_bike_path_2003__10221445255_.jpg" alt="bike path" /></a></p>
<p>LOS ANGELES, CA - Bike Index is attacking bike theft head-on in the Los Angeles area via a new, official partnership with LAPD. With the power of LAPD behind Bike Index, bike registration in LA is now more effective than ever. Citizens of LA can register their existing bikes for free at <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lapd">https://bikeindex.org/lapd</a>. Bike Index also calls on bike shops in LA to register bikes using a point-of-sale integration with Bike Index.</p>
<p>Bike shop registration is a main driver in stolen bike recovery. Edmonton, Alberta, for instance, has registered over 50,000 bikes in the past 18 months with 39,000 of those registrations coming directly from bike shops. This has resulted in recovery rates over five times higher than this time last year.</p>
<p>Bike shops can register bikes automatically - and for free - using one of Bike Index’s point-of-sale integrations with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> or <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a> retail. At the moment of sale, bikes will automatically register in Bike Index and be protected before they even leave the shop. The integrations take just a few minutes to set up, and run automatically in the background of each sale. The integrations are privacy-centric and require no maintenance.</p>
<p>Bike shops can offer registration with LAPD as a legitimate protection for their customers. LAPD’s official use of Bike Index dramatically increases the number of eyes looking out for stolen bicycles, supplementing Bike Index’s core community recovery tools. This means that bike registration in LA goes farther and the chance of recovery is higher. Bike registration is the single most effective tool for returning stolen bikes to their owners.</p>
<p>LAPD will be able to search Los Angeles bike registrations while out in the field and immediately get in touch with registrants. In some cases, law enforcement has been able to return bikes before owners even know the bike is stolen.</p>
<p>Bike Index encourages LAPD bike shops to sign up on Bike Index at <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_shops">https://bikeindex.org/for_shops</a> and link their POS system to register each bike they sell on Bike Index.</p>
2020-11-05T20:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/its-not-always-simple---how-to-prevent-your-bike-from-getting-stolen5 tips to prevent your bike from getting stolen2020-11-05T20:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Keeping your bike in your own hands is, sadly, easier said than done. Most people have either had a bike stolen or know of someone who has had a bike stolen. Bikes are unique items in that they have both a high monetary value and a high sentimental value. Yet, we leave them outside with even the best of protections being relatively insufficient.</p>
<p>Still, there are a few things you can do to deter a bike thief when it comes to keeping your ride safe. Here are our best tips for not getting your bike stolen.</p>
<h3>1) Bring your bike inside.</h3>
<p>The best way to keep your bike safe is to not leave it outside. Hopefully, you can bring your bike into your office or your apartment where no one will get their hands on it other than you.</p>
<p>Locking your bike inside an apartment building but still in a common area leaves your bike vulnerable as well. Try bringing your bike into an inside space that you trust. If you have to lock your bike outside, try locking it somewhere you can see it - not somewhere that is just ‘visible,’ as many thieves are good enough to cut a lock without even looking suspicious.</p>
<p><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/248653/large_IMG_7944.JPG" alt="inside bike" /></p>
<p>Sometimes you don’t have a choice. I took classes in a building that would not let me bring bikes in. Twice a week I had to ride directly after class to cyclocross practice, so I had to lock up my race bike. Luckily, the bike parking was part of a parking lot that had an attendant at all times, and the only way to get into the garage was by vehicle, since it was off of a huge multi-lane road that was in a tunnel. Terrifyingness of riding into that garage aside, I’d take the elevator down 20 stories to check on the bike after every single class. It was not a good feeling.</p>
<p><strong>Another tip:</strong> we see probably a break-in a day, whether into a garage, a home, or a car, so insurance can also come in handy. Garages are the most common of the three. Your detached garage is not safe, especially if you have a car with the garage opener outside or a breakable keypad or doorknob. Not to fearmonger, but <i>thieves are watching</i>. They know what is in your garage, and they will steal it. If you store your bikes in a garage or shed on your property, make sure to lock them to something sturdy inside the structure.</p>
<h3>2) Invest in a good quality lock.</h3>
<p>You can check some of the best locks <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/the-6-best-bike-locks-in-2020">here</a>. Cable locks are pretty much a no in any scenario other than as a supplemental lock to a better lock. It’s nice to have a cafe lock for very brief stops in and out of places where you can’t directly see your bike, but even thick cable locks are easily cut with tools anyone can purchase at the hardware store.</p>
<p>We recommend using at least one U-lock that would require power tools and a bit more time to cut through. Locks that require keys are less breakable than locks that require codes. Locks might seem like an additional irritating fee, but at the end of the day, good locks can last you for years, and ultimately are worth the price of not losing your bike.</p>
<h3>3) Lock your bike properly.</h3>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/358779/Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_6.04.52_PM.png" alt="locked bike" /></p>
<p>Now that you know what kind of locks to use, make sure you know how to use them. We can’t reiterate enough that cable locks are pretty much useless unless you are using a good one to secure your wheels to a U-lock. We recommend locking both wheels to the frame and to the object you are locking your bike to. We definitely recommend putting a U-lock through the rear wheel and triangle.</p>
<p>We also love <a target="none" href="https://pinheadlocks.com/store/en/">Pinhead Locks</a> for your componentry, such as your saddle and your axles. Without a specific key, thieves can’t steal your removable and otherwise unlockable parts.</p>
<p>The idea is, unfortunately, that a thief is going to look for a quick steal, so you want to make your bike the hardest to steal out of the bikes it is locked near. The more locks, the better, but also the better quality of locks, the better.</p>
<h3>4) Pay attention to what you are locking to.</h3>
<p>Are you locking your bike to a bollard that it can literally be lifted off of? Are you locking to a street sign that can be pulled out of the ground? What about a bike rack that, heaven forbid, only allows you to lock your front wheel, which can be removed and the rest of the bike stolen? Or even a bike rack or wooden frame that can be cut with tools?</p>
<p><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109887/badrack.JPG" alt="bad rack" /></p>
<p>It’s sad, but true: if what your bike is locked to is not secure, then your bike is not secure. Thieves will go to any means necessary to take your bike, including cutting down a tree or vandalizing your porch.</p>
<h3>5) Remember that secure bike parking is not always secure.</h3>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/so-lets-talk-about-secure-bike-parking">You may want to think twice</a> before you leave your bike unlocked - or even locked - in a bike cage. It’s as easy as walking into the building behind someone with a fob, breaking the lock or cutting the fence, and grabbing your bike and a bunch of others.</p>
<p><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109890/sm.JPG" alt="bad rack" /></p>
<p>We see TONS of these kinds of thefts. Literally tons. We’ve all assumed that the bike parking in our buildings is secure - because it is supposed to be secure. But it’s not hard for a motivated thief to sneak into the building or just break in and ride your bike out.</p>
<h3>BONUS tip:</h3>
<p>If your bike does end up losing its way, then we have lots of resources on our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">news page</a> that let you know what we recommend doing in specific bike theft hot spots, like <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-your-bike-has-been-stolen-in-the-bay-area">the Bay Area</a>. Try checking Facebook for a local stolen bikes group that will have specific resources for things to do in your community and motivated members who will help you look for your bike. Sadly, online selling platforms like OfferUp do next to nothing to regulate the sale of stolen items, but if your bike appears there, you can check our our post on <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-safety-tips-for-recovering-your-own-bicycle">what to do in this scenario</a>.</p>
<p>And make sure to report your theft to your local law enforcement. Many people think that registering or reporting their stolen bike won’t do any good, but it WILL. We have passionate law enforcement partners all over North America who recover bikes every day, and if you input your police report number on Bike Index, we’ll also alert pawnshops in the area to keep an eye out.</p>
<p><strong>At the end of the day</strong>, having to lock and worry about your bike sucks, but getting into a good routine with equipment that you trust decreases your stress and eventually just becomes habit. You can learn more about locking your bike and protecting your ride <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/protect_your_bike">here</a>.</p>
2020-10-25T01:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/press-release-lapd-now-registering-bikes-with-bike-indexPress release: LAPD now registering bikes with Bike Index2020-10-25T01:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><a target="none" href="https://youtu.be/M7lKoG4U24c"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/350182/Untitled.png" alt="video" /></a>
<i>LA Councilmember Bob Blumefeld encourages registration in Bike Index.</i></p>
<p>Bike Index has partnered with LAPD to register and recover bikes throughout the city of Los Angeles. With a metropolitan area population of over 13 million people and a known cycling hotbed, Los Angeles sports significant and varied ridership. Unfortunately, where there are large numbers of bikes, bike theft follows. Bike Index is looking forward to helping LAPD and LA cyclists fight back against bike theft.</p>
<blockquote>We are very excited to partner with Bike Index, as this partnership symbolizes a joint effort in returning countless numbers of bicycles to their rightful owners</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Officer Brittany Elenes, LAPD</div>
<p>Cyclists in Los Angeles can register their bikes for free at <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lapd">https://bikeindex.org/lapd</a>. This allows LAPD to communicate with owners when they recover a stolen bike. Bike registration is the only way to link a recovered bicycle to its owner. LA cyclists can register their bikes with Bike Index through LAPD in just a few minutes.</p>
<p>Bike Index also encourages bike shops in Los Angeles to set up a point-of-sale integration to register each bike they sell automatically in Bike Index. Shops that use either <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> or <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a> retail can utilize these integrations to provide an automatic LAPD registration to each customer that buys a bike. Each new bike hitting the road or trail in LA will be protected from the moment it leaves the floor, at no cost to the shop or customer.</p>
<p>Bike Index continues to be the most-widely used registration platform with the highest published bike theft recovery rate of any service. With this official partnership, bike registration in LA will be more effective than ever. In addition to alerting the community of a stolen bike through our social media tools, LAPD will be using Bike Index to return stolen bikes to their rightful owners.</p>
<p>This adds to an excellent year of expansion for Bike Index with multiple municipalities rolling out with Bike Index platforms for their cities. In 2020, upwards of 30 new cities trialed Bike Index’s tools for municipalities and law enforcement and over 80 bike shops have joined to register bikes on Bike Index so far.</p>
<p>Bike Index’s growing use will allow bikes registered anywhere to be recovered everywhere. <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/session/new">Register your bike today</a>.</p>
2020-09-28T04:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-safety-tips-for-recovering-your-own-bicycleSafety tips for recovering your own bicycle2020-09-28T04:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/334846/Seattle_31_Bianchi__13_.png" alt="recovered bike" /></p>
<p>Bike Index is here to do something simple: give cyclists the power to recover their own stolen bicycles. This need is more prevalent than ever. Despite this summer’s bike boom and law enforcement’s increased prioritization of bike theft, theft will continue to be a rampant problem with little devoted manpower and <a target="none" href="https://bikeportland.org/2020/09/25/police-budget-cuts-cripple-bike-theft-response-unit-320964">budget cuts</a> in many departments.</p>
<p>Bike Index will always be a community tool at its root. Users can leverage Bike Index’s ever-growing reach to find their own bicycles. But with this resource comes a warning: recovering your bike has the potential to get messy. We’ve put together a brief guide of tips on how to stay safe when recovering a bike on your own.</p>
<p>They boil down to this: we always recommend engaging law enforcement or others for help. But if that is not possible, be very very careful and give plenty of thought to your own risk comfort level.</p>
<p>Hopefully, these nudges won’t be necessary. We’ve seen success story after recovery success story. A rider finds their bike listed online, meets the seller, and has no problem proving the bike belongs to them or getting it back. Maybe they see the bike out and about and recover it from someone who didn’t know they were riding someone else’s lifeline to school or work.</p>
<p>But meeting someone you do not know, in any context, can be tricky. And if you’re meeting a seller about a stolen bike on Craigslist, OfferUp, Kijiji, or Facebook Marketplace, you can assume the seller will be disappointed to learn that they are not going to be able to make money on a sale. They might potentially have lost money purchasing a bike they didn’t know was stolen in the first place. While some people give back bikes graciously, others do not.</p>
<p>For those who can’t or don’t want to involve law enforcement in a bike theft recovery, we have compiled a list of tips to help you recover a stolen bike. These tips aim to keep you safe while also allowing you to empower yourself with Bike Index.</p>
<p><strong>1) Even though there’s a bike that looks like yours, it may not be yours</strong></p>
<p>Unless there is some distinct configuration, marking, or sticker - something you can use to 100 percent say “this is my bike,” law enforcement often won’t help you recover a bike you see online or out on the road. You’re then at it alone, or with a friend - neither of you professionals - and you want to be relatively certain that a bike belongs to you before confronting someone about their possession of a stolen bike. See if the seller will send you more pictures of the bike so that you can ID it as best as possible. Ask to “see how clean the bike is.” Or if it’s a specialty bike, ask something like “can I see the front of the stem so I can see if my rack will fit?” - Rad serial numbers are on the front of the stem. Sometimes you might have to beat around the bush to get the information you need.</p>
<p>If you can’t ID a detail about your bike that makes you POSITIVE it is yours, it’s probably not worth pursuing, unless you can match the bike with another on Bike Index and you’re into <a target="none" href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2108066/real-life-superhero-who-beats-cops-bike-thieves">recovering bikes as a hobby</a>. If you can positively ID the bike, call your local law enforcement and see if they will help you. If not, you have to make the decision whether to go at the recovery alone or not.</p>
<p><strong>2) Check Facebook</strong></p>
<p>You most likely have a <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/help-your-community-recover-bikes-with-a-local-stolen-bikes-facebook-p">stolen bikes Facebook group</a> in your area. It’s most likely run by an admin and is most likely populated with users who have experience with bike theft recovery specifically in your area. There may even be some passionate recovery pros who would be willing to go with you to help you recover your bike. They often have tabs on people who repeatedly try to sell stolen bikes online and can give you ideas about what to expect when dealing with someone who might be trying to sell your stolen bike.</p>
<p>At the very least, report your stolen bike to the group and share your Bike Index listing so that they can get in touch with you if they see your bike in the wild.</p>
<p>Also, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">check out our blog</a> to see what we recommend when your bike has been stolen. We have a number of regional articles that detail what happens when your bike is stolen in a national bike theft hotspot.</p>
<p><strong>3) Keep your identity obscured if communicating with an online seller</strong></p>
<p>Create a new email address using Gmail and do not include identifying details in that email address. Use a Google voice number if you are communicating with a seller via phone. You can also use Burner for iPhone to keep you anonymous.</p>
<p><strong>4) If you set up a sting, bring others</strong></p>
<p>Someone who knows they are selling a stolen bike might make this difficult for you. They might move your meeting location. They might show up late. They might try to shake you. They might also just not care.</p>
<p>If you can, set up a meeting location close to a police station. Two hours before the meeting, walk into the police station. Even if the police did not agree to help you before, if they know there is a tangible event taking place in close range, they may be able to spare someone. Tell them where you will be meeting the seller and at what time.</p>
<p>Perhaps they can at least be ready for a call or have a car nearby. Once again, if this is not successful, you’ll have to make the choice as to whether you want to pursue the sale.</p>
<p><strong>5) Whoever has your bike might not know it’s stolen</strong></p>
<p>Bikes tend to change hands frequently once they leave your possession. If someone has or lists your bike and you want to confront them, remember that they could truly think they got a screaming good deal on a sale. Your bike could have also been stolen, abandoned, picked up, abandoned again… it goes on and on.</p>
<p>Your bike’s journey once it leaves your possession might not make much sense, but it’s not on you to accuse someone of bike theft. Even if you have concrete evidence that your bike’s thief is a serial offender and will strike again if you don’t do something, your local law enforcement might not be able to help. They’ll be even less inclined to assist if you haven’t filed a police report on the theft to begin with.</p>
<p>This is all to say that accusing someone of something that you don’t know for sure might not work out well for you getting your bike back.</p>
<p><strong>At the end of the day</strong>, it is your decision whether or not you want to recover a bike. We always recommend being aware of the risks and calling for formal backup, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. Being able to identify your bike is absolutely key. And just because you see someone and make assumptions about why they are selling a bike, it doesn’t mean those assumptions are correct.</p>
<p>Hopefully, these tips help you make the decision about whether or not to take the plunge. Good luck.</p>
2020-09-10T20:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/understanding-bicycle-warrantiesUnderstanding Bicycle Warranties2020-09-10T20:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>Article republished with permission of <a target="none" href="https://simplebikeinsurance.com/understanding-bicycle-warranties/">Simple Bike Insurance</a>.</i></p>
<h3>Your bicycle warranty may not be covering what you think</h3>
<p>All cyclists and bike brands are different. Warranties are different from one another, too. Don’t get us wrong, we love warranties. Which is why we’re going to help you understand what they are, what they cover, and most importantly, what they don’t cover.</p>
<p>Before you start, time for a quick disclaimer. This is a general overview of warranties and its goal is to help you make the best decision for you as a rider. Not all warranties are created equal, some are better than others.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326689/image-20-4.png" alt="bike sunset" /></p>
<h2>So, What is a Warranty Anyway?</h2>
<p>Essentially, a warranty is a guarantee. Whoever manufactured your bike promises, or guarantees, that if something breaks they’ll either repair or replace it. This of course depends on the type of warranty, the manufacturer, and the contract terms.</p>
<p>Usually cyclists are offered the option to purchase a warranty when they buy a new bike from a shop or retailer. If you’re lucky, sometimes your bike will automatically come with a warranty.</p>
<p>Either way, your warranty is a contract between you and the manufacturer or distributor (or the brand, if you will).</p>
<p>Warranties aren’t a contract between you and your shop. Shops usually work as the middleman to run interference between you and whoever made your bike. Remember this little tidbit, it’ll come up later.</p>
<p>If you don’t buy your bike from a shop, you may still be offered a warranty when making a purchase online. You’ll need to go through a shop or storefront, or send parts in directly to the manufacturer, if you make a claim.</p>
<h2>What Does Each Different Type of Bike Warranty Cover?</h2>
<p>Now that we understand what a warranty is, let’s talk about what each type of warranty promises. Clip in, we’re going to jump right into this.</p>
<h3><font color="#33A7CA">Lifetime Warranty</font></h3>
<p>This is the golden ticket of all warranties. The coveted jewel. The motherload. The … you get the idea, it’s a nice warranty. Some brands offer lifetime warranties for their bikes while others may offer the chance to purchase one. A lifetime warranty typically ensures that if something on your bike breaks, bends, or cracks, it’ll be replaced with the same part or even something better – regardless of how many years it’s been since you made the purchase. It’s important to note that this usually (although not always) means a part degrades because of a manufacturing defect. If something breaks because the manufacturer used a less-than-ideal material, you’re probably covered. If something breaks because you tried to replace your handlebars with rubber chickens, you’re probably not. But sometimes, if you’re fortunate, lifetime warranties might include part repair or replacement for normal wear-and-tear under normal riding conditions. It largely depends on the brand. This is a fancy way of saying: <font color="#33A7CA">If your bike is run over by a truck, it’s not covered under warranty</font>. Remember when we said that retailers run interference between you and whoever promises to repair or replace your bike parts? Fantastic! Let’s say your bike was actually run over by a truck (not fantastic) but you bring it in to try and get it covered under warranty anyway. There’s a decent chance your shop is going to know right away that your bike wasn’t damaged under normal riding conditions and you’re being sneaky. Just sayin’.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326688/image-21.png" alt="bike derailleur" /></p>
<h3><font color="#33A7CA">Limited Lifetime Warranty</font></h3>
<p>You’ve probably heard of and may already have a limited lifetime warranty. These usually sound something like “5-year warranty” or “10-year warranty.” Limited lifetime warranties for bikes and e-bikes are just that. They’re a limited version of a lifetime warranty wherein the brand promises to repair or replace bike parts within a certain period of time. <font color="#33A7CA">Some brands are more generous than others when it comes to repairs and replacements</font>. It’s certainly not unheard of for cyclists to get a part replaced with one that’s even better and more suited to their riding style. We’re not saying it doesn’t happen, but we are saying you should always read the fine print. It all depends on the brand and the specific warranty you’re getting.</p>
<h3><font color="#33A7CA">Limited Collision or Crash Warranty</font></h3>
<p>Let’s say you’re taking your bike out for a spin around the neighborhood and you have a spill in the middle of the street. If your bike is damaged, it’s probably protected by your limited collision or crash warranty.</p>
<p>Now let’s say you’re taking your bike with you on a road trip to the hot springs. You pack up the car, slap your bike on the rack, and hit the road. Unfortunately, you didn’t secure it well enough and your bike is doing backflips down the highway. That’s, more than likely, not covered.</p>
<h2>Warranty Pro Tips</h2>
<p>We know what a warranty is and we know the differences between each type. So what can you do to make sure you understand exactly what your warranty covers and what it doesn’t? Well, you’re in luck because we made a list.</p>
<p><img align="left" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326693/Screen_Shot_2020-09-10_at_7.19.38_PM.png" alt="questions" /></p>
<p><h3>Ask Questions. Lots of Questions</h3></p>
<p>Ask about warranty renewals and extensions. Ask how to submit a warranty claim. Ask about the process. The more questions you ask, the better off you’ll be in the future should something break, bend, or crack. Depending on the warranty benefits, it may be best to <a target="none" href="https://simplebikeinsurance.com/">supplement with bicycle insurance</a>.</p>
<p><img align="left" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326695/Screen_Shot_2020-09-10_at_7.19.42_PM.png" alt="warning" /></p>
<p><h3>“Warranty” Doesn’t Equal “Full Protection”</h3></p>
<p>The word “warranty” doesn’t mean the guarantee is “protecting the entire bike.” For example, you may have a 10-year limited lifetime warranty for your bike frame. This means your bike frame is covered under warranty, under certain conditions. Sadly, this doesn’t mean your entire bike is guaranteed to live for a decade.</p>
<p><img align="left" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326696/Screen_Shot_2020-09-10_at_7.19.45_PM.png" alt="little bike" /></p>
<p><h3>Tell Some Stories</h3></p>
<p>This is basically the fun way of asking questions. Think about some situations you’d likely find yourself in or have experienced in the past. Do you take your bike to skateparks? Have you ever bent a frame on a trip? Great! Now tell that story to the manufacturer or shop rep and see if the warranty would cover those repairs or replacements.</p>
<p><img align="left" class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326694/Screen_Shot_2020-09-10_at_7.19.49_PM.png" alt="clipboard" /></p>
<p><h3>Keep. Your. Warranty. Paperwork.</h3></p>
<p>If there is one thing you remember from this article, make sure it’s keeping your paperwork (also sometimes known as your warranty card). This is your ticket to getting a replacement or repair for a qualifying claim. Hang on to it and treat it well, friend.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/326690/image-22-1.png" alt="bike truing" /></p>
2020-08-12T20:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/the-6-best-bike-locks-in-2020The 6 Best Bike Locks in 20202020-08-12T20:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>Copied with permission from <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/">thebestbikelock.com</a>. Originally posted in August of 2020.</i></p>
<p>Learn more about locking your bike <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/protect_your_bike">here</a>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307475/best-bike-lock-featured.jpg" alt="best bike lock" /></p>
<p>Finding the best lock for your bicycle can be tricky. There’s loads to choose from. And the wrong decision can have disastrous consequences!</p>
<p>The secret to success is choosing a lock that’s both secure enough to protect your bike and easy enough to use on a daily basis.</p>
<p>With that in mind, here are 6 fantastic bike locks that aim to do just that…</p>
<p>But if none of them seem quite right for you, don’t worry, below these picks I’ll show you the three simple steps that will guarantee you find the perfect bike lock for your needs.</p>
<h3>1. Abus Granit X-Plus 540</h3>
<p>The <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/abus-granit-x-plus-540-review/">Abus Granit X Plus 540</a> is probably the best all round bike lock, <i>of any type</i>, available today.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://geni.us/PId5xB"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307476/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.19_PM.png" alt="abus granit x-plus" /></a></p>
<p>It provides a very high level of security (<a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-gold-bike-locks/">Sold Secure Gold</a> and 3/5 from ART) and despite being a practical size that won’t limit where or how you can lock your bike, it’s still <i>comparatively</i> light.</p>
<p>This is because the 13 mm shackle is cast in a special, patented shape from a high quality steel. Which makes it as strong as much thicker shackles on much heavier bike locks.</p>
<p>In fact, the Granit X Plus 540 is the lightest, high security, standard sized u-lock available at the moment.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong: it’s still quite heavy (around the same weight as 3.5 cans of coke). All high security bike locks are. It’s just much lighter than the competition!</p>
<p>Abus locks also tend to have much higher levels of reliability than other brands. This means that jammed mechanisms, failing keys and stuck shackles are almost unheard of in the X Plus 540.</p>
<p>Plus, it comes with a choice of two very robust and reliable frame mounts. Which means carrying it around should be a breeze.</p>
<p>So, if you’re looking for a very high security bike lock, that doesn’t weigh a ton but still gives you plenty of places to lock your bike up. One that’s easy to carry around and won’t jam up in the cold and the rain. Then this is a fantastic choice!</p>
<p>For sure: <a target="none" href="https://geni.us/PId5xB">it’s not cheap [Amazon]</a>. And in my full, <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/abus-granit-x-plus-540-review/">hands-on review</a> of the Abus Granit X Plus 540 I suggest some great alternatives if it’s not quite right for you. Or see how it compares to other <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/">u-locks</a>.</p>
<h3>2. Kryptonite Kryptolok New-U</h3>
<p>The <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/kryptonite-kryptolok-series-2-review/">Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2</a> is probably the most famous bike lock in the world and a great mid-security choice.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://geni.us/ZASYfA"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307479/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.25_PM.png" alt="kryptonite kryptolock new-u" /></a></p>
<p>However recently, Kryptonite have launched a newer version of the Kryptolok called the New-U.</p>
<p>It looks exactly the same as the Series 2 but the shackle locks into the crossbar on both sides, which provides extra protection from twisting and leverage attacks.</p>
<p>This revision has earned it an upgrade from Sold Secure Silver to Gold (although it still gets 2/5 from ART). But I would say it remains a mid-security lock!</p>
<p>However, the great thing about the Kryptolok (whether the Series 2 or the New-U) is that it’s so painless to use…</p>
<p>It’s not too heavy and if you attach the frame mount correctly, it’s easy to carry while you’re riding. And the generous size means you won’t struggle to find places or ways to secure your bike when you get where you’re going!</p>
<p>Kryptonite’s customer service is undoubtedly the best of all the bike lock brands. This means a whole load of benefits from free keys to reduced price (or even free) lock replacements in <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/abus-vs-kryptonite-vs-onguard/">some circumstances</a>.</p>
<p>For sure: the Kryptolok is not a <i>super high</i> security lock. If you want a Kryptonite lock that’s more secure then you should take a look at their <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-gold-bike-locks/">Evolution range</a>. But they will be heavier or smaller.</p>
<p>However, if your circumstances are lower risk, then the Kryptonite Kryptolok will provide you with an easy to use bike lock and adequate protection for <a target="none" href="https://geni.us/ZASYfA">a reasonable price [Amazon]</a>.</p>
<p>Read my full, <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/kryptonite-kryptolok-series-2-review/">hands-on review</a> of the Kryptolok which includes the best alternatives if it’s not right for you. Or compare it to other <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-u-lock/">u-locks</a>.</p>
<h3>3. Kryptonite Kryptolok 955 Mini</h3>
<p>The Kryptonite KryptoLok Series 2 955 Mini is a short, mid-security chain designed for mobile security.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://geni.us/fW5lFcJ"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307481/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.31_PM.png" alt="kryptonite kryptolock 955 mini" /></a></p>
<p>When locked, it has slightly less internal space than a standard u-lock. But the difference is: it’s flexible, so you’ll find loads more places ou can lock your bike.</p>
<p>Like all chains it’s much heavier than a u-lock of comparable security. But this one is still light and short enough to easily carry wrapped around your seat post.</p>
<p>And when it comes to actually locking your bike up, the integrated locking mechanism makes the whole process that much smoother than a separate padlock.</p>
<p>With 9 mm links, it’s not the most secure bike lock, but it is rated <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-gold-bike-locks/">Sold Secure Gold</a> and it offers far more protection than any <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/cable-lock/">cable lock</a>.</p>
<p>Just keep it as far from the ground as possible so it’s safe from bolt cutters. In fact, I recommend you wrap it around your top tube and then use <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/wheel-locks-and-seat-locks/">other methods to protect your wheels</a>.</p>
<p>So, if you’re looking for something that’s easy to carry and prefer the extra locking options of a chain lock, as long as your circumstances aren’t high risk, this is a <a target="none" href="https://geni.us/fW5lFcJ">cheap [Amazon]</a> and reliable option.</p>
<p>But if you’re not sure this is the right one for you, I’ve written a lot more about <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-chain-lock/">chain locks</a>.</p>
<h3>4. Hiplok Gold Chain</h3>
<p>Unlike other bike chain locks, the Hiplok Gold is strong enough to use in high risk circumstances whilst also remaining truly portable.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://geni.us/psAN"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307478/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.38_PM.png" alt="hiplok gold chain" /></a></p>
<p>That’s not because it’s somehow lighter than other chain locks. It’s not! At 4.85 lb (2.2 kg), like all chains it’s pretty heavy. That’s around the same weight as 5.5 cans of coke.</p>
<p>But Hiplok chains are unique because you can wear them around your waist like a belt! This makes them much easier to carry than normal chain locks, which you generally have to wrap around your seat post.</p>
<p>Carrying them round your seat post is fine for shorter, thinner (and less secure) chains. But when they get longer or thicker it can be a bit of a pain. Or sometimes they won’t fit at all!</p>
<p>Carrying the Hiplok as a belt distributes the weight and bulk around your body so that it’s much more manageable.</p>
<p>With the Hiplok Gold you get a generous 85 cm locking circumference which will give you loads more locking opportunities than any u-lock and many other chains.</p>
<p>And the belt system will fit waists from 28 - 44”. So it can accommodate the vast majority of body sizes.</p>
<p>In terms of security, the hardened steel 10 mm chain links and 12 mm shackle make it a pretty tough customer and this is reflected in the Sold Secure Gold rating.</p>
<p>But if you need a little bit more security, check out my previous choice the <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-chain-lock/kryptonite-new-york-noose-1275-best-portable-chain/">New York Noose 1275</a>. With 12 mm chain links it’s more secure but it’s just not as portable as the Hiplok Gold. You can also compare it to other <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-chain-lock/">chain locks</a>.</p>
<h3>5. Foldylock Compact</h3>
<p>The <a target="none" href="https://seatylock.com/collections/foldylock?rfsn=683162.775a0&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=683162.775a0">Foldylock Compact</a> is the lightest folding lock that still offers a reasonable level of protection (<a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-silver-bike-locks/">Sold Secure Silver</a>). What’s more, it’s also the most <i>usable</i> folding lock I’ve ever tested!</p>
<p><a target="none" href="http://bit.ly/2DnSrNE"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307477/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.44_PM.png" alt="foldylock compact" /></a></p>
<p>The Foldylock Compact is 33″ (85 cm) long, which means it has around the same amount of internal locking space as a standard sized u-lock.</p>
<p>But because it’s flexible, it should actually give you loads more options when you’re looking for somewhere to lock your bike.</p>
<p>And in fact, at 2.2 lb (1 kg), the only Sold Secure Silver bike locks that are lighter than the Foldylock are <i>mini</i> u-locks!</p>
<p>Compared to it’s nearest rival (the <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/abus-bordo-6000-review/">Abus Bordo 6000</a>), the Foldylock Compact is lighter and easier to use…</p>
<p>It’s easier to unlock, easier to unfold, easier to get around your bike and comes with a better frame mount. Plus <a target="none" href="http://bit.ly/2DnSrNE">it’s cheaper!</a></p>
<p>So, if your circumstances are lower risk and you’re looking for a compact and lightweight alternative to a u-lock, this is a great choice.</p>
<p>Read my hands on <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/foldylock-compact-review/">review of the Foldylock Compact</a> where I also suggest some alternatives if it’s not the right lock for you.</p>
<h3>6. Abus Bordo Granit 6500</h3>
<p>The <a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.es/dp/B005VMO4CW?tag=thebestbike01-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1">Abus Bordo GRANIT 6500</a> is the most high security folding lock currently available. In fact, it’s the <i>only</i> high security lock currently available!</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://geni.us/MmItoV"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/307480/Screen_Shot_2020-08-12_at_7.10.50_PM.png" alt="abus bordo granit" /></a></p>
<p>At 5.5 mm, it’s folding steel plates are just a fraction thicker than those of the <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/abus-bordo-6000-review/">6000</a> (it’s smaller brother).</p>
<p>But this lock is significantly more secure with a <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-gold-bike-locks/">Gold</a> rating from Sold Secure and 2/5 stars from ART.</p>
<p>It’s 33.5” (85 cm) long, which should give you loads of places to lock your bike. And at 3.48 lb (1.58 kg), it’s heavy, but not too heavy for daily use.</p>
<p>Sure, it’s heavier and less secure than the Abus Granit X Plus 540 230! But it’s much lighter than any <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-secure-gold-bike-locks/">Sold Secure Gold</a> chain lock.</p>
<p>And the beauty of folding locks is not just the extra locking options that their flexibility gives you.</p>
<p>They’re also the easiest bike locks to carry, in a case that screws into your water bottle holster. So you won’t notice the weight at all!</p>
<p>So if your circumstances are high risk and you need more locking options than a u-lock can give you. But don’t want to lug around a massive heavy chain. The Abus Bordo GRANIT 6500 could be a <a target="none" href="https://geni.us/MmItoV">very good choice [Amazon]</a>.</p>
<p>Read my full, <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/abus-bordo-6500-review/">hands-on review</a> of the 6500 or compare it to other <a target="none" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/">folding locks</a>.</p>
2020-07-17T15:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/a-canadian-case-study-in-better-bike-theft-mitigationA Canadian case study in better bike theft mitigation2020-07-17T15:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>A wave of new Bike Index partnerships in Alberta, Canada are proving to be some of Bike Index’s most successful municipal relationships to date when it comes to registration and recovery.</p>
<p>How have they done it?</p>
<p><strong> 1) Collaboration between the community and local law enforcement </strong></p>
<p>Things kicked off in <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/welcome-to-our-newest-bike-index-partner-edmonton-alberta">Edmonton, AB one year ago</a>. Constables at the Edmonton Police service noticed a local group of Facebook users harnessing the power of social media to report stolen bikes, flag suspect thieves in the area, and actually find and return stolen bikes to their original owners.</p>
<p>The Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group proved to be a model for community collaboration. They worked with EPS to implement Bike Index, and in just 12 months, Edmonton has managed to register over 23,000 bikes - a record for any Bike Index partner city in any country.</p>
<p>Edmonton has also spearheaded the development of a handful of new Bike Index features for law enforcement, including <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/portland-implements-bike-indexs-new-law-enforcement-dashboard">the police dashboard</a>, a daily stolen bikes hot sheet, and additional tools for helping local bike shops register bikes in Bike Index. By fostering a relationship of positive feedback throughout Edmonton cycling organizations, Edmonton has figured out exactly what they need for successful registration and how to use Bike Index to get there.</p>
<p><strong> 2) Active communication among cities in the province </strong></p>
<blockquote>With Calgarians already registering almost 9,000 bikes and further building Bike Index's database, Calgary's recovery number is already climbing.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Cst. Dan Seibel, CPS</div>
<p>Edmonton’s success in registration and recovery did not remain a secret.</p>
<p>“Bike Index has proven successful in Alberta already as the Edmonton Police Service have exceeded $200,000 in returned bikes,” says Constable Dan Seibel of the Calgary Police Service. Calgary lies about 300 km south of Edmonton.</p>
<p>Calgary launched a Bike Index pilot project in 2019. In May of 2020 alone, Calgary <a target="none" href="https://www.calgary.ca/cps/public-services/bike-index.html">recovered over $12,000 in stolen bicycles</a>. The official partnership launched in June.</p>
<p>These two cities are not the only two new Bike Index partnerships in Alberta. Lethbridge, AB, another 200 km south of Calgary, began their program last month as well, offering free bike registration and stickers to all cyclists in Lethbridge.</p>
<p>“We’re going to find a lot more stolen bikes quicker and hope to alleviate the bike thefts that are happening,” <a target="none" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7061423/free-bike-registration-program-lethbridge/">says Cst. Shawn Davis</a> of the Lethbridge Police Service.</p>
<p><strong> 3) A strong intersection between the public and private sectors </strong></p>
<p>Each of these cities has taken the steps to involve important players in their cycling communities: local bike shops, universities, and collections of cyclists on the ground, such as the members of the Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group that continue to help people in Alberta recover their stolen bikes.</p>
<p>“The bike community, local bike shops, and local trail associations have been supportive of Calgary’s partnership and are helping spread the message to register bikes,” says Cst. Seibel.</p>
<p>And with inter-community partnerships beginning to form among the various cities in Alberta that are migrating bike registration to Bike Index, the risk of trying to buy, sell, or ride a stolen bike is only increasing.</p>
<p>One of the most successful examples of this is the increased liability of trying to sell a bike online. With stolen records of bikes on Bike Index and vigilant community members monitoring sites like Craigslist, OfferUp, and LetGo in Canada, the online sale of a bike is becoming less and less likely, decreasing the incentive for stealing a bike in the first place.</p>
<p><strong> 4) Modern, efficient record-keeping </strong></p>
<blockquote>We're going to find a lot more stolen bikes quicker and hope to alleviate the bike thefts that are happening.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Cst. Shawn Davis, LPS</div>
<p>Bike Index tools for law enforcement allow partner departments to do more work with less effort. Finding bike owners is as easy as a few clicks.</p>
<p>Each partner city in Alberta has produced tamper-proof, water-resistant, QR-coded Bike Index stickers to distribute to local cyclists. They can scan the stickers on bikes while on patrol and immediately get in touch with bike registrants, even if those registrants don’t yet know that their bike is missing.</p>
<p><small><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/287319/S__67862538__1_.jpg" alt="lethbridge stickers" /> </small></p>
<p>Having tens of thousands of local bikes marked with Bike Index stickers has another purpose: it serves as a warning to thieves. Anywhere within hundreds of kilometers, people will be on the lookout for stolen bikes.</p>
<p>Bike ridership and bike sales are up significantly this summer, which means significantly more bike theft as well. But with new cities in Alberta moving to implement Bike Index systems each day, things are looking good for bike recovery in the province as a whole.</p>
<p>While recovery is one thing, being able to return bikes to their owners is something only afforded by good record-keeping. Luckily, these Canadian cities are on top of it.</p>
<p>“Far too many bikes that are seized or turned into police are taken to auction or donated as police can’t find the owners,” says Cst. Seibel. “It’s now common to search Bike Index when purchasing a used bike which is one more step to ensure it’s not someone else’s ride.”</p>
<p><strong> 5) Cost-effective registration tools </strong></p>
<p>Cities in Alberta have managed to do all of this without spending on expensive software and training for their law enforcement officers. Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the aim of building platforms with real solutions for real problems.</p>
<p>Bike Index takes into account the development needs of law enforcement partners and builds specific functionalities that partner cities need to operate, with the aim of scaling to other regional, national, and international partners that are also looking for tools to reduce bike theft and return bikes to their owners.</p>
<p>In each city, just one or two officers have been able to get dozens of local organizations on board registering bikes seamlessly onto Bike Index’s universal registration platform. Once a number of organizations are on board, registration increases exponentially and reaches the critical mass necessary for spotting stolen bikes and getting them back to their owners.</p>
<p>Using Bike Index is easy and effective.</p>
<p>“The Calgary Police Service is looking forward to returning more bikes to their rightful owners with Bike Index,” says Cst. Seibel.</p>
2020-05-19T21:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/your-friends-gravel-bike-will-get-stolen---dont-let-it-happen-to-yours1000’s of bikes are being stolen during the pandemic. What can you do?2020-05-19T21:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Most people who ride a bike will have their bike stolen at some point. It’s just the cruel fact of our reality. If - but hopefully not when - this happens to you, what is your recourse?</p>
<p>Bike registration is the only real agency someone has to claim ownership and get their bike back if it’s stolen.</p>
<p>Bike Index is a free, universal, open-source, <strong>nonprofit</strong> bicycle registry. With 1,000 partner organizations, almost half a million registrations, and over $10 million in stolen bicycle recoveries, Bike Index takes the guesswork out of registration. You can <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/">register your bike right now</a>, in about two minutes and carry your registration with you wherever you go, and whenever you ride.</p>
<p>Still thinking about it? Here are five reasons you should register your bike in Bike Index:</p>
<p><strong>1) Bike Index actually recovers bikes.</strong></p>
<p>Bike thieves hate us. We have over 7,000 stolen bicycle recoveries to our name and our recovery rate is around 10 percent. That’s more than any other registration service and over five times higher than the national recovery average. If you put your bike on Bike Index, there is a significantly higher chance that it will return to you than if you do not register it, or register it with a closed registration system. Bike Index’s tools allow other users to communicate with you if your bike has been stolen and offer tips as to the whereabouts of the bike’s location. Bike Index promotes collaborative bike recovery and ensures that the most eyes possible are looking out for your bike and have the ability to communicate with you.</p>
<p><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/137658/5krecovered.jpg" /></p>
<p><strong>2) Bike Index is connected to police and pawn industry databases</strong></p>
<p>There’s a good chance your local police are already scanning Bike Index for your stolen bike. When you file a police report, you can add it to your Bike Index profile and Bike Index will alert pawn shops in your area so that they can seize the stolen property and not resell it, then get in touch with you to let you know they have it. And even if you don’t know your bike is stolen, trusted members of law enforcement can get in touch with you to let you know they’ve recovered your ride before you even know that it’s gone.</p>
<p>You can check our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/where">partners page</a> to see all of the organizations across the world using Bike Index.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149703/Screen_Shot_2019-03-20_at_8.25.31_PM.png" alt="where is bike index" /></p>
<p><strong>3) Bike Index has free, geotargeted social media tools</strong></p>
<p>Our constantly-growing user base means that if someone steals your bike, hundreds of thousands of users will be looking out for it not only on our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes">stolen bikes page</a>, but also on any of our dozens of regional <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex">twitter accounts</a> <strong>and</strong> via our theft alerts on Facebook.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Al/39711/square_DE48EFE3-D908-4C16-AA08-D9505C9C095D.jpeg" alt="stolen post" /></p>
<p>For an extra blast, check out our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-promoted-alerts-are-the-megaphone-crooks-dont-want-you">promoted alerts</a>, which get thousands of extra eyes specifically in the theft location looking out for your stolen bike. Bike Index works better the more people that are using it, and Bike Index’s community of cyclists, stolen bike Facebook page admins, and organizations always have their eyes out looking for your stolen bike.</p>
<p><strong>4) Bike Index is a nonprofit.</strong></p>
<p>The goal isn’t to make money. It’s to register bikes. All funding, donations, and promoted alert revenue go directly into registering bikes, pushing them to geolocated communities of bike-theft sympathetic users, and building features that increase registration.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149736/Cm-UBfYUEAAhzlx.jpg" alt="bryan registerE" /></p>
<p><strong>5) Bike Index is free.</strong></p>
<p>It doesn’t matter the number of bikes you have or how long they remain in Bike Index. Bike Index is free. It’s as simple as that. Register as many bikes as you want for no cost and take advantage of our platform and social media following if your bike gets stolen. Did we mention this all comes at no cost?</p>
<p>The results are in: we’re registering and recovering more bikes every year. If you want to protect your gravel bike, look no further than Bike Index.</p>
2020-05-08T14:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/want-extra-bike-security-register-your-rideWant Extra Bike Security? Register your Ride!2020-05-08T14:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>Reposted from <a href="https://www.radpowerbikes.com/blogs/the-scenic-route/bike-security-with-bike-index" target="none">Rad Power Bikes</a>, post originally by Justin Duckham, May 7, 2020.</i></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/244295/thiefbanner_1024x1024.jpg" alt="theft" /></p>
<p><strong>We turned to Bike Index to get the lowdown on how you can keep your bike … well, yours.</strong></p>
<p>There are plenty of ways to keep your <a target="none" href="https://www.radpowerbikes.com/">electric bike</a> secure, whether that’s <a target="none" href="https://www.radpowerbikes.com/blogs/the-scenic-route/proper-bike-locking-techniques">choosing the right lock</a> or finding the <a target="none" href="https://www.radpowerbikes.com/blogs/the-scenic-route/theft-prevention-riding-rad">perfect place to keep your ride overnight</a>.</p>
<p>No matter how many steps you’ve already taken, it never hurts to hedge your bets.</p>
<p>That’s why we ask members of the Rad family to register their ride with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/">Bike Index</a>, a free, nonprofit service that’s reunited nearly half a million cyclists with their property.</p>
<p>To mark <a target="none" href="https://www.bikeleague.org/content/celebrate-bike-month-may-bikesunite">National Bike Month</a>, we wanted to dive a little bit deeper into the world of bike security. For that, there’s no better source than Craig Dalton, Bike Index’s Executive Director (and the owner of a RadWagon!).</p>
<p>He gave us a few reasons why you should register your ride ASAP:</p>
<p><strong><large>1. It's easy!</strong></large></strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0799/9645/files/gif_2_1024x1024.gif?v=1588801931" alt="bike photo" /></p>
<p>Adding your bike to the index is a free, simple process that puts it in the most widely used registry in the world.</p>
<p>Just sign up and <a target="none" href="https://radpowerbikes.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001051893-Bike-Security-Protecting-Against-Loss-or-Theft">enter your serial number</a>. You can find it below the badge on the headtube on all current models. Some earlier models may have it on the underside of the bottom bracket.</p>
<p>If your bike is ever stolen, pawn shops or other potential buyers will be able to cross-reference the serial number with the database when a bike thief tries to sell it.</p>
<p>It also increases your chances of having your bike returned if it’s recovered by the police.</p>
<p>“Bike Index is a global database of bicycle ownership, but we’ve layered on tools for law enforcement that preserves owner privacy,” Dalton told us. “A lot of law enforcement agencies view Bike Index as their daily hot sheet, so when they see that new bike in a dark alley, they’ll know if it’s something they should be looking out for.”</p>
<p>It’s a system that’s led to a lot of success stories. Since launching in 2013, the nonprofit has recovered over $10 million worth of bikes, including <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/700055">plenty of Rad models</a>.</p>
<p><strong><large>2. Electric bikes are popular ... and thieves know it.</strong></large></strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0799/9645/files/gif_1024x1024.gif?v=1588800552" alt="lock cut" /></p>
<p>Dalton was quick to note that electric bike owners would be wise to take even more precautions than your average cyclist.</p>
<p>“As ebikes started to gain popularity, they invited a whole new cadre of cyclists into the mix,” Dalton said. “These bikes became targets for criminals because they’re new, which that means they can sell them on the black market for higher dollar amounts.”</p>
<p>By registering with Bike Index, you’re not just protecting your own bike, you’re also making it harder for bike thieves to operate – and that’s good for the whole ebike community.</p>
<p>“Our hope is that bike registration can put economic pressure on bike thieves and make it less economically viable to profit heavily from stolen bikes,” Dalton explained. “It really puts the pressure on these guys who are stealing or selling. It just starts to be a very risky proposition for them.”</p>
<p><strong><large>3. You can take charge.</strong></large></strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0799/9645/files/12373249_1012392185483961_5310720045601518714_n_1024x1024.png?v=1588720403" alt="BI logo" /></p>
<p>Bike Index gives its users a small, proactive step they can take to help track down their stolen bike: pressing what Dalton describes as “the big red button.”</p>
<p>On a user’s Bike Index profile, there’s a red button that says ‘This bike is stolen or missing.’ When you click it, an alert goes to police and pawn shop databases, and the Bike Index ambassador community, telling them look out for it on Craigslist, OfferUp, letgo and other sites.</p>
<p>“We’ve also built a lot of social media broadcast tools on top of the platform,” Dalton added. “In the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, we have a stolen bike Facebook group. If you put that your bike’s been stolen there, you’ll find that members of the community who are just as angry about bike theft are going to try to support you and spread the word.”</p>
<p>With over 850 community partners, that adds up to a <a target="none" href="https://map.bikewise.org/#5/40.814/-94.724">pretty impressive reach</a>.</p>
2020-03-26T17:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/in-our-own-words-lily-williams-olympics-postponementIn our own words: Lily Williams, Olympics postponement2020-03-26T17:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/229560/USTeamPursTW2.2_02272020-052.jpg" alt="womens team pursuit" /></p>
<p><strong>In February, Lily Williams was on top of the world, winning the Women’s Team Pursuit World Championships with her teammates. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the delay of the Olympic Games, Williams talks about what keeps her positive in these tough times. <i>Article republished from <a target="none" href="https://www.usacycling.org/article/in-our-own-words-lily-williams-olympic-postponement">USA Cycling</a></i></strong></p>
<p>We are living in extraordinary times, to borrow this month’s catchiest phrase. I think we can all say that life right now is challenging in an unprecedented way and everyone everywhere feels a bit out of control. I don’t think I need to run over the finer details of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on daily life here. But as a cyclist and athlete, my life has changed in substantial ways that are both unique and parallel to the general workforce and U.S. population.</p>
<p>I compete for a living. Well, to me it’s more than just a living. My existence is pretty tied in to sports. There are no competitions right now. The solitary goal of life has been preparing for the Olympics. And now the Olympics are postponed.</p>
<p>I’ve gone through four drafts of this article, having to re-write each time there is a radical change in future plans, which seems to happen every 25 minutes. I dread each email, news alert, and text, wondering what it will mean for my current living and work situation. With Tuesday’s Olympics postponement, at least we finally know something.</p>
<p>I think first and foremost on every potential Olympian’s mind is the health of the communities, spectators, and athletes that the Olympics will affect. Nobody wants to jeopardize anyone else. While we have all been working towards a 2020 Olympics for a long time, I have friends who have been in medical school for four years and now their rotations and residencies are put on hold indefinitely. People are out of work. People are getting sick. No one around the world can claim to be moving forward as normal. Given opportunity for a safe Olympics, all athletes want it to go on. But not in four months.</p>
<p>I am not yet qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. I started my Olympic preparations in December of 2018 after transitioning from running to cycling in 2016 and starting a professional career on the road in 2018. Over the course of 2019 I heavily invested my time in attending track camps, perfecting a training structure with a team of gifted and hard-working staff and teammates, and learning how to ride a team pursuit. Our last race was in Berlin just a few incredible weeks ago where we won the World Championships. This adventure was to all culminate at the end of May with the selection of the Olympic team. Now we are not quite sure what is next. I think we all envisioned something other than isolation and uncertainty.</p>
<p>In some ways, the officiality of the postponement is a relief. For the past few weeks, thousands of athletes across the globe were doing what we could with unacceptably reduced training capabilities. We had to roll with it because we didn’t know. We assumed the Olympics would happen with a bunch of athletes at 50 percent. Now, we have time to reset.</p>
<p>In other ways, this postponement will disrupt athletes’ life plans. Many athletes do not make enough money to sustain this lifestyle. We’ve carefully meted budgets, postponed school and life events, and made commitments based on the original Olympic timeline. For those whose plans can’t move, what happens next? All we know is that the Olympics will be irrevocably altered. By next summer, some athletes’ peaks will have passed, and they won’t earn what they have specifically timed their training to do.</p>
<p>We also still don’t know how the Olympics will play out given the incredible logistical challenges of reorganizing selection events and moving a massive international competition. Add to that the unknown impact of COVID-19, which is changing so rapidly that we cannot know what will happen in four weeks or four months, let alone next year. It all depends on our fluctuating ability to lock things down and follow recommendations and guidelines. We may have an idea of the future, but anyone who claims to know the exact timeline is being irresponsible. Life has changed so drastically in the past week that it is unrealistic to extrapolate to what life will look like given another 52.</p>
<p>We see uncertainty reflected in all walks of life at the moment. But as we parse through the overload of COVID-19 information online, I’ve found that what I want to see and feel, more than anything, are the human stories of life during COVID-19.</p>
<p>The thing that has lifted me the most has been those who have been trying to maintain a sense of normalcy – using FaceTime to talk to friends as if we were at dinner together or help my sister set up a trainer in her apartment. People who do not want to talk about coronavirus. Who are maintaining calm – at least outwardly – and who are adjusting and continuing to take joy from life. It’s a privilege to be able to chat about what’s for dinner when life is permanently altered for many people. But it’s up to those with the luxury of stability to continue working, training, producing, and maintaining positivity to help the rest of the world return to normal as soon as this abates. Negativity about not being able to train perfectly or about the inconveniences of life right now is unwarranted. The additional negative mix of online virtue signaling and social media shaming is also unwelcome in my world at the moment, as it adds no new information to the inundation we’re receiving from reputable experts and organizations. Adding that element of social isolation to our literal inability to see and touch those we care about is not effective, in my opinion. Being grateful for what we do have and what we still can control is the game-changer that will set us up for really tackling COVID-19.</p>
<p>As an athlete, it can be hard to be grateful when you may only see one real shot at an Olympic cycle over the course of a lifetime. It is a gift to be able to partake in a life of sport, but it comes with inherent lifestyles and personalities of structure. To not be able to plan every little piece of the lead in to the pinnacle of sporting competition, due to something entirely out of our control, is sickening in a way that I cannot really capture in words. Add to that the huge number of up-and-coming athletes who have not hit their break with a professional team or support, and who are losing opportunities to compete this year. This kind of disruption will end careers, as it has in any other industry.</p>
<p>But because things are uncertain now does not render everything we have done up until this point irrelevant. Humanity is going to change drastically in the wake of coronavirus. We don’t yet know how, but it will. All we can do is our part, and we can’t just stop what we are doing because we are unsure. This is all to draw a parallel to the many different ways of making it in the world. In the face of uncertainty, we can’t just roll over. Things will return to normal. A new normal, but a normal nonetheless. So I will continue to train with my goal in mind. Training will continue to evolve over the coming weeks and months, but so will that of every athlete around the world, and every other person who is just trying to figure life out with or without a pandemic. Perhaps I am prepared for all of this as a millennial who doesn’t really know what the future holds at any given moment. But as my college strength coach and mentor would say, “improvise, adapt, overcome.”</p>
<p>More than sports, the Olympics is about the triumph of peace and unity among a global community. It’s about demonstrating what humans do best: perseverance in the face of adversity. Giving up on that dream in times of uncertainty, just as giving up on whatever your goals and obligations are right now, would be a huge loss. I think we are seeing a global community forming in the wake of COVID-19. Countries are putting aside their conflicts in order to fight the spread of the pandemic. People are finding new ways to show love and care. When the Olympics do happen, I think they will be one of the most incredible spectacles of human cooperation ever. As an athlete, I am going to do everything in my power to demonstrate what positivity and hope can do for humanity. I think even before all of this, we really needed a bit more of that.</p>
2020-03-05T10:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/portland-implements-bike-indexs-new-law-enforcement-dashboardPortland Police Bureau implements new Bike Index dashboard to fight bike crime2020-03-05T10:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>The Portland (OR) Police Bureau joins a growing list of partner cities in implementing Bike Index’s newest feature for Law Enforcement: the registration and recoveries dashboard.</p>
<p>"Good data is important, especially for cities," says Portland Police Bureau's (PPB) Officer David Sanders, who has spearheaded the use of Bike Index among Portland's patrol officers. "The stats the new dashboard captures are really valuable."</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/geeruKaM944" target="none"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/225265/Screen_Shot_2020-03-04_at_12.02.12_PM.png" alt="demo video" /></a></p>
<p>Bike Index’s Law Enforcement dashboard provides key metrics for trusted departments. They can see numbers of bikes registered by other organizations, such as bike shops and schools, in their zip code with the goal of understanding how their outreach has had an effect in the community - both directly and indirectly. They can use these numbers to demonstrate improvements and reductions in bike theft and crime due to their efforts.</p>
<p>“We like the ability to measure effectiveness, and the dashboard really allows us to do this. It also is a motivating tool that helps us set goals and work toward increased registration in the community,” said Officer Sanders.</p>
<p>Departments can analyze registration and theft numbers over custom time periods and personnel can use the information to make recovery and theft prevention plans for the future.</p>
<p>For instance, “We see the need to partner with local bike shops better, and this is a tool that seems to get us on the same page to do that,” said Officer Sanders.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/225462/Untitled.png" alt="recoveries dahboard" />
<small>A small snippet of the new recoveries panel on the Law Enforcement dashboard.</small></p>
<p>An additional element of the dashboard are new tools for analyzing theft recovery, in which PPB’s Bicycle Theft Task Force are already experts. Somewhat famous for their high success rate in bike theft recovery, the PPB BTTF has consistently used Bike Index to match stolen bikes in the field with their owners. They’ve even seen personal benefit from using Bike Index:</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ER0-iOyU0AAcDpl?format=jpg&name=small" alt="recovered marin" /><div class="tweet-align-top-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/586936085537669121/VSTkCf3e_400x400.png" alt="logo" /><span class="tweetor-name">PPB BTTF</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@PPBBikeTheft</span></a><div class="tweet-body">It has returned!!! BTTF Officer Sanders’ stolen patrol bike was finally recovered! Turned in by a citizen who saw the <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg" target="_blank">@BikeIndex</a> hit online.</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/1233210622591946753" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p>The recovery dashboard displays recovery numbers, dates, and details about the recovery from the bike owner.</p>
<p>“We recognize the importance of our continued partnership with Bike Index to effectively control bike theft in Portland,” said Officer Sanders. “We love the commitment Bike Index has shown in adapting their product to serve the unique needs of law enforcement.”</p>
<p>These new features add to Bike Index’s existing suite of features for Law Enforcement, including bulk serial search, registration drive software, communication tools, and other web-based developments.</p>
<p>PPB joins Edmonton, AB, Topeka, KS, and a number of other upcoming partners in being the first to implement the new dashboard. Interested departments can learn more at <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_cities">Bike Index for Cities</a>. The dashboard is part of any Supporting City package.</p>
2019-11-03T23:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/internationalizing-bike-indexInternationalizing Bike Index2019-11-03T23:00:00-06:00Jake Romer<p>Hallo, vrienden!</p>
<p>Great news for our friends in the Netherlands – Bike Index is now available in Dutch 🎉</p>
<p>As part of its ongoing mission to eliminate bicycle theft worldwide, Bike Index
has partnered with <a href="https://bikefair.org/">BikeFair</a>, a Dutch bike marketplace dedicated to bringing
safety and transparency to second-hand bike sales. Making Bike Index accessible
to Dutch users has been a critical component of that partnership.</p>
<p>Together with our recent integration with Dutch stolen goods registries
<a href="https://stopheling.nl">stopheling.nl</a> and <a href="https://verlorenofgevonden.nl">verlorenofgevonden.nl</a>, the internationalization project will
enable Dutch bicyclists to register and search for their bikes using Bike Index,
and to use Bike Index’s new <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-promoted-alerts-are-the-megaphone-crooks-dont-want-you">Promoted Alerts</a> service, which uses targeted
Facebook ads to more effectively recover lost and stolen bikes.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/199094/bikeindex.jpg" alt="Bike Index in Dutch" /></p>
<h1 id="technical-notes">Technical notes</h1>
<p>As a resource guide for other open-source projects that may need to undertake a
similar project (or contributors to Bike Index – we are <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index/">open-source</a>!), what
follows is a brief outline of the considerations involved in internationalizing
a Rails app, our particular constraints and desiderata, and the decisions we
made in our implementation.</p>
<p>Unless your Rails app has been internationalized since its inception,
internationalizing it minimally entails three broad efforts:</p>
<ol>
<li>Adding the ability to detect and set the locale for a given web request.</li>
<li>If using the default Rails i18n framework, externalizing user-facing strings,
moving them from views (mainly but not exclusively) to YAML.</li>
<li>Translating your now-externalized strings to other languages.</li>
</ol>
<p>For Bike Index, we did some research into the approaches taken by other
internationalized open-source Rails projects – in particular,
<a href="https://github.com/discourse/discourse">Discourse</a> and
<a href="https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab">GitLab</a>. This work was useful in
developing a mental model of the work to be done, although naturally we deviated
with them where different needs or constraints demanded it.</p>
<h3 id="locale-detection">Locale detection</h3>
<p>There are a number of ways to detect a user’s locale:</p>
<ol>
<li>explicitly from a <code>locale</code> query param (settable via a UI element),</li>
<li>explicitly from a database value tied to the user’s account (settable via a user preferences UI),</li>
<li>explicitly from the <code>ACCEPT_LANGUAGE</code> header set on a request (settable via the user’s browser preferences), and</li>
<li>inferring a locale from the user’s geocoded location.</li>
</ol>
<p>To minimize complexity, we <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index/pull/944">implemented</a> only (1) through (3).</p>
<h3 id="translation-management">Translation management</h3>
<p>Translation management is a “buy vs. build” decision point. The central
questions to engage with here are</p>
<ol>
<li>Do we want developers to be the gatekeepers to updating translations? (In our
case, no.)</li>
<li>Do we want to accept translation contributions from users via the site UI?
(In our case, a nice-to-have but infeasible for a v1.)</li>
<li>Are we able to invest the resources into building our own translation
management solution? (In our case, probably not.)</li>
</ol>
<p>That left us pricing a variety of translation management services we’d seen used
elsewhere and researching their feature sets, including
<a href="https://www.transifex.com/">Transifex</a>, <a href="https://lingohub.com/">LingoHub</a>, and
<a href="https://phrase.com/">Phrase</a>.</p>
<p>All involved committing to a monthly subscription that ranged from $19 to $180
per month, in addition to the cost of translation, which we estimated would cost
$8,000-$10,000 for an initial Dutch translation.</p>
<p>Some more digging surfaced <a href="https://translation.io/rails">Translation.io</a>, which
is lightweight, focused on Rails (and Laravel) projects, and pushed all the
right buttons for us:</p>
<ol>
<li>It’s <a href="https://translation.io/rails/pricing">free for open-source projects</a></li>
<li>It automatically integrates translations by Google Translate (imperfect but a
cost-effective 80-90% solution), further reducing the costs involved</li>
</ol>
<p>As a non-profit, we’re relatively price-sensitive and don’t want to use funds
inefficiently, so the potential savings gave Translation.io a big leg up in our
deliberations.</p>
<p>Its most significant feature-gap relative to its alternatives – automated GitHub
PRs to sync translations – could be implemented with some
<a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index/pull/1100">shell script integrated into our build pipeline</a>, so we had a clear
winner.</p>
<h3 id="string-externalization">String externalization</h3>
<p>The key decision for this stage is what format to use for translation files, the
choices being YAML (the <a href="https://guides.rubyonrails.org/i18n.html">Rails default</a>) and <a href="https://github.com/grosser/gettext_i18n_rails">GetText</a>
(broadly popular beyond the Rails ecosystem).</p>
<p>GetText has <a href="https://translation.io/blog/gettext-is-better-than-rails-i18n">several advantages over the Rails
default</a>,
especially for large projects – the most compelling arguably being that strings
don’t need to be externalized from templates to a translation file. Instead, the
source string lives in the template but is merely wrapped in a special method.</p>
<p>But, as is often the case in a Rails context, the defaults are collectively
better optimized on the needs of a moderately-scaled project like Bike Index than
the alternatives, even if those alternatives are in one sense or another
individually better.</p>
<p>There is pre-existing tooling that both mitigate the disadvantages of the Rails
default i18n framework and amplify its benefits, so we chose to not stray too
far from Rails conventions in order to leverage as much open-source prior art as
possible. Additionally, the YAML approach allows non-developers (marketing?) to
edit source copy without diving into the source code.</p>
<p>String externalization is by far the most time-consuming and
<a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index/issues/963">labor-intensive</a> part of a
translation project.</p>
<p>We automated as much as possible using a variety of code-gen and text wrangling
tools:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/fnando/i18n-js">i18n-js</a>: Lightweight generator of
client-side translation file(s)</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/svenfuchs/rails-i18n">rails-i18n</a>: Generated translations
of model attributes, etc</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/onomojo/i18n-country-translations">i18n-country-translations</a>:
Pre-fab translations of country names</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/RubyMoney/money">money</a>: Currency localization</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/COzero/haml-i18n-extractor">haml-i18n-extractor</a>:
Externalize strings from Haml to YAML</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/stefanoverna/vim-i18n">vim-i18n</a>: Externalize
strings from ERB to YAML</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/glebm/i18n-tasks">i18n-tasks</a>: Rake tasks for maintaining
translation files (normalizing translation files, detecting missing keys,
etc.)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="pretty-good-practices">Pretty Good Practices</h3>
<p>Some learnings emerged over the course of scanning through and extracting strings from ~15,000 lines of template, controller, and React
code. Check out our <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index/blob/master/docs/internationalization.md">internationalization docs</a> if you’d like to read more about them!</p>
<p><em>An expanded version of this post - and others by Jake - can be found on <a href="https://jakeromer.com/internationalizing-bike-index/">his blog</a>.</em></p>
2019-10-27T13:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bicycle-insurance-explained Bicycle Insurance, Explained2019-10-27T13:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>This blog is cross-posted with the permission of <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a>. The article was originally published on their blog on 9/19/19.</i></p>
<p><i><h4>Written by Team <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a></h4></i></p>
<p>No matter how old you are, getting a new bike makes you feel like a kid discovering independence for the first time. Speeding down the street feels like flying, and a shiny new bike is better than just about anything.</p>
<p>Insuring your bike can give you that same magical feeling. Okay, maybe not the day you get your policy… but if you file a claim for your favorite pair of wheels, insurance can get you back in the bike lane in no time. And it turns out bike theft is really, really common.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="http://lemonadeblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/126ec3f1-dd9d-40e8-a195-a663196e10f5_Bike.gif" alt="sparkly bike" /></p>
<p>Just ask Levi, a Claims Experience Advocate at <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a>. Levi estimates he handles 15 bike-related claims each month:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/196985/Screen_Shot_2019-10-25_at_1.34.26_PM.png" alt="Levi quote" /></p>
<p>According to the National Bike Registry, more than 1.5 million bicycles are stolen every year. Considering how likely you are to have your bike stolen, insuring it seems like a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Last year, more than 3,400 bikes were added to <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> policies, and 1,300 bike-related claims were filed (92% of these were theft!). We crunched through the data and numbers, and it turns out you’re at highest risk for bike theft in the summer. We also filtered out your most burning questions about bicycle insurance – and we’ve got answers.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/196986/2ebcb363-e77e-471b-9603-646b48bda16b_bikes20are20most20commonly20stolen.png" alt="claims numbers" /></p>
<p>Insuring your bike has never been easier!</p>
<h3>Here’s what we’ll answer:</h3>
<ul>
<li>What’s the best way to insure a bike?</li>
<li>What types of loss/damages are covered?</li>
<li>Will adding Extra Coverage for my bike affect my premium?</li>
<li>Who’s covered?</li>
<li>What do I need to insure my bike?</li>
<li>How do I add Extra Coverage for my bike to my policy?</li>
</ul>
<h3>What’s the best way to insure a bike?</h3>
<p>Great news! Insuring a bike is easier than you’d expect, and there are several options to make sure you’re getting the right coverage. There are three quick ways to insure your bike:</p>
<p><strong>1. Renters or homeowners insurance policy</strong></p>
<p>For starters, it’s fully insured if with a standard <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/l/renters">renters</a> or <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/homeowners">homeowners</a> insurance policy. These policies include personal property coverage, aka <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/contents-insurance/">contents insurance</a>, which protects your stuff, including your bike. This coverage recovers the cost of your stolen or damaged stuff, for a bunch of different scenarios. More specifically, it’s covered for the 16 <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/named-perils/">named perils</a>, or the bad stuff that can happen to you, listed in your policy.</p>
<p>A basic policy starts with $10,000 of <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/personal-property/">personal property coverage</a>, which you can tailor to fit your lifestyle. Your bike is probably worth way less than that minimum threshold, but remember that your personal property also includes other high ticket items, like your phone, laptop, jewelry, and Xbox. Calculate <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/much-stuff-worth-anyway/">how much your stuff is worth</a> to make sure you have the right kind of coverage.</p>
<p>With <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a>, your bike is covered at home, and everywhere else. So if someone steals your bike while it’s locked outside of Trader Joe’s, you’re covered! If it wasn’t locked, that’d be considered <a target="none" href="lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/negligence/">negligence</a>, and your insurer might not cover you in this case.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if you need to make a <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/claims">claim</a> on an item, you’ll get the value of that item, minus your <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/what-is-a-deductible/">deductible</a>. (What’s a deductible? It’s the amount subtracted from your claim in the event that something happens to your stuff. When signing up for a renters or homeowners insurance policy, you’ll be asked to choose a deductible. They typically range from $250 to $2,500.)</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/196990/fb32acfe-9412-4750-a6f9-f48f9fd56354_Deductible.png" alt="bike value" /></p>
<p>But if you just spent a ton on a new set of wheels, even a contribution of $250 can feel like too much. That’s why many of our <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a>rs add Extra Coverage for their bicycles.</p>
<p><strong>2. Extra Coverage for your bike</strong></p>
<p>TL;DR, <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/scheduled-personal-property-coverage/">Extra Coverage</a>, also known as <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/insurance-schedule/">scheduled</a> personal property, covers your bike for theft, damage, and accidental loss, as well as other ‘perils.’ Different companies might use different language to describe exactly what they cover, so make sure to read through your <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/insurance-policy/">policy</a>.</p>
<p>If you have Extra Coverage, you’re covered for everything listed on your base policy, plus additional types of accidental damage. The only things we won’t insure with Extra Coverage would be normal wear and tear, damage from vermin, and nuclear fall out. 🤯</p>
<p>The best part of scheduling? If you file a claim and it’s approved, you won’t have to pay a deductible! Generally, a scheduled item is paid one of three ways:</p>
<ol>
<li>We pay to have it repaired good as new</li>
<li>If the item can’t be repaired, we pay to replace the item with the exact make/model listed</li>
<li>We pay you the full scheduled amount. That’s why it’s important to make sure the item price is accurate when you buy Extra Coverage</li>
</ol>
<p>If a bike is a part of your everyday routine, knowing it’s covered for pretty much everything will provide some serious peace of mind. But if you also use it professionally, you might need something beyond Extra Coverage.</p>
<p>That’s because only your personal items are covered under Extra Coverage. While you can’t schedule personal property coverage for things that you use for your business, your base policy can cover items you use for professional reasons up to a certain amount, for ‘named perils.’ So if you’re a professional bike rider, a one-person-delivery-service, or one of the kids from ‘Stranger Things,’ Extra Coverage can’t help you here.</p>
<p>If this is the case, go ahead and look into velo insurance (velo is French for bike… sounds like this is getting fancy).</p>
<p><strong>3. Velo Insurance</strong></p>
<p>A helicopter airlift will never be necessary on your morning commute, but if you have an accident while riding in high-level races, your homeowners insurance won’t be able to help. That’s where this specialty bicycle insurance would come in.</p>
<p>Just like renters and homeowners insurance, these policies will cover you for theft, damage, and more, but they’ll also cover the cost of emergency situations on bike courses, as well as medical expenses that result from bike-related accidents.</p>
<h3>What types of loss/damages are covered?</h3>
<p>A standard renters or homeowners policy is probably all you need to safely insure your bike. But if you’d like to double down on which insurance is right for you, compare your options:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/196992/Comparisson.png" alt="coverage options" /></p>
<h3>Will adding Extra Coverage for my bike affect my premium?</h3>
<p>Yes, it will. The price of insurance can vary significantly, depending on your home’s location and the amount of coverage you need – so adding a bike to your policy will increase what you’re paying each month. (Btw, here’s a behind-the-scenes guide to <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/this-is-how-much-renters-insurance-actually-costs/">renters insurance prices</a>.)</p>
<h3>Who’s covered?</h3>
<p>With Extra Coverage, your bike is covered wherever it is, and regardless of who’s riding it. If you don’t opt for Extra Coverage but want to share your bike with bae, you’ve got options too.</p>
<p>Once you’re married, you’re considered related, so you’re both automatically covered under your renters or homeowners insurance policy.</p>
<p>Adding your spouse to your plan is easy, and it won’t cost you a dime! They’ll be considered a “<a target="none" href="lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/named-insured/">Named Insured</a>,” which is insurance speak for someone who is implicitly included in the policyholder’s plan.</p>
<p>If you’re living with a significant other you share your bike with, add them to your insurance policy as an ‘<a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/insuropedia/dictionary/additional-insured/">additional insured</a>.’ Because if something happens while it’s in their possession, it’ll only be covered if they’re on your policy.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/196993/2e6f111d-200c-4b17-b957-245f83a76450_Breakdown20of20Bike20Claims20in20the20Last20Year.png" alt="bike breakdown" /></p>
<h3>What do I need to insure my bike?</h3>
<p>If you’re just insuring your bike with a base renters or homeowners policy, you don’t need any documents to get covered, but you do need to provide them if you end up filing a claim.</p>
<p>So in case bad luck strikes, we recommend keeping a digital copy of receipts in your inbox, or in the cloud of your choice. Don’t forget your accessories, too. You probably have a basket, phone holder, bell, and if you haven’t invested in a good lock yet – make sure you do!</p>
<p>If your bike goes missing, you’ll end up claiming more than just the bike itself. If you have Extra Coverage, you should include the cost of any accessories that are permanently affixed to your bike. Don’t worry, items like your helmet or lock are still covered under your base policy.</p>
<p>If you want to add Extra Coverage for your bike, be ready to provide this documentation:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="http://lemonadeblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/46cea108-1170-455e-b391-53239082eef7_adding-extra-coverage-lemonade-app201.gif" alt="extra documentation" /></p>
<h3>How to add Extra Coverage for your bike to your policy</h3>
<p>Adding Extra Coverage for a bike to your <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> policy is simple. Make sure you <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/download">download the Lemonade app</a>. It’ll take you a minute, so just follow these steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>When you’re getting your <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> policy, tap ‘Activate Extra Coverage.’ If you already have a policy, head to the <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> app and tap the Extra Coverage button under ‘Add-Ons’</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Open up the email you get from Maya, and click ‘Add Extra Coverage’</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Go through the flow, and send over a picture of:</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>– Your bike taken on the day you upload it</p>
<p>– The receipt</p>
<p>– Your bike with the receipt</p>
<p>If you don’t have a receipt we can also accept a screenshot and link to a retailer selling the same item, along with your bike’s serial number and model number.</p>
<ol>
<li>Our Customer Experience (CX) team will get back to you, and let you know via email once your bike is covered! Btw, you can always add on more items later.</li>
</ol>
<p>A couple of notes here:</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> offers temporary Extra Coverage for 14 days while you get all your docs in order, or if you need to email someone for a receipt.</p>
<p>To get temporary coverage, make sure to answer ‘Yes’ when AI Maya asks if you have any valuable items. Then, select which items you’d like to insure under Extra Coverage in the <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> app.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="http://lemonadeblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/c3edd0c4-248a-41a4-9973-73c7fbd70611_adding-extra-coverage201.gif" alt="more extra coverage" /></p>
<p>Provide a guesstimate of the value of your bike, and <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> will automatically grant you temporary Extra Coverage! (In the unlikely event of a claim, you’ll still need to prove it existed, what it was worth, and that you had it when you bought the policy.)</p>
<p>This will give you time to send over the necessary info and for our CX team to review it. Don’t forget, this temporary Extra Coverage will last for 14 days, so try to submit your info by then. If you can’t, you can still add on the Extra Coverage yourself after it expires.</p>
<p>Here’s a guide to <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/scheduled-personal-property-coverage/">everything you need to know about Extra Coverage</a>. Have more questions about Extra Coverage? Open up your <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a> app, and ask AI Maya. Or shoot an email over to help@lemonade.com, and our CX team will get back to you as soon as possible.</p>
<h3>Bike drop</h3>
<p>If your bike gets stolen will you ever see it again? If you register your bike with Bike Index there’s a chance it could be recovered! This free, nonprofit bike registry has helped recover over $9 million of stolen bikes.</p>
<p>It’s easy to register your bike at <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org">bikeindex.org</a>, just include the serial number and a couple of photos of the bike that make it easy to identify as yours. That way, if your bike does get stolen, your registration allows police and local tipsters to get in touch with you if they find your ride.</p>
<p>A good bike lock can only get you so far when it comes to preventing bike theft. The reality is, bikes get stolen… a lot. The good news? Proper coverage can make that terrible day a whole lot better.</p>
<p>Insuring your bicycle is easier, and more affordable than ever! <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/saving-80-90-seconds/">Using AI and machine learning</a>, <a target="none" href="https://lemonade.com/?utm_source=bikeindex.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=outreach">Lemonade</a>’s insurance policies are much lower than the industry average. <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/start/1">See for yourself</a>!</p>
<hr />
<p>Liked this article? Check out some more nuggets of insurance wisdom over at <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/blog/category/lemonade101/">#Lemonade101</a>.</p>
2019-09-25T07:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/why-i-dont-like-goal-settingWhy I don't like goal-setting2019-09-25T07:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><strong><i>This post - and others by Lily - can be found posted initially on her blog <a target="none" href="https://runt2pb.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</strong></i></strong></p>
<p>One of the fundamental elements of sport is goal-setting.</p>
<p>I hate goal-setting.</p>
<p>It feels shallow, contrived, and like I am doing it to inspire myself. I don’t need to be inspired. I’ve always felt like goal setting was a way for people who were unhappy in their sport to create something fake that they could ‘work toward’ in order to create fulfillment in something that they really don’t naturally find fulfillment in.</p>
<p>Obviously many people find positivity in their goal-setting. That is great. I truly wish things worked that way for me, but I can get really sucked up in negativity and goals traditionally have not been a thing that helps me be positive. Framing my sport as something I do because I love it, rather than something I do because I want to beat other people has established a really strong base for a long career for me (or so I hope). That being said, I am incredibly competitive, and that contrast has always made me a bit confused about goal-setting.</p>
<p>My dislike of goal-setting is two-fold. First, we always did goal-setting meetings in college. They always felt fake as hell. It was one of the first team activities that each year’s new captains would organize. It felt, more than anything, like just an activity idea to check off the list. Let’s all sit down and dream big together! I’m being a good captain. Check. We would sit in a circle, make posters with pictures of people and things that inspired us, and put our season’s ‘word’ on a hair ribbon. Can you imagine me wearing a hair ribbon???????</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187855/12565624_10207399299613871_7278580657899485373_n__1_.jpg" alt="running" /><a target="none" href="https://stories.strava.com/express-yourself"><small><i>Photo by Matt Trappe</i></small></a></p>
<p>My senior year I made the goal of being on the squad of seven that competed at NCAA cross country nationals. I had pretty much thrown my running career in the toilet in college. I was burned out, I didn’t care, and I was generally a horrible teammate. I was in a constant state of rebelling against my teammates and all of their team principles. I was very unhappy. But senior year, after finally getting my anti-anxiety dose appropriate, things were going OK. I was having great workouts. I kept to myself but didn’t feel like I was a source of conflict on the team anymore. And I PR’ed in the 6k and was our seventh finisher at SEC’s, the big tune-up before regionals and nationals. My college career didn’t even come close to living up to the trajectory I had envisioned for myself at the end of a great high school career. But I earned my spot to be on those squads my final year. And it felt so good to achieve my season goal, even if it was just one that I had written down to partake in a team activity.</p>
<p>Then my coach told me I wouldn’t be racing at regionals. They took another runner, who had completely botched SECs by going out in the first mile of the 6k in 5:00. The reasoning was that she had a better body of races from the full season, which was objectively true. But I had been gradually improving and was ready to peak at regionals and nationals. And I didn’t get to race. I went back to the locker room and tore up my goals poster and threw it in the trash. I got selected to race nationals but ran like crap. I was checked out at that point.</p>
<p>The second reason I don’t like goal-setting is that more often than not, goals do not come to fruition and then I feel like a failure. I don’t like to feel like a failure. So the easiest thing to do is just to not set goals at all.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187857/Highlands_Circuit-1301.jpg" alt="redlands" /><i><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</i></small></i></p>
<p>I don’t like to set process goals either. I certainly find a lot of happiness in the process. I like to train, and I like to see my numbers and times improve. I like to find little achievements throughout the season. But I don’t think you need to set mental objectives and checklists in order to achieve things throughout the year and enjoy doing so. I have enough checklists to complete at work and at home. I don’t need to turn my training and racing - a time when I can leave other elements of life behind for a few hours - into a box to tick.</p>
<p>But I’ve inadvertently set a big goal without even meaning to.</p>
<p>I want to win a gold medal in the team pursuit in Tokyo.</p>
<p>I’ve realized that the only way to do this is to set the dang goal. You don’t just happen upon a gold medal at the Olympics. I don’t really want to tell people about my goals, but there is psychological merit in doing so. Sure, the failure will certainly seem greater if you set goals, tell everyone about them, and then don’t achieve them. But I don’t think there is any way to meet a task this large without planning for it.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I suppose ‘planning’ is what goals boil down to. And for whatever reason, I don’t mind framing goals that way. Each road season I sit down with my coach and I tell her that I want to win Winston-Salem and Nationals, and we plan training accordingly. I don’t enter any race with the mindset that I won’t be standing on the top step of the podium. That all being said, I do try to be completely realistic. I wouldn’t make those goals if I didn’t believe that I could achieve them. I don’t think anyone makes goals that they don’t think they can achieve. They make big goals knowing they need to improve to get there, but they know they can commit to making that improvement happen. Sometimes the timeline might be off, but through trial and error, you figure out what is going to work and what isn’t, and then you reframe.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187858/Winston-Salem_Road_Race-552.jpg" alt="winston" /><i><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</i></small></i></p>
<p>Sometimes you have to lower your goals. It’s a terrifying thought, but it’s true. Bike racing especially is tricky. Some goals you just can’t set. It’s hard to say at the beginning of a World Tour stage race that “on day 3 I want to make it over the mountain with Leigh Ann and then lead her out for a podium spot.” If you’ve ever done a bike race, you know that things never work like that. Successes often happen completely unplanned, and sometimes you just can’t fall asleep the night before the race you care about the most. Or your legs are bad. Or you crash. Or get a flat. Or you’re just there for fun and you get the biggest result of your career. All sorts of stuff happens and that’s truly what makes bike racing special in my eyes.</p>
<p>But I had a dream the other night that I won a World Cup cyclocross race. And that feeling of throwing my hands in the air as I crossed the line was insane. And then I woke up and was like, well that was disappointingly just a dream. And then immediately after I was like, I have to do that someday.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187859/NCGP_2018_Day1_WomensFinish.jpg" alt="NCGP" /><i><small>Photo by Bruce Buckley</i></small></i></p>
<p>I am just one rider in a pool of riders who all want to go to the Olympics next summer. I have so much work to do to improve and make the Olympic team that I gave up my first love, cyclocross, a year ago to focus on this. And people train for years toward a goal like this. I’m not delusional. Just getting to the Olympics is one step. Winning a gold medal is something completely otherworldly. Some could argue that the Olympic experience is enough. But I don’t want enough. I want to win.</p>
<p>Goal-setting has always felt cocky to me. Like you’re telling people you can do this thing that you haven’t backed up yet. But Gwen Jorgenson set her eyes on the gold medal in Rio and did it. And now has her eyes set on a gold medal in the marathon - a completely different sport - and has not been ashamed to tell everyone that. Even her teammates, who also have that exact same dream but with a lot more experience and miles in their legs. Her trajectory hasn’t been great so far, but I don’t know if I would bet against her.</p>
<p>Track has been a riot. Even if I don’t meet my Olympic goal, I won’t have seen this period as any sort of waste. I think when achievement is the sole aim of a goal, you can obscure all of the great things that happen along the way. I try to keep that in mind every time I step over the bike - any kind of bike. Goals are important, but I know that they’re useless without happiness to propel me from good to great.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187856/IMG_20180727_233932_593.jpg" alt="intelligentsia" /><i><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</i></small></i></p>
<p>So, I still don’t know entirely how I feel about goal-setting. I don’t think it’s something I need to do to perform well and it’s definitely not something I need to motivate me to ride my bike. But I feel like when the stakes are this high, you have to retort with something equally high. You have to know you want it. And I really want it.</p>
<p>I want to win a gold medal at the Olympics. I want to wear the rainbow bands. I want to win a World Cup Cyclocross race, a spring Classic, and a national championship. Goals that every cyclist has. I don’t yet know how I am going to get there, but that’s what I want from this sport. Just letting you know.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/187860/SunnyKingCrit-245.jpg" alt="sunny king" /><i><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</i></small></i></p>
2019-09-19T18:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-your-bike-is-stolen-in-lane-county-coburg-cottage-grovWhat to do when your bike is stolen in Lane County, Coburg, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Florence, Junction City, Oakridge, or Springfield, Oregon2019-09-19T18:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><i>This article is courtesy of one of our Oregon Ambassadors, Steve Piercy, on <a target="none" href="https://discuss.bikeindex.org/t/what-to-do-when-your-bike-is-stolen-in-lane-county-coburg-cottage-grove-eugene-florence-junction-city-oakridge-or-springfield-oregon/1153">our discuss page</a>.</i></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/186165/005_lock.jpg" alt="cut lock" size="small" /></p>
<p>I’m sorry your bike was stolen. Don’t despair though. Many people here in Lane County and its cities of Coburg, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Florence, Junction City, Oakridge, or Springfield, Oregon, and the surrounding communities are working to fight bike theft. You already have a head start on recovering your bike.</p>
<p>Right now, though, there are several things you need to do. Let’s walk through each step.</p>
<ol>
<li>File a police report</li>
<li>Register with Bike Index</li>
<li>Spread the word!</li>
<li>Look for your bike “in the wild”</li>
<li>Watch for your bike being sold online</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>1. File a police report</strong></p>
<p>Immediately file a police report for your stolen bike. The chances of recovery go down the longer you put this off. When you file a police report, it is then flagged in a national crime database, which is accessible to participating law enforcement agencies.</p>
<p>The jurisdiction in which you should file your report depends on the location of where the theft was committed. In the unincorporated areas of Lane County, contact the Lane County Sheriff. Most incorporated cities have their own police department and crime reporting procedures, but there are a few exceptions: (1) Creswell and Veneta contract with the Lane County Sheriff for police services, and (2) University of Oregon in Eugene has its own police department. When contacting law enforcement for stolen bikes only, use the non-emergency telephone number or online report.</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="none" href="http://ceapps.eugene-or.gov/epdcoplogic/">Eugene Police Department</a> for within the Eugene city limits and outside of the University of Oregon campus.</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://police.uoregon.edu/report-crime">University of Oregon Police Department</a> for within the University of Oregon campus in Eugene</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://apps.lanecounty.org/so/eforms/Forms/SelfReport/Instructions.aspx">Lane County Sheriff</a> for unincorporated areas of Lane County, and the cities of Veneta and Creswell</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.coburgoregon.org/police/custom-contact-page/police-contact-information">Coburg</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.cottagegrove.org/police/custom-contact-page/police-contact-information">Cottage Grove</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.ci.florence.or.us/police">Florence</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.junctioncityoregon.gov/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BBC6E7447-F0B2-43D2-BC1D-05A3E693D12F%7D">Junction City</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.ci.oakridge.or.us/police">Oakridge</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="http://www.springfield-or.gov/city/police-department/">Springfield</a></li>
</ul>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/186166/logo_striped-6570670d250306e3bdc86a2da2786abbe7a8f0a862ac3561e206f1aef8055b74.png" alt="bike index logo" /></p>
<p><strong>2. Register with Bike Index</strong></p>
<p>We can help spread the word when you register your stolen bike with Bike Index. <a target="none" href="https://eugenegears.org/bike-registration/">Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs) hosts a bike registration and stolen bike form</a>, and they will amplify alerts about stolen bikes within a 30-mile radius through their social media channels. Listing your stolen bike with Bike Index is free and fast. It quickly gets your stolen bike information out to bike shops, fellow cyclists, law enforcement, and other Bike Index partners who look for stolen bikes, even if that bike crosses state lines.</p>
<p>If your bike is already registered in the Bike Index:</p>
<ul>
<li>log in</li>
<li>click “Edit” for that bike</li>
<li>click “Report stolen or missing”</li>
<li>click the friendly big red button “This bike is stolen or missing!”</li>
</ul>
<p>If your bike is not already in the Bike Index, gather as much of this info before you start:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The serial number</strong> - If you don’t have your bike’s serial number, check your purchase documentation or call the shop where you bought it. < target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/where">Many local bike shops use Bike Index</a> to automatically register new bikes, or may ask you if you want to register when you bring your bike in for repairs.</li>
<li><strong>A police report number</strong> - See Step 1.</li>
<li><strong>Photos of your bike</strong> - If you don’t have any photos, even a stock photo of a similar bike is OK.</li>
<li><strong>Good descriptions</strong> - Include descriptions of any unique components, stickers, dents, or details that help identify your bike.</li>
<li><strong>Get any photo or video surveillance</strong> - If there is photo or video of your theft, try to get a copy. Post it to <a target="none" href="https://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>, and include the video link in your listing. Don’t forget, your neighbors and nearby businesses may have cameras that caught your theft, even if you don’t have any cameras of your own. Ask around by going door-to-door, and posting on community websites such as <a target="none" href="https://nextdoor.com/">Nextdoor.com</a>. <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/bikeindexeug">Bike Index’s Twitter feed for Eugene, @BikeIndexEUG</a>, posts a lot of these kinds of photos and videos.</li>
</ul>
<p>Once you have as much of the above information as you can collect, report your stolen bike through <a target="none" href="https://eugenegears.org/bike-registration/">GEARs</a>. Alternatively you can create an account directly through <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/admin">Bike Index</a>, then log in to list your stolen bike. Once your bike is registered and reported stolen, they will be posted automatically via our Bike Index Eugene Twitter feed, and the bike’s information will be available to all our area partners, <a target="none" href="https://eugenegears.org/">including Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs)</a> on <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/eugenegears">Twitter</a> and <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/EugeneGEARs/">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p>But wait, Bike Index does more with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-promoted-alerts-are-the-megaphone-crooks-dont-want-you">stolen bike promoted alerts</a>! With a promoted alert, Bike Index creates and distributes a visual stolen bike alert to people in the victim’s area via Facebook. With three alert “tiers” to choose from, Bike Index can affordably help victims share their stolen bike details farther and wider to a hand-picked audience sympathetic to bike theft.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/186167/ecv3by5_h_6.png" alt="promoted alert" /></p>
<p><strong>3. Spread the word!</strong></p>
<p>Finding stolen bikes is a game of numbers. The more people looking out for your bike, the better are its chances of recovery. You can help your cause by spreading the word. Tell everybody you know about your stolen bike. If you’re in an apartment building, post a flier printed from your stolen bike page on Bike Index. If someone stole your bike from a business, alert the building management. And of course you’ll want to hit all the popular online methods, because Craigslist isn’t the only place thieves sell stolen bikes online anymore.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Twitter</strong> - If you’re on Twitter, post your Bike Index link, photographs of your bike, and tag <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndexEUG">@BikeIndexEUG</a> and local law enforcement agencies.</li>
<ul><li>Eugene - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/EugenePolice">@EugenePolice</a> and <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/EPDCrimePrevent">@EPDCrimePrevent</a></li>
<li>University of Oregon - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/UOPolice">@UOPolice</a></li>
<li>Lane County Sheriff - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/LaneSheriffOR">@LaneSheriffOR</a></li>
<li>Coburg - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/CoburgPD">@CoburgPD</a></li>
<li>Cottage Grove - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/CGPDOregon">@CGPDOregon</a></li>
<li>Florence - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/FlorencePD">@FlorencePD</a></li>
<li>Junction City - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/JunctionPolice">@JunctionPolice</a></li>
<li>Springfield - <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/SPDOregon">@SPDOregon</a></li></ul>
<li><strong>Facebook</strong> - Facebook is a good next step. Post your bike, mention all the specifics, link to its Bike Index listing, and maybe some stolen bike or neighborhood groups.</li>
<li><strong>Instagram</strong> - Bike Index on <a target="none" href="https://www.instagram.com/bikeindex/">Instagram</a> is a great resource. Post your bike, mention the make, model, the city or county where it was stolen, and tag @bikeindex so we can “regram” it.</li>
<li><strong>Reddit</strong> - We see stolen bike posts on Reddit all the time, and there’s a lot of eyeballs there, too. <a target="none" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Eugene/">/r/Eugene</a> is a good place to start for the Eugene/Springfield area.</li>
<li><strong>Nextdoor</strong> - <a target="none" href="https://nextdoor.com/">Nextdoor</a> has lots of local eyeballs there, but you must validate your residency in order to post to it.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>4. Look for your bike “in the wild”</strong></p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to just cruise around town and look for your bike “in the wild”. Tons of bike theft victims have spotted their bikes in the usual places, including many open-air chop shops along the Willamette River and bike paths. There’s always a few in the Whiteaker, and along River Road and Highway 99.</p>
<p>The locations of these change pretty frequently but hit up the local Facebook and Reddit groups and ask around. You’ll get a list of known chop shops pretty quickly.</p>
<p>We’ve also seen thieves “stash” bikes in public bike racks. Thieves may lock stolen bikes up to public racks to sell later. Be sure to check out the bike racks you see while you’re out and about.</p>
<p><strong>5. Watch for your bike being sold online</strong></p>
<p>A huge amount of stolen bikes are fenced online. It’s not just Craigslist you have to deal with anymore. Now there’s many different sites and mobile apps you will need to watch:</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="none" href="https://offerup.com/">OfferUp</a> - A chronically terrible service full of stolen bikes. This is the first place you should go to look for your stolen bike. Or stolen anything, for that matter.</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://us.letgo.com/en">LetGo</a> - Another app that is similar to OfferUp: same idea, same sleaze.</li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/107915639228865/search/?query=bicycle&radiusKM=33">Facebook Marketplace</a> - Although not as popular with thieves yet, it is growing rapidly.</li>
</ul>
<p>Make it a habit to check for your bike on these sites every day, for many weeks, even months. We’ve seen thieves steal bikes and stash them in storage for months to let them “cool off” before listing them for sale online. Be ready to play the “long game” if you’re serious about hunting down your stolen bike.</p>
<p>If you find your bike for sale on Craigslist, LetGo, OfferUp, or anywhere else, immediately contact the police. Don’t bother to contact the site’s useless customer service. The Eugene Police Department may arrange to make an undercover purchase from the seller, and may make an arrest. Never arrange to purchase your bike back because (1) criminals may be armed and may rob you of your cash and valuables or worse, and (2) it rewards bike theft. Never attempt to recover your bike on your own.</p>
<p>You can always send email to <a href="mailto:contact@bikeindex.org">contact@bikeindex.org</a> if you need some tips for dealing with online sellers who may have your bike.</p>
<p><strong>What can Bike Index do for your City, School, Police, or Group?</strong></p>
<p>To find out how Bike Index can help your city, school, police, group, or any other organization, visit one of the following pages.</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_cities">City</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_schools">School</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_law_enforcement">Law Enforcement</a></li>
<li><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_advocacy">Community Groups</a></li>
</ul>
2019-09-10T14:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/life-on-the-road-as-a-professional-cyclist---time-and-placeLife on the road as a professional cyclist - time and place2019-09-10T14:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><strong><i>This post - and others by Lily - can be found posted initially on her blog <a target="none" href="https://runt2pb.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</strong></i></strong></p>
<p>I suppose that in 2016 when I quit running, I didn’t think I would find myself, three years later, in a hotel in Bolivia preparing to compete for Olympic points on the track. A completely different track of course. I’ve traded mondo for wood and spikes for cleats, and now have to control a very fast and stiff bike while basically laying on my stomach.</p>
<p>I had never traveled out of the United States until I started racing a bike. And then, in the past two years, I’ve traveled to Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Peru, and now Bolivia. It’s pretty freakin cool. While I may be spending most of my time training, racing, and working, as opposed to getting out and seeing all of the sights, I do get an intimate glimpse into all sorts of lives outside of the ones I’ve grown up considering to be normal.</p>
<p>I’ve also traveled across pretty much every state in the U.S. for racing. I still haven’t been to Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Kansas, West Virginia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, or Vermont, but I’ve raced (either on the bike or on foot) in all others. Driving through a state does not count as visiting a state, IMO, otherwise I think I would be at 48.</p>
<p>All of this travel has exacerbated a couple of ideas of mine into full-blown ideaologies, ones that I am working very hard to commit myself to.</p>
<p>First, is minimalism. I’ve gotten two of my teammates to watch the Netflix documentary, and I don’t think either of them finished it. So I guess I kind of suck at preaching it, but I think I am doing a good job of living it. I can spend six weeks on the road with everything I need inside one suitcase, one backpack, and one bike bag. Everything that I bring with me is quality gear that I get great use out of. As they say in the documentary, I don’t have many things, but each thing I have is my favorite thing. I’ve dumped at least half of my belongings at home. I try to think of the source of stress in my life, and I would say 90 percent of the time it comes down to things: maintaining my things, buying things, re-buying things, running errands to move things around, and cleaning the things in my house. It’s such a damn waste of time. So, it’s all getting tossed.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184014/SuncityCrit-1136.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</small></p>
<p>Especially traveling here in South America, I see people who live and work from literal shacks that butt up against the track complex. They wash their clothes and hang them on a line to dry. They grow their own food. They build their own house on the hillside. I also read <i>Sapiens</i> this year, which I thought was a total gimmick of a book for the first chapter and then got completely sucked in. A big thesis in the book was the premise of evolutionary happiness with simplicity: fewer people around you, fewer societal norms to bog you down, and fewer responsibilities outside of caring for yourself.</p>
<p>Which brings me to my second point: reducing screen time. We all know that screen time is proven to reduce happiness. When I find myself bored in between races or training sessions, I’m just scrolling around in my phone when I’m not working. Relaxing right now doesn’t entail being present with myself or some sort of pleasant activity, it entails scrolling past all of the ads on instagram telling me what I should buy or with which new things I should equip myself. Through meditation, reading, stretching and taking care of my body, and decreasing screen time, I am trying to get better quality relaxation.</p>
<p>This is all relevant to cycling because I feel like my life is constantly in flux, either racing or traveling to the next race, punctuated by small blocks at home of training and generally trying to recuperate by being alone. Travel and being in lots of different places doesn’t really bother me - if it did, there is no way I would make it as a professional athlete. But not getting alone time and not forcing my mind to recover from constantly being ‘on’ around staff and teammates has been a real challenge.</p>
<p>This definitely affected me this year on the road. I didn’t want to help load the van, I wanted to get a work task done so I could relax and focus on the race. Last cross season too, I was tired from a full summer on the road, and hadn’t really expected what kind of a toll that would have on me later in the fall. Form was good, but mentally, I was struggling to stay positive.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184016/Tulsa_Tough_Cry_Baby-376.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</small></p>
<p>I’ve never had a hard time maintaining motivation. I love to ride my bike, and that’s all the motivation I need. But I do get tired and have a really hard time remaining positive, which obviously affects everyone around me. I am hoping that these deliberate changes to raise my positivity are steps in the right direction to balancing a year-long race calendar. I’m not doing a great job at either of them yet, but I am working hard to make sure that I start to put myself first. If I can’t do that, then there will be no part of me left to contribute to a team environment. And, as we all know, cycling is about as team-oriented as you can get - especially the team pursuit.</p>
<p>For those of you who are curious about my new adventure on the track, I’ll tell you this: it’s one of the most intense, most fun, and most difficult things I have tried on the bike. It’s like being in the peloton times a million. One little mistake and not just your race is over, but the races of three others - races belonging to three athletes who have made this their life. The mental focus it takes to control the bike and use perfect technique is 100 percent. You cannot be thinking about a single thing other than the task at hand. Same with the training. It’s incredibly specific and intense, two things I really liked about track running in high school and college, but two things that require being all in.</p>
<p>This means that it’s been incredibly important for me to decompress. I am really loving it here in Bolivia because it’s quiet. In Lima we were in an athlete village where noise constantly bombarded us. It was damp and cold and there was no place to just sit upright and quietly get some work done. Even in most places in the U.S., we’re constantly in the midst of traffic noises, commerce noises, and the sound of life chugging away at full speed ahead, constantly marketed-to and pressured to be involved in some awesome, new, fun thing. Here there are noises of birds and cows and dogs and wind. There’s not constant music and yelling and sniffly noses and dampness. I am starting to feel a bit relaxed, which is something I have found pretty rarely in my sporting career, and in my day-to-day life. I’m on edge a lot and, while it’s made me a driven and focused athlete, it’s also very tiring.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184013/SuncityCrit-518.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</small></p>
<p>One of the things that helps me relax is riding my cross bike, and I am very sad to not be doing cross this year. I did realize last year that I despise racing on fast, dry, courses. So, I won’t miss that, and I won’t miss losing at those races, which did take a lot of fun out of cross for me. When I return to cross, I think I will be able to better balance it within the context of my other sports, and just skip those stupid, dry, early season races anyway. I want to be able to give my full focus to whichever discipline I am doing. I think, in the future, that means starting cross later and really being prepared. That applies to road as well. I feel like for a lot of this summer, I know where I could be, but did not have the time to prepare, partially because I was racing instead of training, and also because I was trying to immerse myself in a new discipline, when attaining the standard I wanted to on the road needed my full attention.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184009/jinglecrossC1-16100041.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><small>Photo by Ethan Glading</small></p>
<p>The main thing I miss about cross is being alone in the woods. I still do a lot of my recovery spins on the gravel or on the trails. It’s about the best possible thing you could do on the bike, in my opinion. But I won’t be home this winter as much to ride my single track. Riding in the woods is one of the things that lightens the load and makes it that much easier for me to occupy the mental space I need to be in in order to race well and go to events with as little stress as possible. I am really going to miss spending designated time there all fall and winter like I have done in the past, although I will certainly slip out any time that I am home and that it makes sense.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184008/47176378_516044518916959_3455096289627209728_n.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><small>Photo by Flora Yan</small></p>
<p>For me, my best performances as a professional come when I am happy. But, unfortunately, I think there are also a lot of myths out there about what makes a professional athlete perform well: that you have to love to suffer (bullshit), that you have to be a certain weight (debunked), that you have to set specific goals (anxiety-producing). The #1 thing that makes me ride well is when I am having a good time. And when I can get a lot of confidence from nailing my training. I like to see perfect training translate into results. It just makes sense. I don’t need to rely on magical mental powers to get me through any race when I hit all of my intervals at race pace. If I do it in training, I can do it in the race. It’s scientific, it’s simple, and it’s easy. The only thing left is to make sure I am as happy as possible, because then stress can’t get in the way of me executing what I have executed week after week on the bike in training.</p>
<p>A lot of cyclists at this level burn out from all of the travel. You’re in and out of airports in 48-hour blocks. There’s no family time. You don’t maintain a lot of friendships. You don’t get much alone time. Often you feel like you are reduced to an athlete and nothing else - a machine that executes a plan. Eating becomes monotonous, you don’t see much sun while you’re in a hotel room or riding the trainer. So many people think the professional athlete lifestyle is so glamorous. That traveling the world could in no way be worse than working in a cubicle. That we should constantly be gracious and humble for our genetic gifts (even though we make 1/100th of some who are genetically gifted at understanding finance or consulting). And all of that can become so incredibly unhealthy if you don’t take care of yourself. So, that’s what I am trying to do. I want to have a long and sustainable career in this sport - in multiple disciplines.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/184012/Winston-Salem_Crit-919.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<small>Photo by SnowyMountain Photography</small></p>
<p>Right now, for the first time, I’m becoming a specialist. There is no way I could improve on the track without doing so. I’m really excited to push my limits this fall and see what the focus can do for me. But more than the training, the specialization, and the immersion, is the absolute need to remain a non-specialized human. I think athletes are becoming hip to the idea that we’re more than just athletes. I’m elevating that process by having a good time. By getting rid of all of my stuff and not looking at my phone. Me is taking care of me!</p>
2019-08-26T21:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-new-promoted-alerts-are-the-megaphone-crooks-dont-want-youBike Index's new promoted alerts are the megaphone crooks don't want you to use2019-08-26T21:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<h3><i>New promoted alerts supercharge your stolen bike’s social reach - and recoverability.</i></h3>
<p>Since Bike Index began in 2013, the open-source, nonprofit registry has helped recover over $8 million in stolen bicycles. By allowing theft victims to register their bikes - and then push them to an online community of over 250,000 users - Bike Index pioneered a model for the cycling community to fight back against unchecked bike theft.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169856/Bike_Index_-_Bike_registration_that_works.png" alt="bike index recovery" /></p>
<p>Taking advantage of Bike Index’s 750+ partner organizations is still as easy, fast, and free as ever. Bike Index’s innovative mix of social media tools and industry partners like LeadsOnline, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a>, and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a>, offers a platform where organizations and individuals can collaborate against bike theft. Listing a bike on Bike Index remains the most effective registration system for recovering a stolen bike.</p>
<p>And Bike Index remains at the forefront of developing new tools for registering and recovering bicycles.</p>
<p>Bike Index’s newest development is an effort to further increase the visibility of stolen bikes. The new ‘promoted stolen alerts’ aim to grow Bike Index’s community-centric focus by leveraging geo-targeted social media advertising.</p>
<div class="side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169849/soma_twitter.png" alt="soma twitter" /></div>
<div class="col-xs-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169850/soma_instagram.png" alt="soma instagram" /></div>
</div>
<p>“Finding stolen bikes has always been a numbers game,” says Bike Index co-founder, Bryan Hance. “The more people that can see what a local stolen bike looks like, the more people will look out for that bike - and the chances of that bike being spotted increase. And promoted alerts are a new way to get a lot more eye on a stolen bike, quickly, and cheaply.”</p>
<p>With a promoted alert, bike Index creates and distributes a visual stolen bike alert to people in the victim’s area via Facebook. With three alert ‘tiers’ to choose from, Bike Index can affordably help victims share their stolen bike details farther and wider to a hand-picked audience sympathetic to bike theft.</p>
<p>And these alerts work. Within the first week of shipping the first promoted alerts, Bike Index recovered a bike.</p>
<div class="row side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-md-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169843/ecv3by5_h_6.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></div>
<div class="col-md-6"><p style="font-size: 133%; font-weight: bold;"><em>"The Promoted alert service allowed someone to send a text message directly to my cell phone so I saw the online posting of my stolen bike ASAP. It got a lot of people involved to help look for my bike"</em></p></div>
</div>
<p>Ironically, the thief who stole Gabriel Trainer’s bike tried to fence it online around the exact same time that Gabriel’s promoted alert began serving to thousands of local cyclists on Facebook.</p>
<p>Within 24 hours of posting, Trainer’s alert “allowed someone to send a text message directly to my cell phone so I saw the online posting of my stolen bike ASAP,” said Trainer. “It got a lot of people involved to help look for my bike.” Trainer’s Facebook alert pushed his stolen bike to 7,000 viewers within 15 miles of the bike’s theft.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169851/v365bun47imo8__1_.png" alt="trainer instagram post" /></p>
<p>The promoted stolen alerts come in three options, with the ability to choose a plan based on number of views and duration of the ad. The cost of the ad goes directly into creating a Facebook alert and catering impressions based on the location of the stolen bike and bike-friendly audience. Bike Index takes the work of creating the ad with the image of the stolen bike and makes sure it gets out to the most relevant people - groups we’ve learned to recognize over the course of the past decade of theft recovery experience.</p>
<p>The decision to utilize Facebook’s advertising tools came from repeated stories of success from our Bike Index Ambassadors, who have used stolen bike Facebook groups to recover <strong>thousands</strong> of stolen bikes. Utilizing Facebook’s word-spreading tools will help Bike Index drastically increase the number of bikes we recover.</p>
<p>The alerts pair with a new checklist of things to do when a bike is stolen to make sure bike theft victims use all of the resources available to them through Bike Index and partners.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/166129/Screen_Shot_2019-07-03_at_12.35.06_PM.png" alt="recovery checklist" /></p>
<p>Promoted stolen alerts are a great addition that allow Bike Index users to supercharge their bike to a network outside of their immediate online friend circle. Spreading the word and getting a police report are essential items in theft recovery, and we hope that our new tools will increase Bike Index users’ ability to do these things.</p>
<p>“We started Bike Index knowing that the public was looking for a way to connect to and use bike data,” said Seth Herr, Bike Index co-founder and CTO. “All of our expansions have been on this core idea. We let people register and list bikes easily, quickly and for free. And we provide agency for spreading stolen bike information as fast and far as possible. This is why Bike Index is so successful.”</p>
<p>Bike Index will continue to refine our new promoted stolen alerts to make them as seamless and useful of a tool as possible, for instance, by automating these ads to go out as soon as you place the order, even on weekends.</p>
<p>Promoted stolen alerts are just one new tool that sets Bike Index apart when it comes to bike theft recovery and builds on everything else we have been working toward since 2013. The community approach <strong>works</strong>, as we’ve seen from connecting partner organizations, leveraging social media tools, and creating our Ambassadors program. Bike Index actually recovers bikes. If the worst happens, we are here and have your back.</p>
<p>To enable a stolen bike alert, visit your bike listing <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/user_home">here</a> or <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">create a new account</a> now.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/recovery_stories"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169869/Bike_Index_-_Bike_registration_that_works__2_.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></a>
<a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/recovery_stories"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/169870/Bike_Index_-_Bike_registration_that_works__1_.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></a></p>
2019-07-09T14:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/welcome-to-our-newest-bike-index-partner-edmonton-albertaEdmonton, Alberta brings on Bike Index to reduce bike theft in Canada2019-07-09T14:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Oh Canada! The city of Edmonton, in Alberta, is announcing today that they will be using Bike Index as the city’s official bicycle registration system.</p>
<p>Edmonton will use Bike Index via the Edmonton Police Service and 14 local bike shops, bringing together a community of cyclists in the city and surrounding areas to diminish bike theft. A successful collaboration among EPS, community members, and bike shops has already resulted in a high stolen bike recovery rate in Edmonton, and an official partnership with Bike Index will only increase this success.</p>
<p>“The support we have received within EPS and Edmonton’s cycling community shows how important this initiative is,” said Constable Kenny McKinnon. “We are proud to lead our city into a future that will hopefully see a noticeable decrease in bike theft and we want to thank Bike Index for partnering with us to make it happen.”</p>
<p>EPS will help the bike shops in town implement registration protocols. Shop employees can register customers’ bikes at the point of sale, either with one of Bike Index’s automatic registration integrations (<a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> or <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a>) or through our easy bike entry tools. Citizens will be able to pick up a free QR sticker and registration pamphlet at any EPS Division. By working with local cycling organizations and businesses, EPS will be able to reach more cyclists and help them get their bikes registered.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/166126/DSC_4358.JPG" alt="EPS" /><small>Constables from EPS will help educate community members and organizations on how to find their serial numbers and register their bikes with the EPS.</small></p>
<p>Bike Index has already <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/recovery_stories.html">recovered over $8 million</a> in stolen bicycles, and is excited to help Edmonton bring this service to their citizens, local cycling businesses, and community members.</p>
<p>“The last few years we’ve had a ton of grassroots support in Edmonton,” said Bike Index Executive Director, Craig Dalton. “This has led to numerous stolen bike recoveries. And by adding official support from EPD and local bike shops, we have the opportunity to radically alter the stolen bike problem in Edmonton.”</p>
<p>Integral to this partnership has been a handful of <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ambassadors_how_to">Bike Index ambassadors</a> in the area, many of whom are part of the <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576708895843716/">Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group</a>. Stolen Bikes Edmonton has used their Facebook group, in conjunction with the police service and Bike Index, to recover over 1,000 bikes.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/166998/Screen_Shot_2019-07-08_at_3.00.11_PM.png" alt="recovery email" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/166999/Screen_Shot_2019-07-08_at_3.10.34_PM.png" alt="recovery fb post" /></p>
<p>“About a year ago we met a few Edmonton Police members that showed some interest in bike recovery and the Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group,” said Brent Thorvaldson, who runs Stolen Bikes Edmonton. “These officers were willing to help us with recoveries when we had a positive match to a bike posted for sale online and a bike registered as stolen on Bike Index. We would share the suspect ad and the Bike Index registry directly with EPS as this included all the info they needed to make the recovery. This process resulted in consistent recoveries.”</p>
<p>Using Bike Index, Edmonton Police officers will be able to message registrants from directly in the field. When an officer finds a bike, they can use their smartphone devices to scan bikes with Edmonton-branded QR stickers. Law enforcement can even message Bike Index users before they report their bike as stolen (for instance if it’s stolen while they are at work and they don’t yet know it’s missing). This allows EPS to return bikes to their owners as quickly as possible.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/162123/Screen_Shot_2019-06-11_at_4.16.18_PM.png" alt="sticker design" /></p>
<p>“Over the past year the officers we have been working with felt that Bike Index would be a great tool for officers to use alongside CPIC [Canadian Police Information Centre] as they can search by make, model, and serial numbers, which were [previously] not available to them when they were not at their desk or in their cruiser,” said Thorvaldson.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/167000/Screen_Shot_2019-07-08_at_3.10.19_PM.png" alt="recovery post" /></p>
<p>EPS’s hope is that they can use Bike Index to integrate with local bike shops and diminish the amount of work that shops and cyclists have to do to register bikes.</p>
<p>“It took a lot of hard work from a few passionate officers to put together a proposal to introduce Bike Index not only as a recovery tool but as a bike registry that has proven to stand out from the others with ease of use,” said Thorvaldson. “The thought is if bike owners are registering their bikes and locking them up, then they will also report them as stolen to law enforcement - which means more recoveries and bikes being returned to their owners.”</p>
<p><strong>Shops participating in the launch:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Mec (2 locations)</li>
<li>Hardcore</li>
<li>United</li>
<li>Revolution Cycle</li>
<li>Mud Sweat and Gears</li>
<li>Element Cycling</li>
<li>Red Bike</li>
<li>Pedal Head</li>
<li>Giant</li>
<li>Sports Shack</li>
<li>Sports Check</li>
<li>Cycle Logic</li>
<li>Cranky's</li>
<li>Renu Cycle</li>
</ul>
2019-06-04T05:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-your-bike-has-been-stolen-in-seattleWhat to do when your bike has been stolen in Seattle2019-06-04T05:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance
<p>
Hello there - <b>I’m sorry your bike was stolen!</b>
Don’t despair though, because there are tons of people fighting bike theft in Seattle. So, right off the bat, you already have a head start on recovering your bike.
</p>
<p><b>Right now, though, there are several things you need to do</b> to maximize your chances of seeing your bike again. I’ll walk you through each one here:</p>
<ol>
<li>File a police report</li>
<li>Register with Bike Index</li>
<li>Spread the word!</li>
<li>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</li>
<li>Watch for your bike being sold online</li>
</ol>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159719/006_bikewise.png" /></p>
<p>
<b>First: File a police report.</b>
</p>
<p>
Yes, you should file a police report for your stolen bike - especially if your bike was taken in a <b>robbery</b>, a <b>home</b> or <b>business break-in</b>, or a <b>smash-and-grab from a vehicle or a shop</b>. So: call SPD - perhaps start with their <a target="_new" href="https://www.seattle.gov/police">non-emergency line</a> if it has been a while since your theft - and follow their instructions. If you happen to have <b>video surveillance</b> of your theft, mention that too - and remember this because it'll come in handy later.
</p>
<p>
You'll probably wind up being told to report your bike theft with Seattle's <b><a target="_new2" href="https://www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/online-reporting">online reporting system</a></b> - which is not great, but it's still OK.
Most police departments don't have enough officers to deal with bike thefts in person unless they are part of a more serious crime (again, see above) - but report your stolen bike nonetheless, even if it is online only. Doing so will get you a <b>police report number</b> - which you will need in a moment.
</p>
<p>Meanwhile, go ahead and skip to the next step – i.e., get it listed on <b>Bike Index</b>.
</p></p>
<p><b>Next: Register with Bike Index!</b></p>
<p>
Now you should <b>register your stolen bike with Bike Index</b>, so we can help spread the word!
Listing your stolen bike with the Bike Index is <b>free</b>, <b>fast</b>, and it quickly gets your stolen bike information out to the bike shops, fellow cyclists, law enforcement, and other Bike Index partners who look for stolen bikes - even if that bike crosses state lines.
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>already in Bike Index</b>, all you have to do is log in, click "edit" on that bike, and click "Report stolen."
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>not already in the Bike Index</b>, gather as much of this info before you start:
<ul>
<li><b>serial number</b> - If you don't have your bike's serial number, check your purchase documentation or call the shop where you bought it</li>
<li><b>police report number</b> - Hopefully you have this from the step #1</li>
<li><b>photos of your bike</b> - If you don't have any photos, even a stock photo of a similar bike is OK</li>
<li><b>good descriptions</b> - Include descriptions of any unique components, stickers, dents or details that help identify your bike</li>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159712/005_caphill_thief.JPG" />
<li><b>Get any video surveillance you can!</b> - if there is <b>video</b> of your theft, try and get a copy! Post it to Youtube, and include that Youtube link in your Bike Index listing. Don't forget: your neighbors/nearby businesses may have cameras that caught your theft, even if you don't have any cameras of your own. So ask around. <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">Bike Index's Seattle Twitter feed</a> posts a lot of these kinds of videos, so if you can get one, that's great, because we can help spread it around.
</ul>
</p>
<p>
Once you have as much of the above as you can get, simply <a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">click here</a>, register, and log in to list your stolen bike(s).
Once they are registered, they'll be auto-tweeted out via our Seattle Twitter feed - and the bike's info will be available to all our area partners.
</p>
<b>Spread the word!</b>
<p>Finding stolen bikes is a game of numbers - the more people you have looking out for your bike, the better. So: you're going to have to spread the word! Tell everybody you know about your stolen bike . If you're in an apartment building, post a flier. If someone stole your bike from a business, alert the building management. And of course, you'll want to hit all the popular online methods, because Craigslist isn't the only place thieves sell stolen bikes online anymore. </p>
<p><b>Twitter</b> - If you're on Twitter, definitely post your Bike Index link, a photos of your bike, and tag <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">@stolenbikessea</a> and perhaps throw a <a targe_new="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23seabikes&src=typd">#seabikes</a> hashtag in there for greater reach.
</p>
<p><b>Facebook</b> - Facebook is a good next step. Post your bike, mention all the specifics, link its BikeIndex listing, and maybe get it out to some of the local Seattle-specific stolen bike groups like '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/699433161002860">SABRE</a>', '<a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/">PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes</a>' or '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/217947435021754/">Bellingham Stolen Bicycle Group</a>'
<p><b>Instagram</b> - Stolen bikes Instagram is a great resource - so if you're on Instagram, post your bike, mention the make, model, specific city you're in and then tag <b><a href="https://instagram.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a></b> so we can regram it</p>
<p><b>Reddit</b> - we see stolen bike posts on Reddit all the time, and there's a lot of eyeballs there, too. So - if you're a Redditor, <a href="https://reddit.com/r/seattle">/r/seattle</a> or <a target="_new" href="https://reddit.com/r/seattlebike">/r/seattlebike</a> may be a good place to post.</p>
<p><b>Nextdoor</b> - even though Nextdoor is a 'closed' system, so to speak, there's still a lot of people there on the lookout for stolen bikes in their neighborhoods. So it's worth posting your stolen bike's Bike Index listing to Nextdoor. </p>
<b>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</b>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159714/002camp.JPG" />
<p>It doesn't hurt to just cruise around Seattle and look for your bike 'in the wild.' Many Seattle-area bike theft victims have spotted their bikes out on the street, usually in Seattle's's many open-air chop shops. The Burke-Gilman trail is always a hotspot, along with <a target="_new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Works_Park">Gas Works</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/checkereddan/status/601795256292544512">park</a> and 3rd between Pine and Union. Sketchy RV's are also a good place to watch out for your ride.
</p>
<p>
The locations of these change pretty frequently, but hit up the Seattle stolen-bike FB groups and ask around, and you'll get a list of known chop shops pretty quick. We've also seen thieves 'stash' bikes in public bike racks (so they can leave them there, locked, to sell later) so be sure to check out the bike racks you see while you're out and about.
</p>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159711/004_suckit_offerup.JPG" />
<b>Keep an eye out for it online</b>
<p>A <b>huge, huge</b> amount of stolen bikes are fenced online - but it's not just Craigslist you have to deal with anymore.
Now, there's many different sites you will need to watch:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Offerup</a> - a chronically terrible service full of stolen bikes. This is the first place you should go to look for your stolen bike - <b>or stolen anything</b> - for that matter.</li>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Letgo</a> - another app that is similar to Offerup - same idea</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/">Facebook marketplace</a> - not as popular with thieves yet, but growing</li>
</ul>
<p>
Make it a habit to check for your bike on these sites every day, for many weeks - even months, if you can. We've seen thieves steal bikes and stash them in storage for months to let them 'cool off' before listing them for sale online. So be ready to play the 'long game' if you're serious about hunting down your stolen bike.
</p>
<p>
If you <b>do find your bike for sale on Craigslist, LetGo, or Offerup</b> - get in touch with the police, and skip contacting the online site because <b>none of these services are ever going to help you</b>. Don't waste your time engaging with these sites unless you enjoy terrible, Kafka-esque discussions with unhelpful people who will do nothing but send you form letters and/or ignore you. Chasing your bike with your local police instead is the way to go.
</p>
<p>You can always email <b>contact@bikeindex.org</b> if you need some tips for dealing with online sellers who may have your bike.</p>
<p>
Lastly, for those of you who are curious, if you'd like to know what happens to all the stolen bikes in Seattle (and elsewhere)
this is a great read: <a target="_new" href="https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2014/10/1/this-is-what-happens-to-your-bike-after-its-stolen-october-2014">This Is What Happens to Your Bike After It’s Stolen</a>. It's a great overview of the stolen-bike black market in the Seattle area.
</p>
<p>
About Bike Index: I’ve been working on the bike theft problem since the mid-90's - basically trying to connect bike theft victims with people most likely to recover stolen bikes — i.e., shops, other bikers, schools, police departments, etc. I’ve found that by giving everybody access to the data they need, this model works - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">you wouldn’t believe some of our recoveries</a>! The more people know about BikeIndex, though, the better it works. So: I’d hugely appreciate a link, a retweet, or simply you letting a local bike shop know about <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org">bikeindex.org</a>.
</p>
<p>And PS - if you think there's anything I've left out of this list, let me know! Drop me an email at <a href="mailto:bryan@bikeindex.org">bryan@bikeindex.org</a></p>
</p></p></li></ul></p>
2019-06-04T01:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-your-bike-has-been-stolen-in-the-bay-areaWhat to do when your bike has been stolen in the Bay Area2019-06-04T01:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance
<p>
Hello there - <b>I’m sorry your bike was stolen!</b>
Don’t despair though - many great people are working to fight bike theft in the Bay Area, and a whole community here ready to help you try and recover your bike.
</p>
<p><b>Right now, though, there are several things you need to do</b>. I’ll walk you through each one here:</p>
<ol>
<li>File a police report</li>
<li>Register with Bike Index</li>
<li>Spread the word!</li>
<li>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</li>
<li>Watch for your bike being sold online</li>
</ol>
<p>
<b>First: File a police report.</b>
</p>
<p>
Yes, you should file a police report for your stolen bike - especially if your bike was taken in a <b>robbery</b>, a <b>home</b> or <b>business break-in</b>, or a <b>smash-and-grab from a vehicle or a shop</b>. So: call your local police - perhaps start with the non-emergency line if it has been a while since your theft - and follow their instructions. If you happen to have surveillance of your theft, mention that too.
</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152037/bayarea.JPG" /></p>
<p>
You may wind up being told to report your bike theft with the police's <b>online reporting system</b> - which is not great, but still OK.
Most police departments don't have enough officers to deal with bike thefts in person unless they are part of a more serious crime (again, see above) - but report your stolen bike nonetheless, even if it is online only. Doing so will get you a <b>police report number</b> - which you will need in a moment.
<p>
If it's going to be a while before you get your police report number, go ahead and skip ahead to the next step -- i.e., get it listed on <b>Bike Index</b>.
</p>
<b>Next: Register with Bike Index!</b>
<p>
Now you should <b>register your stolen bike with Bike Index</b>, so we can help spread the word!
Listing your stolen bike with the Bike Index is <b>free</b>, <b>fast</b>, and it quickly gets your stolen bike information out to the shops, riders, law enforcement, and other Bike Index partners who look for stolen bikes - even if that bike crosses state lines.
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>already in the Bike Index</b>, all you have to do is log in, click "edit" on that bike, and click "Report stolen."
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>not already in the Bike Index</b>, gather as much of this info before you start:
<ul>
<li><b>the serial number</b> - If you don't have your bike's serial number, check your purchase documentation or call the shop where you bought it</li>
<li><b>a police report number</b> - Hopefully you have this from the step #1</li>
<li><b>photos of your bike</b> - If you don't have any photos, even a stock photo of a similar bike is OK</li>
<li><b>good descriptions</b> - Include descriptions any unique components, stickers, dents or details that help identify your bike</li>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152050/surveil2.JPG" />
<li><b>Gather any video surveillance!</b> - if there's <b>video</b> of your theft, try and get a copy! Post it to Youtube, and include that Youtube link in your listing. Don't forget: your neighbors/nearby businesses may have cameras that caught your theft, even if you don't have any cameras of your own. So ask around.
</ul>
</p>
<p>
Once you have as much of the above as you can get, simply <a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">click here</a>, register, and log in to list your stolen bike(s).
Once they are registered, they'll be auto-tweeted out via our Bay Area stolen bike Twitter feeds (see below) - and the bike's info will be available to all our area partners.
</p>
<b>Spread the word!</b>
<p>Finding stolen bikes is a game of numbers - the more people you have looking out for your bike, the better. So: you're going to have to spread the word! Tell everybody you know about your stolen bike . If you're in an apartment building, post a flier. If someone stole your bike from a business, alert the building management. And of course, you'll want to hit all the popular online methods, because Craigslist isn't the only place thieves sell stolen bikes online anymore. </p>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152307/stolenbikessfo.JPG" />
<p><b>Twitter</b> - We run a number of Bay Area twitter feeds, so if you're on Twitter, definitely tweet your stolen bike and tag one or more of <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">@stolenbikessfo</a> (SF)
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesmarin">@stolenbikesmarin</a> (Marin County)
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesbrk">@stolenbikesbrk</a> (Berkeley)
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesoak">@stolenbikesoak</a> (Oakland) or
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessj">@stolenbikessj</a> (San Jose).
</p>
<p><b>Facebook</b> - Facebook is a good next step. Post your bike, mention all the specifics, link its BikeIndex listing, and maybe get it out to some of the local SF biking FB Groups like '<b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew/">San Francisco Bike Ride Crew</a></b>.' If it's a specialty bike, like a cargo bike, you may look for specialty bike groups like '<b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/sffamilybiking">San Francisco Family Biking</a></b>' which has a lot of cargo bike owners in it.
And '<b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanJoseStolenBicycleGroup/">San Jose Stolen Bicycle Group</a></b>' is an excellent resource for San Jose area victims.
</p>
<p><b>Instagram</b> - Bay Area stolen bikes Instagram is a great resource - so if you're on Instagram, post your bike, mention the make, model, specific city you're in and then tag <b>@bikeindex</b> so we can regram it</p>
<p><b>Reddit</b> - we see stolen bike posts on Reddit all the time, and there's a lot of eyeballs there, too. So - if you're a Redditor, <a href="https://reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco">/r/sanfrancisco</a> and <a href="https://reddit.com/r/bayarea">/r/bayarea</a> may be a good place to start. </p>
<p><b>Nextdoor</b> - even though Nextdoor is a 'closed' system, so to speak, there's still a lot of local eyeballs there. So it's worth posting your stolen bike's BikeIndex listing to Nextdoor. </p>
<p>SF area bike anti-theft ninja <a href="https://twitter.com/plattyjo">@plattyjo</a> also runs a <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/stolen-bicycles-bay-area">Google Group</a> for Bay Area stolen bikes, and her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/plattyjo">Facebook</a> is also a nexus of anti-theft folks in the Bay. </p>
<b>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</b>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152051/laney.JPG" />
<p>It doesn't hurt to just cruise around your neighborhood and look for your bike 'in the wild.' A number of SF area theft victims have spotted their bikes being ridden around their same neighborhood days later. <b><a href="http://www.plattyjo.com/survey-stolen-bicycles-sales-at-laney-college/"> Laney and Ashby Flea Markets</a></b> are often places where stolen bikes show up, so consider hunting there, too.
<p>SF has no shortage of local outdoor neighborhood 'chop shops' that are highly visible - and the source of many recoveries. Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a> does a lot of spotting in these areas, so perhaps give them a follow.
</p>
<b>Keep an eye out for it online</b>
<p>A huge, huge amount of stolen bikes are fenced online, but it's not just Craigslist you have to deal with anymore.
Now, there's many outlets you will need to monitor:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Offerup</a> - a chronically terrible service full of stolen bikes. This is the first place you should go to look for your stolen bike - or stolen anything, for that matter.</li>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Letgo</a> - similar to Offerup, same idea</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/">Facebook marketplace</a> - not as popular with thieves yet, but growing</li>
</ul>
<p>
Make it a habit to check for your bike on these sites every day, for many weeks - even months, if you can. We've seen thieves steal bikes and stash them in storage for months to let them 'cool off' before listing them for sale online. So be ready to play the 'long game' if you're serious about hunting down your stolen bike.
</p>
<p>
If you <b>do find your bike for sale on Craigslist, LetGo, or Offerup</b> - get in touch with the police, and skip contacting the online site because <b>none of these services are ever going to help you</b>. Don't waste your time engaging with these sites unless you enjoy Kafka-esque discussions with unhelpful people who will do nothing but send you form letters and/or ignore you. Chasing your bike with your local police instead is the way to go.
</p>
<p>You can always email <b>contact@bikeindex.org</b> if you need some tips for dealing with online sellers who may have your bike.</p>
<p>
Some final notes: I’ve been working on the bike theft problem since the mid-90's - basically trying to interconnect bike theft victims with people most likely to recover stolen bikes — i.e., shops, other bikers, schools, police departments, etc. I’ve found that by giving everybody access to the data they need, this model works - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">you wouldn’t believe some of our recoveries</a>! The more people know about BikeIndex, though, the better it works. So: I’d hugely appreciate a link, a retweet, or simply you letting a local bike shop know about <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org">bikeindex.org</a>.
</p>
<p>And PS - if you think there's anything I've left out of this list, let me know! Drop me an email at <a href="mailto:bryan@bikeindex.org">bryan@bikeindex.org</a></p>
</p></p></li></ul></p></p>
2019-06-03T17:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/what-to-do-when-your-bike-is-stolen-in-portland-oregonWhat to do when your bike is stolen in Portland Oregon ...2019-06-03T17:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance
<p>
Hello there fellow Portlander - <b>I’m sorry your bike was stolen!</b>
Don’t despair though - many great people here are working to fight bike thefts in Portland - it's the home of one of the Bike Index founders after all - so you already have a head start on recovering your bike.
</p>
<p><b>Right now, though, there are several things you need to do</b>. I’ll walk you through each one here:</p>
<ol>
<li>File a police report</li>
<li>Register with Bike Index</li>
<li>Spread the word!</li>
<li>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</li>
<li>Watch for your bike being sold online</li>
</ol>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159598/005_lock.jpg" /></p>
<p>
<b>First: File a police report.</b>
</p>
<p>
Yes, you should file a police report for your stolen bike - especially if your bike was taken in a <b>robbery</b>, a <b>home</b> or <b>business break-in</b>, or a <b>smash-and-grab from a vehicle or a shop</b>. So: call PPB - perhaps start with the non-emergency line if it has been a while since your theft - and follow their instructions. If you happen to have <b>video surveillance</b> of your theft, mention that too - and remember this because it'll come in handy later.
</p>
<p>
You'll probably wind up being told to report your bike theft with PPB's <b><a target="_new2" href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/cor/">online reporting system</a></b> - which is not great, but still OK.
Most police departments don't have enough officers to deal with bike thefts in person unless they are part of a more serious crime (again, see above) - but report your stolen bike nonetheless, even if it is online only. Doing so will get you a <b>police report number</b> - which you will need in a moment.
</p>
<p>Meanwhile, go ahead and skip to the next step – i.e., get it listed on <b>Bike Index</b>.
</p></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159604/009_recovery.jpg" /></p>
<p><b>Next: Register with Bike Index!</b></p>
<p>
Now you should <b>register your stolen bike with Bike Index</b>, so we can help spread the word!
Listing your stolen bike with the Bike Index is <b>free</b>, <b>fast</b>, and it quickly gets your stolen bike information out to the bike shops, fellow cyclists, law enforcement, and other Bike Index partners who look for stolen bikes - even if that bike crosses state lines.
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>already in the Bike Index</b>, all you have to do is log in, click "edit" on that bike, and click "Report stolen."
</p>
<p>
If your bike is <b>not already in the Bike Index</b>, gather as much of this info before you start:
<ul>
<li><b>the serial number</b> - If you don't have your bike's serial number, check your purchase documentation or call the shop where you bought it</li>
<li><b>a police report number</b> - Hopefully you have this from the step #1</li>
<li><b>photos of your bike</b> - If you don't have any photos, even a stock photo of a similar bike is OK</li>
<li><b>good descriptions</b> - Include descriptions of any unique components, stickers, dents or details that help identify your bike</li>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159605/snips.JPG" />
<li><b>Get any video surveillance you can!</b> - if there is <b>video</b> of your theft, try to get a copy. Post it to Youtube, and include that Youtube link in your listing. Don't forget: your neighbors/nearby businesses may have cameras that caught your theft, even if you don't have any cameras of your own. So ask around. <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Bike Index's Twitter feed</a> for Portland posts a lot of these kinds of videos, so if you can get one, that's great,
</ul>
</p>
<p>
Once you have as much of the above as you can get, simply <a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">click here</a>, register, and log in to list your stolen bike(s).
Once they are registered, they'll be auto-tweeted out via our Portland Twitter feed (see below) - and the bike's info will be available to all our area partners.
</p>
<b>Spread the word!</b>
<p>Finding stolen bikes is a game of numbers - the more people you have looking out for your bike, the better. So: you're going to have to spread the word. Tell everybody you know about your stolen bike . If you're in an apartment building, post a flier. If someone stole your bike from a business, alert the building management. And of course, you'll want to hit all the popular online methods, because Craigslist isn't the only place thieves sell stolen bikes online anymore. </p>
<p><b>Twitter</b> - If you're on Twitter, definitely post your Bike Index link, a photos of your bike, and tag <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">@stolenbikereg</a> and Portland's Bike Theft Task force officers at <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>
</p>
<p><b>Facebook</b> - Facebook is a good next step. Post your bike, mention all the specifics, link its BikeIndex listing, and maybe get it out to some of the local PDX stolen bike groups like '<b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/">PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes</a></b>.' If it's a specialty bike, like a cargo bike, you may look for specialty bike groups like '<b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/PDX.CargoBiking/">PDX Cargo Bike Gang</a></b>'. Be sure to look around for more specific neighborhood groups, too, like "<a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/877754335674557/">Stolen In St. Johns</a>"</p>
<p><b>Instagram</b> - Stolen bikes Instagram is a great resource - so if you're on Instagram, post your bike, mention the make, model, specific city you're in and then tag <b><a href="https://instagram.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a></b> so we can regram it</p>
<p><b>Reddit</b> - we see stolen bike posts on Reddit all the time, and there's a lot of eyeballs there, too. So - if you're a Redditor, <a href="https://reddit.com/r/portland">/r/portland</a> and <a href="https://reddit.com/r/cyclepdx">/r/cyclepdx</a> may be a good place to start. </p>
<p><b>Nextdoor</b> - even though Nextdoor is a 'closed' system, so to speak, there's still a lot of local eyeballs there. So it's worth posting your stolen bike's BikeIndex listing to Nextdoor. </p>
<b>Look for your bike 'in the wild'</b>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159599/006_bike.JPG" />
<p>It doesn't hurt to just cruise around Portland and look for your bike 'in the wild.' Tons of PDX bike theft victims have spotted their bikes in the <a href="https://bikeportland.org/2014/11/04/stole-bike-back-113065">usual places</a>, i.e. one of Portland's many open-air chop shops. There's always a fair amount in the industrial sectors downtown, along the east side of the Esplanade, and many along the Springwater corridor.
</p>
<p>
The locations of these change pretty frequently but hit up the local FB groups and ask around, and you'll get a list of known chop shops pretty quick. We've also seen thieves 'stash' bikes in public bike racks (so they can leave them there, locked, to sell later) so be sure to check out the bike racks you see while you're out and about.
</p>
<b>Keep an eye out for it online</b>
<p>A <b>huge, huge</b> amount of stolen bikes are fenced online - but it's not just Craigslist you have to deal with anymore.
Now, there's many different sites you will need to watch:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Offerup</a> - a chronically terrible service full of stolen bikes. This is the first place you should go to look for your stolen bike - <b>or stolen anything</b> - for that matter.</li>
<li><a href="http://offerup.com">Letgo</a> - another app that is similar to Offerup - same idea</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/">Facebook marketplace</a> - not as popular with thieves yet, but growing</li>
</ul>
<p>
Make it a habit to check for your bike on these sites every day, for many weeks - even months, if you can. We've seen thieves steal bikes and stash them in storage for months to let them 'cool off' before listing them for sale online. So be ready to play the 'long game' if you're serious about hunting down your stolen bike.
</p>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/159595/004_thieves.JPG" />
<p>
If you <b>do find your bike for sale on Craigslist, LetGo, or Offerup</b> - get in touch with the police, and skip contacting the online site because <b>none of these services are ever going to help you</b>. Don't waste your time engaging with these sites unless you enjoy terrible, Kafka-esque discussions with unhelpful people who will do nothing but send you form letters and/or ignore you. Chasing your bike with your local police instead is the way to go.
</p>
<p>You can always email <b>contact@bikeindex.org</b> if you need some tips for dealing with online sellers who may have your bike.</p>
<p>
Some final notes: I’ve been working on the bike theft problem since the mid-90's - basically trying to connect bike theft victims with people most likely to recover stolen bikes — i.e., shops, other bikers, schools, police departments, etc. I’ve found that by giving everybody access to the data they need, this model works - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">you wouldn’t believe some of our recoveries</a>! The more people know about BikeIndex, though, the better it works. So: I’d hugely appreciate a link, a retweet, or simply you letting a local bike shop know about <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org">bikeindex.org</a>.
</p>
</p></li></ul></p>
2019-05-17T10:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/help-your-community-recover-bikes-with-a-local-stolen-bikes-facebook-pHelp your community recover bikes with a local stolen bikes facebook page2019-05-17T10:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Bike Index is built on the idea that community is the best tool a theft victim has for getting their stolen bike back. We leverage the free tools social media provides us to connect with others and communicate about stolen bikes. There are a number of ways you can do the same to diminish bike theft in your own community.</p>
<p>One of the best ways is to create a stolen bikes Facebook group.</p>
<p>We talked with Stolen Bike Facebook superstars Alexander Fleming of <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/stolenbikesnola/">Stolen Bikes NOLA</a>, Brent Thorvaldson of <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576708895843716/">Stolen Bikes Edmonton</a> (Canada!), and Kuan Teoh of <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwinCitiesStolenBikes/">Twin Cities Stolen Bikes</a> about how they’ve managed to build wildly successful communities that use Facebook to recover thousands of stolen bicycles for their rightful owners.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/157971/recovered_bike_email.png" alt="recovery post" style="max-width: 75%; margin: 20px auto;" /></p>
<p>Here are their tips:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Cut the crap.</strong><p><i>"First you have to keep the group on target. You have to delete distractions like arguments,"</i> says Fleming. Keep the focus on recovering stolen bicycles. Ban users who become threatening or violent, and shut down political discussions. The point of the page should be to work together as a community, not to argue. Additionally, don't allow people to buy and sell bikes on your site, as it glums up the page and distracts from its purpose.</p></li>
<li><strong>Look at the bike, not the person.</strong><p><i>"Thieves come in all types,"</i> says Stolen Bikes NOLA admin, Heidi. Profiling doesn't help anyone. If a user posts a picture of a potentially stolen bike with its potential thief, keep the attention on the bike. <i>"Profiling the person rarely works because the bicycle may or may not be there with the person,"</i> says Teoh. <i>"We do not target people, we target bicycles, the primary reason being safety, then second being that it never works."</i></p></li>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/SpinMedina/photos/pcb.2357402237611867/2357444334274324/?type=3&theater"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/157400/54521106_2357444340940990_8837122557023879168_n.jpg" alt="spooky thieves" /></a></p>
<li><strong>Recruit a lot of admins.</strong><p>If your Facebook page is successful, it's going to attract a lot of attention. The more trusted admins you have to approve posts, respond to messages, and monitor for abuse, the better your site will operate. More people will use your platform to connect with others about stolen bicycles, and your reputation will grow in a positive way.</p></li>
<li><strong>Educate members of the group.</strong><p><i>"For a search to be effective, you need to provide enough information so that your bicycle shows up. Be specific about the make, model, color, and modifications/enhancements you've made beyond what is standard. If you have special pedals, list the type of pedal, if you switched out the saddle for your favorite, list the type of saddle. You can even go so far as to list the scratches and "beausage" you've put on the bicycle,"</i> says Teoh. Make sure your members know that the more info they share about the bike, the more likely it is that someone will be able to spot it. Likewise, Fleming encourages users in his group to post pictures of bikes they see in the world, even if they're not 100 percent positive its the right bike. Any information helps.</p></li>
<li><strong>Recruit law enforcement.</strong><p>All three groups strongly urge their Facebook group members to file a police report as part of the process of finding their stolen bike. Your group can go one step further: <i>"Develop a good working relationship with at least a few police liaisons,"</i> says Heidi. <i>"Our relationship with local law enforcement is a huge asset to our group as well,"</i> says Thorvaldson. <i>"They help to remove the risk to the owners and in return we give the the seller, owner, ad, Bike index registry and any other details we have on the seller. This takes the time consuming part out of it for the officers."</i> Plus, if users add their police report to Bike Index, then we'll alert pawnshops in the area to hold a stolen bike if someone comes in and tries to sell it.</p></li>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/157969/Untitled.png" alt="Dys u2luyaajrjf" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/586936085537669121/VSTkCf3e_400x400.png" alt="V8ok9avh normal" /><span class="tweetor-name">PPB BTTF</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@PPBBikeTheft</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Another recovered bicycle returned to the owner. As of today, BTTF has recovered almost $90,000 worth of stolen bicycles for 2019 so far. Please register your bike so we can return it if it is ever stolen!</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/1119027139502755841" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<li><strong>Encourage users to register their bikes in Bike Index.</strong><p>In addition to keeping an eye out locally, encourage your users to register their bikes in Bike Index's national database. The more people keeping eyes out, the better. Stolen Bikes NOLA <a target="none" href="http://stolenbikesnola.com/">also has a website</a>. When you register your bike there, they will put out a blast on their social pages, much like what Bike Index does with our regional twitter accounts.</p></li>
<li><strong>Screen members.</strong><p>Somewhat related to point #1 is making sure your members are using your page for the right reasons. Stolen Bikes Edmonton and Stolen Bikes NOLA keep their pages private, but Stolen Bikes NOLA has a <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/sbnola/"> public facebook page</a> as well. Twin Cities Stolen Bikes remains public. <i>"We need to keep the page public just in case something gets spotted. This also means the group is visible to bad actors and we occasionally get requests from bike thieves to join our group,"</i> says Teoh. Quality of members is more important than quantity, says Thorvaldson. <i>"We have roughly 1200 members and have declined pretty close to that many if not more in the 3 years we have been at this."</i></p></li>
<li><strong>Member buy-in is everything.</strong><p><i>"Member participation is a huge part of finding and returning bikes. If we’re not actively looking each day bikes change hands right under our noses,"</i> says Thorvaldson. He encourages users to search the local Kijiji, Letgo, and Facebook Market Place for suspect ads and bikes they're looking for. Teoh does the same with Offerup and Craigslist. <i>"If you happen to see a bicycle on any of these sites that is "priced to move" so to speak, check it against the list of posted stolen bicycles in the group,"</i> Teoh says to his group's users.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Over the years we’ve seen countless examples of selfless benevolence when it comes to recovering stolen bikes. We’ve seen people buy a bike, learn it was stolen, and then just give it back to the real owner. We have a whole cohort of people who recover bikes just because they like to recover stolen bikes. And we see people volunteer their time to create and monitor pages that help prevent theft and get stolen bikes back, just because they hate bike theft and want to help others.</p>
<p>SB NOLA alone has recovered 1125 bikes since 2015. Your Stolen Bikes Facebook group can do amazing things for your community as well. Look out for each other and encourage bicycle registration - join or start a group in your area right now!</p>
2019-04-16T12:25:57-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2019-recoveriesBike Index's February 2019 Recoveries!2019-04-16T12:25:57-05:00Bryan Hance
<p>
February, thankfully, was pretty chill on the recoveries front. I'm OK with this since we have a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news">bunch of non-recovery</a> work happening right now before Spring hits and everything goes absolutely crazy. In this edition, we have ...
<ul>
<li>Great scores by the usual folks: Edmonton Police Services & Stolen Bikes Edmonton, Portland PD, Stolen Bike NOLA</li>
<li>A new appearance by Calgary Police, and some notable assists by local PDX bike shops and their employees</li>
<li>"<i>The guy that was arrested has prior felony charges so he is likely going to prison ...</i>"</li>
<li>Scoreboard: Offerup:2 / LetGo:1 / Craigslist:1 / Facebook: 1/ Ebay:1</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p>
Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use your help!
</p>
<p>
We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.
</p>
<p>
Now - onto the recoveries!
</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152029/001.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Many thanks to <b>Edmonton Police Service</b> for recovering my bike within 36 hours of it being stolen.
Individual facing many charges, well known to police. Glad to have it back! Great job EPS!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Fat boy Expert - recovered: February 2, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152027/00015.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A Stolen Bikes NOLA recovery ... " (Editor's note: Stolen Bike Nola is already on a crazy recovery binge, pulling multiple bikes back per day.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Retrospec - recovered: February 2, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152008/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi I believe I purchased your bike today via a Craigslist deal ..." (No other details, but a good time to re-link our guide "<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-not-to-buy-a-stolen-bike-online">How NOT to Buy A Stolen Bike Online</a>..." )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Surly Straggler - recovered: February 2, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152011/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I owe it all to Bike Index! While it was unclear where the person saw it first, a person
connected my bike from Bike Index with a bike (mine) for sale on the Bellingham/Whatcom County, WA
Facebook classifieds. It was really weird when I looked at the posting because the guy had pictures of him and his baby daughter, etc. Clearly, it was my bike, which is a pretty rare animal around here (and has a bunch of custom upgrades). While I considered
going it on my own, I've heard a variety of stories on that, so I referred it to the professionals
at the Bellingham PD, where I first reported the bike stolen. They were super prompt with follow
up, and after they handled some more serious burglary matters in town, they set up a "sting" with
an undercover officer to go "buy" my bike. When they arrived, the confirmed the serial number
"Lorenzo", and then asked the seller where he got it. He "said" he traded an 2005 VW Golf for
my bike. I later asked if they got the VIN for the car, and they said the story all seemed to
check out. They are still looking for the thief. There were some odd parts tacked on to the bike,
including some super cheap front and rear LED lights, and red plastic "dice" screwed on to the
presta valves. The rear shock appears shot, but I need to try just putting some air in. Other
than that, it was in decent shape. Given some of the high end upgrade parts on the bike, I'm
surprised it wasn't stripped apart and sold off for parts. <b>I certainly learned a lesson about
leaving my bike locked on the back of my car overnight - CAN'T DO IT!</b> I had done that at this
particular location several times over the past 5 plus years and never had a problem, but
unfortunately Bellingham is changing, and not entirely for the better. So busy, with a ton
more riders and people in general, and thieves sense that opportunity. Thanks again Bike Index!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Maverick ML7/5- recovered: February 6, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152023/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - I used a BIN to purchase this bike off <b>eBay</b> and now I am seeing your
post on Bike Index. The seller location is listed as 12 min from Torrance. Seems
like a wicked coincidence ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized S-Works Ruby - recovered: February 7, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152010/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A <b>Calgary</b> peace officer saw this post, then during his duty saw some one on the bike,
spread the word and literally with in a day of him commenting on the post the bike was found! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Xcalibre - recovered: February 7, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152021/00016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thank you!!! Isaac is an angel and so is Rich at <a target="_new" href="http://kentoncyclepdx.com/">Kenton Cycle Repair</a>!
Rich told me about the Bike Index and I'm so impressed with your organization!
I've attached what is left of my once beautiful bike - and a pic of the dude Isaac found sleeping on it by Dante's ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Townie - recovered: February 7, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152017/00017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" I was contacted by a bike shop -- someone brought (my stolen bike) in for repairs..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Felt Verza E30- recovered: February 8, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152020/00018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The Police arrested an individual who was in possession of my bike ..." (no other details provided)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 REI City 1.2 - recovered: February 10, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152024/99.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found your bike in the alley next to my house on ... please call me ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Crux Elite X1 - recovered: February 10, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152026/0098.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A Portland Police Bureau recovery - "Police have found this bike and is in their holding facility... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2018 Sunday Street Sweeper - recovered: February 11, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152007/0097.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hey. This is Alex from Stolen bikes Nola. I have your bike!! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Trek 4300 - recovered: February 13, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152006/0090.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I monitored Craigslist, OfferUp and LetGo sites in the Phoenix area.
My bike showed up for sale on <b>OfferUp</b> about <a target="_new" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/625958474/">3 weeks</a> after it was stolen.
My husband posed as an interested buyer and arranged a meeting place with the seller while I
arranged what is called a civil standby with the Mesa PD. As soon as my husband positively
identified the bike as mine (we were already positive from looking that sale photos posted)
the police who met us came in and were able to arrest the suspect.
The guy that was arrested actually has prior felony charges so he is likely going to prison ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Cervelo P3 - recovered: February 14, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152025/0089.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"This bike was recovered from a pawn shop recovery in Spokane, WA ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2016 Norco Bikes Fluid 7.2 FS - recovered: February 14, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152015/0088.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found in abandoned storage unit and then the manager contacted me ..." (Editor's note: we're seeing more and more of this,
i.e. thieves stashing bikes in storage units - and then abandoning them later, and they wind up in the salvage/flipper/resale market.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2017 BULLS Bikes Cross Lite E Step Thru - recovered: February 17, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152014/0086.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Some dude bought it on <b>OfferUp</b>, they checked Bike Index and saw it was stolen. They contacted me almost immediately ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Specialized Diverge E5 - recovered: February 22, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152009/0070.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Bike was returned by pastor of Methodist church where it was left behind by someone who was camping in the vicinity. The pastor saw bike on Bike Index and contacted me..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Diamondback Haanjo 3 - recovered: February 22, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152028/00020.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<a target="_new" href="https://letgo.onelink.me/O2PG/696109b7">I saw this bike on Letgo</a> and
looked on Bike Index first thing. From what I can tell this looks like your bike..."
Later on: "Hey Bryan and Bike Index team: I wanted to let you know that I recovered my beautiful
Bianchi Infinito today thanks to your notification!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Bianchi Infinito - recovered: February 22, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152022/comotion.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hi, I bought this frame and matching fork off of a homeless guy today.
I figured there was no way it wasn't stolen... It's completely stripped of
all it's parts though. Let me know how to get to back to you. Cheers!"
Later: "Thank you! I had given up on ever seeing my bike again... (as it was stolen two years ago)"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Co-Motion Nor'wester - recovered: February 24, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152012/00021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone witnessed my bike being carried around with what looked like other stolen bikes and parts.
They managed to take the bike and found my number via my Bike Index listing..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2018 Trek Marlin 5 - recovered: February 24, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152018/00022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The person who bought it returned it after seeing it on Bike Index ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2017 Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 - recovered: February 25, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152030/triple.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Via a Portland Police officer: "I found your bike (frame and fork only unfortunately). Give me a call regarding returning it to you ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2014 Trek 1.2 (Compact or Triple) - recovered: February 25, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/152019/cruiser.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, I think that I found your bike. Please text me ... " (no other details were provided)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Trek Cruiser Classic - recovered: February 26, 2019</div>
</article>
<p>
And that's it for February!
</p>
<p>
In case you missed our other stories - Bike Index has a <b>ton</b> of other stuff in the works - we've just signed up
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/welcome-to-our-big10-new-partner---the-pennsylvania-state-university" target="_new1">Pennsylvania State University</a>, our friends in <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/san-jose-registers-local-school-bikes-using-bike-index-mobile-registra" target="_new2">San Jose are doing registration drives</a>, we have a new <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/craig-dalton-new-bike-index-executive-director" target="_new3">Executive Director who is busy spreading the Bike Index far and wide</a>, and we just <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-ascend-retail-to-offer-pos-registration-to-th" target="_new4">integrated with a new Point of Sale System</a>. So far, 2019 is certainly keeping us on our toes ...
</p>
<p>
Don't forget: <b><a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">Please register your bikes if you haven't done so already</a></b>! As someone who has to sort through countless stolen bike reports here at the Bike Index, I can't tell you how many people simply don't have their bikes registered <b>despite the fact that they see all these crazy stolen bike
reports here and in our Twitter feeds</b>. So <b>Don't be That Guy!</b> <a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">Click here and register your bikes today</a>.
</p>
2019-04-05T18:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/san-jose-registers-local-school-bikes-using-bike-index-mobile-registraSan Jose registers local school bikes using Bike Index mobile registration tools2019-04-05T18:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Want to register a collection of bicycles? Hosting a registration event is as easy as setting up a tent (or just a cargo bike!) and using a smartphone to get bikes registered in Bike Index.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151203/reg_hance.jpg" alt="reg drive" /></p>
<p>Our friends in San Jose, CA hosted registration drives last week at their local grade schools to get students and community members registered in Bike Index.</p>
<p>“When police recover stolen property, bicycles are often among the items they find - but they have no way to know if it was stolen, and no way to return bikes back to their owners,” said David Witkowski, who heads up Civic Technology Programs at <a target="none" href="https://jointventure.org/">Joint Venture Silicon Valley</a> and who coordinated a bike registration event for Willow Glen Middle School in San Jose. “We see Bike Index as a way to help reunite bicycles with owners, and to help police build felony cases against habitual bike thieves and the chop shops they work with.”</p>
<p>Witkowski and a few other parents and teachers in the San Jose grade school communities hosted Bike Index registration drives to register almost 200 bikes in Bike Index.</p>
<p>“Bike thefts have become an increasing problem in our community and more specifically, on our school campuses,” said Cheryl Lawton, Principal at Branham High School in San Jose. “We are hoping that through our students’ and community members’ registration with Bike Index, we can slow down, and ultimately prevent, the large number of thefts.”</p>
<p>To hold your own registration drive, all you need are volunteers and a few smartphones. This works on Android or iOS phones, so it doesn’t matter what kind of phone you have - and there’s no app to install. All you do is open a URL, enter some bike info, take a photo - and that’s it. With a few volunteers and a little planning, you can quickly register <strong>many</strong> bikes - it is not uncommon for well-organized groups to register 300-400 bikes per event.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151031/Picture2.png" alt="reg drive photo 2" /></p>
<p> </p>
<h3>Physical setup:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Set up a tent or a booth - perhaps with some of your own branding or a backdrop</li>
<li>Get “teams” of 2 volunteers paired up</li>
<ul>
<li>One volunteer does the customer interaction, “bike flipping”, serial number reading, and all the “manual work”</li>
<li>The other volunteer uses the phone to do data entry</li>
<li>Get a dry-erase board and markers you can use to write the serial down for the person’s “bike photo”</li>
</ul></ol>
<blockquote>"Thefts are calculated and planned. Pairs of thieves, dressed like students, come onto campus on foot or on skateboards... and ride off on the bikes. In many cases, it's even in broad daylight when other people are around."</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Cheryl Lawton, Principal, Branham High School</div>
<p> </p>
<h3>Technical setup:</h3>
<p>If your organization is already set up in Bike Index, you’ll have a designated “mobile registration URL” you can see in your Bike Index organizational login. If you don’t have an organization set up - maybe you’re just one person doing a quick one off event - you can just use ours, which is <i><b>https://bikeindex.org/organizations/bikeindex/embed_extended</b></i></p>
<p>Before your event happens, email this URL out to your volunteers. It also helps to bookmark this URL on your phones.</p>
<p>To create your organization’s mobile URL, follow the formula: <i>https://bikeindex.org/organizations/SHORTNAME/embed_extended</i> - You can find your organization’s SHORTNAME in your Bike Index organization’s admin panel.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/413717/Screen_Shot_2021-03-29_at_5.10.27_PM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p> </p>
<h3>The registration process:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Have your volunteers open your registration URL on their phone’s browser</li>
<li>When a bike rider comes to get registered:</li>
<ol><li>One person flips the bike upside down and locates the serial number</li>
<li>That same person writes this number down on the whiteboard</li>
<li>The second volunteer takes info from the bike and enters it into the registration page on their phone. It is fastest to only enter the following fields:</li>
<ul><li>Serial number</li>
<li>Manufacturer</li>
<li>Model year (most people just check “Unknown year”)</li>
<li>Frame model</li>
<li>Frame color</li>
<li>Owner’s email address - (it helps to confirm this with the owner, often just by reading it back to them)</li></ul></ol>
<li>Lastly, to add a photo of the bike, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click “Choose photo” Doing so lets you take a photo of the owner with their bike - possibly while holding up the whiteboard with their serial on it as shown previously.</li>
</ol>
<p>Once that is all done, press the large green “Register this” button. This may take a few moments to upload, but when you see the green “Success” message, it means you’ve registered that bike.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="row side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-md-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151035/Picture4.png" alt="reg form 1" /></div>
<div class="col-md-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151034/Picture5.png" alt="reg form 2" /></div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p>What this does is:</p>
<ol>
<li>Enters this bike into the Bike Index, under your organization</li>
<li>Emails the owner & welcomes them to Bike Index, and encourages them to register more bikes, upload photos, etc.</li>
</ol>
<p>Once that is done, you can simply click the ‘X’ on the green ‘success’ message and move onto registering the next bike. Here’s a sample of a signup email your registrants will receive:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151033/Picture3.png" alt="sample email" /></p>
<p> </p>
<h3>Some caveats to this process:</h3>
<p><strong>Slow phone/low mobile signal = slow uploads:</strong> If you are in an area where the mobile network isn’t super fast, or you don’t get much signal, this will slow down your process significantly. If this is the case, we’ll often just skip the photo (since the photos take the longest to upload) and ask that the owners add their own photos later.</p>
<p><strong>No serial, or serial obscured:</strong> Some bikes simply don’t have a serial number or something like paint or a cable guard obscures their serial. In this case, we do two things:</p>
<div class="row side-by-side-blocks">
<div class="col-md-6"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/151204/serialselfie.PNG" alt="serial selfie" /></div>
<div class="col-md-6"><p style="font-size: 133%; font-weight: bold;"><em><ol><li>Just take a really good photo of the bike</li><li>Encourage the owners to go home and see if they can locate a serial - perhaps in their bike’s manual or purchase documentation</li></ol></em></p></div>
</div>
<p><strong>Too many people!</strong> Many registration events will get swamped during high-traffic times. When this happens, we’ll either transition to just handing out Bike Index registration cards or verbally letting people know “You don’t have to wait in line - you can go home and do this on your own by going to BikeIndex.org.”</p>
<p>You can also just download and print this QR code which anyone can scan and access a generic Bike Index registration form:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/489552/Bike_Index_reg_form.png" alt="BI QR code" /></p>
<p><strong>The last entered email address always stays in the form:</strong> By design, the last email address you entered stays loaded into the form. We did this with the assumption that some owners will be registering multiple bikes, so leaving that email pre-loaded in the form saves some time. This always generates some confusion, though, so we may be removing this in the future. For the time being, you’ll have to clear that “leftover” email address out manually with each new bike’s entry.</p>
<p>And that’s it! Honestly, it’s pretty easy, and it’s a great way to spend a sunny day registering and protecting bikes in your community. As always, this is a <b>free</b> service, and we’re always just an email away if you need any help with the process.</p>
<p>For questions, comments, or more information, email <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org">gavin@bikeindex.org</a></p>
2019-03-25T19:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/welcome-to-our-big10-new-partner---the-pennsylvania-state-universityWelcome to our Big (10) new partner - the Pennsylvania State University!2019-03-25T19:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Bike Index is over the moon to announce our newest university partner: the Pennsylvania State University. Our new partnership with this Big10 school heralds a number of improvements in Bike Index offerings for universities, based on constructive feedback and requests from the Penn State Transportation Department throughout the build process.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149827/images.jpeg" alt="transportation logo" /></p>
<p>“We’re excited to partner with Bike Index to provide Centre Region cyclists with a more intuitive and effective bike registration and recovery service,” said Cecily Zhu, the Alternative Transportation Program Coordinator at Penn State.</p>
<p>Penn State University made <a target="none" href="https://news.psu.edu/story/562257/2019/03/11/campus-life/new-bicycle-registration-site-now-available">the campus announcement</a> last week that their new <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/psu">PSU registration</a> is live. Penn State has made this service available for anyone in the entire Pennsylvania Centre Region. Users can register their bikes from the PSU portal, and Bike Index provides the tools for Penn State to link stickers to registrations and easily mail those stickers out to residences.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149830/Screen_Shot_2019-03-22_at_6.14.17_PM.png" alt="psu landing page" /></p>
<p>The stickers and the custom Bike Index-built backend allows officials at Penn State and throughout the Centre Region to communicate directly through Bike Index when they find a bike somewhere it shouldn’t be, for instance, in a bush or locked to a tree (yes, I did this in college).</p>
<p>Each municipality within the region can use Bike Index to communicate with cyclists and handle bikes as needed, as fits within their municipal policies. At Penn State for example, instead of tagging a bike with a piece of paper, officials can message the bike owner to give them a chance to retrieve their bike. This service will cut back on abandoned bikes and create an online record of abandonment locations.</p>
<blockquote>We’re excited to partner with Bike Index to provide Centre Region cyclists with a more intuitive and effective bike registration and recovery service</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Cecily Zhu, Penn State Alternative Transportation Program Coordinator</div>
<p>Because Penn State registers all of the bikes not only on their campus but also in the surrounding Centre Region, they needed a streamlined tool for registration and for making sure they stay in the right hands. Bike Index has built the tools to get stickers to bike users quickly. Penn State admins can link stickers to bikes and then create mailing labels so they can distribute stickers to addresses in users’ registrations.</p>
<p>Penn State joins a growing network of Bike Index university partnerships, and Bike Index continues to innovate solutions for campuses that need custom solutions for bike registration. If you’re a university looking to improve your registration system, <a href="mailto:gavin@Bikeindex.org">get in touch with us today</a>. No more waiting for students to come in to register their bike or pick up a decal.</p>
<p><strong>Relevant articles:</strong></p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/5-ways-to-manage-bikes-on-your-campus">5 ways to manage bikes on your campus</a></p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-unveils-new-qr-stickers-and-partnership-with-the-city-of-pa">Bike Index unveils new QR stickers</a></p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/universities-should-use-bike-index-as-their-registration-system-of-cho">Universities should use Bike Index as their registration system of choice</a></p>
<p class="text-center"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/for_schools" class="btn btn-lg btn-success">Join our University Program</a></p>
2019-03-21T14:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/thank-your-professional-mechanics-for-being-a-line-of-defense-againstProfessional bicycle mechanics are the front line against stolen bicycles2019-03-21T14:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>If you ride a bike, you know that your local bike shop (LBS) is indispensable. Not only do they sell you the bike, make sure you have everything you need to ride comfortably, and keep your bike in good working order, but they also register your bike for you on Bike Index. And because they have spent all this time working on your bike and interacting with you, they know which bike is yours, and they know that when someone else brings it in for a flat fix, there’s cause for alarm.</p>
<p>Professional bicycle mechanics are invaluable in many ways. Organizations like the <a target="none" href="https://www.probma.org/">Professional Bicycle Mechanic’s Association</a> create certifications for mechanics to become recognized professionals and make sure there are plenty of skilled mechanics out there to provide all the resources and upkeep you undoubtedly need for your bike. And in a time where many people are turning to online platforms for buying bikes and parts, customers still need to find a mechanic with a good rapport to build and service their ride. You can’t source a professional mechanic’s skills, knowledge, and diagnostic ability online.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.probma.org/uploads/2/9/2/4/29246375/pbma-h-fc_orig.png" /></p>
<p>PBMA highlights the need for and importance of the well-trained and experienced bike mechanic. That mechanic is going to be the one who goes the extra step for their customer - you - to register your bikes on Bike Index. The experienced mechanic will contact you when they see your bike with someone it shouldn’t be, and they’ll even confiscate your bike from a bike thief and make sure it gets back to you.</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Tw/4/C6lubyJVAAESZrZ.jpg" alt="Dys u2luyaajrjf" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-right tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/Rodeo_Labs" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/586936085537669121/VSTkCf3e_400x400.png" alt="V8ok9avh normal" /><span class="tweetor-name">PPB BTTF</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@PPBBikeTheft</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Mike <a href="https://twitter.com/https://twitter.com/cyclepdxtours">@cyclepdxtours</a> utilizes <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex">@BikeIndex</a> to recover a bike brought in for maintenance! We love to see this collaboration. Nice work Mike! </div><a class="body-link" href="twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/840324239425073152" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p>Professional bicycle mechanics are the front line against stolen bicycles. Recurring interactions with loyal customers helps trained mechanics at local bike shops remember specific bikes, especially when said loyal customers purchase the bikes at the shop and go there for tune-ups, new parts, and other service. Mechanics know their customers and know their bikes. If someone sketchy brings in the bike your mechanic has worked on for three years, there’s a good chance your mechanic will hold on to that bike and make sure that you - their customer - gets the bike back.</p>
<p>(Your mechanic will also probably know when you call in for the 12th time pretending to be Gus Tomer because you want them to fix your bike before the other bikes in the queue…)</p>
<p>So when you take your bike to your local LBS, remember what your mechanics do for you. Not only do they keep your bike running in tip-top shape and help you find the gear and the parts that you need, but they will also look out for you when you’re not in the store. Maintain your Bike Index registrations and make sure to bring your professional mechanic a beer.</p>
<p>And if you’re a shop that doesn’t yet register bikes for your customers, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-ascend-retail-to-offer-pos-registration-to-th">learn how to do so</a>, or read some of our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/driving-service-revenues-with-bicycle-registration">other articles</a> about how we can help your bike shop.</p>
2019-03-21T14:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/why-register-your-bikes-on-bike-indexWhy register your bikes on Bike Index?2019-03-21T14:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Have you considered registering your bike but don’t know where or how to register? Are you bogged down by the number of registries, many of which cost money? Don’t know whether to register with your bike shop, your school, your local police, or a national registry? And THEN, you learn that you’re supposed to register your bike lock too?</p>
<p>Let’s stop right there. Bicycle registration should not be confusing. Nor should you have to go somewhere to do it. And it definitely shouldn’t cost you money.</p>
<p>That’s why we built Bike Index. Bike Index is a free, universal, open-source, <strong>nonprofit</strong> bicycle registry. With over 600 partner organizations, almost a quarter of a million registrations, and over $7 million in stolen bicycle recoveries, we take the guesswork out of registration. You can <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/">register your bike right now</a>, in about two minutes. Your registration is completely free - forever.</p>
<p>Still thinking about it? Here are eight reasons you should register your bike in Bike Index:</p>
<p><strong>1) Bike Index is the most widely-used registration service in the world.</strong></p>
<p>That’s right. While we operate in the U.S., Bike Index is effective anywhere. And Bike Index works better the more people that are using it. Our constantly-growing user base means that if someone steals your bike, hundreds of thousands of users will be looking out for it on our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes">stolen bikes page.</a></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149703/Screen_Shot_2019-03-20_at_8.25.31_PM.png" alt="where is bike index" /></p>
<p><strong>2) Bike Index isn’t just for individuals, it’s for organizations too.</strong></p>
<p>In fact, we probably already have a partner organization in or near where you live. You can check our <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/where">partners page</a> to see all of the organizations across the world using Bike Index. We have the largest network of on-the-ground partner organizations of any bicycle registration service. If you’re an advocacy group, police department, university, city, or bike shop, we have resources to help you register bikes.</p>
<p><strong>3) Bike Index actually recovers bikes.</strong></p>
<p>We have over 5,400 stolen bicycle recoveries to our name. That’s more than any other registration service and over five times higher than the national recovery average.</p>
<p><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/137658/5krecovered.jpg" /></p>
<p><strong>4) Bike Index is bike specific.</strong></p>
<p>We’re not here to register bikes as a sideshow to other types of property registration. Bike Index is a service by cyclists, for cyclists. We’ve all worked at bike shops and commuted by bike. We know what the cyclist wants in a registry, from a record of the serial number to the ability to list all the components and details of your custom build.</p>
<p><strong>5) Bike Index is a nonprofit.</strong></p>
<p>We aren’t here to make money. We’re here to register bikes. All funding goes directly into registering bikes and building features on Bike Index that help organizations register bikes. Our status as a nonprofit also closely aligns with many organizations’ aims for bike registration, especially those of universities and advocacy groups.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149736/Cm-UBfYUEAAhzlx.jpg" alt="bryan registerE" /></p>
<p><strong>6) Bike Index is accurate and up-to-date.</strong></p>
<p>With functionalities for transferring your ownership, adding your bike to specific local organization registries, and changing your information and uploading new photos at any point, you can make sure that if you lose your bike, its information is up-to-date and people will be able to recognize it.</p>
<p><strong>7) Bike Index is free.</strong></p>
<p>Doesn’t matter the number of bikes you have, or how long they remain in Bike Index. Bike Index is free. It’s as simple as that.</p>
<p><strong>8) We are constantly innovating.</strong></p>
<p>Many organizations switch to Bike Index for our custom development options to suit their specific registration needs. In the past two years, we’ve built QR stickers, internal messaging, mapping, better data management tools, and better search features. What can we build for you?</p>
<p>The results are in: we’re registering and recovering more bikes every year. If you’re struggling to decide which registry to add your bike to, look no further than Bike Index.</p>
2019-03-15T08:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/police-departments-can-now-contact-bike-owners-even-when-bikes-are-notBike Index rolls out new features for police accounts2019-03-15T08:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Bike Index is constantly trying to make bike registration and identification easier and more efficient - especially for law enforcement. Thanks to real-time feedback from our partners, we’ve rapidly tailored a couple of new features for police departments with official Bike Index accounts. Most notable is the ability to contact Bike Index users who haven’t marked their bikes as stolen. This is a new feature that lets police message owners who have lost or abandoned their bikes - <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/recovering-bikes-before-they-are-marked-stolen">or who haven’t even realized their bikes have been stolen yet</a>.</p>
<p>If someone loses or abandons their bike, they typically don’t bother to report their bike as ‘stolen’. That doesn’t negate the need for police departments (and campuses) to remove these bikes though, since they clog up infrastructure - and eat up time. In other recent instances, police have encountered bikes before their owners know they have been stolen - and police need to rapidly ID an owner while ‘in the field’.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/149072/vbny_3ki7m.png" alt="edmonton recovery" /></p>
<p>In this example, officers stopped a vehicle with suspect bikes inside - including one whose owner didn’t even realize it was stolen yet. In Alberta the Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group has been on a recovery streak thanks to their hard work promoting registration and working with local police. In this case, Stolen Bikes Edmonton and Bike Index were rapidly able to connect this bike with its legitimate owner. The more bikes we register, the more of these kinds of situations will turn up, so we’ve turned this feature into something the police can use on their own.</p>
<p>Participating police departments can use this feature to get in touch with users who have not opened their Bike Index profile for communication. Police - trusted Bike Index users - will be able to reduce the amount of bikes they need to keep in storage and will decrease the amount of time spent trying to find the owners of the bicycles.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148818/Screen_Shot_2019-03-08_at_3.00.09_PM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<small>Users can open their accounts to this feature.</small></p>
<p>Through hundreds of law enforcement and recovery relationships, we’ve optimized a platform for communication and the speedy distribution of crucial bike and owner information. This started - and continues with - our integration with LeadsOnline and our live tweets of stolen bikes. But to add to this new communication feature, Bike Index has also fleshed out the <strong><em>bulk-search</em></strong> for police departments. This allows those same authorized police account owners to run bulk serial number searches.</p>
<p>In other words: Instead of checking each serial number one at a time, police departments can do this in one fell swoop to learn if they have bikes they need to return to owners or donate. Simply copy and paste serials that need checking - no cap on number - and Bike Index will return the results on matching bikes. This is a huge time-saver - especially for anyone sorting through a warehouse full of bikes.</p>
<p>What’s the catch to all of this? <strong>There is none</strong>. We are the only bike registration platform focused on recovery, the tool most-needed by police departments who are looking to return stolen bikes to their rightful owners. Bike Index is dedicated to offering low-cost services to law enforcement officers to decrease theft and increase recovery. If you are a law enforcement officer looking to upgrade your bike registration service, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/organizations/new">create a free organization account</a> and use these two new features today.</p>
2019-03-11T16:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-january-2019-recoveriesBike Index's January 2019 recoveries!2019-03-11T16:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Welcome to 2019! Let’s start it off on the right foot - with a bunch of bike recoveries.</p>
<p>January kept us on our toes - in this month’s edition, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>'<i>Stolen Bike recovered via newspaper photo of a local murder</i>' is, uh, one that we haven't seen before ... </li>
<li>Local FB partner groups continue to clock serious recovery numbers in 2019 - just count how many <b>Stolen Bikes Edmonton</b> and <b>Stolen Bikes NOLA</b> recoveries there are in here! Keep up the good work!</li>
<li>Speaking of New Orleans - did you know that the <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-newest-municipal-partner-new-orleans">City of New Orleans is now a Bike Index partner?</a></li>
<li>SFPD also had a good turnout in January - we like the '<b>SFPD officer checks Twitter every morning for Bike Index tweets'</b> mention :) Shout out to SFPD Ofc. Sands who made multiple recoveries in January</li>
<li><b>Letgo</b> and <b>Offerup</b> continue to be fertile grounds for stolen bike recovery. Not much of a surprise there... </li>
<li>We saw a rare 'double-double' in Jan 2019, i.e. <b>two</b> instances where we have now recovered <b>two</b> bikes for the same owner</li>
<li>"<i>So many people were involved in getting this bike back to us. There might be some shady people out there, but this made me realize that there are so many more people watching each others' backs ...</i> "</li>
<li>I personally went and verified/recovered a missing Specialized here in Portland ... because it meant I could grab a pint at <a target="_new" href="https://apexbar.com/">Apex</a>, the best bicycle bar in Portland, which was across the street :) </li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help.</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148928/002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A Seattle PD detective emailed us about two bikes he has recovered along with others ("Any owners for these? I identified 2 other bicycles not shown from Bike Index...") - and we quickly realized we had the owner's report on file and we were able to connect the two parties. From the owner:
"My wife and I had these bikes stolen earlier this month on December 12 ... I filed a police report and was in the process of making an insurance claim."
<b>Thank you SPD for taking bike theft seriously - and for using Bike Index!</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2 x Santa Cruz bikes, Jan 2, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148936/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Not sure how much of a hand we had in this one other than general awareness, but
half of Portland (ourselves included) were keeping an eye out for this bike, because the owner was <a target="_new" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/ab2qcq/help_me_find_my_stolen_bike_tracker_info_in_the/">actively tracking</a> the thing thanks to its built in GPS. So, the Reddit and Twitter threads on this were pretty fun to watch. Later, it was recovered with Beaverton Police assistance:
<i>
"Police recovered the bike after I <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/BeavertonPolice/status/1080254813009395712">tracked it</a> on the
(Portland OR) MAX train"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Vanmoof Electrified S - recovered Jan 1, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148932/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A Stolen Bikes Edmonton score: "Here is your bike - <a target="_new" href="https://us.letgo.com/en/i/abccc8da-b948-4f51-8a77-ec66d975fe21?utm_campaign=product-detail-share&utm_medium=native&utm_source=ios_app&af_sub1=cea930f6-dbff-483f-85d3-1caacb7d1f27&pid=af_app_invites&referrer_af_id=1527542124846-5347162&shortlink=8d37e0f6&af_sub2=Peter%20Lin&af_referrer_customer_id=cea930f6-dbff-483f-85d3-1caacb7d1f27&af_channel=native&af_siteid=ios_app&c=product-detail-share">posted on <b>Letgo</b></a>. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Rocky Mountain Bicycles Soul 29- Jan 2, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148935/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was being ridden by the <b>victim of a murder</b> on Christmas morning 8:45 on Clara St in Central City in New Orleans, LA. Police
brought in the bike with the victim. <a href="https://www.nola.com/news/2018/12/man-killed-in-central-city-shooting-christmas-morning.html?utm_campaign=noladotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0K7Ccbgomtr7w_II84YScwE-FLcatEr6z_wY0hZz1Um84uwo5ZkK-i274">A Local paper ran a picture
from the scene</a> and this bike was leaning on a trash can.
NOLA.com posted it online. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/stolenbikesnola/permalink/2231346467139114/">StolenbikesNOLA</a> (FB) users
alerted the group. Crowdsourced bicycle theft recovery for the win!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 GT Bicycles Peace - Jan 3, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148929/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey this is Dean from Stolen Bikes Nola - we recovered your Retrospect ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Retrospec - Jan 5, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148941/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I think your bike is on <b><a target="_new" href="https://letgo.onelink.me/O2PG/f8280ed1">Letgo</a></b> ...
Later, from the owner:
"This posting on <b>Letgo</b> turned out to be my bike! I could tell from some in the small details
(like the lock holder and the film/glue residue on the center bar) in the posting's picture that it
was probably mine. I contacted the seller who agreed to meet me. I called police on my way to
the meeting location. I met with the seller and looked at the bike's serial number which matched
my purchase slip. Officers arrived soon thereafter and released my bike to me when I showed them
that the purchase slip and the serial number on the bike matched."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Raleigh Merit 1 - Jan 6, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148947/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Another Bike Index user saw it for sale! Police Department did a sting operation & got it back!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 WSD - Jan 7, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148934/008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A double recovery! We were in the middle of responding to this email when we realized - wait a minute - didn't we just email this
owner about another bike we recovered for them? And we had!
"Question - is this is the 2nd bike EPS/Stolen Bikes Edmonton has recovered for you, isn't it? I recall there was another before this one, yes?"
Owner's answer: "Yup! The other bike was my fiance's, they were stolen at the same time... "
A <b>double recovery for the same victim</b>! This really shows how well this system works ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Giant Revel 2 - Jan 9, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148939/009.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another case where we've recovered multiple bikes for the same owner(s) - <a href="https://twitter.com/pedalpt">@pedalpt</a> has been a Bike Index supporter and friend from waaaay back, so when they had this Islabikes stolen from them we kept a keen eye out, because we were sure it would pop up. Sure enough - somebody actually spotted a known local sketchball with it, but that trail ran cold, until (weeks later) it popped up on <a target="_new" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/610680289/">Offerup</a>, and then again on Craigslist. After that: '<b>Someone else bought it on Craigslist, took it home, and ID'd it as stolen in Bike Index.</b>'
Later the full story came in from <a href="https://twitter.com/pedalpt">@pedalpt</a>:"Someone bought the bike in downtown Portland and then checked Bike Index and saw that
it was stolen. He got in touch with Bike Index who put him in touch with us. The bike was returned this morning
and we couldn't be happier to have it back!! Thank you Bike Index! <b>So many people were involved in getting
this bike back to us. There might be some shady people out there, but this made me realize that there
are so many more people watching each others' backs.</b> "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Islabikes - Jan 10, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148945/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Dean (with Stolen Bikes Nola) found my Trek 8000 bike today! Thank you Dean!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 TREK 8000 - Jan 14, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148938/011.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it on <b>OfferUp</b> because of someone on Bike Index - (I) paid homeless guy 80 bucks in a public place (for it) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Handsome Cycles Fredward - Jan 14, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148942/012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
When this bike spotting came in, I decided I had to go out and see for myself - not only because it was close by, but because it was, ah, conveniently located across from my most favorite 'bicycle bar' ever, <a target="_new" href="https://apexbar.com/">Apex</a>:
"
... your bike has been locked up by Double Dragon (12th & division) for the last week -
I put my head underneath the bike and tried to memorize most of the serial number..."
(Later, from the owner:) "Someone did my due diligence and found it locked up nearby where I thought I last locked it up."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Ariel - Jan 15, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148943/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Call SFPD Mission Station! You’re bike has been recovered! Ofc. Sands"
Later: "<b>An SFPD officer checks Twitter every morning for Bike Index tweets.</b>
He saw the tweet about my bike and happened to see it on the street in the morning.
<b>Whoo hoo!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Tern GSD - Jan 16, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148937/014.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<a href="https://familycyclery.com/" target="_new">G&O Family Cyclery</a> called me to say there was someone in the shop looking to buy a new battery for
the model that was stolen. The bike itself was cable-locked outside. The guy took-off
when he heard the price of a battery, but I drove over and the bike was still there!
I recovered it with the help of the G&O staff."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Gazelle Arroyo - Jan 20, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148946/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Unrelated Police Search"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Norco Bikes Bigfoot fat tire 6.2 - Jan21, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148944/016.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone contacted me after running the serial number on the Bike Index..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 SCOTT Sub 30 - Jan21, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148925/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" The police found it. And they just called me and returned the bike to me at midnight!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Giant TCX ALUXX 6000 - Jan 22, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148924/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thanks to bikeindex.org, the Stolen Bikes edmonton FB page, and the Edmonton Police!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Norco Bikes Charger 7.3 - Jan 23, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148927/019.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Via PDX PD: "... this is a bike that appears to be in our property room " ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 CO-OP (REI) CTY 2.2 - Jan 26, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148926/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
I just bought your stolen bike for $60 off a dude on the street. Didn’t know it was stolen
though, but I suspected it might be. I have it in my possession ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Critical Cycles Harper - Jan 26, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148933/021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
SFPD, continuing to recover tons of bikes - in this case, multiple bikes for the same owner: "FYI : (this bike) was recovered today with an arrest.
<b>I recovered the reportee's other Detroit Bike</b> last week - only missing his Santa Cruz bike now ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Sole Single Speed - Jan 28, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148930/022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" A homeless person found the bike, took it to a pawn shop to sell and they wouldn't sell it
(thank you!) they looked it up on Bike Index and the homeless person called me ... It needs a little work, but I'm so grateful for Bike Index- (without it) the person
would have never reached me on my cell, and the pawn shop may have accepted it. Thank you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Motobecane Sprint - Jan 28, 2019</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148931/023.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A good Samaritan purchased the bike at a local flea market. Questioning whether it might
be stolen or not, he looked it up and discovered it was. Using the listed information he
got in touch and returned the bike. It's been stripped it's special handle grips and
saddle but it's back. So wonderful!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Xtracycle Edgerunner electric - Jan 30, 2019</div>
</article>
<p>
<br />
And that concludes January 2019!
</p>
<p>
I can't even begin to tell you how much crazy, awesome stuff we have in store for 2019 (<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">we're already putting a lot of it out there!</a>) and we're all very excited to get this year underway. </p>
<p>
During what has been a rough couple months here, I'm constantly reminded of all the people out there we owe a massive, massive thank-you to, because our supporters are the very foundation upon which this whole thing works. It's a massive group effort, and I'm <b>insanely proud of the amazing group of people that has coalesced to help us all save bikes</b> Y'all know who you are!
</p>
<p>
So - thank you - from the bottom of our hearts. <b>Onward into 2019!</b>
</p>
2019-03-08T18:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/recovering-bikes-before-they-are-marked-stolenRecovering bikes before they are marked stolen2019-03-08T18:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Ever wonder what happens to bikes that are recovered before they are marked stolen? Or bikes that are lost or abandoned, and not marked stolen at all? Maybe you don’t wonder this, but many - if not all - police departments we work with do.</p>
<p>Up until now, Bike Index made it impossible for someone to contact you unless you had marked your bike as stolen. We’re not a sales platform. You don’t want solicitations. But we <em>do</em> want you to receive information about your bike as quickly as possible if something goes wrong. <strong>That’s why we’ve built a new feature to give select law enforcement agencies the ability to contact you if they find or recover your bike <i>before</i> you mark it as stolen.</strong></p>
<p>“This really happens,” said Bryan Hance, Bike Index co-founder with over a decade of theft recovery and police partnership experience. “You’ll have a $10,000 bike recovered before the owner even knows its stolen.”</p>
<p>“In some cities it happens 10 to 15 times a month. We had a score where we recovered a bike before it was reported in Edmonton, Canada just two days ago,” said Hance. But previously, it’s relied on Bike Index support serving as the intermediary, which could greatly delay messages that are time sensitive.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/1091131871511998465"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148766/Screen_Shot_2019-03-08_at_9.43.53_AM.png" alt="PPB tweet" /></a></p>
<p>Imagine two scenarios:</p>
<ol>
<li>You head off to work one morning on your awesome bike. You lock up, head inside, do your work things, and then when you come back outside, your bike is missing.</li>
<li>You left for vacation with your bike locked in your apartment's 'secure' storage locker. You come back a week later, and your bike is missing.</li>
</ol>
<p>What you didn’t know is that shortly after a bike thief cut your lock and made off with your bike, the police noticed something suspicious about the person with your lovely bicycle, searched your bike on Bike Index and found a match. They were able to contact you, even though your bicycle wasn’t marked stolen, and verified that the person riding your bicycle didn’t have your permission to be riding your bicycle - so they could recover and return the bicycle on your behalf.</p>
<p>We’ve added the option to opt out of this sort of communication if you’d like. Go to <a href="https://bikeindex.org/my_account">your Bike Index user settings</a> and uncheck the permissions box allowing us to contact you even if you haven’t marked your bike as stolen. But we strongly recommend maintaining this permission. We monitor these messages and if there is any abuse (i.e. if messages are sent that aren’t only about non-stolen bike recoveries), the offenders will lose access to the feature.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148818/Screen_Shot_2019-03-08_at_3.00.09_PM.png" alt="new tool demo" /></p>
<p>This is yet another way Bike Index works to keep you safe and recover your bicycle, quietly and effectively. You won’t know you need it until you do!</p>
2019-03-08T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/craig-dalton-new-bike-index-executive-directorMeet Craig Dalton, new Bike Index Executive Director 2019-03-08T17:00:00-06:00Craig Dalton<p>Good morning 2019. My name is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdalton/">Craig Dalton</a> and I am the new Executive Director of Bike Index.</p>
<p>You may wonder: what does the Executive Director of a nonprofit like Bike Index do? I joined early this year in this new position for Bike Index. My goal is growing Bike Index so that we can offer registration and recovery tools to an exponential number of cyclists and cycling organizations - more bike shops, more cities, more universities, advocacy groups, and police departments. With minimal resources, the Bike Index team and community has achieved some amazing milestones. 2019 is about using those fundamental building blocks to launch a global movement.</p>
<p>As a 501(3)(c) nonprofit, our operations are largely funded by <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index">donations</a> and our activities are largely advanced by <a href="https://bikeindex.org/ambassadors_how_to">volunteers</a>. Beyond our partnerships, these are two areas we plan to focus on. You will see me ask specifically for your help and contributions in 2019. Scary I know.</p>
<p>Actually, we’ve found that it’s not so scary at all. Did you know that a lot of our volunteer needs can be completed in less than 15 minutes? Did you know that many of our contributions are in the 10$-$20 dollar range? Our asks will be small because your local bicycling world is small. We simply need help spreading the word and experience has shown that when YOU start talking to your local shop, police or advocacy group, things start to happen.</p>
<p>The beautiful thing about what we do is that it makes sense. Bicycle registration helps reduce theft. Bike Index’s recovery tools help people get their bikes back.</p>
<p>I’ll leave you with that for now as you’ll be hearing more from me in the months to come.</p>
<p>For those of you who have contributed to the project to date: I salute you. For those of you waiting in the wings to help out: We will be talking to you soon.</p>
<p> Cheers,</p>
<p> Craig</p>
<p>PS – If you can’t wait to start contributing more, here is a quick link to our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index">tax-free donation page</a>. :)</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148817/CraigDaltonHeadshot.jpg" alt="Craig Dalton" /></p>
2019-03-07T15:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-ascend-retail-to-offer-pos-registration-to-thNew Ascend Retail integration provides free tools for thousands of new bike shops2019-03-07T15:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148178/Screen_Shot_2019-02-25_at_5.14.31_PM.png" alt="bike index ascend design" /></p>
<p>Bike Index is very excited to announce a new integration with <a target="none" href="https://www.ascendrms.com/">Ascend Retail</a>, a point-of-sale retail system for cycling and outdoor retailers. Bike Index is the only bicycle registration service that has tools for bike shops to register bikes for their customers automatically at point of sale. This new Ascend integration utilizes Ascend’s built-in report scheduling features to register bikes at point of sale and, along with Lightspeed, allows Bike Index to register bikes through the two retail systems most-used by bike shops here in the U.S.</p>
<p>Learn how to integrate your shop’s Ascend and Bike Index accounts <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">here</a>. You can also check out <a target="none" href="https://ascendrms.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/1904050">Ascend’s instructions</a>. The integration is completely free for your shop, and registrations are free for your customers. Forever.</p>
<p>“We designed the Scheduled Report function in Ascend so our customers could easily share data with their chosen business partners,” said Mark Hoggatt of Ascend. “We’re happy they can use this function to partner with Bike Index and help protect their customers’ bikes.”</p>
<p>Pine Mountain Sports in Bend, OR is the flagship shop for the new Ascend registration integration.</p>
<p>“For the last few years, Pine Mountain Sports has been <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spo">working closely with our local (Bend) police department</a> on ways to minimize the issue of bike theft in Central Oregon. Our staff works hard to educate our new bike customers on ways to not get their bike stolen in Bend,” said Henry Abel of Pine Mountain Sports.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148179/20228277_10155508223489509_4673712903124315661_n.jpg" alt="pms and bend award" /><small>Photo courtesy of the City of Bend, OR Facebook.</small></p>
<p>“One of those ways is to register all of your bicycles with BikeIndex.com. For the last two or three years, when we sell a new bike we take the time to start a new BikeIndex account at the register for our customer. It takes a few minutes, but our customers appreciate that we’re looking out for them after the sale,” said Abel.</p>
<p>Now, instead of registering bikes by hand, Pine Mountain can register all of their bikes automatically each night through Ascend. Once a shop sets up the integration, Ascend will export the information of bikes the shop sells each day, and we will import those bikes into Bike Index. Customers just have to create a Bike Index account, and their new bike will be in there waiting for them.</p>
<p>“Since we’re a long time Ascend user we recognized that they could probably work to make registering a bike with BikeIndex as easy as clicking a button or two at the time of the sale. It’s an awesome service for our customers,” said Abel. “We’re working to run bike thieves out of our town, and the best way to do it is to not make it easy for them. Thanks to BikeIndex and Ascend for all that they do for cyclists!”</p>
<p>Congratulations to the shops that have already signed up to register bikes through Ascend:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pine Mountain Sports</strong>, Bend, OR</li>
<li><strong>Liberty Bicycle</strong>, Asheville, NC</li>
<li><strong>Trek Corte Madera</strong>, Corte Madera, CA</li>
<li><strong>Zippy's Bikes</strong>, Wildwood, NJ</li>
<li><strong>Trek Bikes Berkeley</strong>, Berkeley, CA</li>
<li><strong>Trek Bikes Santa Rosa</strong>, Santa Rosa, CA</li>
</ul>
<p>We also have some new partners through Lightspeed - so if you’re a Lightspeed shop, remember that you too can register each bike you sell at point of sale through Lightspeed and Bike Index.</p>
<p>New Lightspeed partners include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Turin Bicycle</strong>, Chicago, IL</li>
<li><strong>Tam Bikes</strong>, Mill Valley, CA</li>
<li><strong>Bicycle Odyssey</strong>, Sausalito, CA</li>
<li><strong>Arriving by Bike</strong>, Eugene, OR</li>
<li><strong>Tailwind Cycles</strong>, Chicago, IL</li>
<li><strong>Spoke Easy</strong>, San Francisco, CA</li>
<li><strong>Studio Velo</strong>, Mill Valley, CA</li>
<li><strong>The Hub Napa</strong>, Napa, CA</li>
<li><strong>The Cyclery by Effy</strong>, Pomona, NY</li>
</ul>
<p><a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_shops">Learn more about Bike Index for bike shops.</a></p>
2019-03-05T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-who-we-are-what-we-do-and-how-weve-managed-to-recover-5millBike Index: who we are, what we do, and how we've recovered $7 million in bicycles2019-03-05T17:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>We’re Bike Index. Haven’t heard of us? Well, it probably won’t be too long before you do. With almost 150,000 users, over 600 partner organizations, and almost a quarter of a million bicycles registered since 2013, we’re the most widely-used bicycle registration service in the U.S. And soon, the world. World domination!</p>
<p>We’ve recovered over $7 million in stolen bicycles through the Bike Index platform and we are thrilled to work deeply with independent bicycle retailers in 2019. We have three-click integrations with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed Retail</a> and and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a> point-of-sale systems. With 5 minutes of effort, one time, we can register all new bike sales in the background.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148671/Screen_Shot_2019-03-05_at_4.05.05_PM.png" alt="quotity quote" /></p>
<p>Bike Index is the only registration service to have point of sale registration services for bike shops. We have over 350 bike shops with Bike Index organization accounts. And although we register bikes at bike shops before the bikes even go out into the world, we take it one step further and register bikes at the manufacturer level:</p>
<p><div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148520/DzejQ6VXQAYEu1C.jpg" alt="Dys u2luyaajrjf" /><div class="tweet-align-bottom-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/Rodeo_Labs" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148521/8G6B0Ao8_bigger.jpeg" alt="V8ok9avh normal" /><span class="tweetor-name">Rodeo Adventure Labs</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@Rodeo_Labs</span></a><div class="tweet-body">When you adopt a bike from us we will pre-register your frameset with the non-profit <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex">@bikeindex</a></div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/Rodeo_Labs/status/1096524546532884484" target="_blank"></a></div></div></p>
<p>Bike Index also keeps a <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/manufacturers">running list of manufacturers</a> so that cyclists can easily import their frames and components into Bike Index.</p>
<p>What’s more - Bike Index actually works. We partnered with Bend, OR to <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spo">reduce bike theft by 60 percent in just one year</a>. Through our partnerships and our active online community on twitter and facebook, we have recovered almost 5,500 stolen bicycles.</p>
<p>“For the last 2 or 3 years, when we sell a new bike we take the time to start a new Bike Index account at the register for our customer. It takes a few minutes, but our customers appreciate that we’re looking out for them after the sale,” said Henry Abel of Pine Mountain Sports, a bike shop and Ascend retailer in Bend, OR.</p>
<p>“We recognized that we could probably make registering a bike with Bike Index as easy as clicking a button or two at the time of the sale. It’s an awesome service for our customers,” said Abel. “We’re working to run bike thieves out of our town, and the best way to do it is to not make it easy for them.”</p>
<p>Bike Index started in 2013 when two cyclists passionate about registering bicycles and recovering those that are stolen merged their services. Bike Index is a small operation getting stuff done with over a collective decade of recovery experience. We’re actually a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with the aim of registering as many bikes as we can so that as many cyclists have somewhere to report their stolen bikes when official bodies fail them.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148588/Cm-UBfYUEAAhzlx.jpg" alt="bryan" />
<small>Bike Index co-founder Bryan Hance registering bikes in the early days of Bike Index. Although he still gets out there and canvasses often because he loves registering bikes and working against bike thieves.</small></p>
<p>That being said, we are rapidly moving into the official space through partnerships with bike shops, schools, cities, and police departments. By enabling and empowering organizations to deal with bike management and bike theft, we have been able to grow our reach and register more bikes around the entire U.S. Our tools equip shop employees, law enforcement officers, city workers, and university transportation stakeholders to communicate and register better than they ever have before with isolated systems. Our global network is rapidly growing, incentivizing more official bodies to come on board or risk falling even further behind.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148587/Screen_Shot_2019-03-04_at_6.34.28_PM.png" alt="quote" /></p>
<p>Pine Mountain sports worked with local organizations such as the Bend PD. We have a number of other prominent municipal partners including <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-newest-municipal-partner-new-orleans">New Orleans, LA</a>, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-unveils-new-qr-stickers-and-partnership-with-the-city-of-pa">Palo Alto, CA,</a> <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/meet-bike-indexs-newest-municipal-partner-inglewood-california">Inglewood, CA</a>, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/boise-police-department-joins-with-bike-index-to-help-protect-bikes">Boise, ID</a>, and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/redmond-brings-bike-index-in">Redmond, OR</a>.</p>
<p>Among the universities registering and managing bikes through Bike Index are the <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/uw-recruits-bike-index-to-protect-campus-from-bike-theft">University of Washington</a> in Seattle, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/psu">Penn State University</a>, the <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/umd">University of Maryland</a> in College Park, and the <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/university-of-pittsburgh-partners-with-bike-index-to-protect-campus-bi">University of Pittsburgh</a>.</p>
<p>Our goal is to empower cyclists to get their bikes back. Whether that’s through educating them on how not to <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/resources">get their bike stolen in the first place<a>, providing them a platform to crowdsource tips on their bike’s whereabouts, or giving pawnshops a database to search through LeadsOnline when buying, we know the sinking feeling of going to unlock your bike, and it not being there. It sucks. And we’re here to prevent that.</a></a></p>
2019-03-03T16:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/5-ways-to-manage-bikes-on-your-campus5 ways to manage bikes on your campus2019-03-03T16:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Your students love riding their bikes to campus. Great! This probably means that you encourage alternative transportation and make cyclists feel welcome on your grounds. Maybe your campus covers a big geographical area and bikes make sense for getting from class to class in ten minutes or less. Or maybe you have a large percentage of your student body living off-campus.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason for bikes on your campus, a large influx of bikes requires management. Some of these cyclists will leave their bikes locked where they shouldn’t be. Both members and non-members of your campus community will likely do some damage to bikes left unattended while in class or studying - theft is an inevitability where there’s a lot of foot traffic and where many bikes are locked poorly.</p>
<p>If it’s your job to manage the bikes on campus, take a deep breath. Tons of bike-specific resources exist so that you don’t have to try to squeeze bike management somewhere it doesn’t belong in your overarching transportation system and plan. But aside from building a new system for bike management, we have a couple of tips that will cut down on the work necessary for managing the huge influx of bikes you see on campus every day, week, and semester.</p>
<p><a title="David Bell [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conestoga_College_Cambridge_Campus_Bike_Rack_21-Oct-2012.JPG"><img width="512" alt="Conestoga College Cambridge Campus Bike Rack 21-Oct-2012" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Conestoga_College_Cambridge_Campus_Bike_Rack_21-Oct-2012.JPG/512px-Conestoga_College_Cambridge_Campus_Bike_Rack_21-Oct-2012.JPG" /></a></p>
<p><strong>1) Make sure you have sufficient bike parking on campus.</strong> Easier said than done, right? Bike racks aren’t cheap, and they take heavy-duty installation to make sure they are secure. But without a bike rack at every entrance to every building, campus members are going to lock bikes where they shouldn’t be: to trees, handrails, and even to bollards. I had a classmate in college who left her bike ‘locked’ to a bollard and while she didn’t realize someone could just slide the bike and lock up over the top of the bollard, the person who stole her bike did.</p>
<p><strong>2) Take police reports of bike theft.</strong> You might be amazed to hear students report their bikes stolen to their campus police only to hear that ‘nothing can be done.’ While lack of resources may limit your ability to help, at least give your campus cyclists the courtesy of caring for their safety and for that of their property. Taking these reports might also allow you to understand trends in bike theft on campus: where they are common, what kinds of bikes are stolen, and what kinds of locks people are using.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/148517/bike.gif" alt="bikeindexgif" /></p>
<p><strong>3) Inform campus members how to lock their bikes.</strong> As in the case of the bollard above, some locking techniques might be commonsense yeses or nos. But believe it or not, most people do not realize that cable locks do.not.work. Someone can cut a cable lock with garden shears that fit in a backpack or other small bag. No noise, no power tools needed. Encourage campus members to invest in a U-lock. They last forever so they’re a worthy investment - I bought a U-lock in college seven years ago and it still locks my bike up every day.</p>
<p><strong>4) Get rid of the paper system.</strong> Notecards don’t work. Tagging bikes with paper tags doesn’t work. Tags fall off and notecards get lost. You can’t share information on notecards with others unless you have two copies. Ripping the notecard in half doesn’t work - trust me, I tried with a dollar bill once as a kid and learned that sad lesson. This should be no different for efficient bike management. And on that note, consider moving away from your parking system, if that’s how you handle bikes. Bikes and cars are not the same. You can’t steal a car with garden shears. Or maybe you can, I don’t know.</p>
<p><strong>5) Implement a bicycle-specific registration system.</strong> And make it free to students, otherwise your registrations numbers will be low. After paying for a bike, a student will be unlikely to also want to pay to register it. Pick a registration system that helps you catalogue abandoned bikes, contact bike owners, and work together with all of the departments on campus who have a hand in bike management. Consider a national registry like <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/">Bike Index</a>. Not only will bikes be in your system, but community members, police and cyclists at large across the country can use Bike Index to look out for stolen bikes, even the ones that are taken off campus by a thief. Your students will love you for providing this service.</p>
<p>Bike Index has provided tips and registration platforms to major universities across the country. <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org?Subject=Bike%20Index%20at%20my%20university" target="_top">Join us today</a>.</p>
2019-02-22T14:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/5-ways-to-grow-community-for-your-bike-shop5 Ways to Grow Community for your Bike Shop2019-02-22T14:00:00-06:00Craig Dalton<p>Being a bicycle shop owner in 2019 comes with many challenges. But thriving shops tend to recognize one thing beyond everything else: <strong>building community is king</strong>. Cyclists want a community hub where they can talk shop and feel supported in the activity they love. Because, let’s face it, when we move amongst the average citizen in our lycra and cleats, we don’t blend.</p>
<p>That all changes when we walk into our local independent bike shop and are invited in with open arms - lycra, cleats and all (you should probably wear cleat covers though).</p>
<p>Building community can be broken down into 5 key areas:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147876/IMG_1033.JPG" alt="fam" /></p>
<p><strong>1) Bonding</strong> - We all ride bikes. It’s pretty simple. When customers come in to the shop, let’s celebrate the act of riding. Ask about their favorite rides, tell them about yours, and invite them to shop events to help them meet other members of your local community.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147877/IMG_0043.JPG" alt="purple shirt day" /></p>
<p><strong>2) Building trust</strong> - A key element of building community is building trust. Customers don’t want to feel like their relationship with the shop is just transactional. Great shop employees know when to give the customer the space to decide on their own time. Long-term customers can support shops for years. Your shop may even move locations, but those customers will follow.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147880/IMG_0014.JPG" alt="sick bike" /></p>
<p><strong>3) Educate</strong> customers on what it means to be in the community. Most non-racing cyclists have difficulty finding new people to ride with. Be open and inviting, host shop rides, and provide tools for participants to connect with one another, like Strava or Facebook groups. Be friendly. Shops can create community norms by example.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147884/IMG_0753.JPG" alt="hype" /></p>
<p><strong>4) Consistency</strong> - Create a monthly calendar of events. Some customers may take a while to warm up to the idea of attending a ride or info session, but over time word will spread and you’ll be surprised how loyal your community becomes. Make sure your team is well drilled on the idea of community. It only takes one unfriendly staff member to turn people off.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147874/IMG_1311_2.JPG" alt="appreciation" /></p>
<p><strong>5) Appreciation</strong> - Foster the general notion of appreciation. Appreciate your customers and the community you build, and you will receive appreciation in return. Make sure you acknowledge and value the act of showing up - whether that’s a customer showing up to a ride or your employees showing up with a quick tuneup. You’ll be delighted when your community starts reciprocating by bringing their friends in to the shop and talking about you online.</p>
<p>At Bike Index, we’re building a global community around registration and recovery. We’re all members of the great global cycling community and no one ever wants to see a bike stolen. While we can’t always stop criminals, we can make it more difficult to fence stolen bikes and use our community of over 200,000 members to police online sites and familiar neighborhoods for stolen bikes.</p>
<p>We hope that you will use our free bicycle registration as a tool to add value to your customer relationships, whether it be from the repair stand or through one of our Point-of-Sale integrations with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> and
<a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/ascend">Ascend</a>.</p>
2019-02-22T09:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-unveils-new-qr-stickers-and-partnership-with-the-city-of-paBike Index unveils new QR stickers and partnership with the City of Palo Alto2019-02-22T09:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Bike Index is proud to welcome a new municipal partner in the City of Palo Alto, CA. Palo Alto is the first Bike Index organization to implement a new set of Bike Index features - including QR stickers - that will benefit organizations with multiple stakeholders in bike theft prevention.</p>
<p>Palo Alto is the debut organization for Bike Index’s new custom QR stickers. As some of you may have noticed, you can now purchase <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.myshopify.com/products/bike-index-qr-stickers-50">these stickers</a> to place on bikes. You can link a sticker with your bike on Bike Index using a smart phone. Anyone who scans the sticker on your bike will be able to find your bike online. And, if you’ve marked your bike as stolen, they can get in touch with you through Bike Index’s secure system.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147705/IMG_20180809_152126.jpg" alt="palo alto sticker" /></p>
<p>Organizations that use these stickers can also choose to receive a map that shows all of the scanned sticker locations, allowing admins of the Bike Index organizations in question to visualize problem areas for bikes.</p>
<p>Additionally, an admin from the Palo Alto Police Department, for example, can scan a sticker on a Bike Index bike, and message the owner to let them know that their bike has been recovered or needs to be removed if it’s in a place it shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>Fifty percent of Palo Alto middle and high school students commute to school by bike. Palo Alto implemented Bike Index initially through its PTA across five of these schools in the city. These schools hosted registration drives to get students into a Bike Index organization that school officials and PTA members can monitor and use to communicate with students about their bikes. Students and parents can mark bikes as stolen in Bike Index and look out for each other using the platform. Bikes parked outside of schools, often with fallible locks, are targets for theft. Palo Alto hopes to curb this theft with Bike Index’s communication tools.</p>
<p>“The Palo Alto PTA, City of Palo Alto, and the Palo Alto Police Department are working together with Bike Index to help improve the chances of getting a lost or stolen bike returned to the owner,” says Audrey Gold, one of the PTA members in Palo Alto who spearheaded the effort to bring Bike Index to the area. “Locally, hundreds of bikes are stolen each year and only a few are ever found. Bike Index has helped more than 5,300 people get their bike back.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147706/DSC_1396_copy.jpg" alt="bike index sticker bike" /></p>
<p>Students and community members in Palo Alto can also register through <a target="none" href="https://saferoutes.paloaltopta.org/bicycle-registration/">an online form</a> that will not only allow them to register their bike both at their school and also with City of Palo Alto. The Palo Alto PTA wants the new system grow to become a community resource. By nesting each of their individual school registration organizations within the City’s overarching org the PTA and the City hopes other groups will join in.</p>
<p>The PTA continues to encourage students to register their bikes with a recent drawing for free bike lights to anyone who had registered.</p>
<p>The more users in Bike Index registering and looking out for the same bikes, the more successful Bike Index becomes. Bike Index’s national user base - now at 210,000 users - can spot bikes no matter where they were stolen from, whether that’s a school campus or a nearby neighborhood.</p>
<p>My Asset Tag, a company that itself has helped to register bikes and produce registration platforms and stickers for organizations, prints the new Bike Index QR stickers. Their PermaGuard stickers are durable even when left outside, and the custom designs are sleek and straightforward. Bike owners can scan stickers and link them to their bikes in seconds.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147707/DSC_1392.JPG" alt="qr sheets" /></p>
<p>We are continuing to develop features that make registration simpler and more effective. Stay tuned.</p>
<p><a target="none" href="https://www.bikeindex.org/for_schools">Check out our resources for schools here</a>.</p>
<p><i>Feature image is a Bike Arc at Juniper Networks Silicon Valley. The original Bike Arc was designed by Joseph Bellomo and Jeff Selzer in Palo Alto, CA. <a target="none" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en">Photo from Wikimedia Commons</a></i></p>
2019-02-12T16:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/9-steps-for-getting-your-stolen-bike-back9 Steps for Getting Your Stolen Bike Back2019-02-12T16:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p><a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/skills-tips/a26294133/how-to-get-a-stolen-bike-back/">Originally published in <i>Bicycling</i></a>.</p>
<p>BY CAITLIN GIDDINGS. Feb 12, 2019.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147150/single-bicycle-wheel-secured-to-lamp-post-royalty-free-image-139266765-1549924365.jpg" alt="bike wheel locked to post" />
<small>Getty Images Image Source</small></p>
<p>So, your bike has been stolen. Once you get over that initial disbelief—and the punched-in-the-gut feeling that follows—you may feel helpless. Your favorite thing in the world has been taken. Your means of getting around is gone. Your faith in humanity has been shattered. What’s left, but to curl up on the sidewalk and wait for the crushing despair to subside?</p>
<p>But now’s not the time for panic or self-defeat. It’s the time to spring into action. Think positive and operate under the assumption that you will recover that bike. (Like a certain character in Taken, you have a particular set of skills—skills that make you a nightmare for <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/news/a25725844/bike-thief-arrested-police-station/">bike thieves</a>.) There are plenty of resources out there that can help. Take a moment to shake your fist at the sky, and then follow these nine tips to get your bike safely back in your possession.</p>
<p><strong>GET THE SERIAL NUMBER</strong></p>
<p>Did you record your bike’s serial number? This is your best chance of tracking and reporting the theft. If your bike hasn’t yet been stolen, stop reading this article now, find your serial number, and write it down. It’s usually located on the bottom bracket (though sometimes it’s found on the head tube, rear dropout, or <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/serials">elsewhere on the bike</a>). Once you have the number, register your bike with <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/stolen">Bike Index<a>, the most successful bike registry in the world in terms of recoveries.</a></a></p>
<p>While you’re at it, take photos of your bike and any other documentation you might have, like your receipt. This isn’t overkill: No one ever thinks theft will happen to them until they’re staring at a broken <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20017112/best-bike-locks/">U-lock</a> dangling from an empty bike rack.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147149/3714006190-6d56d4230d-b-1549924203.jpg" alt="bike serial number" /></p>
<p><strong>FILE A POLICE REPORT</strong></p>
<p>Notify local cops that your bike has been stolen. Have an officer come and take down the report, if you can, or go to the station with your information, including the bike’s serial number, make, model, and photos for the report. If you have any video footage of the incident—or know of any surveillance cameras in the area—include that info with the report.</p>
<p><strong>REGISTER THE THEFT</strong></p>
<p>Register that your bike was stolen at Bike Index and any local registries that exist for your city. Bike Index is your best bet: Not only does it cast a much wider net, but it uses an open-data API that can be pulled into any website and easily accessed by anyone, so more and more city registries and police departments are pooling their data there. Include as much information as you can. (Again, write down your serial number now so you’ll have it later.)</p>
<p><strong>SPREAD THE WORD</strong></p>
<p>Share news of your stolen bike far and wide throughout your social networks. Post a photo of your bike on Facebook and Twitter and get your friends to repost. The more eyes you have on the streets looking for your bike, the more likely you are to find it.</p>
<p><strong>USE GOOGLE ALERTS</strong></p>
<p>Set up multiple Google alerts with information matching your bike. That way if it turns up for online sale—or if a local chop shop gets raided—you’ll be notified.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/147151/hundreds-of-bicycles-that-were-stolen-sit-on-racks-in-an-news-photo-566054813-1549925144.jpg" alt="stolen bikes" />
<small>A warehouse full of stolen bikes seized by the Los Angeles Police Department. Set up Google alerts to learn about local raids and see if your bike is among those recovered.</small></p>
<p><strong>DO SOME DETECTIVE WORK</strong></p>
<p>Scour Craigslist for your stolen bike. Visit flea markets. Any place where you’ve seen <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20008824/how-to-buy-a-used-bike/">used bikes</a> for sale is a potential place for your bike to end up. If you do manage to find it, contact police—don’t set up a sting operation yourself. If you find it listed on Craigslist, make a throwaway email address, pose as an interested buyer, and try to get the seller’s contact info so you can pass it on to the police.</p>
<p><strong>CHECK ONLINE MARKETPLACE APPS</strong></p>
<p>Two popular sales apps, <a target="none" href="https://offerup.com/">OfferUp</a> and <a target="none" href="https://us.letgo.com/en">LetGo</a>, are current hotbeds for stolen bikes because they don’t pre-screen listings or provide any customer service for complaints. Bryan Hance at Bike Index says bike thieves previously on Craigslist have almost exclusively moved to these two apps. If you find your bike listed on OfferUp, LetGo, or a similar online marketplace, notify police. Again, do not try to confront a seller yourself. There have been cases of people being <a target="none" href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/denver-police-man-sexually-attacks-girl-when-confronted-about-attempted-bike-theft">assaulted</a> or <a target="none" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/22/father-battered-death-cricket-bat-confronting-gang-suspected/">killed</a> trying to get their stuff back.</p>
<p><strong>JOIN A BIKE RECOVERY GROUP</strong></p>
<p>If you live in a city with a large bike community, there’s a good chance locals have set up a Facebook group for recovering stolen bikes. Hance points to <a target="none" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576708895843716/">one particular group</a> in Edmonton, Canada, with an engaged user base, a solid relationship with local police, and a proven track record: Last year, the group helped return more than 400 bicycles to their rightful owners. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle have similar groups with big, active communities.</p>
<p><strong>GET THE RIGHT BIKE LOCK</strong></p>
<p>Now you should focus on preventing future thefts by investing in top-notch security. No, better locks can’t buy you 100-percent certainty that your bike won’t get stolen—any lock can eventually be broken, given the right tools. But what the <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20017112/best-bike-locks/">best bike locks</a> can give you is time. Present enough challenges to a crook with a bolt cutter, and they’ll likely seek out easier targets, like a cord-locked <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/g20048894/these-7-stylish-step-through-bikes-make-city-riding-so-much-fun/">mixte commuter</a> or a <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/mountain-bike/a20048810/best-mountain-bikes/">29er</a> left unlocked in someone’s backyard.</p>
<p>U-locks like the <a target="none" href="https://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-997986-Fahgettaboudit-U-Lock-Black/dp/B000OZ9VLU/?tag=bicycling-auto-20&ascsubtag=[artid|2143.a.26294133[src|[ch|[lt|">Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini</a> are the gold standards for easy-to-tote protection, requiring power tools to bust open. To up the ante, wrap a cord around your wheels and lock them with the <a target="none" href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a21784287/bike-frame-materials-explained/">bike frame</a>. A chain lock like the <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1576257&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F116719%2Fhiplok-original-silver-high-security-wearable-chain-lock%3FCAWELAID%3D120217890003737573%26CAGPSPN%3Dpla%26CAAGID%3D15877513840%26CATCI%3Daud-87986356584%253Apla-450391110453%26cm_mmc%3DPLA_Google%7C404_172640%7C1167190001%7Cnone%7C1f0b7277-e99e-4903-90e3-714e36fe3235%7Caud-87986356584%253Apla-450391110453%26lsft%3Dcm_mmc%253APLA_Google_LIA%7C404_172640%7C1167190001%7Cnone%7C1f0b7277-e99e-4903-90e3-714e36fe3235%7Caud-87986356584%253Apla-450391110453%26kclid%3D1f0b7277-e99e-4903-90e3-714e36fe3235%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjwl7nYBRCwARIsAL7O7dGfEBT1LrAh_lU8rQyTAKzua2KpFyhJHmYXnmxWc3Tjx3zuuN9r4DoaAlgzEALw_wcB%26cm_mmc%3Daff_AL-_-40661-_-55097-_-NA%26avad%3D55097_b15008395&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bicycling.com%2Fskills-tips%2Fa26294133%2Fhow-to-get-a-stolen-bike-back%2F" target="none">Hiplok Original</a> lets you secure the wheels and frame with one lock, though it’ll be much heavier and more awkward to haul around. Just please, avoid any cord or wire locks that basic tools can break open in seconds.</p>
<p>Good luck out there! And don’t forget to <i>write down that serial number</i>.</p>
2019-02-06T16:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/driving-service-revenues-with-bicycle-registrationDriving service revenues with bicycle registration2019-02-06T16:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>As the polar vortex covers the country, many shops are wondering how to draw out their favorite customers. Across our network of 300+ shops, we are starting to see some use bicycle registration as reason to reach out to their customers. As many of you know Bike Index has bike registration integrations with Lightspeed and Ascend so you can register bikes at point of sale. But have you thought about registering service bikes? As an <a href="https://bikeindex.org/organizations/new" target="none">‘organization’</a> in the Bike Index system, you have a web-based registration option that makes it easy to register bikes that are in for service. You can register bikes for customers taking advantage of your winter overhaul specials, or those that need to clean the salt off their rigs.</p>
<div class="embeded-tweet"><img src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Tw/7/DyS-U2LUYAAJRjF.jpg" alt="Dys u2luyaajrjf" /><div class="tweet-align-top-left tweet-display"><a class="tweetor-header" href="https://twitter.com/eyesonfairoaks" target="_blank"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/838859991058546688/V8oK9Avh_normal.jpg" alt="V8ok9avh normal" /><span class="tweetor-name">EyesOnFairOaks</span><span class="tweetor-handle"><br />@eyesonfairoaks</span></a><div class="tweet-body">Register your bike when u purchase at a bike shop like <a href="https://twitter.com/newwheel" target="_blank">@newwheel</a> & w/ local registries like <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo" target="_blank">@stolenbikessfo</a>…</div><a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/eyesonfairoaks/status/1090657530768908288" target="_blank"></a></div></div>
<p>So, how do you roll this out to your customers?</p>
<p>Depending on your marketing platforms, there can be many approaches. At the end of the day, the messaging remains the same: “Free bicycle registration with any tune up”.</p>
<p>I’m a big fan of email marketing so here is a little sample messaging.</p>
<p>{Name},</p>
<p>I hope you’re staying warm this winter. We are busy in the shop preparing for spring. It may be wishful thinking, but spring is right around the corner. To get ahead of the game before it gets warm, we’re doing something different when you bring your bike in for repair this winter. We are offering Free bicycle registrations with Bike Index. Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose sole purpose is facilitating the recovery of stolen bikes.</p>
<p>We despise bike thieves as much as we hate winter which is why we are registering bikes. Bike Index has recovered 5,000+ stolen bikes for customers around the world. The service is completely free to use in the hopefully unlikely event your bicycle is stolen.</p>
<p>Click here to schedule a slot with our service department.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>{shop owner}</p>
<p>At Bike Index, our goal is to provide a valuable service for your customers, but to do this from the background unless we are needed. Winter bicycle registration drives help foster a great relationship with your customers and hopefully generate some service revenues at the same time. And you can offer the Bike Index community to anyone who is worried about their bike getting stolen. Join our community of over 300 shops on Bike Index.</p>
<p>Have any great winter communication strategies you’ve used before? Please let us know!</p>
2019-02-06T11:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/meet-bike-indexs-newest-municipal-partner-inglewood-californiaMeet Bike Index's newest partner: Inglewood, California!2019-02-06T11:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p><a href="//bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> is proud to welcome our newest partner - Inglewood California Police!</p>
<p>Inglewood, located in southwestern LA county, has over 110,000 residents. They’re conveniently nestled between two other Bike Index partners (<a target="_new" href="https://www.smdp.com/smpd-uses-new-bike-index-to-fight-theft/159044">Santa Monica PD</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.lapdonline.org/home/news_view/61158">LAPD West</a>) and like all the cities we talk to, they have <b>a problem with bike theft</b>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/144437/3.jpg" /></p>
<p><a href="//bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> - the largest open source, community driven registry of bikes in the US - works with <a href="https://bikeindex.org/where">hundreds of partners</a> like bike shops, law enforcement, universities and individual riders to combat bike theft. By combining free bike registration, stolen bike listings, and an advanced stolen bike search engine, Bike Index has registered over <strong>208,000</strong> bikes and recovered over <strong>5,300</strong> stolen bikes. The Bike Index <a href="//bikeindex.org/news">stolen bike recovery stories</a> are a popular monthly read.</p>
<p>Inglewood PD has already integrated <a href="https://www.cityofinglewood.org/1191/Bike-Registration" target="none">registration forms into their website</a>, and is now promoting Bike Index to the local Inglewood bike shops and citizens.</p>
<p>“We’ve seen the amazing things that happen when you give a community our registration and search tools,” said Bryan Hance, BikeIndex co-founder. “More bikes get protected, more stolen bikes get found, and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/heres-a-recent-nine-month-epic-bike-recovery-story">more bike thieves get arrested</a>. It’s really that simple - when police and cities just give the community tools to do this, their citizens can go to great lengths to help keep each other’s bikes safe.”</p>
<p>Bike Index has also spun up a new Twitter account for Inglewood residents to track stolen bikes in their area at <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/bikeindexinglew">@bikeindexinglew</a>. Like our <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo" target="_new">many</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea" target="_new">many</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesbrk" target="_new">many</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesoak" target="_new">many</a> other city-specific Twitter feeds, this allows local riders to ‘opt into’ a regularly updated and easily usable feed of stolen bikes in their community.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/144435/inglewood.JPG" /></p>
<p>In addition to Inglewood PD, Bike Index also works with <a href="//bikeindex.org/where">many regional partners</a>
a number of <a target="_new" href="//bikeindex.org/where">shops in the LA area</a>,
local cycling blogger <a href="http://bikinginla.com">Bikinginla.com</a> and the previously mentioned law enforcement partners in <a target="_new" href="https://www.smdp.com/smpd-uses-new-bike-index-to-fight-theft/159044">Santa Monica PD</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.lapdonline.org/home/news_view/61158">LAPD West</a>.</p>
<p>Do you think Bike Index would be a good fit with your local PD or city? We’d love to hear from you - <a href="mailto:contact@bikeindex.org">Drop us a line</a>!</p>
2018-12-29T18:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-2018-recoveriesBike Index's December 2018 recoveries!2018-12-29T18:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Ah, December.</p>
<p>Sweet, sweet, short December. Finally, a month where things calm down and we can take a well-earned breather.</p>
<p>Let’s close this year out with a small, easy batch of recoveries:</p>
<ul>
<li>There's a whole lot of Rad Power bikes being stolen in Seattle lately... riders, beware</li>
<li>We had a wonderful recovery for a friend-of-a-friend's sweet vintage Peugeot here in Portland</li>
<li>December also had a bump in the number of bikes being founds in Seattle-area pawn shops</li>
<li>"<i>This (recovery) is almost like a Christmas present to me now!</i>"</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help. Especially as we end this year!</p>
<p>In short: If you’re looking for one more place to donate before 2018 closes out - PLEASE consider Bike Index! I cannot understate how much we need your help.</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the December recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143785/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Surly Straggler - spotted by a good citizen who looked it up on Bike Index! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Surly Straggler - recovered: December 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143789/002.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi there, Is this bike still unrecovered/stolen? I found it for sale at the
Cash America Pawn. It is 100% your bike.
Paul brakes, genevalle shifters and rear derailleur, stan's wheelset, orange
wolverine frame approx 54cm. Brake doubler as you described. I notified the
shop and they removed it from the floor. Talked with an employee for a while
and let them know, showed them your listing. "
</i>Later, from the owner: <i>"I just talked to the pawnshop manager and I'll go there on Monday and will
hopefully get it back... This is almost like a Christmas present to me now!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Soma Wolverine - recovered: December 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143781/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike <b>wasn't</b> recovered, but I'm adding it here because it highlights how important it is people get their bikes listed in Bike Index
-- there was an SPD officer actively checking on this bike - because
he found it chained to a pole under suspicious circumstances. <b>He even reached out to the manufacturer</b>, but because the manufacturer's records system is so poor - he could not ID a victim and he had to let this bike go. As the officer put it in his email "<i>If they had gotten back to me with your information, or called you I could have recovered your bike ... before it was stolen (again) from the telephone pole ...</i>"
<b>In short: we would love it if bike manufacturers got on the ball registered their bikes in Bike Index, because our system is clearly more effective.</b>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Rad Power Bikes Rad Rover - NOT RECOVERED: December 4th, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143779/005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The local police found it ... (no other details were provided) ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Farley 9.6 - recovered: December 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143776/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered by <b>Edmonton Police Service</b> ... (no other details were provided)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Giant Talon 3 Black/Blue - recovered: December 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143787/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<b>Editor's note: another wonderful recovery of a bike that belongs to a <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/dudeluna/status/1070517258781261825">friend of a friend</a> here in Portland.</b>
<i>
"Hello, your bike was left leaning up against our yard debris can out in the
street early in the morning on November 28... We’ve been keeping your bike in our
garage. We live two blocks from you. I’m so happy to have found the owner,
it’s a rad bike!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1975 Peugeot - recovered: December 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143780/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi guys - Brent with Stolen Bikes Edmonton here - I hear your getting your
bike back with the help of The Giant store and Bike Index.
Congrats on getting your bike back..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Giant Anthem X 29er - recovered: December 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143791/009.PNG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey. I think we have your bike. Me and Dean from Stolen Bikes Nola have it ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Electra - recovered: December 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143786/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike Index users found the seller on <b>Craiglist</b>. Thank you so much!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Bridgestone Crossfire junior - recovered: December 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143790/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The bike was sold to a pawn shop on Lake City Way in Seattle, WA. - The police identified it by its serial number and notified me that it had been found..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Kona rove - recovered: December 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143777/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone saw this bike and posted on the West Seattle Blog..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Rad Power Bikes Radwagon cargo bike (rear storage) - recovered: December 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143784/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police picked up the bike and then identified me through the Bike Index
registration! I then collected my bike from the local police unit. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Kona Lanai - recovered: December 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143792/014.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone looked at Bike Index and returned the bike to me... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Cielo Sportif - recovered: December 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143778/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A wonderful lady called me and said she bought the bike from a guy,
got the bike back with a flat tire and my waterbottles and and saddle
bag missing. Thankfully my Cateye was not taken."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 K2 Mach 1.0 - recovered: December 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143783/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A young fellow on NextDoor saw it and
re-possessed it from the thief!
One of the men living at the camp at 49th and Hawthorne had it
hooked to a trailer and claimed he bought it ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Trek Portland - recovered: December 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143782/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by a Seattle PD officer.
<i>
"The Officer said he had seen someone riding the bike a few days prior, and then happened to see it again chained to an RV. He checked the serial number and confirmed it was stolen via Bike Index.
This Giant Reign 1 is a bit of a boomerang, as it was also <b>stolen in Melbourne, Australia a few years ago</b>, then I found it on eBay 8-9 months after the fact via eBay Alerts I had setup. I had almost turned the alerts off 2 weeks prior as it was getting a bit depressing seeing all these bikes that we're mine, but I'm pretty glad I didn't ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Giant Reign 1 - recovered: December 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143775/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Just saw this identical bike at PIR dog park... different wheels, no bar tape.
Guy was pulling a rickety trailer, had a Topeak rear rack cobbled together on it.
Couldn’t tell if had ultegra or not, definitely silver calipers... looked to be
about 56cm or so .." </i> Later, from the owner: <i>"Thank you! <b>It was my bike and it’s recovered now!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Allez A1 Elite - recovered: December 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br /></br></p>
<p>
And that, my friends, is a wrap. I'm ready to close this year out like you wouldn't believe.
</p>
<p>
I won't lie, 2018 was pretty exhausting here at the Bike Index. But for every challenge we've had here, we also had help from countless others out there
who have helped us along the way. <b>For every one of you out there who helped us get through this year, we send you my sincerest thank-yous.</b>
There are too many of you to mention! But I thank you all.
</p>
<p>I don't know what 2019 holds for me, but I do know that there are more good people out there in the world than there are thieves, and that's what keeps me positive. And it is what keeps bikes coming home.</p>
<p>I'll see you all in 2019 !</p>
2018-12-28T18:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-november-2018-recoveriesBike Index's November 2018 recoveries!2018-12-28T18:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>We’re so, so close to closing this year out here … so let’s get to it:</p>
<p>In this month’s edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>A rare "Tile bluetooth tracker" recovery, i.e. a stolen bike found via a hidden <a target="_new" href="https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/">Tile Tracker</a></li>
<li>Edmonton Police - who only recently found Bike Index thanks to Stolen Bikes Edmonton - continue a steady drumbeat of recoveries</li>
<li>An SPD detective (in mid-investigation) texts us regarding a bike he came across - and we ID'd it in about one minute. A nice score.</li>
<li>A stolen Brompton from 2012 pops up on Craigslist- and is then seized by the PDX BTTF officers</li>
<li>A stolen Seven from <b>2010</b> pops up on <b>Offerup</b> (natch) and is recovered in absolutely pristine shape. (Eight years!!)</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help. Especially towards the end of the year!</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143649/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>Edmonton Police Service</b> found
the bike somehow - called me to let me know.
None of the other bikes stolen alongside were found ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: November 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143647/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A good citizen found the bike, and then looked it up on BikeIndex!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2001 Novara X-R - recovered: November 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143652/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Arranged recovery from person selling it on <b><a target="_new" href="https://ca.letgo.com/en/i/salsa-white-and-blue-road-bike_e62685e5-f4bb-4dc5-9945-c08280e2c41e">Letgo</a></b> with assistance from police. It was posted on <b>Letgo</b> within 24 hours of the theft and recovered within 48 hours. (But) I managed to recover the bicycle from the person selling it on <b>Letgo</b> with the assistance of the police"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Salsa Marrakesh - recovered: November 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143633/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<b>Editor's note:</b> Technically this is not a Bike Index recovery but I wanted to highlight it because it's one of the rare "bluetooth tracker" recoveries we've seen. These are few and far between - mostly because most Bluetooth tracker companies <b>wildly overstate</b> how many users they have 'in the wild' have their phones set to look for and track other bluetooth beacons - but in this case, it worked:
<i>
"Tile tracking device attached to bike alerted me to its location.
Went to location reported by the Tile. Sighted the bike beside an individual sleeping in a doorway.
Called Portland, OR police. Police arrived and retrieved the bike from the individual and returned
it to me after verifying its serial number was the same serial number in the police report. In Portland there are thousands of Tile subscribers, improving probability of detection. But I’m fortunate for recovery with Tile as there are many situations that could have prevented it... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1993 Sherpa Comp - recovered: November 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143638/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
My bike was being ridden through the Stadium LRT pedway (a bylaw violation) during the football game.
<b>Edmonton Police Service</b> saw a tall guy on my wee little bike and asked him about it. He said it was
his sister’s and she had bought it off of <b>Letgo</b>. The Constable asked to run the serial number and it
was a hit on Bike Index and the police database.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Rocky Mountain Bicycles Vertex - recovered: November 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143642/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone bought the bike on the street and checked Bike Index and saw that it was stolen.
They contacted me through the site, and then I met up with the person to retrieve it.
Bike Index contacted me and were extremely helpful. I will be forever grateful to this
amazing organization..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Orbea - recovered: November 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143644/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My bike was found yesterday MILES away from where it was stolen! An angel was
checking the bikes out at an Eco Thrift and spotted it hanging from their shelves.
Before the individual considered purchasing the bike, they checked to see if it was
on the Bike Index site. They wanted to be sure they were not purchasing a stolen bike.
Thankfully, I had listed it on the site the day it was taken from my backyard nearly three
months ago. They saw my listing and emailed me. I picked it up this morning. It needs
some repair, but seems to be in alright shape. I never thought I’d see that bike again!
Incredibly thankful."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1988 Peugeot Mixte - recovered: November 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143637/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, we found your bike (frame only) in a storage unit we won at auction. Would you like to pick it up?"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Vanmoof Dusenjager - recovered: November5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143646/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Editor's note: A Seattle Police detective emailed us to see if we could quickly ID a bike he ran across in the course
of his day and, of course, we did so - and pretty quickly, since the owner had registered with us and provided
great photographs. Thanks to SB as always! Great to see these recoveries come together.
<i>
"I received a email from someone with Bike Index in
the morning with a photo of my bike in someones back yard - once I confirmed
it was mine the police (already on site) checked the serial number and returned my bike. From
the first email to the time I was given my bike back was about four hours ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Marin Cortina - recovered: November 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143656/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<b>Editor's note:</b> An SF city worker spotted this bike, reached out to the owner via Bike Index, and then the owner was able to
set up assistance and get it back. Sure helped that it's a unique looking bike!
<i>
"Your bike has been seen by SFPD on San Bruno between Mariposa and 17th Streets at an encampment.
Do not approach, contact SFPD to assist in recovery" Later: "I approached the person handling my bike and SFPD assisted in returning it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Huffy 56598P7 - recovered: November 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143635/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was found around the corner stashed in a vacant lot behind some bushes.
A neighbor saw post on Nextdoor and returned it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
SE Bikes Lager - recovered: November 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143634/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Bike was purchased on <b>Kijiji</b>. Purchaser checked Bike Index before purchasing
(very soon after theft) and bike wasn't listed. Purchaser checked Bike Index the next morning and
saw the bike listed, then saw our Facebook post and contacted us ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2019 Knolly Fugitive - recovered: November 8, 2018</div>
</article>
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<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143648/014.JPG">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
NOT SURE IF HE CHASED IT
2017 CIVIA LEG OVER
https://bikeindex.org/bikes/412123
Bit of a stretch, as the bike posted looks more blue than gray,
but it does have pink lettering, and seat/handlebars are leather.
link: https://offerup.com/item/detail/579731569/
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Civia Leg Over - recovered: November 8, 2018</div>
</article>
-->
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143654/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Hey my mechanic just chased down your bike from our shop (The Outer Rim) to Auto Zone on 122nd.
The guy bolted with it when we checked it. Cops are on the way.... crossing our fingers ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Shifty Cycle 3 Speed - recovered: November 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143643/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Neighbor found the bike abandoned in a park, looked up the owner on Google & Twitter!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Raleigh Port Townsend - recovered: November 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143645/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This Brompton was stolen in 2014, but was spotted in Nov 2018 by the good folks at <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clevercycles/status/1064621081732907009">Clever Cycles</a> and routed our way. The Portland Police bike theft task force officers
managed to get it back, and <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/1064989688635609089">tweeted about it</a>: "<i>@clevercycles @stolenbikereg Awesome teamwork today by community members brought this 2014 stolen @BromptonBicycle home! We love to see this collaboration! Remember: If your bike is registered, there’s always hope of getting it back!!! @BikeIndex</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Brompton Bicycle M6 - recovered: November 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143663/018.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovery via friends at SFGOV.org:
"Was contacted by two separate good Samaritans who had seen my bike details on this site and Twitter, and then seen the bicycle in the wild.
One of them called non-emergency police and an arrest was made. I picked up the bicycle from the SFPD stolen property division some time later. Thanks! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Kona Race Light 7005 - recovered: November 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143653/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The purchaser sold back to me ... (no other details provided) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Allez - recovered: November 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143651/020.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"
<b>Edmonton Police Service</b> Recovered Bike. Picked up on November 20, 2018. Big thanks to everyone who helped!
"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Norco - recovered: November 21, 2018</div>
</article>
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<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143636/021.JPG">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
PENDING CONFIRMATIONS
https://bikeindex.org/bikes/102042
Nov21
sent you a message about your stolen bike!
Hey, I work at Bike Works in Seattle and we have this bike. Some guy left it here for service
and it looked too small for him. What would you like us to do?
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized - recovered: November 22, 2018</div>
</article>
-->
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143650/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle Police - North precinct - recovered the bike. Thank You!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Yukon - recovered: November 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143639/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"After 16 months, someone saw it laying on the side of the road. They Googled the serial number and the police
report came up. Be sure to file a police report!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 3500 - recovered: November 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143655/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
A member of the stolen bike Facebook group in Calgary seen it posted on <b>Letgo</b> and
remembered that I had posted a link to this page. I got the police involved and got the bike back the next day.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 RSD The Mayor - recovered: November 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143659/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
The bike was left in a yard kilometers away. Owner called The Park Allen community volunteer who deals
with bike theft who looked it up on Bike Index and called us up. We drove over and picked up the bike
in good shape! Thanks!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2001 Trek Fuel 80 - recovered: November 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143662/026.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Hi, I purchased a surly on <b>Craigslist</b> which I believe is yours. The man who sold
it to me knew some details about the bike that made me think he had owned it
for awhile, but the $150 price seemed pretty low. I ran the serial at time of
purchase and nothing came up, but decided to continue to follow up and sure enough
I found your posting..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Surly Cross-Check - recovered: November 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143657/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I work for the Portland Police in the Evidence Division. We have found your bicycle. Please email me back with your information" Later, from the owner: "It sounds like the bike thief "upgraded" to another bike and left mine in it's place."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Jamis Aurora - recovered: November 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143661/028.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stolen kid’s sized Transition was stolen, then spotted several times kicking around various grungy parts of Seattle before SPD eventually
seized it "in a camp under I-5/NE 40 St."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Transition Bikes 24" Ripcord - recovered: November 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143640/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This slick stolen SEVEN has been missing for eight years (!) before it popped up - <b>on Offerup</b>.
We (Bike Index) didn't believe it at first but then the serial was confirmed. Quite the find! Special thanks to the SPD
Det. who stepped in here re: this bike.
<i>
" I found your Seven. A guy in Bremerton has it, is trying to sell it to me for $1K. He wants to meet me today
after I get off of work. I asked for the Serial #, he confirmed it" Later: "Your bicycle has been recovered and was dropped off to Bremerton Police Department. I have included the officer who took the found property report, maybe he can provide instructions to pick it up."
Later:" It was still clean, perfectly matched the description on the index. The good people in the
world outnumber the bad by a large margin, we've just got to stick together. <b>Thank you for the wonderful
database that made it possible (and simple) to resolve</b>."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Seven Cycles Axiom SG - recovered: November 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143660/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi! I don't know if you're still on the lookout for this bike but I think I picked up whats left of it from a guy on <b>Craigslist</b> last night in hope to find a project bike to build. Is this something you are still interested in recovering? Looks like it has been painted a few times. Took a while to even make out the serial number..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Remedy 9 - recovered: November 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143658/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Officer Sanders contacted me to inform me my bike has been found! Thank you to Bike Index and the Old Town Police Department ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Rockhopper-29 - recovered: November 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143632/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police officer was investigating a disturbance and found an RV with my bike in it ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 RAD Power Bikes Commuter - recovered: November 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<p> </p>
<p>
And that's it for November!
</p>
<p>Let's round this whole shebang out and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-2018-recoveries">get right to the December 2018 recoveries</a>!</p>
2018-12-28T16:44:07-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-2018-bike-recoveriesBike Index's October 2018 bike recoveries2018-12-28T16:44:07-06:00Bryan Hance<p>In the October 2018 edition, we have … quite a lot.</p>
<ul>
<li>First: Bike Index recovered our <b>5000th bike</b> this month! And the bike has a name - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/eight-questions-with-the-owner-of-bike-indexs-5000th-recovered-bike">'Walter'</a></li>
<li>A stunning, unique ride stolen in Seattle - a Harry Quinn Deda Energi - was recovered only days after its theft thanks to sharp eyed Bike Index users.</li>
<li><b>Stolen Bikes Nola</b> was on a real streak this month, with multiple recoveries and countless tips. Shout out to <a target="_new" href="http://stolenbikesnola.com/">Stolen Bikes Nola</a>!</li>
<li>... and right along with them is <b>Stolen Bikes Edmonton</b>, who continues a steady and successful drumbeat of recoveries. Shout out to Stolen Bikes Edmonton!</li>
<li>A Seattle theft victim, exasperated after chasing her own bike around town, got <a target="_new" href="https://q13fox.com/2018/10/19/seattle-woman-says-she-waited-2-hours-for-police-after-calling-911/">some news coverage</a> after waiting for a two hour 911 response after finding her stolen bike in a local encampment.</li>
<li>One of our educational users (hi UW,edu!) gets a stolen bike back in a single day, thanks to Bike Index</li>
<li>A neighborhood patrol group here in Portland not only spots and returns a local kid's bike from a local encampment, but then found a shop to fix it up for her for free. Stellar work all around, thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/montavilla" target="_new">@montavilla</a> </li>
<li>Another rare '<b>stolen bike turducken</b>' - aka a stolen bike found inside a stolen car - or in this case, a stolen U-haul.</li>
<li>"<i>...the <a target="_x" href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/absolute-unit">absolute unit</a> of a man went to meet the seller HIMSELF, locked my bike to a tree, and told the guy he knew it was stolen...</i>"</li>
<li>A Bike Index tip about a suspect Offerup ad (shocker, I know) leads to the recovery of two very unique stolen <b>wooden Renovo bike frames</b> - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2012/09/12/thieves-hit-renovo-bike-factory-reward-offered-77212">originally stolen in a 2012 robbery</a>!</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help. Especially towards the end of the year!</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143626/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Neighbor saw it - call police - delivered to front door! Thank you neighbor! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Ritte Crossberg 7005 Series Aluminum - recovered: October 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143587/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was found on <b>Letgo</b> by a diligent citizen who looks out for stolen bikes ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized WM Dolce Comp Evo - recovered: October 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143615/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police found bike and brought it to bike shop for pick up! Thanks Bike Index!
I don't know much on back story but it was recovered just a few blocks
away from where it was taken. They cut through a chunky cable lock. I am back to my u-lock.
My friend registered the bike here - <b>I have her and Bike Index to thank for this</b>.
I will be registering the rest of my bikes and donating! I am amazed!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Salsa Vaya - recovered: October 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143597/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Stupidly, I didn't file a police report - I figured it was gone.
But a bike-store owner saw some guy stealing it and took it away from him,
and the cop on the case searched this site and emailed me... " (<b>Editor's note: always file a police report for your stolen bike! We can't stress this enough ... </b>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Motion Atom Lynx - recovered: October 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143588/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A homeless man brought it into the bike shop that sold me the frame and the guys at the shop called me. Someone sold him the bike for $20! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2002 Koga-Miyata World Traveler - recovered: October 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143625/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey Bryan. I have recovered a carbon v10 listed on Bike Index ...
Unfortunately it is just the frame, but I’d love to get it back to the original owner ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Santa Cruz V10 - recovered: October 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143630/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I posted about my bike getting stolen on FB and in a couple of local cycling groups,
and had some friends share the news/ pictures of my bike. I registered Walter
(the bike's name) with Bike Index using the serial number which was luckily
included with the original receipt which I'd kept. I included my phone number,
and recieved received a text this afternoon! Apparently, someone had spotted
Walter in the Udist (it was stolen in Georgetown). <b>The person who recognized
it went and stole it back!</b> It's down a couple of bags and a bell or so, but more or less
intact! Thanks to Alex, my bike rescuing hero!" (Bike Index notes - this was our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/eight-questions-with-the-owner-of-bike-indexs-5000th-recovered-bike">5000th stolen bike recovery</a>,
so we did a little write-up on this one called '<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/eight-questions-with-the-owner-of-bike-indexs-5000th-recovered-bike">Eight questions with the owner of Bike Index's 5000th Recovered Bike</a>')
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: October 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143614/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found it under a bush and used the Bike Index. Only the frame was
left but it's still nice to know this works! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 REI CTY 1.1 - recovered: October 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143610/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The Portland police officer told me they got it from (someone) who was arrested on
something unrelated. They assumed it was a stolen bike, and sent it to the special bikes unit.
The officer there figured out the bike and year, found it on Bike Index, gave me a call,
and asked me about all the upgraded parts to confirm it was mine. Went down and grabbed it. Easy, peasy"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Habit Women's 1 - recovered: October 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143617/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi ... I recently purchased your bike on <b>ebay</b>. It was shipped in NY state.
It arrived in quite a bad shape. I wasn't aware of the serial number before purchase.
Let me know if I can be of any help ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cervelo S5 - recovered: October 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143611/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(Seller) was selling it on <b>OfferUp</b> and we arranged a sting operation -
I saw the ad myself (the bike owner) so I created a fake profile and trolled the thief.
He agreed to meet up, but unfortunately he spotted the police and left the scene
before he was apprehended. He had already unloaded the bike and left it next to
an adjacent building, so I was able to get the bike back..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 REI DRT 1.3 - recovered: October 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143592/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I am an officer with Portland Police. I recovered your bike this morning. Give me a call ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Motobecane - recovered: October 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143605/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" UCONN Police found it outside the Mansfield Apartments, about a mile from where it was
taken at Eddy Hall. <b>Police said the pictures and serial number archived in Bike Index was
pivotal in getting it back so quickly</b>. They were able to immediately determine it was
indeed the stolen bike. Thanks!! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1993 Schwinn High Plains - recovered: October 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143612/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"So whenever you are ready to come pick up the bike I'll give you my address
and I'll have an officer present to have it on record and if you can bring an officer
as well that'll be great ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Bianchi Impulso Dama - recovered: October 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143593/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"We found this bike near our parking lot! It’s waiting here for you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Jamis Coda Elite - recovered: October 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143628/016.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered your bike from the tire shop on Louisa and St Claude. Text me as soon as you can to get it ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant - recovered: October 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143589/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The amazing story of the amazing recovery of my bike owes much to Bike Index. My bike was stolen
yesterday on the campus of the <b>University of Washington</b>. I had locked my bike's front wheel and
frame to each other, but not to a bike rack (as all available racks were occupied), having stepped
away for 10 minutes in the mid-afternoon. The bike was recovered today about 3 blocks away,
with a failed effort to cut through the ABUS folding lock (I have a photo of the lock, which
is still quite functional). I got a phone call from a friendly worker at a nearby bike store
to which the bike had been returned, who had looked up the info with serial number and checked
on Bike Index, and contacted me. <b>Returned in one day!</b> Great program, great bike lock, great people!"
(Editor's note: University of Washington is one of our educational partners - if you attend or work
for a university that would like to combat bike theft, see our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_schools">university partnership page</a>.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Jamis Coda Elite - recovered: October 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143596/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thanks to Bike Index, a local bike page and an observant neighbour! She noticed it near a
bike path this morning while walking her dog found it online and got in touch. We were able
to retrieve it this evening! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Myka 26 - recovered: October 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143609/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Another intelligent, vigilant cyclist searched for my bike on Bike Index after it was left
behind at the scene by the thief of his neighbor's scooter. It was missing for only 5 days.
My hero!
It was a custom build, put together for me by the legendary Harry Quinn
bike shop in Liverpool, England back in 2002...
I still have the original paperwork. I have customized the reach and stem height even more
since the photo was taken, as back problems have changed how I ride since it was first built.
It fits me really well so I'm thrilled to have it back.
The morning I discovered that my bike was missing,
I found that the thief had left a matte black fixie and a fluorescent yellow helmet in my
driveway in exchange. Then, he left my bike in exchange for a scooter he nicked, which is
when my hero found my bike and looked it up on Bike Index and found me ...
tomorrow I'll take photos of the
black fixie so I can post it on the site too. Maybe someone else is mourning its loss.
Thanks again for caring, and keep up the good work!
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2002 Harry Quinn Deda Energi - recovered: October 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143624/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This is Dean with Stolen Bikes Nola we found your bike - call me ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Raleigh - recovered: October 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143629/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Stolen Bikes Nola recovered the bike from a common location where stolen bikes are kept. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Giant Escape 3 - recovered: October 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143591/022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello. Your bicycle was recovered at the Bike Gallery location in Downtown.
I have contacted the Portland Police - Feel free to email me directly ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fuji Finest 1.0 - recovered: October 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143631/023.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it for sale on <b>Offer Up</b>. Seller realized it was mine when he searched Bike Index.
Thanks for providing this service! I’m telling everyone to register their bikes! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Masi Speciale CX Uno - recovered: October 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143601/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered via James at Nola stolen bikes!!" (Editor's note: aka <a target="new" href="http://stolenbikesnola.com/">Stolen Bikes Nola</a>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Unknown Fixed - recovered: October 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143602/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My bike was gone for about 2.5 weeks. Two weeks to the day after it was stolen,
someone from Bike Index tipped me off that he had seen it in one of the tent camps in my neighborhood.
<b>That tip ignited a fiend in me</b> - and I aggressively started posting about it in our neighborhood
Facebook group and NextDoor. The day after the Bike Index notification, someone else
notified me it was at another homeless camp in the neighborhood. We immediately went down to that camp,
watched the bike for nearly <a target="_new" href="https://q13fox.com/2018/10/19/seattle-woman-says-she-waited-2-hours-for-police-after-calling-911/">two hours while we awaited police response</a>. But when the police got
there, we couldn't find the bike. We couldn't find it for a day.
I made circles of the camps
several times that day and made notes of other stolen bikes in the camps (and contacted people
on Bike Index). I also took our local <a target="_new" href="https://q13fox.com/2018/10/19/seattle-woman-says-she-waited-2-hours-for-police-after-calling-911/">Fox News on a ride-along around the camps looking for my bike.</a>
The next day it was seen, but we didn't chase it. The following day, another vigilant neighbor
let me know it was in one of the local parks/homeless hang-outs. We were there within five minutes
and called 911. <b>A police BUS full of cops on bikes happened to drive by</b>. My husband chased them
down and told them about my bike. Fortunately, they had been briefed on the "light blue bike" during
their morning meeting...so they knew to look out for it. We attempted a "sting" operation with the
cops, but as soon as the people hanging around it in the park saw the cop bus, they ghosted out of
there. We got the bike back. It's pretty trashed and needs work... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Jamis Coda - recovered: October 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143604/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police got it back (no other details provided for this entry) "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Custom built Carbon fibre - recovered: October 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143607/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was bought and sold on <b>Kijiji</b> but communication from some fellow riders who saw the ad and my
Bike Index post to myself and the the Calgary Police service"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek Farley 6- recovered: October 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143590/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A lady in my neighborhood called me out of the blue saying she found it!
She said it had been dumped at her friend's house on my street, but when
they reported it found I had not yet reported it missing. She checked again
today and was able to contact me! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 7.0 FX - recovered: October 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143603/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Tip from a neighbor. Paid the thief (er, guy who "bought it on the internet")
about 1/10 of its value rather than involve the police. Still reporting his name and
address, which I got. THANK YOU SO MUCH (redacted) AND BIKE INDEX!!!! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Asylum Meuse - recovered: October 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143619/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Members of the facebook group <b>Stolen bikes Edmonton</b> reported finding it and recovered it.
The group used Bike Index to confirm details of the bike before physically recovering it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 4500 - recovered: October 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143622/031.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle Police Officer here. My partner and I recovered your bike today. It will be at the
North precinct for pick up.
Warning the rear wheel was loose and one of the brake lines was cut. "
(Later, from the owner) "Seattle Police recovered my bike only a few weeks after it was stolen! Unfortunately,
it had been stripped for parts, but at the very least I will be able to rebuild it later this winter. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona - recovered: October 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143627/032.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Portland Police found it in a homeless camp under Tacoma St Bridge.
It's gone back to my insurance company since they already paid out for the loss ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 All City Space Horse Disc - recovered: October 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143620/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A pretty great example of how community recovery can work. The local Portland
neighborhood group <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/montavilla">@montavilla</a> was out on a foot patrol and noticed
a child's bike trashed <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/montavilla/status/1055192788017405953">in an local encampment</a>. <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/montavilla/status/1055217696495652864">They quickly matched it in Bike Index.</a>
Not only did they work with Portland Police to quickly get the bike back to the victim, but they went above and beyond and even
hooked up a local bike shop to do free repairs because the idiots who stole it had severely damaged it. You can read about it at '<a target="_new" href="https://www.kptv.com/news/stolen-bike-reunited-with-portland-girl-thanks-to-neighborhood-coalition/article_48e28fa2-d849-11e8-98b4-3b27ee51f9dd.html">Stolen bike reunited with Portland girl thanks to neighborhood coalition</a>'
Thank you <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/montavilla">@montavilla</a>!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale 24 F Cannondal - recovered: October 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143616/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A Good Samaritan noticed the bike near his place of work wrapped up with garbage bags and
caution tape. He eventually contacted me via Bike Index ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Cannondale SuperSix EVO - recovered: October 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143595/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The fellow who bought it from the original thief
found it on Bike Index, and he got in touch! It's missing a few components, but otherwise in one piece.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Cruzbike Silvio S30 recumbent - recovered: October 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143594/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Someone turned it in to the local police, just the frame and tires sadly :( "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1986 Unknown Chrome twin top tube - recovered: October 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143613/037.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Renton police arrested someone (at Renton Fred Meyer) in a stolen U-Haul truck around 10/23.
In the back were a bunch of stolen items: including my RadCity! Battery was drained with 20
extra miles on the odometer. Missing bike bag and minor damage to the seat, but about as
good as an outcome as I could have hoped for! My MasterLock U-bolt lock was easy enough to
pry off at some point-- it's in two pieces and my key no longer works in it. Lock upgrade incoming..."
(Editor's note: another rare stolen-bike-in-a-stolen-car 'turducken' ...)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Rad Power Bikes RadCity 19" - recovered: October 27, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143606/038.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This stolen, high-value Wilier was quickly spotted for sale on <b>Offerup</b> by everybody who noticed the suuuper sketchy ad. Thanks to everybody who flagged it.
<i>
"Bike was found for sale on <b>OfferUp</b>. Someone from Bike Index emailed me the ad.
I followed the profile to Facebook and looked up the seller on Facebook. We set up a sting
with the seller - when we went to purchase the bike the cops took over and they
arrested the lady. I got my bike back!"
Editor's note: you can read more about this at '<a target="_new" href="http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2018/10/25/online-ad-leads-police-to-mans-stolen-bike/">Online Ad Leads Police to Man’s Stolen Bike</a>' .
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Wilier Triestina XP - recovered: October 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143599/039.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Speaking of <b>Offerup</b>:
<i>
"Saw a shady listing for similar bike on <b>OfferUp</b> Listed for
sale at (redacted). I called and left you a message.
I'll follow up tomorrow to make sure you got the message. Good luck!"
Later, from the owner: "Bike recovered!! We really appreciate your watchful eyes!! Thanks again!!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Jamis Renegade expat - recovered: October 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143623/040.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This is Dean with Stolen Bikes Nola please call me ... I have your trek "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143584/041.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Technically this was not a Bike Index recovery, but we're including it here because self-repo'ing your bike out in the wild is pretty rare.
<i>
"How the bike was recovered I saw it leaning against a fence, jumped on it and rode away! The thief ran after me, but I saw a cop and rode to him. The thief ran off and jumped on a bus. Crazy.
I’m going to try to help people find their bikes and check the Bike Index when I see something sketchy from now on..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Redline Conquest Classic - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143598/042.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A dude from Seattle area texted me that he thought he found my bike because my Bike Index
ad matched a few components. Confirmed it was mine. The absolute unit of a man went
to meet the seller HIMSELF, locked my bike to a tree, and told the guy he knew it was stolen.
Seller gave it up without a fight. Drove over to Seattle two days later to pick it up. All
of this was TWO YEARS after it was stolen from me. Absolutely unbelievable and none of
it would've happened if it weren't for Bike Index." (Ed note: Bike Index sends a shout out to this finder too, as they
have recovered multiple bikes ... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon - recovered: October 31, 2018</div>
</article>
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<article class="padded-clear">
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
STILL PENDING https://bikeindex.org/bikes/413746
2013 Cervélo cervelo s2
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Cervélo cervelo s2 - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
-->
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143600/044.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - my roommate found the bike and it is here at our house ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Trek 3500 - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143583/045.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello this is the Portland Property Warehouse - We have a Raleigh in our property room : serial D2AKO0547 " ....
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Raleigh Competition - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143608/046.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Police found it (no other details provided re: this bike)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Felt Brougham - recovered: October 31, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143586/047.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone posted a found bike right at the same time someone listed a
stolen bike with the same details, and the two were quickly matched up!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Raleigh - recovered: October 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143618/048.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Back in 2012, thieves broke into Portland's Renovo bikes and stole several frames - this was covered in the press, i.e. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2012/09/12/thieves-hit-renovo-bike-factory-reward-offered-77212">Thieves hit Renovo bike factory; reward offered</a>.
Over the years we (Bike Index) have chased a number of Renovo leads, but it wasn't until October 2018(!) that a super suspect ad showed up on <b>Offerup</b> (Editor's note: sigh ...) that was immediately flagged by roughly half a billion people.
We dug into it - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2018/10/04/out-of-cash-and-employees-renovo-calls-it-quits-290561">not easy since Renovo closed in 2018, too</a> - but the Portland Bike Theft officers were way ahead of us. See their tweet: "<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/1060716765443842048">Great tip from @BikeIndex leads to seizure of two beautiful Renovo frames stolen in bike shop burglary! </a>"
It's not entirely clear to me how the seller fits in here - but we note that they were smart enough to <a target="_new" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/571866046/">research the frame details for their ad</a> ("They are going any where from 8000 to 10,000") in order to determine the value - but they conveniently forget to check on the serials, or any of the coverage about the Renovo break-in. Funny thing, that.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Multiple wooden RENOVO frames - recovered: October 31, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143621/049.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found the bike for sale in the <b>OfferUp</b> app (Editor's note: we are <a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME">shocked, SHOCKED</a>)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Fuji D 6 1.0- recovered: October 31, 2018</div>
</article>
<p> </p>
<p>
And that's it for October - man, what a month!
</p>
<p>Don't stop now, though - perhaps you want to read our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-november-2018-recoveries">November's recoveries</a> too?
</p>
2018-12-28T16:43:28-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-september-2018-recoveriesBike Index's September 2018 recoveries!2018-12-28T16:43:28-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Hey there! So, it’s been a minute since we updated our stolen bike recoveries. I was, ah, kind of busy <a target="_new" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2018/12/12/college-friendship-leads-to-new-kidney-for-clean-elections-director/">off doing something crazy</a> which sidelined me for a few months.</p>
<p>But - hey! I’m back! And now I’m sitting here on a long Christmas break, doing a <b>multi-month binge update</b> to our stolen bike recovery stories.</p>
<p>So: let’s get to it!</p>
<p>In this month’s edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of stolen bikes still showing up on <b>Offerup</b> - and all of their sellers still have active accounts. Huge shocker, I know ... </li>
<li><b>Edmonton Police Service</b> + <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576708895843716/">Stolen Bikes Edmonton</a> continue to recover bikes left and right </li>
<li>A nice cargo bike recovery in Seattle thanks to an employee of Back Alley Bike Repair (Thanks M!). Back Alley had multiple finds this month!</li>
<li>There's a Colnago in Seattle that we've now helped recover <b>twice</b>. Somebody buy this guy a decent lock!</li>
<li>I spotted a sketchy car with a suspect Niner that a ton of Portlanders had been emailing me about. By the time I got around to
engaging PPB on it, they had already seized the thing and found the victim. Thanks, PPB! Nice to see everybody on the same chase...</li>
<li>" <i>... some sketch ball tried to sell me your bike for $100 ... </i>" </li>
<li>Seattle's had a lot of cargo bikes get stolen, but we helped get two of them back!</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help. Especially towards the end of the year!</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143562/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found in a neighbor's yard, ID'd in Bike Index -- found with a flat tire and the
lock still attached."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fairdale Weekender - recovered: Sept 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143577/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I've recently got into cycling and bought this bike on <b>Craigslist</b>
from a guy in the city without first checking the serial number. Let me know when
you wanna pick it up. I also have his number and address if you want to pursue
things further. He tried to sell me other bikes in his garage. It all makes
sense now after my friend advised me about what to do when seeing a "deal"
on Craigslist ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Giant Contend 3 - recovered: Sept 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143563/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I bought this bike off app <b>OfferUp</b> today.
Came home and was researching it online and I came across this site.
Found out it was stolen and contacted Portland police and they met
me and picked up the bike. I assume they have contacted you by now.
I am thankful the bike is getting returned to the teenager. Smart
thinking logging it into this website, I would have never known it
was stolen if you hadn’t. Take care and safe riding!
(Portland Police
has his information and the police and myself went back to the sellers
address and I received full refund.)
"
Editor's note: this seller's
<a href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/537670813/?_branch_match_id=596836416002136210">Offerup
profile is still active</a>. Pretty sure we'll be linking all these sellers from now on.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Diamondback overdrive - recovered: Sept 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143574/005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Stolen Bikes Edmonton worked with <b>Edmonton Police Service</b> and found it at a pawnshop ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Norco Bikes Bigfoot 6.2 - recovered: Sept 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143564/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Yes - I have the bike because I bought it from someone on <b>OfferUp</b>.
I looked up the serial number last night and saw that it was reported stolen.."
(Bike Index notes that
<a href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/537759957/?_branch_match_id=605795339271754200">this seller's profile is still active</a> on Offerup. )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant - recovered: Sept 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143550/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Your bike is at the Bike Gallery In Portland, Oregon. Officer Sanders of the Portland Police Dept
is going to take it to impound..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Felt ZC - recovered: Sept 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143552/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Combination of Stolen Bike Edmonton and <b>Edmonton Police Service</b>. Bike was listed for sale on <b>Kijiji</b>
and I was notified by Stolen Bike Edmonton FB group. I went to the address listed
and observed transaction and got the license plate of the buyer. Edmonton Police Service
contacted the buyer - he had made a few modifications but not enough to convince EPS.
He may be charged with obstruction of justice ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Norco Bikes Fluid FS1 - recovered: Sept 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143581/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone in Portland found the frame. The bike had been parted out. I told him to keep it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Breezer CDX - recovered: Sept 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143544/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found by local police and notified via Bike Index- no other details available.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Vita - recovered: Sept 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143571/011.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>Edmonton Police Service</b> recovered it. It's in rough shape now. It has been used and abused. Sad as
it was brand new when stolen. Hopefully it is repairable. I had many texts
from people seeing similar bikes for sale and checking Bike Index though!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Norco Bikes Storm 7.1 - recovered: Sept 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143575/012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Turned in at Metier in Seattle by good Samaritan whose bike was stolen from a car rack,
and mine was left in it's place! Such a shame, but his bike was sacrificed for mine..."
-- (<b>Bike Index</b> notes this is the <b>second time</b> we've helped recover this stolen Colnago.
Santa needs to buy this owner a Kryptonite lock or two.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Colnago Extreme Power - recovered: Sept 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143541/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found by local police and notified via Bike Index- no other details available.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek 7.2 FX - recovered: Sept 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143578/014.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Please call me back, I found your bike abandoned in my yard..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Fuji Traverse 1.8 - recovered: Sept 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143566/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone bought it, noticed it was stolen after searching the
serial number through Google and finding this site, and returned it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 All City Space horse - recovered: Sept 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143542/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Recovered through Bike Index with the assistance of Portland Police. Thank you
Bike Index and Thank you to the Portland Police!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji Nevada - recovered: Sept 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143579/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>Edmonton Police Service</b> notified me of a suspect <b>Kijiji</b> ad.
I arranged to meet and with the help of St Albert RCMP got the bike..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Haro Mary XC 29er - recovered: Sept 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143569/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered with some AMAZING help from the Portland Bike Theft Task Force -
I was contacted about someone spotting my bike a few
blocks away from my house, 2 days after the incident! Another report of the same person
without the bike made it seem like things
wouldn't work out .. but 1 week after the incident someone let me know the bike was
listed on <b>Offerup</b>!
I arranged to meet the seller, and contacted the police. With their help I was able
to get the bike recovered. Two weeks later and I have
learned a few valuable lessons, and will do my part to help get bikes back to
their rightful owners.." (Bike Index notes that this seller's
<a target="_new" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/541303058/">Offerup account is still active.</a>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale CAAD 10 - recovered: Sept 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143572/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello I was looking around and your bike is for sale on <b>OfferUp</b> right now.
Looks like the same one. Even the red holder on the Seat tube ..." Later, another tip:
"Please contact me - I have found your bike and the person is willing to turn it back over to you."
And later, from the owner:
"Hey Bryan. Thanks for your help. I was able to get the bike back today!
Appreciate all you folks in this community out here. Didn't think I'd ever see this thing again.
Met with the guys trying to sell it, they claimed they found it in Venice and wanted
nothing to do with it after they were told it was stolen/already reported.
I described it in detail to them and they handed it over. Went pretty smooth,
which is really surprising to me still..."
(Bike Index notes this seller's <a target="_new" href="https://offerup.com/item/detail/538071458/">Offerup account is still active</a>. )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cervélo Soloist team - recovered: Sept 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143553/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Was this bike recovered a few weeks ago at the Hys Center? If so please update the registry to recovered.
And congrats on getting your bike back after such a long time being MIA..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Focus Mares AX 3.0 - recovered: Sept 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143558/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered through Bike Index, Seattle PD and a considerate stranger ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Scattante R-560 - recovered: Sept 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143556/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This sketchy encampment car with a fresh NINER on the back had been kicking around
various crappy parts of inner SE PDX for a few weeks, and several people had emailed me about it.
I eventually ran across this thing parked at Col Summers park, and email the BTTF officers about it ... who, as it turns out, were already
way ahead of me, and had already seized it. The bike had been stolen in August and BTTF located the victim. ( Nice one! If the victim had registered
with us it would have expedited things but, hey, all's well that ends well. )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Niner, unknown - recovered: Sept 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143546/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The thief was found and arrested! I received one tip through this page and another
through <b>Craigslist</b> which ultimately led to the bike's return :)
The thief contacted a guy who sells used bikes and has bought from him in the past.
The potential buyer found my Craigslist ad saying it was stolen and contacted the
police. Set up a fake buy with the police there. Got back 2 very expensive mountain
bikes that had been stolen last night as well...
Turns out this guy and his wife have been stealing and selling bikes and other items for
a while in this area. <b>They are now in jail with 3 felony counts each for theft.</b>
Great to have them off the streets for now.
(Later) Just talked to the owner of the other 2 bikes recovered:
One was a $5,200 carbon mountain bike so hopefully they get
charged with the next level of felony for that one since it's over 5k.
That would be mandatory jail time."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Salsa Vaya - recovered: Sept 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143580/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello! My name is (redacted) An hour ago, I was walking out of Slow Bar
after some after-work drinks, and some sketch ball tried to sell me your bike
for $100 (obviously stolen). I was going to just lock it and tell him
to eat rocks, but I ended up buying it for $60 to avoid confrontation.
So... I HAVE YOUR BIKE!!! Serial Number
matches, and its in good shape. Your bike is in a safe and secure spot ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Sequoia - recovered: Sept 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143543/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"We have your bike at <a target="_new" href="http://www.backalleybikerepair.com/">Back Alley Bike Repair</a> in Seattle, a guy walked in and said he found it a
block away and left it with us..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Alight - recovered: Sept 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143549/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I am with the <b>Edmonton Police Service</b>.
I have recovered your bike and want you to contact me ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Rocky Mountain Bicycles Blizzard - recovered: Sept 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143570/027.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Library security guard thought bike might be stolen and looked up
serial number on Bike Index!" (Editor's note: we send a special thanks to this guard, who had now ID'd multiple stolen bikes)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Trek 7.3 FX - recovered: Sept 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143551/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found by local police and notified via Bike Index- no other details available.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 REI GHOST Square Urban 2 - recovered: Sept 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143565/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Really nice person who bought it off Facebook marketplace noticed some odd things and
ran the bike serial number through Bike Index and saw that it was stolen. He turned it in to the police..."
(Ed note: we'd like to remind everybody we wrote a guide called "<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-not-to-buy-a-stolen-bike-online">How not to buy a
stolen bike online</a>"
that would have helpded prevent this ...)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Brava SLR - recovered: Sept 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143554/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Santa Monica Police Department caught the guy!! He is in jail now for 60 days,
and a 3-year probation extension. The bike was partially stripped but
looking into tuning it up and selling it, or selling the parts/frame, or
just keeping it as second bike..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Sirrus Comp Carbon - recovered: Sept 21, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143545/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found it for sale on the internet ... (no other details provided)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized BI 1660 - recovered: Sept 21, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143568/033.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The person who bought the stolen bicycle searched online and my stolen bicycle
listing on Bike Index came up in the search results.
This person contacted Bike Index who forwarded on the message and contact
info to me and we arranged to meet. This person was so kind as to return the bicycle
to me at home. Thank you honest and good people in our community. BOO! to bicycle thieves.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek District SSB 54 SL - recovered: Sept 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143547/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Please contact the Seattle PD and inform them the bike is currently at Westside Bicycle ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Devinci Troy XP - recovered: Sept 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143557/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Just left you a VM I have recovered your bike!" (Bike Index extends a thanks to this CCSO officer, who
is legendary for recovering bikes... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Specialized Crux Comp - recovered: Sept 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143576/036.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A Good Samaritan saw a guy with my bike (and it didn’t belong)... so while the folks at the
Lutz Tavern were stalling the bike theif guy.... the Good Samaritan looked up my bike on Bike
Index and saw it was stolen. He called me and we came to the seen right away (we were minutes away)
and got my bike back! We also were able to follow the thief and the Police now have him in custody...
he had a warrant out for his arrest. Thanks community and Bike Index!!!! So very happy to have my
beloved bike back"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
John Kennedy "Elite" - recovered: Sept 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143561/037.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found by local police and notified via Bike Index- no other details available.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 LeMond Racing Cycles reno - recovered: Sept 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143560/038.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Somebody came to the park asking for a reward. There was not a reward,
but we gave him $40 for gas.
The bike was recovered in pieces. Looked like somebody tried to strip
the electronics system off of it. I thought I had updated this site, but obviously not.
Three months later, somebody contacted me from Seattle about a similar bike (so I am updating here)
Your site rocks. Your members rock."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Rad Power Bikes Radwagon cargo bike - recovered: Sept 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143567/039.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"An employee at <a target="_new" href="http://www.backalleybikerepair.com/">Back Alley Bikes</a> recognized it from the Bike Index listing and put
a lock on it, and contacted me to pick it up... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Larry Vs Harry Bullitt Clockwork - recovered: Sept 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143555/040.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police Called like a month ago saying they have recovered something that
matches the description my by Bike Index profile .. (it was a match)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Raleigh Diamond Frame - recovered: Sept 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/143559/041.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone bought it from the thief and soon after his friend saw my post on Stolen Bike Nola
and contacted me..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2000 Cannondale Jekyll - recovered: Sept 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<p> </p>
<p>
And that's it for September! To be honest, that was a crazy amount of bikes turning up for this late in the year, and it kept us pretty busy.
</p>
<p>Don't stop now, though - perhaps you want to read our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-2018-bike-recoveries">October's recoveries</a> too?
</p>
2018-12-11T16:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-newest-municipal-partner-new-orleansBike Index's newest municipal partner: New Orleans2018-12-11T16:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en" target="none"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/142870/New_Orleans_trip_-_Bicycles_on_Bourbon_Street.jpg" alt="New orleans wikimedia" /></a>
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons</p>
<p>New Orleans is no stranger to Bike Index. Since 2015 <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.com/" target="none">the advocacy group Stolen Bikes NOLA</a> has been registering bikes in Bike Index and has utilized Bike Index in some of their 1,000+ stolen bicycle recoveries. But now, the New Orleans Department of Permits and Safety has brought Bike Index on as a way for the city to access and add to a national bicycle registration database.</p>
<p>With an import of New Orleans’ registrations from the city’s former registration system, along with Stolen Bikes NOLA’s 1,800+ existing bicycle registrations in Bike Index, New Orleans is looking to start their partnership with Bike Index on a strong foot.</p>
<p>Cyclists and bike advocates in New Orleans rejoiced when they heard that the city was ditching its mandatory bicycle registration policy this fall. But at the same time, word on the street was that the city was initially planning on developing a new registration system in-house.</p>
<p>“When bikes are stolen, thieves today can easily sell them outside the local jurisdiction where the theft occurred,” said Larry Lagarde, owner of RideTHISBike, a bike shop in the French Quarter. “For this reason, any public jurisdiction that takes on bicycle registration without partnering with a well-known, easy to use, nationwide (or even international) online registry is setting themselves up for failure.”</p>
<p>Cycling advocates in town were worried a city-specific registry would be less effective than an existing national database, especially since a number of local cyclists, advocacy groups, and bike shops already used Bike Index’s national database. The existing in-house registration system <a href="https://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2018/07/bike_registration_new_orleans.html" target="none">was confusing</a>, came with a charge of a couple of dollars, and required a stop into the NOPD.</p>
<p>Lagarde, also the VP of Stolen Bikes NOLA, has seen how bike theft and mandatory registration affects his shop patrons through “the heavy strain bike theft places on those with low incomes.” Many locals who live in the French Quarter “ride bicycles as their daily transportation out of financial necessity. When someone’s bike is stolen, uncertain transportation alternatives can result in losing a job and even becoming homeless,” said Lagarde.</p>
<p>With a foot in the door of a number of cycling spheres in New Orleans, Lagarde was able to get in touch with the city’s Department of Safety and Permits, and recommend Bike Index as a system that could work for New Orleans’ new registry.</p>
<p>Bike Index will hopefully be a great improvement to the old New Orleans registration process - “It’s the best I know,” said Lagarde of Bike Index’s platform.</p>
<p>According to Lagarde, other important elements of a registry include an “Online database with minimal restrictions to accessibility. The registrants should be able to update their bike info as it changes, including adding/changing photos at anytime. Scan-able decals should be available so registrants can affix them to their bikes, making it possible to determine if a registrant has listed the bike as stolen.” These are all things that Bike Index offers.</p>
<p>A remaining New Orleans city ordinance does require registered bicycles to have a sticker with a serialized number. The Department of Safety and Permits will recruit bike shops in New Orleans to register bikes and hand out stickers to their customers and patrons.</p>
<p>“If scanning the sticker via any smartphone immediately queries a widely used, nation-wide database and provides a realtime answer as to whether the bike has been flagged as stolen, this makes sense,” said Lagarde. The city has serialized stickers in place which will allow administrators of the city’s new Bike Index registry to look up bikes.</p>
<p>Making registration and recording of serial number easier through Bike Index could result in significantly higher registration numbers and theft returns. As someone who works with theft recovery regularly through his bike shop and Stolen Bikes NOLA, Lagarde agrees.</p>
<p>“I have learned that registering a bicycle’s serial number and other identifying details is absolutely vital to bicycle recovery. If a bike’s serial number is not registered, the likelihood of law enforcement devoting resources to assisting with recovery is minimal.”</p>
<p>We are excited to work with New Orleans to help them register and recover more bicycles, with both cost-effective and time-effective tools for database management.</p>
2018-11-20T18:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/be-a-bike-saver---donate-to-bike-index-on-giving-tuesdayBe a Bike Saver - Donate to Bike Index on Giving Tuesday2018-11-20T18:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>It’s no secret that Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We tout it all the time. Our nonprofit status allows us to work with the groups whose missions align with ours and it reflects our simple goal of registering all of the bikes in the world. Being a nonprofit also makes us eligible to receive your kindly donations - the donations that help us keep more bikes safe.</p>
<p>This coming Tuesday, November 27, is Giving Tuesday. We hope that you will head over to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donate/522016218274827/" target="none">fundraiser on facebook</a> <strong>at 8 AM</strong> on Giving Tuesday and donate whatever you can. Whether that’s $1 or $1 million 😎 each bit goes directly toward our efforts to recover stolen bikes and get other organizations on board who can also recover lots of bikes.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/141615/Image_uploaded_from_iOS__1_.jpg" alt="Thanksgiving" /></p>
<p>While we may not have registered every bike in the universe yet, we have managed to recover more stolen bicycles than any other registration service - over 5,000 as of last month. In fact, as of today, we’ve helped recover 5,153 stolen bicycles. And we’ve had a good year. We now have over 132,000 registrants, almost 200,000 registered bicycles, and over 500 partner organizations. We have gathered all of these registrations and partnerships organically. Through our own efforts to engage and unite community members, and through the efforts of incredibly special people in the cycling community, we have managed to build Bike Index into a lasting registration system with a global network.</p>
<p>Your donations have enabled this to happen. Help us continue another great year of Bike Index by donating on Giving Tuesday.</p>
<p>We have chosen to host a fundraiser on facebook because facebook is matching up to $7 million worth of facebook-hosted donations to nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. But this is somewhat on a first-come first-serve basis, so we’re asking everyone to donate at 8 AM on November 27th. We will be thinking of you as you sip your morning coffee.</p>
<p>Contributing to the cycling community is the reason for Bike Index. We connect with people who are passionate about the many different kinds of cycling, and who are willing to go steal someone else’s bike back just because they recognized it on Bike Index (not officially condoned, but always appreciated). This community is filled with bike shops, police departments, universities, advocacy groups, and individual cyclists who recognize what our bikes mean to us.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/141614/IMG_1271.JPG" alt="bryan riding" /></p>
<p>There might not be an analogue to the bicycle: these vehicles stay with us for years and years and are cherished goods. Yet, we are forced to leave them outside, unattended.</p>
<p>But through Bike Index, we aim to reduce the stress cyclists feel about leaving their bikes out. And in the worst case scenario, Bike Index connects theft victims with people who purely want to help - we have been so happy to discover that there are lots of these amazing people. With Bike Index, organizations too can boost registrations by making sure their constituents’ bikes are safe and logged. Bike Index provides tools without demanding increased time and effort to use them. You can register your bike in two minutes, and your registration remains forever, for free.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to donate on facebook, you can always donate <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index" target="none">on our usual platform</a>. <strong>Don’t forget that your donations are tax deductible!</strong> Thank you for caring about bikes. Get out there and ride!</p>
2018-11-08T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/boomerang-cyclotrac-set-to-launch-version2-but-needs-our-helpBoomerang CycloTrac set to launch V2 with improvements2018-11-08T17:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>If you haven’t read our review of the Boomerang CycloTrac from last November, then before you begin here, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindex-checks-out-boomerang-cyclotrac---gps-tracking-for-bikes" target="none">give it a look</a>.</p>
<p>About a year ago, Bryan, our in house bike tech expert, received <a href="https://boomerangbike.com/" target="none">a Boomerang tracker</a> to review. Bryan has reviewed a number of bike tracking devices throughout his tenure as a cyclist (think, 10+ years), and as an informed tracker tester, he had lots of great things to say about the product. The Boomerang GPS CycloTrac holds up to weather and has a long battery life, not to mention that its purchase includes cellular subscription so you don’t have to deal with figuring out how all of that works.</p>
<p>But Boomerang is working on a V2 model to build upon the work they have already done to produce the great V1 model that we received for testing last year.</p>
<p>In celebration of their new model, <a href="https://boomerangbike.com/" target="none">Boomerang is offering Bike Index members a V1 Boomerang CycloTrac</a> for $25 (which is <strong>at an 80% discount</strong>) and will donate $20 of the $25 to Bike Index. The only other fee is one quarterly charge for Verizon data and software cost and support, which is $3.90 monthly.</p>
<p>According to Boomerang founder Kevin Fahrner, “Boomerang is one of only two companies doing research and development in IoT technology to prevent bike theft. The large bike manufacturers are not investing on anti theft technology and the lock companies are committed to more metal and steel and heavier locks.”</p>
<p>Which is why Boomerang is working to develop their new V2 model with some notable improvements worth investing in.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/140415/vol61fhkf46kbrr9z2fh.jpg" alt="V2 vs V1" /></p>
<p><strong>First</strong>, the V2 of Boomerang is smaller, almost half the length. While the overtness of the V1 tracker broke the mold in an actually rather clever way (by saying THIS BIKE IS FOR SURE BEING TRACKED), the new model has more potential for concealment, especially on a larger bike such as a cargo bike or an e-bike. And while the new model is smaller, it has the same size antennas, so as not to reduce broadcast performance.</p>
<p>And, “In addition to the V2 hardware, we will be adding a broadcast ability,” says Fahrner. “Our long term goal is to broadcast a bike theft within minutes to the bike community located within 1/2 mile of a “confirmed” bike theft.”</p>
<p>Bike Index operates on the community model, by showing bikes as stolen to both local as well as national (and international!) communities. The cycling community gets stuff done, and with some sort of instant alert to those who have subscribed, we see Boomerang as being a great way to recruit active participants to help prevent thefts.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/140427/IMG_3089.JPG" alt="boomerang bottle cage" /></p>
<p><strong>A second</strong> important improvement with the V2 model of Boomerang is that alerts will send more quickly than with the initial model. This comes partly with the switch to LTE for cellular connection instead of the former 2G application. A couple of folks had issues with not receiving alerts within the first few minutes of a bike being moved.</p>
<p>Fahrner’s aim is to make sure the whole process runs more quickly. The switch to LTE will also extend the battery life of the device. As our first article mentioned, in Boomerang V1, one charge already gets you 5-6 days of continuous GPS tracking for a standard commuter, so any improvement is just a huge bonus. PLUS, the V2 will work in Canada.</p>
<p><strong>And then</strong>, the new V2 model of Boomerang will also be 30% cheaper than the initial Boomerang, which was already only $155 for the device and for <strong>one year</strong> of cellular service. “<a href="https://boomerangbike.com/" target="none">Supporting the campaign</a> and our effort allows us to reduce the cost and price so we can have a GPS solution on the low end of the bike market,” says Fahrner. By making V2 even more affordable, protecting your bike becomes less of an additional cost burden to the price of a bike.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/140424/zixdoqyrl5ubh5ulu85p.png" alt="Boomerang timeline" /></p>
<p>“Donations of $1.00 to $5.00 are just as important as purchasing the [V1 or new V2] device,” says Fahrner. “If anyone who lost a bike to theft supported our campaign we could develop technology to put an end to bike theft. We are committed to this goal and we are convinced our technology can achieve the goal.”</p>
<p>The Boomerang CycloTrac will bring a great product to market for a fair price, and help in the overall fight against bike theft.</p>
2018-11-07T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/ten-questions-with-vlad-sonkin-developer-of-a-bike-index-app-for-androEight questions with Vlad Sonkin, developer of a free Bike Index app for Android 2018-11-07T17:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>One of the most entertaining and amazing things we get to see here at the Bike Index is how people use Bike Index’s various tools - often in unexpected ways.</p>
<p>For example: Imagine my surprise when I received this email from Moscow-based developer <a target="_new" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladsonkin/">Vlad Sonkin</a>, completely out of the blue:</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/140323/vlad2.JPG" alt="app" /></p>
<p><i>“Hello! <a target="_new" href="https://www.behance.net/tatyanasonkina">My wife (web designer)</a> and I wanted to help you with your mission and
developed the <a target="_new" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonkins.bikeindex">Android application Bike Index</a>. It’s free, without advertising and has links to your site. Also we are an open source project, <a target="_new" href="https://github.com/vladsonkin/bikeindex">full project code can be found here</a>”</i></p>
<p>As we soon found out, Vlad his wife <a target="_new" href="https://www.behance.net/tatyanasonkina">Tanya</a> had built a Bike Index app - from scratch, all the way from Moscow, which I find quite amazing - I downloaded the app and had a look around. Yeah, wow - they built a pretty great app. Right now the app does all the basic searching by make/model/color serial etc - no advanced features like bike listing or management yet - but it works pretty smoothly. And, wow, we’ve never even ‘met’ them before!</p>
<p>For the non-technical folks out there, Bike Index has an <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation/api_v3">open API</a> (an <a target="_new" href="https://medium.freecodecamp.org/what-is-an-api-in-english-please-b880a3214a82">Application Programming Interface</a>) that lets people ‘talk’ to Bike Index’s database with their own code. It’s what lets the Bike Index database talk to things like
<a target="_new" href="https://www.nwrapid.com/default.aspx?DN=abd5d0f5-5569-44eb-80c7-6f7145c6e70b">RAPID,
<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online">LEADSOnline,
<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a> - and now, <a target="_new" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.son">Vlad and Tanya’s Bike Index app</a>.</a></a></p>
<p>Bike Index is the only registration/recovery site with this kind of API access - and it’s why we get wonderful surprises like this.</p>
<p>Naturally we wanted to reach out to them for a Q&A - because we had a lot of questions about everything from being a developer in Russia to how they discovered the Bike Index …</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/139641/Screenshot_20181007-130909.png" alt="app" /></p>
<p><b>Bike Index: How did you and your wife get started in programming and app development? Did you both study technology in school or have a technology background?</b></p>
<p>Vlad:<i>I graduated with honors in computer science and my wife is a doctor, but she successfully completed a couple of courses in web-design and found a job as a web-designer in web-studio where she works now almost 2 years. Once in the evening we thought that we can create together websites. And then we started to do some small websites for people and we loved it. And then we thought “what if we create some mobile app together?” :)</i></p>
<p><b>Bike Index: How did you discover the Bike Index (and the Bike Index API)? Were you looking around on Github or did you find it somewhere else? </b></p>
<p>Vlad: <i>We started to look for an idea. We google it. I typed “public API list” and chose Bike Index for our main idea of application, because we saw a potential in this project. We think that it can be very useful for community of Bike Index. To be honest, our goal is to relocate to Netherlands and live there. And the first version of Bike Index application actually called an “Stolen Bikes NL” in orange colors. It primary goal was to find a stolen bikes in NL, because I read somewhere that bike theft is a big deal in Netherlands and we wanted to help. But then we thought - why to limit application to only Netherlands? Why not to expanding it world-wide so everyone can use it? It can bring a lot of benefits to people.</i></p>
<p>(At this point Bike Index quickly introduced Vlad to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AgainstBikeTheft/">Against Bike Theft In The Netherlands</a> FB group, because we think they should meet each other).</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: I don’t know a whole lot about Android development, can you tell me what kind of tools and programming environment you use? What kind of tools did you use to build the Bike Index app?</b></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/139638/Screenshot_20181007-132059.jpg" alt="app" /></p>
<p>Vlad: <i>For coding I used Android Studio and for the design we used Photoshop and Illustrator. And of course code project is open and it’s in Github, so nothing fancy here.</i></p>
<p><b>Bike Index: What is it like for you and your wife being developers in Moscow?
Is there a pretty good ‘developer’ scene there? </b></p>
<p>Answer: <i>Moscow is a good place for the developers, you can earn some money and there a lot of big companies here.</i> <i>But we want to relocate to the Netherlands and try to live in foreign country and work in some international company.</i></p>
<p><i>Building Bike Index was a fun for us. We hope that community will find it useful. We also have a plans for creating some new features, for example:</i></p>
<p><i>
- Login and register bike from application<br />
- Filter bikes by city<br />
- Add Bike Index news feed<br />
- Search by close serial numbers
</i></p>
<p>… and that’s how Bike Index met our new friends in Moscow, Vlad and Tanya! :) I’m still amazed that this pair managed to find out about Bike Index and build us an app, but as Vlad said – ‘ <i>That’s the power of open source project and globalization. We live in an amazing world :)</i> ‘</p>
<p>If you have an Android phone, you can <a target="_new" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonkins.bikeindex">check out the app here</a>.</p>
<p>Thank you Vlad and Tanya - you really surprised us with this and it has been quite fantastic to ‘meet’ you :)</p>
<p>And, if you’re in the Netherlands (or not!) and you are looking for an awesome dev who cares about bike thefts - <a target="_new" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladsonkin/">drop Vlad and Tanya a line</a>!</p>
2018-10-22T00:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-august-2018-recoveriesBike Index's August 2018 recoveries!2018-10-22T00:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>As you can imagine, August kept us pretty busy. I can’t recall a Fall bike theft season as active as this one!</p>
<p>In this month’s recoveries:</p>
<ul>
<li>"<i>This is actually the <b>second</b> time Bike Index has gotten my bike back to me ... </i>"</li>
<li>"<i>Had I not signed up, my bike would have been ... put up for auction without me knowing it...</i>"</li>
<li>"<i>All thanks to Bike Index my bike was returned in less than a week...</i>"</li>
<li>Usually getting these stolen-bike recovery stories out of people is like pulling teeth, but one user sent us a <b>1000+ word write-up</b> on her lengthy (but successful) Serotta recovery in LA</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use your help.</p>
<p>We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the August recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138464/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"King County Surplus contacted me via Bike Index. My bike was considered a 'lost & found'
item left on a Metro bus.
So excited, no damage (other than removing my fenders).
Props to Bike Index! <b>Had I not signed up, my bike would have been donated or put up for
auction without me knowing it.</b> King County Surplus <b>can't check police records</b>
so they check Bike Index when they receive bikes ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Sirrus Sport - recovered: Aug 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138447/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Police returned (this) bike. All components were replaced with poor quality versions
and bike is basically not safe to ride due to brake issues. Not sure about
how well it shifts etc ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2002 Specialized Sirrus A1 Sport - recovered: Aug 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138460/003.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found it abandoned and recognized it from my Facebook post.
They checked the serial number here and it matched!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Mens Crosstrail XXL - recovered: Aug 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138983/100.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another great <b><a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/stolenbikesnola">Stolen Bikes NOLA</a></b> recovery - one of several this month. SBNOLA is a fantastic, well-run local FB group that is doing many on-the-ground
recoveries in their community. They're worth a look at by any other FB groups trying to find the right model to run their own
local bike recovery efforts...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek 7.3 FX - recovered: Aug 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138459/005.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" ... someone saw it on the street and then texted my number ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Trek 15.5 - recovered: Aug 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138446/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A very kind person saw this website and returned my bike! Thanks A.P.!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale R5000 - recovered: Aug 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138476/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Employees at <b>USA Pawn & Jewelry</b>
had a customer try to sell it, they looked it up on Bike Index and held the bike,
notifying me to come pick it up!" (Editor's note: shout out to USA Pawn, this is one of several bikes they've managed to recover.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Gary Fisher ARC Super - recovered: Aug 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138462/008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I joined the Facebook group <b>Stolen Bikes Nola</b> and they returned the bike to me. They encountered someone riding the bike..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Priority Bicycles Priority Coast - recovered: Aug 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138468/009.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police recovered ..." (Editor's note: no other information provided.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Specialized Dolce Comp Apex Compact - recovered: Aug 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138481/010.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(Portland OR Police) Officer Casey Jones recovered it! Awesome guy! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fuji Nevada 29" 1.7 - recovered: Aug 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138458/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I purchased your bike a few weeks ago from a storage unit, and when I sold it, the new buyer pointed out to me that it was stolen. They will be sending it back to me, and I will get it right back to you ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1996 Klein Bikes Quantum Race - recovered: Aug 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138452/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone recovered my stolen bike through Bike Index. This is actually the <b>SECOND time</b>
Bike Index has gotten my bike back to me. I really appreciate what you do.
There are so many bike thieves in the city but good people run this website
and good people check the serial numbers to return stolen bicycles. Restores my faith in
humanity and brings a little tear to my eye :') Ride on! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Norco Bikes Valence A1 - recovered: Aug 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138982/101.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I bought a women's Cannondale Quick 4 last week. I took it to (the shop) to have it
tuned up and found out it was stolen ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Cannondale Quick 4 - recovered: Aug 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138470/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey Bryan,
I got my bike back! I just want to say thank you so much to you and Ernest, who found it.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Surly Cross Check - recovered: Aug 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138474/017.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It reappeared where we'd left it after community Facebook posts ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Haro Flightline 24 Plus - recovered: Aug 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138981/102.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was found on Kijiji. Met with seller and explained he had stolen property... " (Editor's note: Kijiji, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is basically a 'Canadian Craigslist')
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Norco Bikes Vesta - recovered: Aug XX, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138473/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The owner of this bike wrote such a long, detailed post about how they got their bike back that I had to break it
into it's own <a target="_new" href="http://stolenbicycleregistry.com/kyla.txt">little text file</a>. The tl;dr version - bike is stolen, bike shows up on Offerup (of course) so the owner
went full out <b>recovery ninja</b> and recovered her bike. <b>Long story short: do not steal Kyla's bike</b>. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Serotta Tri-Colorado III - recovered: Aug 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138453/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello! One of our customers found your (tall) bike at the bus stop and brought it
in so we could check the Bike Index ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Surly Tall Bike - recovered: Aug 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138455/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Hi, I am pretty sure my husband just found your bike in an alleyway behind our house.
Please contact us ... we have it secured in our home..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Bianchi Axis - recovered: Aug 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138472/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found by member of the public dumped in their driveway ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Alba Levanta 8 - recovered: Aug 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138454/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(A short but sweet email from the CCSO Deputy who recovers more bike than anybody else around) - I have recovered your MASI!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Masi Speciale Fixed - recovered: Aug 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138469/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Yet another <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576708895843716/?ref=br_rs">Stolen Bikes Edmonton</a> recovery. We've said it here before but <b>Stolen Bikes Edmonton</b> is another local stolen-bikes FB group that is on an absolute tear when it comes to recoveries ... It's a closed FB group with a highly effective group of users and admins who are absolutely
on point when it comes to recovering bikes in Edmonton. Honestly, it's hard to keep up with them. Keep up the good work!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Rocky Mountain Bicycles Sherpa - recovered: Aug 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138461/025.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
My husband discovered my trike was locked up at the local Fred Meyers and he
retrieved it for me!!! I wish there was someway for the person who bought my
trike to get his money back, but hopefully karma will mend the way....
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Meridian tricycle - recovered: Aug 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138477/026.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone texted me about (the bike) - and the police helped me recover it !!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Leader Bikes 725 - recovered: Aug 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138984/104.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone bought it and <b>tried to register it on Bike Index</b> - so they returned it!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Schwinn Speedster 3i - recovered: Aug 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138449/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The bike was dumped the same night it was stolen in a neighbor’s yard and they
found the bike through Bike Index!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Raleigh Detour - recovered: Aug 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138456/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This bike will be in police possession now. Please call me at the <b>Bike Gallery</b> in Downtown ... " (Editor's note: thanks to Bike
Gallery for always keeping an eye out.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Kona Honky Tonk - recovered: Aug XX, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138450/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Was found locked up with different locks several blocks away. Police cut
through cables and returned it."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Detour - recovered: Aug 21, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138480/033.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" My bike was recovered after person who bought my bike from person who
broke into my house tried to sell it in LA. Thank you (redacted) and Riverside
Sheriff's office ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Wilier Triestina Zero7 - recovered: Aug 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138451/034.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered with the help of Edmonton Police Service and thanks to this site ..." (ed note: Stolen Bikes Edmonton ID'd this and brought it up
with EPS)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Cross Trail Sport - recovered: Aug 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138448/035.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found my bike laying on the side walk, looked it up on Bike Index, and gave me a call. Thank you neighbor and Bike Index!
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 GT Bicycles Series 4 - recovered: Aug 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138467/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" A combination of sharp eyes on Kijiji and the Police. Plus a little bit of daring.
I used Bike Index to show the seller that my bike was stolen and convinced her to let
me take it to the police..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Electra Cruiser 1 - recovered: Aug 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138471/037.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A Seattle PD recovery ... (no other details provided about this bike at this time)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek 7.3 FX - recovered: Aug 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138479/038.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Stolen Bikes NOLA recovered my bike ... (no other details provided about this bike at this time but - right on SB NOLA!) "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Brooklyn Bicycle Co. Bedford - recovered: Aug 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138466/039.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered with help from the TPS and Kijiji ..." (Editor's note: It seems Kijiji is on a run this month ... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1980 Miyata Team Path Runner - recovered: Aug 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138985/105.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A exceedingly kind neighbor recognized my bike on Bike Index and
sent me a picture of two people walking by with it. He gave me
updates on where the bike was so I could update the police and get the
bike returned! <b>All thanks to Bike Index my bike was returned in less than a week</b> ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Public Bikes R16 - recovered: Aug 27, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138465/041.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found a suspicious bike on <b>LetGo</b>, looked up if any similar bikes were
on Bike Index and when they found my story they got the bike back to me ... " (Editor's note: we're a big fan of recovering
Faradays around here! They're awesome bikes. )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Faraday Porteur S - recovered: Aug 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/138478/045.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My friend saw someone riding it, checked the registration number, explained that it was stolen ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1986 Fuji Team Fuji - recovered: Aug 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br clear="all" />
And that's a wrap for August.
</p>
<p>
Before you go - We would <b>love it</b> if you could help us out. I can't stress enough how much we need your help to keep this site running - in any way shape or form.
</p>
<p>
If you could take just <b>two minutes</b> out of your day and do just <b>one</b> of these things, we'd appreciate it hugely:
</p>
<p>
<ul>
<li>Take 2 minutes out of your day and tell someone you know who owns a bike about the Bike Index. Please!</li>
<li>Give Bike Index a shout-out on <a target="_new" href="https://facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a>!</li>
<li>Tweet or post to Instagram about the Bike Index, and tag <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a> so we can follow you back.</li>
<li>Drop us a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index">couple of bucks</a> to help keep up the fight against bike thieves.</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p>Thanks for reading! See you next month!
</p></p>
2018-10-09T23:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/eight-questions-with-the-owner-of-bike-indexs-5000th-recovered-bikeEight questions with the owner of Bike Index's 5000th Recovered Bike2018-10-09T23:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Milestones are important to us here at the Bike Index - we’re suckers for nice big round numbers that define progress. Show me a chart with a nice uptick in the righthand column, and I’m a happy man.</p>
<p>The funny thing is, we’re often so busy that we miss some of these milestones, even when we have a heads-up that they’re coming. <img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/137661/whoosh.JPG" alt="5000th bike recovered" /> Take our <b>5000th stolen bike</b> recovery, for example - I was <b>super pumped up</b> to catch our homepage counter right as it clicked over to 5000 … but things got kind of busy. I took a few calls, answered, an email, had a coffee, and then <b>whoosh</b> - I missed 5000! But, hey, I caught it at 5003, so it’s all good.</p>
<p>One of the things we’re constantly aware of here at the Bike Index is the emotional and spiritual connection people have to their bikes, <b>and this is why it is so gratifying to help people recover them</b>. A bike is never just a bike. It’s the bike that lived through heartbreak and achievement, through adversity, through love and hate, good times and bad. It’s the bike that propels people throughout their life, it’s the bike that is close to their heart. And when that bike is stolen, it’s like people lose a small part of themselves.</p>
<p>So, when recovered bike #5000 came in, we wanted to know more. (And we won’t lie, we saw that the bike’s name is “Walter” … and for real we wanted to know the story behind that one.)</p>
<p>Here’s the story of the 5000th bike Bike Index helped bring home, as told by Walter’s owner, <b>Nikki</b>:</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/137658/5krecovered.jpg" alt="5000th bike recovered" /></p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Tell us about you and your bike? How long have you had it, do you ride it daily? What kind of adventures have you and your bike had together?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: In January 2016, my stepdad, Bob, shared with me and my siblings his terminal cancer diagnosis. He had stomach cancer, caused by smoking cigarettes, and was given 9-12 mo. to live. One of the things that Bob had going for him was that he was physically in shape. His body took a beating from the illness and the treatments, but his baseline fitness before the diagnosis would help him withstand an aggressive battle.</p>
<p>A month after the news, I broke my leg. The sudden immobility combined with lots of processing about mortality and end-of-life care, made me realize that I was doing my future old-lady-self a disservice by not being more active now. I vowed that once I got out of my cast, I would start biking.</p>
<p>I got Walter (the bike) in October 2016 during my last visit with Bob; he passed away a month later. It stayed, unused, at my mom’s house in Chicago until this past January when I shipped it out to Seattle.</p>
<p>I’ve gone over 5000mi with Walter so far this year; including my first tours this summer: one around the Olympic Peninsula and one going from Seattle to Portland to Seattle. The latter tour included some very valuable lessons about what it means nutritionally and endurance-wise to ride several 100mi days in +90 degree weather.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Your bike’s name is Walter - so, ah, how’d that come to be? Is there a Walter Senior or Junior?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: In fact, I got Walter to Seattle not a moment too soon. Winters in Seattle are slick and my commute into the industrial area of Georgetown features lots of train tracks and large cracks in the road. I was on a road bike, which was great for my first century in beautiful fall weather, but the need for a more all-terrain “water-bike” was apparent. The name “Walter the Water Bike” came and stuck.</p>
<p><b>Tell us about your theft real quick: where was it taken? How was it stolen? What you did after the bike was stolen?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: I took a dear friend out for a drink after a stressful day at work. It was 5:15p when I locked up at the nearest bike rack. It was still light outside when I returned two hours later to find no bike, and a chunk cut out of the u-lock bar. Consensus online says it was cut with an angle grinder, which would have given a good spark show but I’m sure they made fast work of it. I snapped a picture of the lock and called my renter’s insurance to file a claim. I posted about the theft on my personal FB page and on a few local cycling groups. When I got to my house, I checked the original paperwork from when the bike was purchased and was grateful that it included the serial number. <b>I uploaded the information along with a picture and my phone number to Bike Index</b>.</p>
<p>That night, I started grinding my teeth in my sleep and woke up with a splitting headache, so I took a personal day from work to mope and mourn the loss while hiding under my blankets.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/137657/ulockofsadness.jpeg" alt="deathtobikethieves" /></p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Did you ever expect to see your bike again?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: The bike was stolen on Monday and returned on Friday. The day I returned to work after the theft, I took one of my 15min breaks to pace around the neighborhood on the off chance it might have stayed in the vicinity. This was the wrong move for me, though. I was really getting myself worked up and treating everyone who met my gaze with a hard, suspicious stare. (<i>Editor’s note: we feel ya. Seriously.</i>)</p>
<p>When my break was up I knew that I couldn’t keep that mindset going; it was an exhausting experience. I did my best to mentally let go of Walter and take the advice of my husband who reminded me to look at this as an opportunity: I know more today about bikes and bike fits and what I want/need from a bike on tour than I did before. He thought I could take some time to really consider what my next bike would be and make sure I’m getting what I need for my anticipated cross-country bike tour in 2020.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Had you ever heard about Bike Index until you had your bike stolen? Where did you hear about registering with Bike Index?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: I’ve seen people post in local bike groups on FB when their bikes get swiped, and there are inevitably comments about registering your bike on Bike Index and marking it as stolen. I was also advised in the same groups to check the serial number on Bike Index when purchasing a used bike.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: What did it feel like to hear that somebody found it and stole it back? What is getting that call or email like?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: Funny enough, I’d gotten a message on Facebook the next day after it was stolen! (<i>Editor’s note: shout out to the “<a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/435825336587559/">Seattle Area Stolen Bikes</a>” FB group</i>) Unfortunately, the message was filtered into a “Messages Request” inbox that didn’t send me a notification and I didn’t notice it for a few days. In fact, I only saw those messages after receiving a text from the bike rescuing hero, Alex.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Did you get any other details about how this bike was recovered? Where it was, what kind of situation, what part of town it was in?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: The bike was stolen in Georgetown, and Alex happened to notice it in the U-District before he even saw the post on social media. Later that night, see saw it again and recognized it. According to Alex, there was a group of 3 young guys around it, with the bike off to the side. No one was holding onto it and it wasn’t locked up, so as quick as he could he swooped in and took off with it! <b>The group gave chase, but Alex was able to ride it to safety.</b> When my messages on FB weren’t returned, he found my phone number which I’d included in the Bike Index report!</p>
<p><b>Bike Index: Any words or advice for other people out there who have had their bike(s) stolen? Or for people who don’t want their bikes stolen?</b></p>
<p>Nikki: Try not to let the experience of losing something you value and hold dear make you bitter or cynical. Indulge in your grief if you need to. Be kind to yourself and patient with the world. Get renter’s insurance. <b>Register your bike with Bike Index</b>, or at least make sure you have your serial number written down if you need to refer to it later. Make sure when you meet strangers from the internet to have a buddy with you.</p>
<p>-fin-</p>
<p>And that, internet friends, is the story of how Walter the Water Bike came back to his owner - our 5000th story of bike recovery awesomeness.</p>
<p>Bike Index sends a massive shout-out to Alex, wherever you are - and here’s to good people helping each other get their bikes back. (Psst - as always we would love it also if you could <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index" target="_new">help us out so we can continue doing this</a> …)</p>
<p>Onward to the 10k mark, all! Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>-BikeIndex</p>
2018-09-10T15:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-in-the-netherlandsBikes rule in the Netherlands2018-09-10T15:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>What do you think of when you think of the Netherlands? Windmills? Mathieu van der Poel? A sophisticated dikes and levees system? Orange? Beautiful farmland?</p>
<p>I think of bikes. A place where everyone rides a bike: people getting to work, people getting groceries, people wearing skirts, people wearing sandals, people not wearing helmets, cats, dogs, babies on bikes. Cycling in the Netherlands isn’t just hyped up online to make the U.S. feel bad about being car-centric. Bikes in the Netherlands are a BFD (big deal).</p>
<p>I visited the land of the Dutch in September for a bike race. I was unsurprised with the difficulty of the racing given that it was my first time racing in Europe. But I <i>was</i> surprised with how actually truly bike-friendly the country was. Transportation in the Netherlands centers around the bicycle and public transportation. This is done through infrastructure that caters to the bicycle and a general sense of respect for the bicycle as a valid mechanism for getting from place to place.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/134623/IMG_6897.JPG" alt="lily netherlands" /></p>
<p>Via a complex network of bike paths and trails, cyclists in the Netherlands can get to where they need to go in an efficient manner, but they are also protected from traffic that is bigger, faster, and potentially dangerous, such as cars and buses. There are traffic signals exclusively for bikes that indicate when it’s safe to cross roads, and many of the paths that run alongside roads or sidewalks are painted in red to make it obvious where bikes belong and other users do not. In many cases, the bike paths parallel streets, but concrete barriers protect the path from the road. And many of the roads in the Netherlands are super narrow, forcing cars to pull of to the side of the road to let a cyclist or car coming from the opposite direction pass.</p>
<p>I have to admit that the infrastructure confused me a little bit. I was decked out in my race kit, clipless pedals, garmin, and fancy sunglasses, trying to get a workout in, and commuters with handbags and heavy, single-speed bicycles were taking my inside line on paths and flying by me in intersections. It was awesome. Not wearing a helmet seems to be the norm on the bike paths. <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/8/28/17789510/bike-cycling-netherlands-dutch-infrastructure" target="none">The cyclist isn’t expected to armor up</a> to get where they need to go.</p>
<p>When I was flying home, out of Brussels (Belgium), I had to drop my bike bag in an oversized luggage area, where I wondered aloud whether the bike would be safe. A travel companion told me that there’s such a reverence for bikes in the country that no one would steal or damage the bike in the airport. Whether or not that’s actually true, the sentiment demonstrates the huge difference between cycling culture in the U.S. and in many parts of Europe, where cycling has existed as a huge sport and functional mode of transportation for decades.</p>
<p>Infrastructure in the U.S. is dominated by car transportation. To ask cars and bikes to co-exist on the same roads can be rough at best. And when a majority of car trips in the U.S. are under 10 miles, and when I can commute eight urban miles faster on a bike than in a car, you have to wonder whether we’re doing it right. In the Netherlands, 30km commutes are feasible by bicycle. Cycling isn’t something for losers who don’t have cars in the Netherlands. It’s just a cost-effective and efficient way to get around.</p>
<p>This cultural difference could also help explain why the Netherlands is such a force on the world professional cycling circuit. Across cycling disciplines, the Netherlands is a global powerhouse. Kids in the Netherlands learn to ride young, and opportunities to ride, learn, and train safely on the paths are available to everyone. In the Netherlands, everyone rides. So many Dutch citizens get a cycling ‘tryout.’ Their talent pool is huge.</p>
<p>All of this is to say, <strong>bikes rule</strong> in the Netherlands. It’s worth seeing. Bike share companies are the closest thing I have seen in the U.S. to cycling’s availability in the Netherlands - many a work dude rock the suit and dress shoes on a Divvy bike in Chicago, and that warms my heart. But heck, y’all, let’s learn from the Dutch and legalize… ride more bikes!</p>
<p>Have you ridden somewhere with awesome cycling infrastructure? Send us a tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex" target="none">@BikeIndex</a> about your experience.</p>
2018-09-09T16:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-july-2018-recoveriesBike Index's July 2018 recoveries !2018-09-09T16:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello there! What a month July was, let me tell ya’ … it wore me out.</p>
<p>Here’s how July 2018 panned out at the Bike Index:</p>
<ul>
<li>We helped recover a stolen bike <a href="https://twitter.com/ShinyFab/status/1018198114379837440">before it even got registered with us, via Twitter</a>, because PDX folks are awesome</li>
<li><a target="_new" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/8yuql8/c/e2du5vh/">"Almost exactly one year ago my bike was stolen. Today I got it back!"</a> (thanks to Bike Index)</li>
<li>More awesome bike shop recoveries: thanks <a target="_new" href="">Kenton Cycle Repair</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://www.blazingsaddlecleveland.com/">Blazing Saddles Cleveland</a>, <a href="https://www.wtfbikes.net/" target="_new">WTFBikes</a> (with an assist)</li>
<li>The good folks at King County Surplus recover a stolen Titanium Moots RSL ... when somebody <b>abandoned it on a bus</b> (!)<li>
<li>Boise PD - one of our newest law enforcement partners is making good recoveries! Keep it up, Boise!</li>
<li>Another stolen-bike-in-a-stolen-car scenario ... aka a 'stolen-bike turducken'</li>
<li>"<i>... a group of people we knew
messaged the guys through the day (probably gonna launch a detective agency soon to be honest)... </i>"
<li>We did a podcast! Check out "<a target="_new" href="http://thebestbikelock.com/interview/bike-index-registry/">An Interview With Bike Index" over at <a target="_new" href="http://thebestbikelock.com">thebestbikelock.com</a></li>
<li>July's scoreboard: Offerup:5 Letgo:3 Craigslist:1Kijiji:1 </li>
</ul>
Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help.
We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.
Now - onto the recoveries!
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133517/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Steady_Eddie saw two kids with my bike and went well out of his way to recover it. A total miracle. I will
definitely be donating to Bike Index!! I'm sitting here having a beer and staring at my bike in total disbelief ..." (BikeIndex notes we have no idea who Steady_Eddie is ... but hey, shout out to Steady_Eddie)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Felt F3 - recovered: July 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133490/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Original tip: "... your bike is on <b>Offerup</b> right now, been talking to the seller. name is (redacted)"
Later, from the owner: "Thanks to an anonymous tip as a result of this posting I was able to track the guy down and get
my bike back. Proves that there are good people left in the world.
I did file a police report and there's a warrant for his arrest. I reported the bike as stolen and
recovered on OfferUp. <b>The kid who stole it was already in the system for another crime and think
he didn't want to go back to jail</b>. I just reasoned with him on the phone and he met me to give it back.
In exchange I offered not to proceed with criminal charges. Hope this helps. I will
definitely recommend this site to my bike community. Thanks!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
GiantPique 2 - recovered: July 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133519/005.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stunner old school Tommasini was recovered by an awesome local shop: "Hi, I'm the owner of <a target="_new" href="http://kentoncyclepdx.com/">Kenton Cycle Repair</a> bike shop.
Great news! I have your bike!! I would like to get it back to you!! I bought the bike from a
"gentleman" who approached me asking about it's value and if I would like to buy it.
Knowing it was stolen (but not certain this person had done the original theft) , I
decided to buy it. I have it at my shop and would like to return it to you..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1987 Tommasini - recovered: July 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133493/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered: Pawn shop via Bike Index ..." (Curious why we help recover so many bikes in pawn shops? See "<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online">Bike Index Partners With Leadsonline!</a>" )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Synapse - recovered: July 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133514/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I got a call from somebody who saw my posting on <b>Bike Index</b>.
He said that he saw my bike behind his building across town. He sent me the location &
I went and sure enough, it was mine ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Centurion Cavaletto - recovered: July 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133492/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Clackamas County deputy found it!" (Editor's note: Yes, this is the same Clackamas County deputy you keep reading about here in these
monthly round-ups. The guy is the stolen-bike whisperer ...)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Novara Randonee - recovered: July 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133510/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Local bike shop (<a target="_new" href="http://www.blazingsaddlecleveland.com/">Blazing Saddles</a>) had the
bike in for repairs and searched for the serial number on Bike Index.
Bike showed up as stolen and LBS called me to return the bike!!!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Surly Straggler - recovered: July 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133532/91.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The thief pawned my bike and the pawn shop reported it ... glad I filed the report!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Diamondback Clarity 2 - recovered: July 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133499/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
I (Bryan, with Bike Index) personally spotted this thing on Offerup ... <i>"Hello here's a super sketch listing for a TOMMASO on <b>Offerup</b> let me know if it looks like yours".
Later: "Thank you a million times. This was my bike, I contacted the non urgent police
number and they assisted me in getting my bike back.
I wouldn’t have seen this post if you hadn’t shared it. Thank you so so much!
<b>Portland Police were extremely helpful.</b> I got ahold of the non-emergency and they sent
an officer out to help. They didn't have to do much and they weren't there to get anyone in trouble,
but it was nice to have the support walking into a sketch situation."
<b>
Bike Index notes that not only is this seller account still ACTIVE on <b>Offerup</b>, but they're 'verified' by 'TruYou' on <b>Offerup</b>. Sigh ... why do we even bother ...</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Tommaso Imola - recovered: July 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133494/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was returned to my house ... " (Editor's note: No other details were provided)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
SE Bikes- recovered: July 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133511/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was left abandoned on a Metro Bus. I was contacted through Bike Index by the King County Surplus department ... "
</i> Bike Index would like to note <b>WTF TITANIUM MOOTS JUST ABANDONED ON A BUS. DEAR GOD.</b>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Moots Cycles RSL - recovered: July 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133506/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - I have located a BLUE Axino frame." (Editor's note: this was one of the bikes <a target="_new" href="https://katu.com/news/local/north-portland-bike-shop-closes-after-being-ransacked">stolen from Molly Cameron's shop here
in Portland</a> back in 2017 - a break-in that resulted in the closing of that shop. <b>#deathtobikethieves</b>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Blue Axino - recovered: July 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133515/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stunning, custom Breadwinner Cycles <b>with the owner's name emblazoned on the damn tube</b> was one of two bikes stolen
from the shop back in July - see "<a target="_new" href="https://katu.com/news/local/custom-bikes-stolen-from-breadwinner-cycles-in-portland">Custom bikes stolen from Breadwinner Cycles in Portland</a>".
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the owner posted: "<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/subman581/status/1017260872270426112">My bike was returned to the BreadWinner shop today. Not sure about all the details, but it is still in one piece.</a>"
</i> I tried to make enquiries about this one, but got nothing. Ah well. At least the bike's back ...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Custom Breadwinner Lolo - recovered: July 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133500/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone purchased the bike on <b>Craigslist</b> and looked up the serial number
on Bike Index and was able to return it to me! (<a target="_new" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/8yuql8/c/e2du5vh/">See this reddit thread by the bike's owner for more</a>)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fuji Tread 1.5 Disc - recovered: July 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133533/093.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
".. someone found it as a 'free bike' .." (no other details provided)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Norco Bikes Indie4 - recovered: July 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133534/OUsucks.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one was a rabbit hole: Spotted on <b>Offerup</b> (shocker, I know) the owner confirmed "<i>Yes, I can tell that this is the bike - I will contact the local police and see how to go from there. And yes, I am a 100% certain that it is my bike.</i>" So:
We put them in touch with Offerup. That was July 16th. The owner got an Offerup form letter ("We ask you to make a police report because only your local law enforcement has the jurisdiction to fight crime in your area...") ... and then ... nothing.
<p>
<br />
Fast forward to August 28th, when the owner gets a 2nd form letter from Offerup. ("<i>It took them about 5 weeks</i>" says the owner) ---
<b>One month later, nothing to show for it but form letters.</b> Oh yeah, the seller of this bike is still active and 'verified'. Sigh...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133507/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A lucky spot via Twitter - this person registered a couple days after someone
had already tagged us on <a href="https://twitter.com/ShinyFab/status/1018198114379837440">@stolenbikereg</a> - "<i>Friend of mine found an abandoned bike on an overpass at 17th &
Powell. It’s been dropped at <b>WTFbikes</b>. Pass it on until the owner is
found! CC <a href="https://twitter.com/ShinyFab/status/1018198114379837440">@stolenbikereg</a>.</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji - recovered: July 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133502/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Remember when <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/boise-police-department-joins-with-bike-index-to-help-protect-bikes">Boise PD signed up with Bike Index</a>? Well, they've been busy - from their <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/BoisePoliceDepartment/posts/10155949263368143?__xts__[0]=68.ARCn2uEcWLLY1Rq2QPD_VbAHo27VAE86k9ml5gjnDzqd-er4O9Z6YO2XOX30yF6TUo7uUBB_hOe4pIYSV_GtVmmo2ONDKxSP2ozkFvZs0CYisN_H54XBggAsnugMVtShgTOF-nO1CY5ekQPe4tBKWh2OQcDClYFWvFaaqo1_mn7C5eaE3vFJwYU&__tn__=-R">Facebook</a>:
"<i><b>Bike Index for the win!</b> In early July, Shannon unfortunately had to report that her Trek
mountain bike had been stolen from her place of work Downtown. She filed a
report with Boise Police and also updated it as stolen on the <b>Boise Bike Index</b>, which
is a registry used across the nation to keep track of people’s bicycles. Shannon had
pictures and the serial number posted to the Bike Index, which makes things much easier
when trying to locate a lost or stolen bike. Fast forward just over a week… <b>Boise
Police detectives located a bike that had recently been pawned under suspicious
circumstances</b>. Detectives ran the serial number and compared pictures, and voila!
They realized that this bicycle was in fact Shannon’s, which she had reported stolen
the week before. The bad guy who had stolen and pawned her bike was charged with grand
theft and burglary, and Shannon got back her Trek mountain bike!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Trek - recovered: July 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133497/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" A pawn shop was trying to sell it, and a customer told the owner that it was stolen..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Haro BMX - recovered: July 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133513/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Got a quick message about this one from the <b>Seattle Police Dept Evidence Unit</b> that they had this one. Later, from the owner:
"<i>Sure did (get it back)! Already called and am going to pick it up today! Thanks Bryan! This made my day!</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Specialized Rockhopper - recovered: July 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133501/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one came in tagged "<b>Possible sighting on Letgo app</b>"
Later, from the owner: "<i>Someone bought it from a thief on the 'Letgo' app and he checked the serial number on this site!!!! Yay Bike Index!!!!"
(Editor's note: <b>Hey Letgo</b> - we're seeing more and more stolen bikes show up on your site. <b>You should drop us a line.</b> )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Santa Cruz 5010 C - recovered: July 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133495/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The initial tip on this one came in as: "<i>I may have found your bike at at 18th and Harrison. I turned it over to Mission Station in
link with another attempted theft ...</i>" Later, from the owner, we learned more : "<i>A guy/saint named (redacted) called me, saying that he apprehended someone stealing his bike while possessing my bike. <b>He looked up my bike on Bike Index, and called me</b>. The SF police
were ready to let the thief leave with my bike, but Sam convinced them to wait for me to come pick it up.
The bike was very altered and damaged, but we could read enough of the filed down serial number
to confirm it as mine...</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Kona HonkyTonk - recovered: July 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133509/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another great score from the <b>Stolen Bikes Edmonton</b> crew: "<i>I think I saw this bike on the Letgo app...</i>" Later, from the owner: "<i>Hi, thank you so much for the tip, it was my bike in the add!!! I contacted the police this morning
and I guess a neighbour near the seller had also tipped off police about a nice bike in a sketchy area.
I got the bike back tonight!! <b>Thanks again - this bike community rocks!!</b> </i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Argon 18 Nitrogen - recovered: July 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133505/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stop me if you've heard this one: someone buys a stolen bike on <b>Offerup</b> and then it turns out this is one of those sellers everybody has been chasing for months already because <b>for some damn reason his account is still active</b> even though he's fencing bikes left and right. Hell, it's still active as I write this. Initial report:"<i>Hello, I ended up buying this bike in <b>Offerup</b> and just came to know it is stolen.
Please reply back for details. Thanks!!</i>"
Later on, more: "<i>Hi Bryan,
I have recovered the bicycle and have a good case against the person who “sold” it.
I have a report of his OU sales history. <b>He has listed 22 bicycles</b> (mostly high end)
in a two year period, just on <b>Offerup</b>. </i> "
<p>So: It looks like this person is now getting the law enforcement attention they deserve, but, come on ... How the hell this person still has an active account is beyond me.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Evil Insurgent - recovered: July 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133503/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Stolen Bikes Edmonton / LetGo special:
"<i><a target="_new" href="https://letgo.onelink.me/O2PG/2614a803">Look what I just found on letgo!</a>"</i> ...
Later, from the owner: "<i>Got my bike back - Thanks!
Was contacted via Bike Index that my
bike had popped up for Sale on <b>LetGo</b> ... then with some help from my
friends, I now have my bike back!</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Kona Blast - recovered: July 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133508/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<i>Beaverton, OR police arrested <b>transients in a stolen car with my bike and other stolen items inside</b>. This site works!!</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Felt F65X - recovered: July 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133496/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<i>Spotted it on <b>Kijiji</b> pretty quickly after the theft, a group of people we knew
messaged the guys through the day (probably gonna launch a detective agency soon to be honest),
cops got involved and took over the Kijiji bait and had to chase the guy away through
a busy neighborhood - cop on foot chased the guy (who took off on the bike) down
for about 4 blocks, ended when another one who caught up in the SUV & <b>tackled the thief</b>.
JUSTICE FTW.</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Sirrus - recovered: July 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133504/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Hey! The <a href="http://police.uw.edu">University of Washington police</a> - <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/uw-recruits-bike-index-to-protect-campus-from-bike-theft">also Bike Index partners</a> - continue to recover bikes at a steady rate - and they posted this one to <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/UWPolice/posts/2057720904252375
">Facebook</a>:
"<i>Shout out to UW Police Sgt. Jackson who recovered an Seattle Police Department
stolen bike yesterday! Remember to register your bike through Bike
Index so we can get it back!</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Lemond Racing Cycles Versailles - recovered: July 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133512/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Police recovery (no other details) ..." (Bike Index notes this serial placement is awesome ... super clear, super easy to read. All serials should be somewhere this easy to access and read!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Stromer - recovered: July 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/133520/90.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Officer found person riding spray painted bike. Turned out to be my bike!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Jamis Renegade - recovered: July 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br clear="all" />
And that was July, 2018! There's a couple recoveries in here I've had to omit because of special circumstances - but I look forward to telling you about them in next month's roundup. <font size="1">Just have to wait for a couple of folks to get arrested first ... </font>
</p>
<p>
Before you go - We would <b>love it</b> if you could help us out. I can't stress enough how much we need your help to keep this site running - in any way shape or form.
</p>
<p>
If you could take just <b>two minutes</b> out of your day and do just <b>one</b> of these things, we'd appreciate it hugely:
</p>
<p>
<ul>
<li>Give Bike Index a shout-out on <a target="_new" href="https://facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a>!</li>
<li>Tweet about the Bike Index, and tag <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a> so we can follow you back</li>
<li>Drop us a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index">couple of bucks</a> to help keep up the fight against bike thieves</li>
</ul>
</p>
Thanks for reading! See you next month!
</p>
</blockquote></article></p></blockquote></article></a></li></li></li></li></ul>
2018-08-22T18:46:46-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-june-2018-recoveriesBike Index's June 2018 recoveries!2018-08-22T18:46:46-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hey there! Are you ready to read some awesome bike recovery stories? Because I have some awesome bike recovery stories to tell you.</p>
<p>In this edition - the June 2018 recoveries - we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of Seattle PD recoveries coming in - keep it up, SPD!</li>
<li>"<i>I’m stunned to have gotten it back after 7 years, and even more stunned that it’s in decent condition...</i>"</li>
<li>Capitol Loans in Seattle is on a total recovery tear, too ... keep it up Ian! I think you may be setting a new record for pawn recoveries.</li>
<li>"<i>CHP found it in the trunk of a stolen vehicle</i>" (another rare bike theft 'turducken', if you will)</li>
<li>Lots of bike shops out there recovering bikes! Thanks to Block Bikes, Downtown Bike, Bikeworks ... thank you so much to all the bike shops out there keeping an eye out for suspect bikes. Is your LBS using Bike Index yet? If not, please send them our way! We'd love to have them help fight the good fight</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a> - so we run a tight ship.</p>
<p>I won’t lie - it’s pretty annoying to recover so many bikes and have to scrape by on donations. Or to recover a <i>really</i> expensive bike and get no donation in return. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it.</p>
<p>Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131106/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A nice guy showed up with it! Apparently he bought it from the thief and knew it was stolen ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly Cross-Check - recovered: June 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131107/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<a target="_new" href="http://blockbikespdx.com/">Block Bikes</a> in St. Johns recovered it from someone who brought it in to their shop. Thanks! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Clubman Disc - recovered: June 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131110/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>Seattle Police</b> had picked it up nearby ... " (Editor's note: no other info was provided)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Cannondale Synapse 6 Tiagra - recovered: June 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131111/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found the bike posted for sale on <b>OfferUp</b> three weeks after being stolen. I
contacted Mountlake Terrace PD immediately, who coordinated a meeting (under
my OfferUp account). The individual was arrested at the meeting location and
I positively ID'd the bike, which was returned to me the following day
after police processing. Thankful to MLT PD for all their assistance in the
process..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant XTC Advanced 1 29er - recovered: June 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131116/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered - with <b>Seattle PD</b>'s assistance we cut the lock and recovered the bike... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Giant Escape 3 - recovered: June 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131105/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - I found this bike in trash. Tried finding it online. No results anywhere.
Still decent condition. Found on Bike Index under stolen. I really love this bike. Please contact me asap ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Tony Hawk Badseed - recovered: June X, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131123/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike Index notes: this was a case where a bike thief rode in and "traded up",
i.e. stole a bike and left the one he was riding behind. This one was caught on
camera and went out over our SF twitter feed at <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">@stolenbikessfo</a>
"(Bike was found via) owner and Bike index with SFPD made connections, Owner
came by my house and got it! Nice work and a good ending to part of my loss ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Felt F60 - recovered: June 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131129/008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - I think I found whats left of your bike ..." (Editor's note: no other information provided ... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Cannondale F7 - recovered: June 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131109/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A kind stranger found the bike, called me and then they returned it!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Giant v8 Escape Jr - recovered: June 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131126/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone recognized a man with the bike and took it from him ... (and) contacted my partner... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Swobo Accomplice - recovered: June 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131095/011.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The <b>Seattle Police</b> department helped me recover my money after I found the
bike on Craigslist and bought it from the seller..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Cannondale R800 - recovered: June 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131120/012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey. This is (redacted) from Stolen Bikes Nola. We may have your trike! Please contact "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Meridian 26 Single Speed - recovered: June 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131124/013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police arrested the person who had the bike. Bike was unrecoverable as it had
been through a chop shop kind of scenario - hardly even recognized it anymore..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Norco Bikes Storm 7.3 - recovered: June 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131108/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thief tried to pawn it and the pawn shop checked Bike Index before confiscating!"
From the pawn shop: "Pretty hyped on this one. The guy was pretty bold, he decided to
hang out for the cops and ended up in cuffs..." (Editor's note: shout out to Capitol Loans for recovering so many bikes!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Raleigh Merit 3 - recovered: June 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131096/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Recovered by police (<b>Seattle PD</b>) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Diamondback Insight 2 - recovered: June 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131098/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, This is Ofc Scott with the <b>Portland Police Bureau</b>. I may have found your Rocky Mountain
cyclocross bike. Please call me ..."
From the owner: "I'm a bit flabbergasted as this had fallen out of my memory long ago.
I was able to connect with Ofc Scott and indeed, the bike is mine.
I’m stunned to have gotten it back <b>after 7 years</b>, and even more stunned
that it’s in decent condition.
Thank you for passing this on to me and or your organization’s mission
and service..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Rocky Mountain Bicycles Solo CX - recovered: June 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131099/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Pawn shop found it via Bike Index!" (Editor's note: shout out <b>again</b> Capitol Loans for being
awesome and checking the Bike Index!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Synapse - recovered: June 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131097/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"CHP found it in the trunk of a stolen vehicle - bike was returned to me in good condition... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek Domane - recovered: June 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131115/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I believe I have your bike, it was one of couple I retrieved on a repo. It needed a lil work but in need of rear derailleur bracket still ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Salsa Vaya 3 52cm - recovered: June 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131100/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, Your bike was dumped in my backyard last night. I notified <b>Seattle PD</b> with the
case number you provided below and they will coming by my house shortly to
retrieve the bike and also get a description of the guy who tried to come
back and get it today. Hopefully Seattle PD should be dropping your bike back
you later this evening ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Diamondback Haanjo Metro Plus - recovered: June 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131121/021.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I have recovered your bike from the weeds in an abandoned backyard ...
Surprisingly intact, still equipped with wheel lights and all. Needs new tube, tire,
tuneup ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cannondale Trail 29 7 - recovered: June 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131118/022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Owner of <a target="_new" href="https://www.downtownb.com/">Downtown Bike</a> in Puyallup, Washington checked a suspicious bike on
Bike Index and found that it had been stolen. The police and the bike shop called to
let me know they had recovered it from the buyer who said he had purchased the bike at a bike swap ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized S-Works Epic Carbon 29 SRAM Blk L - recovered: June 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131103/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Police (no other details were provided)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 6700 - recovered: June 19th, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131127/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Police found it at a pawn shop ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Diamondback Release 2 - recovered: June 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131102/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This bike has been recovered by the <b>Portland Police Bureau</b>. To claim your bike, please call us ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Fit bike Co. BF 22 - recovered: June 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131125/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was returned to <b>Duvall, Washington Police Department</b> ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Yeti SB4.5 - recovered: June 21, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131114/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Somebody found it partially stripped about half a mile from my home. He found a number of
frames after listing them in <b>Craigslist</b>, later checked Bike Index. Contacted me and
was willing to return for free. Bike was missing headset, stem and wheel set ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Specialized Allez Vita - recovered: June 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131102/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Local police (<b>University of Washington Police Department</b> & <b>Seattle Police Department</b>)
found the bike within the area from which it was stolen and, after checking the Bike Index,
contacted me to confirm that the theft. <b>The Bike Index in conjunction with local police
were the reasons I recovered my bike!</b> "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Jamis 4130 Double-Butted Chromoly - recovered: June 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131119/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey, how are you doing? My name is [redacted] and I was working off of 12th and Morrison where
I saw your bike being taking around. I confronted the gentleman and acquired the bike ... "
(Bike Index - shout out to the guy who repo'd this one, I actually got to talk to them in person
and they were pretty awesome re: this recovery. I love local PDX folks helping each other out
when it comes to stolen bikes ...)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cannondale Synapse Alloy - recovered: June 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131112/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey I think I found your bike down in the woods by Golden Gardens today.
It was on the side of the trail that goes between the railroad overpass at
Shilshole and the switchback by the park maintenance facility (2nd switchback from the bottom).
It had the front wheel off and was next to a pile of other probably stolen stuff, incl.
a generator. I snapped a pic of it .. Let me know if you need
more info or want some muscle and numbers to retrieve it."
(Editor's note: some local FB folks later went and retrieved this bike, and it made its way back to the owner)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1993 Diamondback Topanga - recovered: June 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131117/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"OLE OLE = THANKS to this BIKE INDEX and Facebook!!!!!! LOVE IT"
(Editor's note: to clarify - the FB group <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/">pnwLostStolenBikes</a>
had posted this as recovered bike, and then the owner was found via their Bike Index listing. Ole!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Felt Compulsion 10 - recovered: June 27, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131101/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered by <b>Corvallis Police</b> after a prospective buyer noticed it for sale on <b>Craigslist</b> and reported it... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Trek Fuel EX8 Plus - recovered: June 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131113/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was seized by the <b>Portland Police Bureau</b>, who then contacted me via Bike Index ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Fit bike Co. BF 22 - recovered: June 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/131104/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey. We have your bike at <a target="_new" href="https://bikeworks.org/">Bikeworks</a> in Columbia City ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Diamondback Century 1 - recovered: June 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br clear="all" /><p> </p></p>
<p>And that’s it for June.</p>
<p>July’s wrap-up is coming up next, and it’s already looking like a pretty huge one, so stay tuned.</p>
<p>Before you go - We would love it if you could help us out - I can’t stress enough how much we need assistance from our readers, in any way shape or form.</p>
<p>If you could take just <b>two minutes</b> out of your day and do just <b>one</b> of these things, we’d appreciate it hugely:</p>
<ul>
<li>Give Bike Index a shout-out on <a target="_new" href="https://facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a>!</li>
<li>Tweet about the Bike Index, and tag <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a> so we can follow you back</li>
<li>Drop us a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_bike_index">couple of bucks</a> to help keep up the fight against bike thieves</li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
2018-07-09T00:01:27-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-may-2018-recoveriesBike Index's May 2018 recoveries!2018-07-09T00:01:27-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Yeah, yeah, I know it’s July, but you wouldn’t believe how crazy busy we are here at Bike Index. So, yes, here are the <b>May 2018</b> stolen bike recovery stories. Even though they’re a little late out the door, they’re as eventful as usual.</p>
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Seattle Police / SPD are on a stolen-bike recovery tear. Thanks SPD!</li>
<li>Not a single one of the stolen bike sellers we caught on Offerup have had their accounts terminated. #ffs </li>
<li>A stolen Colnago was recovered in less than 24h in Seattle ... because we told the owner to watch Offerup.</li>
<li>Oh hey an editor for PELOTON magazine just recovered a bike using Bike Index, you know ... nbd ... (Thanks Clive!)</li>
<li>A bike stolen in 2013 (!) is ID'd and recovered - thanks Portland Police Property Division!</li>
<li>"<i>My friend <b>stole it back from a camp</b> along the Marine Drive bike path</i>..."</li>
<li>When an email starts "HOLY SH*T I THINK I FOUND YOUR BIKE TODAY" ... you generally know it's going to be awesome.</li>
<li>Lots and lots of locally-driven Facebook 'stolen bike group' recoveries.</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a> - so we run a tight ship.</p>
<p>I won’t lie - it’s pretty annoying to recover so many bikes and have to scrape by on donations. Or to recover a <i>really</i> expensive bike and get no donation in return. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it. Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>. Your donation would help us recover even more bikes.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124917/002.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Editor's note: this Specialized Diverge wasn't even in the Bike Index, but we worked with the SPD
officers that ran into it to track down the shop that sold it and to find the owner.
(Thank you, <a target="_new" href="https://www.hellobicycle.com/">Hello Bicycle</a> in Seattle!) Thanks to the SPD major crimes
officers, and needless to say this would have been 10x easier of the bike had been listed in Bike Index in the first place ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Diverge - recovered: May 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124899/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was spotted and we retrieved it. Thanks to all!" (Editor's note: no other info provided)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Evo DLX - recovered: May 1st 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124921/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I woke up to tons of text messages and emails from people in the Bike Index community that had spotted it on
both <b>Offerup</b> and <b>Craigslist</b>. I was able to positively ID the bike from the photos posted as they included
my rear rack, pedals, and the scuff on the front stem that was undoubtedly from damage I had caused.
The Offerup post indicated the bike had been sold, but the CL post had been put up 2 hours after and
used the same photos, so I thought this was a red herring. I set up a time to meet the seller through
Craigslist (at a mall) and the SPD met us there. I was able to get the seller to pull the bike out
of his trunk, at which point I verified that it was definitely mine. While I put the front wheel on
he told me I could test ride it, and the SPD jumped in behind me after I rode in the other direction.
This person was not the original thief, which we know because we had video footage from when it
happened. We believe they were working together, but since the seller had a clean record, the SPD let him go ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Cannondale CAAD X - recovered: May 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124912/005.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I contacted the bike shop where I got it, and it turns out one of their customers, who I met while buying my bike, owns
a nearby bar and saw a man with my bike at 2am outside. The bike is custom
so he recognized it immediately and he offered cash for it to avoid a confrontation. The man agreed to sell it and it’s now being stored at the
home of the awesome customer who helped me out... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1984 Stumpjumper - recovered: May 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124897/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, Officer Randle with <b>SPD</b> here. I recovered your bike today at near St. Luke's Church. I'll have it in Ballard ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek 7.3 - recovered: May 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124918/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This bike was actually found thanks to the Bike Index <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online">LeadsOnline online tie-in</a>, which matches stolen bikes that
show up in various pawn shops across the US. I spoke to the officer about this bike and routed them to the Bike
Index report - because it had been registered with Bike Index, it got flagged when it was entered into the
local pawn system - <b>even though the local PD's own report on this bike hadn't been processed yet.</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized - recovered: May 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124900/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(From Portland Police) Hello I just recovered your bicycle! Give me a call or email and we can figure out how to get it back to you.
However, just to warn you, it's had a couple rough months in the wild, so it's not like it was... :/ sorry. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Niner JET 9 - recovered: May 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124901/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This bike was stolen, found on Craigslist, then chased down by the owner.
We (Bike Index, the spotter, and the owner) wound up having a super long email conversation about this,
as the spotter works in local government and the owner had to move heaven and earth to get this bike back
from his local neighborhood thieves. And then deal with the fact that these thieves are still out there, operating in his 'hood.
I wish I could share more but the owner asked his story not be shared here.
<b>tl;dr version:</b> he's super frustrated at having had to chase this down on his own and put himself in danger.
Someday I'd love for both of these folks to be able to tell their stories and opinions on this in public, but today's not that day.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Specialized AWOL - recovered: May 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124909/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone very honest bought it and contacted me as soon as he found out it was stolen.
A bike shop informed him that the bike was stolen after using Bike Index (to ID it) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Motobecane - recovered: May 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124911/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stolen Colnago was recovered in <b>less than 24 hours</b> thanks to Bike Index!
The owner listed it as stolen, and we reached out to him because it is a unique bike,
and of course told them to watch Offerup because that's where thieves love to fence bikes with impinity. And sure enough,
it was promptly listed for sale on Offerup a few hours later by someone who couldn't have ridden this thing even if he dropped 100 pounds. Cops were called, and a sting ensued. <b>Bike Index notes that this seller still has an active profile on Offerup</b> ... because of course he does, right? Would you expect anything different at this point?
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Colnago Extreme Power - recovered: May 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124910/011.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Fremont Police department called me today saying a potential buyer found it on <b>LetGo</b>, and it match the description found on the site.
The current owner bought it at a swap meet for cheap and did not know it was stolen, so the current owner turned it into the police station. Wow!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek X-Caliber 8 - recovered: May 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124914/012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi there! We just ran across this bike. Please give us a call when you get a chance -
<a target="_new" href="http://revolverbikes.com/">Revolver Bikes</a>" (Editor's note: Shout out to Revolver Bikes,
who have helped recover a lot of bikes in the past!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Diamondback Airen 3 - recovered: May 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124908/013.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone purchased an abandoned storage unit with my bike inside, found the bike on Bike Index,
and contacted me. The bike had some damage from when it was stolen, but otherwise does not look
like it was used and is in good condition..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Wiggle Wiggle Hybrid - recovered: May 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124905/014.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I want to thank everyone involved in monitoring this site. My bike was recovered by the
police today after (redacted) alerted me to this link on <b>Offerup</b>. It has been a stressful couple of days but it paid off.
I'd love to thank (redacted) personally, Many thanks!!!" (<b>Bike Index wearily notes that this seller is also still active on Offerup.</b>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2002 Bianchi Vigorelli - recovered: May 15, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124898/015.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Officer Randle (with Seattle Police) saw my bike abandoned and locked with some other homeless person's belongings in
front of the public library and contacted me through Bike Index. I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT MY BIKE BACK!!!!111!!!!!
Hallelujah! Thank you Bike Index and Office Randle!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Dahon Uno Single Speed Portable Steel Shadow Gray - recovered: May 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124892/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My name is (redacted) of the Pawn & Property Recovery Unit for Seattle Police Dept. We were notified by a local pawn shop that your bicycle was recently sold to them. We are going to work at getting the bicycle recovered for you, .. A detective will get in contact with you soon."
Editor's note: shout-out to Capitol Loans, who ID'd and pulled this bike back. They've recovered bikes in the past, too - thanks Capitol Loans!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Synapse - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124920/018.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(First email:) Hey is this bike (<b>listed on Offerup</b>) yours?
(Answer) That is my bike!!! Thank you so much. We have informed the police this morning. "
</i>
Editor's note: the owner confirms for me they were not able to chase this bike down before it was fenced online. And oh, hey, wow this Offerup seller hasn't been banned either. And they have a bunch of other bikes for sale. I'm just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMIyDf3gBoY" target="_new">shocked, shocked</a> to find this person still selling bikes on Offerup! :P
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Mercier Diamond frame - recovered: May 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124924/019.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I have some info on your bike and left you a message. Call <a target="_new" href="https://bikeshopsantamonica.com/">Bike Shop Santa Monica</a>"
The owner later confirmed this successful recovery - thanks Bike Shop Santa Monica!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Trek Emonda Disc - recovered: May 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124904/020.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Stolen 2013 (!) this SCOTT was recently returned thanks to PPB:
"Hello, I work for the Portland Police Bureau at the property and evidence division.
I believe I may have your bicycle. Back in September of <b>2013</b>, an officer seized it because
the serial number was ground off. It appears as though the last 3 digits match what you have entered
here on Bike Index... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 SCOTT Speedster S50 - recovered: May 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124893/021.JPG"">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Police Officer Matt Schroeder recovered my bike after seeing it registered on your site. Thank you so much!!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Special road racer - recovered: May 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124902/023.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found at Discovery Park, the finder looked it up on Bike Index and returned it." (Editor's note, it's not everyday
we get an editor for <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clivity/status/995780667655897088">PELOTON</a> using the Bike Index - let alone recovering bikes with it - thanks Clive!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Synapse - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124891/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Thief tried to sell it to a bike shop and the bike shop found my bike on Bike Index.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Crosstrail Disc - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124907/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi Bryan!!! Thanks for checking in! IT DID! I can't believe it. (Redacted) is the man.
Thank you SO much for passing on the message. Just got my bike back tonight. I'm so
happy and feel so lucky. If I ever get a new bike, I'm immediately registering it on Bike Index,
complete with photos. This is just the best day. Thank you again!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Dolce Evo - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124916/026.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"HOLY SHIT I THINK I FOUND YOUR BIKE TODAY. My neighbor was throwing it out, and it's a gorgeous bike so I snagged it. Missing the hand pump and a little rusty, back tire's been taken off, but otherwise it seems solid. Let me know if you'd like to meet up somewhere so I can return it."
Later, from the owner: "Thanks so much Bryan for looping me in - I got the bike back today and I am <b>thrilled that Bike Index exists and works</b>!! TBH, I had lost hope and am still in shock/amazement." Editor's note: we too are pretty thrilled that Bike Index exists and works :)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1977 Raleigh International - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124913/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A citizen spotted the bike with somebody who clearly didn't know what they had,
purchased the bike from them for a small amount of money, and then attempted to
locate the owner via a Facebook group (<a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/">pnwLostStolenBikes</a>)
A member of that group linked to my Bike Index report - Happiness ensued!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Cannondale Rush Carbon 2 - recovered: May 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124919/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Got your bike at <a target="_new" href="http://blockbikespdx.com/">Block Bike PDX</a> in St Johns.
I just tried to send a message, but it looks like it might have not gone though.
We took your bike off a neighborhood guy this morning. We have it here in the shop... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Clubman Disc - recovered: May 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124923/030.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office raided a location in North Arlington,
this bike was recovered along with other stolen property. Detectives did a
search and landed on Bike Index showing the bike as stolen. <b>My bike would
not have been returned to me if it hadn’t been registered on the Bike Index ...</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Jamis Xenith T1 - recovered: May 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124895/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
From one of our law enforcement users: "I pulled a red Nishiki Maricopa out of a chop shop
The serial was partially obliterated, but I found this listing ...
The bike is an exact match and the photo is clearly suspicious to say the least. I was able to
confirm all but one digit of the serial number as a match and the bike/serial listed on the
registration shows to have been stolen from (redacted)" - Bike Index passed on the owner
info and this bike was returned.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Nishiki Maricopa - recovered: May 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124922/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I found your bike by the BECU ATM on 3rd at SPU. It is missing parts and some are broken and the paint has been stripped but the serial # was still visible. I grabbed it and would like to get it back to you. "
Later: "A kind stranger found the stripped frame in some bushes, and thought to look up the serial on Bike Index. Not much left worth saving, but now I don't have to wonder where it is!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Novara Mazama - recovered: May 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124903/033.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hey I'm 99% sure this guy has your bike:
I went to check out a different bike on <b>Offerup</b> last weekend and the dude was a super sketchy
homeless dude trying to sell a bike that I was very suspect was stolen because it was a $3,000+ bike
so I looked up the other bike he was selling here and found your bike. He was in the northgate area.
(details redacted) Sketchy guy.
He doesn't have a picture up of the bike because it would match the pics you have here. Hope it helps! "
Later on, from the owner: "Hey, just saying Thanks for letting me know, via BikeIndex, about that Offer up ad.
<b>Totally my bike</b>. Good news, it's been recovered and back where it rightfully belongs."
Editor's note: you know this is coming but ... <b>this Offerup seller still has an active profile</b>.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Scott spark 710 - recovered: May 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124896/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered via email" (Editor's note: no other information was provided.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Allez A1max - recovered: May 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124925/035.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My friend <b>stole it back from a camp</b> along the Marine Drive bike path, about a mile and a half from where
it was stolen. He was chased by a few people from the camp, but when confronted they admitted
it was stolen and left without too much of a struggle..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Ritte Crossberg - recovered: May 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/124906/036.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"With SPD's assistance we cut the lock and recovered the bike... " (Thanks SPD!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Giant Escape 3 - recovered: May 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br clear="all" /></p>
<p>
And that's May! You're not going to believe June's round-up, either - trust me.
</p>
<p>
Ride safe and keep an eye on your bikes, folks, and we'll catch you in the next installment.
</p>
2018-06-06T23:45:42-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-april-2018-recoveriesBike Index's April 2018 recoveries! 2018-06-06T23:45:42-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Yep, we’re officially in the ‘high season’ here. Thefts and registrations are steadily climbing upward … it’s keeping us busy.</p>
<p>In this edition - the April 2018 Bike Index recovery stories - we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>A great spot by Bike Index folks and KCSO officers in Seattle starts the month off right</li>
<li>A Davidson Ti bike is spotted in the back of a sketchy truck, with sketchy folks in Seattle - several years after its theft</li>
<li>'Sketchy' is April's catchphrase: '<i>Someone saw a sketchy dude on a bike that was obviously not his and confronted the person after they wrecked</i>'</li>
<li>Serial / annoying Offerup fence slips through the cracks ... but not for long</li>
<li>'Our mechanic here at Cyclepath in Hayward purchased this bike at the flea market for $150 and suspected it might be stolen'</li>
<li>We get another rare 'twofer' bike recovery- as the buyer put it, '(two bikes) bought from the same scumbag'</li>
<li>"I guess the thieves thought it was a trap, it's just so unbelievable..."</li>
<li>The rare "stolen bike turducken" recovery: <i>'police pulled a stolen car over and the bike was in the trunk of the car</i>'</li>
<li>We recovered another Faraday!</li>
<li>'Bike Index notes this seller (of a stolen bicycle) is still active on Offerup'</i>
<li>'Bike Index notes this seller (of a stolen bicycle) is still active on Offerup'</i>
<li>'Bike Index notes this seller (of a stolen bicycle) is still active on Offerup'</i>
</ul>
Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>, so we run a tight ship.
I won't lie - it's pretty annoying to recover so many bikes and have to scrape by on donations. Or to recover a <i>really</i> expensive bike and get no donation in return. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it. Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.
Now - onto the April recoveries:
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120461/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It got vetted that it was stolen and through a series of transactions it was thoughtfully returned ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant TCX Advanced Pro Cyclocross - recovered: April 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120455/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovered by PPB (Portland Police Bureau), no other details available.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Novara Aspen - recovered: April 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120485/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey, I may have spotted this Downtown today on 4th ave around 5PM, a <b>King County Sheriff's deputy</b> was
talking to a scraggly looking gentleman with an upturned gold Soma - might be worth calling their non-emergency number, good luck."</i>
Later, from the owner: "<i>Bike index is responsible for its recovery - I’m a total believer and thank you all so much.
Bike was recovered In an unbelievable and amazing turn of events, a couple of
Bike Index good Samaritans spotted my bike downtown, called 9-1-1, and the King Co Police recovered the bike. It was relatively unscathed and in good shape. What a great community to tap into here on Bike Index!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Soma Double Cross Disc - recovered: April 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120474/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Contacted by an individual who had purchased the stolen bike. He returned it after I was able to confirm it was my bike. SPD was present to verify returning of stolen property as part of an ongoing burglary case"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Bianchi Giro (no serial on file) - recovered: April 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120489/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Editor's note: this bike had been missing several years when someone noticed it in the back of a sketch pickup truck in Seattle:<i>
"Hello, I saw your bike this morning on the back of a pickup on (redacted) on Beacon Hill Seattle. I've seen the pickup parked on the street for at least a week, but just noticed your bike this morning. Reply with your email so I can send a picture to confirm!
(Later, from the owner) So, in the end, (redacted)’s heroic efforts worked out: he ended up following them... where I arrived shortly afterward and confronted them. They claimed they’d bought it from someone in pike place and after some <b>clearly inaccurate info that led me to believe I
couldn't trust anything they were telling me, offered to buy it back from them</b>... small price to pay to recover a Ti Davidson. Thanks! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Davidson Ti bike, no serial on file - recovered: April 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120458/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone saw a sketchy dude on a bike that was obviously not his and confronted the
person after they wrecked the bike in front of where he worked. The thief later
ditched the bike in someone's yard a couple houses down and a good Samaritan grabbed
it and started combing Craigslist and the Bike Index. Guy called me at work today and dropped my bike off a couple hours later!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Surly Steamroller - recovered: April 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120457/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police picked it up and traced the serial number. Members from this site really looked out and reached out when they saw a bike matching the description (was listed) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Escape 3 - recovered: April 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120464/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey! We purchased the bike on Kijiji in Calgary, Alberta Canada only to find your stolen ad
when we punched in the serial. I would suggest calling the Calgary police and giving
them this information. He lives at (redacted). They changed the pedals to a black kind that are plastic. We took the bike back to him to get our money back and wanted you to know where your bike is. If you have anymore questions let us know..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Kona Precept 120 - recovered: April 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120469/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Pawn shop found it on Bike Index!"
Editor's note: Bike Index thanks all the Pawn shop users who match stolen bikes with us. Good lookin' out!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized AWOL - recovered: April 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120466/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it posted on <b>Offer Up</b>. Accompanied Garden Grove PD to retrieve the bicycle. Serial number was still present on the frame so proving ownership wasn't difficult..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1989 Trek 1200 - recovered: April 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120471/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I believe I had your bike - I purchased it from an acquaintance which didn't sit well with me at the price I purchased it. I ran the serial number and the bike serial number came up as stolen on this site..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Trek Madone 5.2 WSD H2 (COMPACT) - recovered: April 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120480/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello! Our mechanic here at <a target="_new" href="http://www.cyclepathhayward.com/">Cyclepath</a> in Hayward purchased this bike at the flea market for $150 and suspected it might be stolen. We found your ad on here and confirmed it is the same serial number... He is just looking to return the bike to the original owner. Please call ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly LHT - recovered: April 09, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120473/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I received a text message from a local bike shop owner that he found the bike. Some details about the bike looked suspicious to him, and he found my entry for the bike here on Bike Index. He contacted me, and I came and picked it up! <b>Bike Index is amazing</b>!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Univega Alpina Sport - recovered: April 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120472/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Several Bike Index users flagged this stolen Trek Marlin shortly after it appeared on -yes, you guessed it - <b>Offerup</b>, after it was stolen from a local kid's school.
By the time we got in touch with the owner and got it rolling, the seller had already sold the bike ...
Owner's reply: "<i>Oh my gosh! That is exactly his bike. I’m so heartbroken she sold it for $100! It’s so disturbing that somebody would go to a local elementary school and steal child’s bike - let alone steal anyone’s bike. We did file a police report so I will call them this morning and let them know what I found. I can’t seem to find a way to contact this woman on <b>Offerup</b>. It’s unbelievable that she is selling all these bikes...</i>" We explained that we can't always get thieves the first time around, but since we had found the seller's name, Facebook, address etc... <b>to just be patient</b>. So: we didn't get this one back because this <a target="_new" href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/absolute-unit">absolute unit</a> had already sold it, but ... well, perhaps you can see where this is going ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Trek Marlin 5 - NOT recovered: April 10th, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120470/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
... because the next day this same moron/strangely large beet of a human (look, I've seen their Facebook ... so just bear with me) listed yet another stolen bike. Specifically, a 2012 Giant Defy that had been stolen from roughly the same area. From that bike's owner: "<i>I got a text last night from someone who matched the bike description to the Bike Index, and noted it was an absurdly low price. From the pictures, I confirmed it was my bike from several non-stock accessories and components and notable wear marks on the crank arms. Based on advice from the PPB, I started a conversation with the seller ... .
Next morning I contacted PPB again to have an officer meet me near the meetup location, letting the officer know via text exactly what was happening. When we circled the parking lot at the meeting site she was standing right in front of the store with my bike! I walked up and started chatting with her, while I looked the bike over, even flipping it over to confirm the serial (even though I already was 100% certain it was mine). A few minutes after, PPB came rolling down in front of the store, pulled up right next to us and took over from there.
<b>I'm amazed it's back, and apart from a few minor things is exactly as it was!</b> Thanks so much for Bike Index, as that's the reason it's back today. All my other bikes are already on Bike Index, but now I'll update them with more up-to-date pictures..."
<br />
<b>Bike Index notes this seller is still active on Offerup. We've got an eye on them.</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Giant Defy 1 - recovered: April 11 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120476/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"<i>
Hi a friend of mine was approached by a man at a Stockton gas station about a month ago. He said he was hungry and needed money for food so she gave him $20. She said he was so grateful that he gave her a bike . She didn't want it but he insisted. Out of curiosity today I pull the bike out want just to look it up online and I came across a picture of your stolen bike. They look identical except for the serial number is one
number off I'm not sure if you made a mistake but email me please because if it's your
bike I would like to return it ...</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
NOVARA DIVANO - recovery still in process: April 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120475/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Editor's note: this GT was one of two bikes stolen from the same owner, and matched within minutes by the buyer, who said:
"<i>Hello, I think I found this bike. Bought from scumbag. Serial number matches. I would like to get it back to you.</i>"
<br />They also recovered the same owner's Boilermaker, listed below.
</i>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 GT Bicycles Sensor Comp - recovered: April 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120467/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
As mentioned above, the same person recovered these two bikes for the same owner.
<i>From the owner's email:
"<i>Both bikes were recovered by the same buyer. He bought them off a guy in his neighborhood, who he admits is kind of shady. He then checked Bike Index and contacted me after confirming the serial numbers. Needless to say, I'm beyond grateful to him, and to Bike Index!! I've shared this story on Facebook and included a shout out, and link, to Bike Index ...</i>"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 SE Bikes 17" Boilermaker 2.0 - recovered: April 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120490/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This was an odd one: someone found this absolutely pristine Niner with no lock, sitting out in the open, totally unattended.
So they reached out to Bike Index to help find an owner...
After much searching they eventually found an owner, and as they put it: "<i>This blows my mind, but the owner knowingly left this bike with no lock at all, at the bike rack at (redacted) - where locks get cut all the time. They apparently thought nobody would notice this pristine frame w carbon components and big Niner logos left unlocked between locked bikes. They left, though, and it fell down across sidewalk. <b>I guess the thieves thought it was a trap, it's just so unbelievable,</b>" they said.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Niner marked with "pedal damn it" - recovered: April 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120481/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stolen Tommaso was spotted on <b>Offerup</b> by one of our longtime spotters, and a sting ensued.
From the owner: "<i>I just met about <b>damn near half the Vancouver PD</b> and went undercover to 'buy' the bike!
It was mine! And I got it back! I really appreciate the tip and would love to buy you a beer to say thank you. Let me know..."
<br />
<b>Bike Index wearily notes this seller is also still active on Offerup. We continue to monitor them as well.</b>
</i></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Tommaso Imola - recovered: April 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120748/patch.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I have your bike!!!!!!!!! A guy left it behind my building Friday and I new it wasn't right - damn I'm glad I could connect with you!!!!!!! I'm located off (redacted) just a couple blocks from where it was stolen."
Later, from the owner: "<i>Thanks so much Bryan! A conscientious guy in Santa Cruz saw my bike hidden and ditched outside his workplace. Given the circumstances, he was certain it was stolen so he locked it up inside called the police to report it. Eventually a woman saw the generic “found” post he made for the bike on Craigslist and recommend that he search Bike Index. <b>He found my post immediately and Bike Index got us in contact</b>! Thanks for helping me recover my mountain bike I never thought I’d see again!"</i></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Specialized Epic FSR Pro - recovered: April 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120463/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Ah yes, the ol' stolen bike inside of a stolen car trick ... aka the Turducken of bike theft: "<i>Lakewood police pulled a stolen car over and the bike was in the trunk of the car. Unfortunately my tool bag and one of my water bottle cages were taken and not recovered...</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Rocky Mountain Bicycles Growler 750 - recovered: April 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120479/023.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Editor's note: we didn't have a hand in this beyond helping to spread the word on Instagram, but
we watched in admiration as the <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhsPIu8huFX/?taken-by=frostewistrom">SF bike scene</a> not only spotted this funky looking Voodoo Hoodoo shortly
after its theft, but helped chase it down. Via the tip that came in via Bike Index: "<i>Hey, I just saw your bike going down Market St. 30 seconds ago. Market/6th</i>". Later: "<i>How the bike was recovered: Posted on Instagram, it spread like a whirlwind, Homie and bike messenger got approached by a dude wanting to sell it and he confiscated it.</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Voodoo Hoodoo - recovered: April 17, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120462/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
From the spotter: "<i>Hi, I am hunting for my own lost bike and I noticed this pop up on <b>OfferUp</b>. Seems way too good of a deal. Hopefully it may be yours?</i>" From the owner: "<i>Yes!!! That's my bike. I can tell because I had the brakes replaced and I can see them clearly in the pictures.</i>"
Later, from the owner again: "<i>Hey Bryan!!! I was able to get my bike back from the guy who had it. I decided to (redacted) instead of involving the police and getting him arrested.
Thank you so so much for your help, and for Bike Index. It was really the thing that made this happen, and I'm super grateful. I will be singing your praises for quite some time."
<br />
<b>Bike Index notes, yet again, that this seller is still active on Offerup. We're kind of curious what it takes to get kicked off of there TBH.</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Faraday Porteur - recovered: April 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120488/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Spotted on Craigslist by Stolen Bikes Nola:
"<i>Hello this is your bike. Contact Dean or Alex at StolenBikes NOLA for guidance to get this seller to expose themselves.</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Recovery still pending - April 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120483/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Good News! My bike has been found!!!!
Over in Northeast Portland probably 5+miles from my house, someone found it stashed in an alley. <b>He searched BikePortland.org stolen bikes and found my listing with Bikeindex.org</b>!!!! Thank you thank you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Surly Cross-Check - recovered: April 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120478/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<i>I found it on <b>Offer up</b>. Was able to recover.</i>"
<br />
<b>Bike Index notes that this owner didn't send us a link to this Offerup Seller profile, but we've got $5 on it that says the seller is still active ...</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Jamis Sonik - recovered: April 21, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120484/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This is Rich at <a target="_new" href="http://kentoncyclepdx.com/">Kenton Cycle Repair</a>. I have your bike! A customer found it and brought it by to see if it had been stolen. Please stop by or contact me at ...."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
KHS Bicycles tandem - recovered: April XXX, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120465/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi I have your bike - my name is (redacted) I found your bike and had the police run the serial number but it must have not been on the system yet so they left it and it was still there at the end of the day. So I took it home and put an ad on Craigslist, but I finally found a site to run the numbers and found you - <b>woot</b> - so please call me "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Roll Elite Disc- recovered: April 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120477/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Got a call from someone who saw bike on street, (ID'd it) and called police and got bike back (of course police part took about 2hr) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Ellsworth Truth - recovered: April 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120486/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Milton Police Department found the bike in a 3 AM incident involving 2 juveniles..."
<br />Editor's note: <a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7BMCZdXSlk">two yoots</a>?</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Haro 24" Mountain Bike - recovered: April 25, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/120482/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another spot and recovery with heavy intervention from a PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes on Facebook.
This seller has several Offerup profiles with same/similar names and has a grip of folks looking in on them due to many prior incidents.
<i>
"I was contacted by someone at BikeIndex.org. They indicated that someone had noticed a bike similar to mine for sale on <b>OfferUp</b>. Someone had posted the ad and their suspension of the match to a stolen bikes Facebook. <b>One of the group members took up the hunt and arranged to meet with the seller</b>. I spoke with the group member prior to his meet up and expressed my doubts that it was my bike. I had taken a look at the ad and there were many visible components that were not on my bike when it was stolen 2 weeks prior. Frankly I was I was convinced that it couldn't be mine. The group member disagreed with me and said that he was almost positive that it would be mine and he wanted to go through with the meetup. He had also arranged for the police to be there. <b>It turns out he was right, it was my bike.</b> The thief had gone to a lot of trouble to swap out the parts and had misrepresented the model year... Apart from the components they had swapped out the serial number matched mine AND the hack of a field repair I had made on my dropper post was still in place. My takeaways: 1) A big HUGE thank you to bikeindex.org, PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes and all of the bike vigilantes out there. Having your bike stolen REALLY sucks. Getting it back is singular. 2) Register your bike with bikeindex.org 3) Never purchase a used bike without a paper trail and verification of the serial number (not registered as stolen). 4) The thieves are crafty and fast. They must have a backlog of bikes to swap parts with on short order. They managed to quickly put together and post a bike for sale that I would have never identified as mine from the photos. The police let the thief walk BTW, no way to prove that he was the one who stole it or he was knowingly fencing stolen property."</i>
</i>
<br /><b>Bike Index notes with literally zero surprise whatsoever that this seller continues to maintain several active profiles on Offerup.</b>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Specialized S-Works Epic Carbon 29 XTR - recovered: April 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<p><br />
And that's it for April 2018 ...
</p></li></li></li></ul>
2018-05-22T18:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/get-your-donations-in-this-summer-to-help-bike-index-master-bike-seasoGet your donations in this summer to help Bike Index master 'Bike Season'2018-05-22T18:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>If you have ever ridden a bike, worked in the bike industry, and/or followed along with Bike Index, you may have noticed two important trends:</p>
<ol><li>Bike Index is growing! We have lots of new users and organizations entering our system, and at an ever increasing rate.</li>
<li>Bike season is a real thing that starts around March and runs until about October. Anyone who rides or works on anything involved with bikes is swamped during those months.</li></ol>
<p>Point 1 is great, obviously. It means more people are registering their bikes, and increasing their potential for recovery. Point 2 is also great because it means bicycles as a means of recreation, exercise, and fun continue to remain popular.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/118616/IMG_1271.JPG" alt="bryan" width="400" height="500" /></p>
<p>But ‘bike season’ means that we at Bike Index are starting to be inundated with requests for help and support. We have, and will continue to, take very deliberate care and work tons of hours to respond to each of these requests. We want to make sure every Bike Index user has a simple and easy experience, and is able to get in touch with a Bike Index representative if they have any issues. And if a bike is stolen, we are going to do our best to work with you to get it back.</p>
<p><strong>But simply put, turnaround time is going to increase very soon.</strong></p>
<p>Why are we telling you this? Well, we want you to know what to expect from us, but also for our busy months, we will prioritize service requests from people who have donated to Bike Index.</p>
<p>Bike Index is always going to remain free. We built the system to be free because a free system with our capabilities didn’t exist, and you probably spent money to buy your bike. There’s absolutely no reason you should have to also pay to keep it safe. Bike Index not being free would violate the basic tenets of Bike Index.</p>
<p>And we’re still going to get back to everyone. It might just not be as quick as it would be in the winter months when we have less volume to respond to. We’re only three people.</p>
<p>Ultimately, we hope this will also incentivize people to donate. If you’re a donor and you ever need to contact us, we’ll see your messages right away. Because we’re a nonprofit, much of the Bike Index effort is funded out-of-pocket. People who donate go a long way in our book, and we want to show thanks to the folks who have donated their time and money to making sure we can register and recover more bikes.</p>
<p>And as per usual, we want to hear from you! <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org?Subject=Bike Index question" target="_top">Send us your questions or support requests</a>.</p>
2018-05-10T13:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-launches-ambassadors-programBike Index launches new Ambassadors Program2018-05-10T13:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Are you interested in getting involved with Bike Index but don’t know how? Have you thought about volunteering but don’t know where to start?</p>
<p>Bike Index is launching a new program that could help you out if you are interested in Bike Index endeavors. This week marks the beginning of the Bike Index Ambassadors program. We welcome anyone and everyone to bring Bike Index to the place they live.</p>
<p>“The single most effective force when it comes to protecting and recovering bikes is simple: it’s just ID’ing the cyclists and people in the community who actually want to do something about bike theft, instead of waiting for someone else. We can’t be everywhere at once, but we can certainly give people tools and share our knowledge. Five people in the same city who care about bikes can affect a lot of positive change, with minimal effort, and we’ll support that any way we can,” says Bike Index cofounder, Bryan Hance.</p>
<p>How does the Ambassadors Program work?</p>
<p>In its simplest form, the Ambassador program connects us at Bike Index (the people who need help), with you out there in the world (the people who want to help, but also who need help to help). We at Bike Index are a small team and can’t be everywhere at once. Even if we could be, it would take time to learn what the cycling culture is like in any one place: what kind of bikes people ride, whether bikes are important to people, whether an organized, city-supported registry is something your town needs.</p>
<p>That’s where you come in. You know your town better than anyone else. You have connections to law enforcement, friends at bike shops, neighbors in bike advocacy and overall know where to go and who to talk to about Bike Index.</p>
<p>Becoming a Bike Index Ambassador is easy. All you have to do is email us with a couple of paragraphs about who you are and why you want to be an ambassador. If you become an ambassador, we’ll feature you on the Bike Index site. This shows our thanks, but also gives you an official designation to show to people when discussing the implementation of Bike Index where you live.</p>
<p>Of course, you need materials and help to get started at any level. The Ambassador program includes packages of materials you can order to begin sharing Bike Index information. We have three package options: Small, Medium, and Large because well, one is small(er), one is large(r), and one is in the middle. But fear not, even the Small box has the necessary materials for promoting Bike Index. The Medium and Large boxes offer materials for more experienced Bike Index proponents to use their relative expertise to expand their reach wherever they live.</p>
<p>And doubly fear not: we have a scholarship program. If you need some financial help to purchase a materials package, write a few sentences explaining and include that in your introductory paragraphs of your email to me :)</p>
<p>Some materials in the Ambassador packages include a Bike Index cycling cap (cool!!!!), stickers, tips on talking to different kinds of bike orgs, registration cards, and flyers to hand out at shops or donation drives. You can see more details at <a href="https://bikeindex.org/ambassadors_how_to" target="none">our new Ambassadors page</a>. And no matter which package you choose, we offer the same amount of support. Anytime you have questions, ideas, or need some form of help, we’ll offer quick support via email and phone.</p>
<p>Bike Index has had a number of people on the ground in municipalities such as Boulder, CO, Seattle, WA, and Rochester, NY, talking to city officials and cycling organizations for a long time. These folks have done this without us asking them to. We would like to think this is because these guys think we’re great, but it’s more because they’re really great, and they want to see everyone’s bikes registered and returned as much as we do. Bike Batman (aka, Dirk DeGroot) in Seattle for example has returned around 40 bikes by using Bike Index.</p>
<p>“I found BikeIndex after hunting for data on a sketchy bike I found for sale on Craigslist. I thought it was great that I was able to contact the owner, and get the police report, and find specific photos etc. immediately. After a couple of recoveries, I got hooked. It was so nice to be able to return some of these bikes to people who really love them,” says DeGroot.</p>
<p>The Ambassador Program is our way of saying thanks to everyone who is supporting Bike Index on their own, and our way of getting other potential Bike Index proponents off the ground. Email gavin@bikeindex.org if you are interested.</p>
2018-05-09T08:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/redmond-brings-bike-index-inRedmond, OR implements Bike Index citywide2018-05-09T08:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Redmond, OR is jumping the summer bike season rush by implementing a new Bike Index registration system for their city. Less than 20 miles from Bend, OR, Redmond marks Bike Index’s expansion throughout the state and will increase ability to recover stolen bikes that may ferry between the two cities and throughout the region.</p>
<p>Redmond will encourage its citizens to register their bikes in a Redmond Bike Index portal. City police will then be able to manage these registrations and get in touch with bike owners throughout the city to take reports of stolen bikes and return found bikes to their real owners. The service is free to anyone and everyone who wants to register a bike.</p>
<p>Redmond has already served as a model city for utilizing Bike Index across multiple platforms to increase registration awareness and collaborate against bike theft. According to Lieutenant Curtis Chambers of the Redmond Police Department, he discovered Bike Index when a citizen proposed the idea during a presentation of law enforcement activities in central Oregon. “I researched a little bit but it so happens that we had a volunteer who was a bike advocate and who also came and spoke to me about Bike Index” around the same time, said Lt. Chambers.</p>
<p>With citizens, volunteers, and the Redmond PD actively checking Bike Index, the chances of stolen bikes being spotted and reported significantly increase and may even serve as a deterrent to potential thieves, who know that everyone will be actively looking out for their stolen cargo. <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spo">Bend reduced bike theft by 60 percent over the course of a year</a> by implementing a cocktail of proactive initiatives, including checking Bike Index.</p>
<p>“We are hopeful that by engaging bicycle owners in a larger network, people will think twice about stealing a bike in the first place, knowing that they may get caught and be held accountable for the harm they’ve done,” said Lt. Chambers.</p>
<p>The Redmond PD have expanded their implementation of Bike Index in Redmond by contacting bike shops in the area, encouraging these shops to help their customers register their bikes. Bike shops play integral roles in their cycling communities, often identifying stolen bicycles that they remember selling to specific customers. Local bike shops are great sources of information for local cyclists, encouraging fledgling riders to invest in the most appropriate bike for their needs. Customers can trust bike shops when they say that registration might protect their new ride down the line. Many riders don’t even know registration is an option.</p>
<p>“We just want people to enjoy a peace of mind and to protect their investment, because we realize that bikes aren’t cheap,” said Brian Lewis, Store Manager at Hutch’s Bicycles, a local bike shop in Redmond that has been telling customers about Bike Index. “People rely on their bikes for transportation, exercise, or to have fun with family. And whether we’re doing a repair, registering a bike, or teaching trail etiquette and safety guidelines, we want to offer more than just a product.”</p>
<p>At Bike Index we want to decrease financial barriers to cycling. We make registration free for cyclists and give cyclists tools for protecting their bikes from theft or getting their bike back if it’s stolen. And by bringing local organizations around the world on board and encouraging them to work together, we can register and protect an exponentially bigger number of bicycles.</p>
<p>Lt. Chambers says one of the biggest reasons for working with Bike Index is because of the price. “I would recommend that law enforcement across the country look for new and innovative ways to return property to owners. At a time when it always costs more to do business, Bike Index is wonderful opportunity to do more without costing more.”</p>
<p>Bike theft will increase with the improvement in weather. If you are interested in implementing Bike Index throughout your city, send an email to <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex.org?Subject=Bike Index for my city" target="_top">gavin@bikeindex.org</a>.</p>
<p><i>Feature image by Visitor7 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons</i></p>
2018-04-11T18:50:44-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-march-2018-recoveriesBike Index's March 2018 recoveries! 2018-04-11T18:50:44-05:00Bryan Hance<p>How the heck is it March already? No idea, but here at the Bike Index we’re watching our inbox slowly thaw out and heat up - with stolen bikes galore.</p>
<p>In this edition - the May 2018 recovery stories - we have:</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com">Cycle Portland</a> helps pull yet another stolen bike back here in PDX. Good lookin' out guys! I need to get you a punchcard or something.</li>
<li>Seattle had a <b>ton of recoveries</b>: thanks to all our Seattle area users - <a target="_new" href="https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro.aspx">MTA</a>, <a target="_new" href="https://www.seattle.gov/police">SPD</a>, <a target="_new" href="https://jrabikeshop.com/index.html">JRA Bike Shop</a>, <a href="http://ridebicycles.com">RideBicycles</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://rei.com">REI</a></li>
<li>Not a bike recovery but: We were interviewed by LA's <a target="_new" href="https://soundcloud.com/biketalk/bike-index">BikeTalk.org</a>! Thanks BikeTalk!</li>
<li>Choice quote: "<i>When I arrived at the scene there were about 50+ bikes among a lot of construction equipment ...</i>"</li>
<li>Choice quote: "<i>This (recovered) bike ... was stolen almost 4 years ago to the day ...</i>"</li>
<li>Choice quote: "<i>The cops saw my bike on OfferUp.com ... and tracked it down over 24 hours of searching</i>" (Thanks to all cops out there scanning Offerup!)</li>
<li>We help recover a stolen <b>Faraday Porteur</b> in SF ... for a Faraday Employee, no less! And I am totally not above begging Faraday for a massive discount on a Porteur because of this, y'all. Come on, Faraday: <b>Hook. Me. Up.</b> I'm bryan@bikeindex.org. Email me any time. I'll be waiting. </li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>, so we run a tight ship.</p>
<p>I won’t lie - it’s pretty annoying to recover somebody’s high end bike (<b><em>cough</em></b> <i>Faraday</i> <b><em>cough</em></b>) and not even get a donation. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it. Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>. (<b><em>cough</em></b> <i>afreefaradayisalsocoolthanks</i> <b><em>cough</em></b>)</p>
<p>Now - onto the March recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114380/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
I found it while riding to the train this morning! It was
with a group of the community's transient population who turned it
back to me without incident.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 SCOTT Sportster - recovered: March 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114389/002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The (Portland) police recovered my bike after it was abandoned by the thief during an attempted break in..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Klein Bikes REVE V - recovered: March 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114371/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: The police..." Editor's note: <a target="_new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(The_Police_album)">no, not That Police</a> ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Surly Disc Trucker - recovered: March 3, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114381/005.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I went out looking for it based on a tip from an employee at <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/"><b>Cycle Portland</b></a> who had seen my Bike Index posting. I biked from the location it was stolen towards the bike shop and saw a man walking with my bike on the Burnside bridge. After lots of arguing and a call to the police I finally got my bike back!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek - recovered: March 6, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114386/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Husband and I were Ubering home and saw A GUY RIDING MY BIKE on Santa Monica Blvd (in Hollywood).
As soon as we got home, I grabbed my police
report and we drove out toward where we had seen the guy. It didn't take long to find an encampment
of guys and bikes on a side street, with THE POLICE ALREADY THERE talking to them about something else.
Of course the guys
said they bought it off someone/didn't steal it blah blah blah... but after I gave identifying details
and showed photos the cops said I could take it back. They cut the brakes and tried to make it into a fixie so I have to get some work done on it but SHE'S HOME!
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1988 Specialized Rockhopper - recovered: March 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114367/007.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, please email me at [redacted]@sfgov.org re: your bike - It was recovered last year by the SFPD in another case."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Pure City Merriwether - recovered: March 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114382/008.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Bike was found in the REI parking garage. Employees looked up the serial and found my phone number on Bike Index!
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Raleigh Clubman - recovered: March 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114390/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was found in the neighborhood by someone who quickly recognized that it looked out of place and was stolen.
He took it in for safekeeping and checked Bike Index, finding my entry. Thank you! <b>We never would have
gotten it back without Bike Index!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Salsa Vaya 3 - recovered: March 7, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114375/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Vancouver Police acted on a tip from an astute Craigslist shopper who saw my Craigslist ad.
<b>She was offered my bike instead of another bike that she responded to, two days after my bike was stolen. </b>
Thanks to the Craigslist community for thwarting the thieves.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2001 Rocky Mountain Bicycles - recovered: March 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114387/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Hi, I am a Portland Police officer. Early this morning officers recovered a black Kestrel 500sci at
Naito north of the Steel Bridge ...
The bar tape was removed and replaced with obviously temporary stuff apparently to avoid suspicion...
</i>
Later, from the Kestrel's owner: <i>The police officer contacted me and they have my bike. I am beyond stunned and appreciative that it's been found.
<b>It was stolen almost 4 years ago to the day</b> ...</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2000 Kestrel 500 SCi - recovered: March 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114379/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"MTB Enthusiasts of Utah member noticed the stolen bike being ridden around downtown
Salt Lake. He called me and called the police - 30 minutes later the bike is recovered."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Remedy 9 - recovered: March 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114372/013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Someone in the community saw it and turned it into the police!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Diamondback Haanjo Metro - recovered: March 9, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114366/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Recovered by Police and they notified me for pick up, so great to have it back. Thank you.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Redline Asset 24 - recovered: March 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114369/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"After I posted this stolen bike on Bike Index, a good Samaritan found the bike in a neighbors back yard,
and he somehow found my listing on Bike Index, emailed me, and we arranged for me to pick it up!
Thanks to (this) website, presence, and advocacy, <b>I got the bike back with nearly all of its original parts
still intact</b> ... it was only missing clipless pedals and one blinky taillight. Thanks again!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Jamis Nova - recovered: March 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114376/019.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I got a phone call, email and text message from a <b>Seattle Police officer</b> and Bike Index on March 18th.
I don't know how they found it. It was definitely my bike, although it changed a bit, but I'm so happy to have
it back. <b>Really appreciate the Police officer who works on stolen bikes and with Bike Index!!!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Jamis Renegade Exile 2016 - recovered: March 18, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114383/020.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike Index helped get this stunner of classic ride back - <b>even with no serial on file</b>: "<i>
The most awesome stranger, Z, texted me when she saw my bike at the <b>Alemany flea market</b>.
She saw my bike on Bike Index. The guy at the Flea Market that was selling my bike told her that it was legit,
but then she showed him the bike on Bike Index with my police report. I was out of cell coverage and didn't see Z's
messages until later in the afternoon. <b>But she gave my phone number to the guy at the flea market and he
actually called me!</b> We arranged a meeting place and he gave me back my bike!!! He said that he got it
from someone at another flea market and they told him it was legit. At least he was honest enough to give
it back once confronted. I cannot thank Z. enough for keeping an eye out, looking on Bike Index and even
texting me and calling me. She is seriously a hero! I am so thrilled to have my bike back. It needs some
work but it's back. People like Z. remind me that there really are good people in this world!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Celo Europa - recovered: March 19, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114378/021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Between my police report and this website, the cops saw my bike on <b>OfferUp.com</b> ... <b>and tracked it down over 24 hours of searching</b>! They said that I did the right thing making a police report and creating a profile on your awesome
website! I will definitely be using this site to register my bikes in the future!!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Motobecane Single-Speed Road - recovered: March 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114403/081.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"WOOHOO! <b>JRA Bikes</b> in Seattle recovered the bike after a customer felt something was a bit fishy and brought it in. I am soooo grateful! THANK YOU!!!!!! What a miracle! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Salsa - recovered: March 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114404/faraday.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This sexy <b>Faraday Porteur</b> was stolen from a locked/gated area in SF back in January - and from an employee of Faraday Bikes, no less.
Fast forward to March, when this recovery started out with an email: '<i>I am looking at a bike on Craigslist that is the same size and color and want to make sure it's not stolen</i>' ... and it ended with "<i>Bike recovered. Can’t thank you enough.. (the seller) was operating out of Daly City, apparently story goes his (family member) was in federal trouble for theft, he was selling the bike while (family member) was in jail, along with a storage unit of other things.</i>" - Editor's note: We here at the Bike Index kind of have a thing for Faradays if you haven't noticed ... and hey just a quick reminder <b>@faradaybikes</b> we would <b>totally accept a coupon for a free Porteur</b>. Please sent it to <b>bryan@bikeindex.org</b> ... please? Maybe you just missed this message from the <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-september-2016-bike-recoveries">other Faradays we've helped find</a> but ... hey, I'll be waiting.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Faraday Porteur - recovered: March 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114377/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>Seattle MTA</b> police found the bike, ran the serial number on Bike Index, and reclaimed it for me!
Bike found at 1st Ave S and 99 in SoDo ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Kona Private Jake - recovered: March 22, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114405/098.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Not technically a Bike Index recovery but worth sharing because the <b>Seattle Stolen Bikes & PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes</b> groups are awesome: <i>
"Posted a msg on the <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/435825336587559/">Seattle Stolen Bikes & PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes</a> group.
A member <b>saw the post, recognized the bike while riding to work, and safely retrieved it
from a junkie</b>. The bike community on FB advised me on what actions to take to ensure proof of ownership,
attempt to retrieve my bike, and what sites to look on for attempted resale (Craigslist & OfferUp)..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1985 Peugeot Road - recovered: March 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114406/097.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Also technically not a Bike Index recovery, but this stolen Salsa wound up on Offerup.com (shocker, I know) and lead
to this writeup on the SPD blotter: "<a href="http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2018/03/26/bike-theft-victim-calls-police-to-set-up-sting/">Bike Theft Victim Calls Police to Set Up Sting</a>" - Highlights: "<i>After the victim’s Salsa Deadwood bicycle went missing in the University District, he later found an ad for the bike on <b>Offerup.com</b>. The man reached out to the person behind the listing and set up a meeting outside a grocery store in Fremont.
The man then called police, who arrived at the store in the 4400 block of Fremont Avenue North around 3 PM and found a man pushing the orange bike around a parking lot <b>as he nervously eyed officers</b>.
The man eventually stood the bike up against a wall and walked away. Police then contacted the 26-year-old man and took him into custody for possession of stolen property. </i>"</i> <b>Editor's note</b>: Bike Index notes that this seller still has an active profile on Offerup. Which is terrible but not at all surprising.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Salsa cycles "DEADWOOD" - recovered: March 28, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114384/030.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered with no serial on file! <i>
"...a good soul that works in a bike shop (Ridebicycles), found it on the street a
few months after it was stolen...abandoned...in front of his neighbor's garage. It was sitting for a
few days so he checked, found my listing on the site and contacted me...amazing.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 7000 - recovered: March 29, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114388/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Good Samaritan found it - and matched it to our Bike Index post.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Diamondback Clarity - recovered: March 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114408/sah.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
I am so surprised and happy to have my bike back!
I originally came across your site while searching in vain for this bike on
Craigslist. There are a few reasons why I am so fortunate - encouragement from your site
to report the theft to the police (honestly I was feeling that it was a really insignificant
issue to report, but now realize I am helping a bigger community issue) , either you
or the police told me about LetGo, and OfferUP. And although it was ultimately word of
mouth that I was encouraged to call the investigator after a recent bust, all of these
avenues helped and I was able to share these sites with him so they can try to match others
with their stuff. <b>When I arrived at the scene there were about 50+ bikes among a lot of
construction equipment - apparently the idea was to get cash for scrap metal. </b>
Fortunately my bike was under a tarp so not much damage at all. Anyway thanks again,
and hopefully before too long I will register a few of our bikes on bikeindex ...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Diamondback - recovered: March 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114407/missing.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Recovered by Portland Police 2 months after it was stolen, I was contacted after the serial number was matched to me.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Specialized Langster - recovered: March 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114385/040.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
Found at a pawnshop who ran serial number and contacted the local PD...
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Diamondback Edgewood - recovered: March 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114374/041.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A very nice man contacted me through Craigslist - I had posted a listing in the sale-by-owner section with
photographs and a description of my stolen bike. He recognized it as the bike he had purchased for his wife
last Sunday (<b>same day it was stolen</b>) at the Oakland Flea Market. He reached out, we confirmed the serial
numbers and he brought the bike to me. I reimbursed him what he paid for the bike, although he didn’t insist on
it and felt bad about accepting it. It was nice of him to come forward and do the honorable thing!
"
</i> Ed note: note how the thieves stole this bike, moved it, and fenced it in the same day.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes V7 - recovered: March 30, 2018</div>
</article>
<p>
Not listed here were 2 or 3 cases "still pending" so we'll roll those into the April updates.
</p>
<p>
And, hey, if you'd like to see <b>your</b> city represented here in all these recoveries - and it isn't - drop us a line! We only work when we have folks helping us out, introducing us to their local cops and shop and riders. So we'd love your help if you would like to get Bike Index up and running in your town. We're <b>contact@bikeindex.org</b> - drop us a line.
</p>
<p>
Thanks for reading, and keep your bikes safe!
</p>
2018-04-08T18:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/universities-should-use-bike-index-as-their-registration-system-of-choUniversities should use Bike Index as their registration system of choice2018-04-08T18:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>If you are involved with a university, this message is for you: transportation department officials, university police officers, campus sustainability groups, or even concerned campus cyclists. We are Bike Index and we’re ready to build a registration system to chronicle and protect your bicycles.</p>
<p>Bike Index has built bicycle registries for three universities to date: the <a href="https://bikeindex.org/umd" target="none">University of Maryland, College Park</a>, the <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/uw-recruits-bike-index-to-protect-campus-from-bike-theft" target="none">University of Washington in Seattle</a>, and the <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/university-of-pittsburgh-partners-with-bike-index-to-protect-campus-bi" target="none">University of Pittsburgh</a> in, well, Pittsburgh. We have additional universities in the pipeline right now, and our reach is steadily growing with a network of connected transportation and police department officials who can work together to utilize and implement Bike Index in the best possible way for each of their universities all around the country.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i5bMItGyR8c" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p>As we continually expand into more universities, we’re realizing that the university is 1000 percent the perfect place for a Bike Index system. It’s a microcosm for the way any community would use Bike Index: officials across department lines can connect to register bikes for students and campus members, and when a bike is stolen and taken away from campus, these officials have the ability to get in touch with, and appeal to, local law enforcement, bike shops, and advocacy groups to keep eyes out for stolen campus bicycles. Universities can use Bike Index to manage registries for their surrounding areas in one huge system yet still give other local groups autonomy in their own registration processes.</p>
<p><strong>“I think Bike Index is awesome. It’s outstanding to have a nonprofit with a strong connection to the bike advocacy world registering bikes on campuses,”</strong> says Ted Sweeney, who was the Active Transportation Specialist at UW for four years, including the time at which the university switched to Bike Index as their bicycle registration system. Though he has moved on from UW, Sweeney remains a big Bike Index fan.</p>
<blockquote>I think Bike Index is awesome. It's outstanding to have a nonprofit with a strong connection to the bike advocacy world registering bikes on campuses</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Ted Sweeney, former UW Active Transportation Specialist</div>
<p>Sweeney is particularly an advocate because we helped to recover his road bike when we tweeted it out (like we do with all stolen bikes through our <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea" target="none">regional accounts</a>) and someone got in touch with information on the bike. Bike Index works!</p>
<p>“I don’t think I would have recovered my road bike if it weren’t for Bike Index. They really get the job done. Bike Index is able to create simple, affordable, and intuitive options for students during the very hectic orientation process when transport departments have only a few moments with students to get the serial number captured,” says Sweeney.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114187/Screen_Shot_2018-04-05_at_7.03.13_PM.png" alt="Tweet" /></p>
<p>Aside from our nonprofit model being a good fit for a university environment, Bike Index offers a number of features that have proven to be attractive for universities:</p>
<ul><li><strong>We take time to develop new features</strong> with universities who want to see Bike Index features that don't yet exist. Yes, you heard that right. We will build pretty much whatever you want. We are committed to making the most-functional university bicycle registration system out there, and that means making sure it has all of the features a university would need.</li>
<li><strong>We are highly custom</strong>, and we will put together whatever package of materials will be most effective for your university. We don't do any sort of bundling that forces you to integrate and pay for something that will not be useful for your university, and that will up your charges. We just want to give you what you will use, and then help you use it.</li>
<li><strong>We're inexpensive.</strong> We also have, and always have had, a completely <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/organizations/new">free</a> version of our site for departments that don't have a budget for a bicycle specific registry. But for those who do have a budget, we don't charge you tens of thousands of dollars. We're a nonprofit, so our goal isn't to squeeze universities for every last penny, especially with looming funding cuts everywhere all the time. We want to build what you need and charge what it costs for us to build, nothing more.</li>
<li><strong>We're personal and responsive.</strong> We respond to troubleshooting questions within two days, not in two weeks. We plan phone calls, and we work on building a registry hand-in-hand with our university partners, not just giving you something standard and sterile.</li>
<li><strong>Bike Index is bicycle specific</strong>. We're not transportation general. We know how to manage bicycles, bicycle thefts, and the nuances of a bicycle-specific registration system, because it's literally all we do. We provide bike-specific features and aid in stolen bicycle recoveries. Bike theft is an inherent problem on college campuses that many a parking system has not programmed for. We also have features for abandoned bikes and bikes that have been locked where they shouldn't be - solutions specific to university <i>bike</i> issues.</li>
<li><strong>We don't add time to your registration and recovery process,</strong> we diminish this time. Less work for you! Isn't that awesome? We'll build your system, teach you how to use it, then let you go free (but we'll always be here to answer your questions and work on new things with you when you want them). We'll give you resources to get in touch with bike owners, and diminish the amount of space you have to devote to stashing abandoned bikes or those not linked to an owner.</li>
<li><strong>We offer all of our valuable partnerships</strong> with organizations that will help you canvas your cities for bikes stolen from campus. Through partnerships with local groups and national partners like <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online" target="none">LeadsOnline</a>, universities will be able to find bikes that are no longer under their campus jurisdiction. With an independently-run registration system, universities forgo meaningful connections with cycling organizations in their communities, often the connections that can lead to theft recoveries. Bike Index provides these connections.</li></ul>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/114413/Screen_Shot_2018-04-08_at_6.00.57_PM.png" alt="UW tweet" /></p>
<p>Sweeney also notes the benefit of Bike Index for students: “In just a few moments and without downloading any apps, students can come away with the peace of mind that if something happens to their bike, their information will go in front of the greatest number of eyes possible.” Seeing as the students and other campus members are the ones populating Bike Index with registrations, it only makes sense that Bike Index encourages registrations through ease and free-ness.</p>
<blockquote>Among other options, Bike Index really stands out for their commitment to creating tailored, accessible solutions, and their nonprofit, advocacy ethos</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Ted Sweeney, former UW Active Transportation Specialist</div>
<p>Now is the best and most perfect time to get in touch with us about establishing a Bike Index registration system at your university. If we can get working with you before the summer bike season rush, that puts us way ahead of time for finishing a registration system before school starts up again in the fall. Getting in touch with us in the summertime - or anytime really - is cool too, but if you can get into the system now, then you won’t be backlogged when everyone gets in touch with us in June or July.</p>
<p>If you are a member of a university community - in any capacity - please get in touch with <a href="mailto:gavin@bikeindex?Subject=Bike Index for my university">gavin@bikeindex.org</a> and we can begin a conversation on implementing Bike Index for your university.</p>
2018-03-30T14:44:12-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2018-recoveriesBike Index's February 2018 recoveries!2018-03-30T14:44:12-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Finally! February 2018 was a ‘light’ month, with only 20 or so recoveries. No objections here! If blizzards and snow keep people from stealing bikes, great.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tons of SFPD, SPD, and PPB recoveries. Thanks to all the cops out there using Bike Index! (If your local police department isn't using Bike Index yet, <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/for_law_enforcement">send them our way</a>!)</li>
<li>Another great recovery from Seattle-area user <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pawned_goods">pawned_goods</a> (IG)</li>
<li>"What a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise! Even though I didn't know the serial number, the photos and description helped!"</li>
<li>The never endling litany of stolen bikes on <b>OfferUp</b> continues - including one that led to the arrest of a 'tweaker with a back-pack full of laptops and tablets'</li>
<li>Also: Vlogger/cyclist/travel guy <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/duzer">@duzer</a> had bikes stolen, found them on Offerup, lost them again - but then somebody steals one of them back for him. He vlogs about it, natch, and gives us a shout-out. Thanks Ryan!</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>, so we run a tight ship.</p>
<p>I won’t lie - it’s pretty demoralizing to recover somebody’s $4000 bike - and them only have them send us a $5 donation. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it. Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! <b>We would appreciate it hugely if you did</b>.</p>
<p>Now - onto this month’s recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113307/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Riverside Co Sheriffs recovered it this
morning - stopping the rider for an unrelated crime. Apparently
the Murrieta PD did not report the serial number stolen..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Cannondale Trail 5 - recovered: Feb 1, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113309/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found by police in a search. Connected with me through Bike Index and Facebook ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2018 Specialized Stumpjumper- recovered: Feb 2, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113313/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This is Portland Police, I have your bike ..." Ed note: PPB recovered a ton of bikes in February. Keep up the good work!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
LW star cruiser - recovered: Feb 4, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113312/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A gentleman, Andy, who bought it recently
realized it was stolen once he checked in here! Absolutely amazing.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
BMC Alpenchallenge - recovered: Feb 5, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113314/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"An <b>SFPD</b> Officer recognized the bike from seeing it on Bike Index!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Volume Ends - recovered: Feb 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113301/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Portland PD recovered the bike! <b>They
encouraged me to use Bike Index - so glad I did!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 1.5 - recovered: Feb 8, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113318/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Portland Police department found my bike
and ran the serial number through
Bike Index. I was contacted right away (thanks Ben!) and picked it up
the following day. Bike was in
decent condition but wasn't missing any parts."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Roam 2 - recovered: Feb 8th, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113317/008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I was told by a local bike shop to record
serial numbers and take
pics and upload to the Bike Index. The Bike Index allowed me to go
to the local police and report
my stolen bike with great accuracy. 2 days later, I received a call
from authorities saying that
they found my bike. This is a great site to keep records with. A
huge thanks to the police of Oregon for finding our bike."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Merax Finiss - recovered: Feb 10, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113310/009.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How bike was recovered: Police assistance. They were great!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Schwinn Schwinn Wayfarer 700c Women's Hybrid Bike - recovered: Feb 11, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113300/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone saw the Bike Index (listing) and called me - they
shipped it back..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: Feb 12, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113306/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Awesome work by the Bike Index
and PPB Officers. Bike Index found the bike listed on <b>OfferUp</b>, and
contacted PPB who arranged to meet the seller. The bike is worse
for the wear but definitely salvageable. Kudos to all.
The (seller) was some (redacted) with a back-pack full of laptops and tablets and
apparently some meth. They arrested the thief and brought
the bike back to me, which was interesting. I thought it would go to
evidence. Same-day service! <b>I’ve had a lot of bikes
stolen over the years, and this is the first one to come back.</b> "
Ed note: <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/964684772558585859">@ppbbiketheft tweeted about this arrest</a>.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Roubaix Comp Disc - recovered: Feb 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113302/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, This is Officer Scott with the Portland Police Bureau. I recovered
your stolen Electra today. Please call me ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Electra Verse 21D - recovered: Feb 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113320/013.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Officer Randle of the Seattle PD North
Precinct recovered my bike on Feb. 14 -- <b>What a wonderful Valentine's
Day surprise</b>! He was able to ID it from both the police report and the
Bike Index report. <b>Even though I didn't know the serial number, the
photos and description helped!</b> The bike is in a few pieces, but the
major ones appear to be there. I'm hopeful that I can repair it and
get back on the trails (after recording the bike serial number and
taking some photos of the actual bike, just in case). Thanks so much
to Bike Index and Seattle Police, especially Officer Randle, for the
return of my bike!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek 820 WSD - recovered: Feb X, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113299/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Ed note: technically this was <b>not</b> a Bike Index recovery but we
wanted to share it anyway due to the creative recovery circumstances:
"A guy was on it and stopped right next to
me and started talking about his new bike, <b>he was so stupid that he
left my Bluetooth speaker on the bike</b>. When my phone connected with
it he almost [redacted]. He dropped the bike and ran off ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Genesis GS29 - recovered: Feb 14, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113303/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I bought this bike this weekend from <b>OfferUp</b> for $300, regrettably, I
didn't check here first. I checked the serial #'s and they match. It's
in very good shape and I'd like to get it back to you. Thanks.
I did go to the seller's home up in Vancouver/Battle Ground area, so
if police want that info, I have their address. I also have text
messages and the phone # of the seller..."
<b>Bike Index notes this seller's account is still active on <b>OfferUp</b>.</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona Minute 20 - recovered: Feb 13, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113315/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Not sure if you have been contacted yet, but we (Portland Police)
found your bike yesterday! Give me a call ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Raleigh - recovered: Feb 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113323/duzer.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another "non-Bike Index recovery" entry, but worth highlighting: Prolific cyclist/vlogger/film guy <b>Ryan Van Duzer</b> sadly joined the stolen bike club
on Christmas day of 2017, which he explained in his video "<a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuaKM0m2nio">Two Bikes Stolen on Christmas Day-A Message to the Thieves</a>".
They were quickly spotted for sale on ... yes ... just wait for it ... <a href="https://twitter.com/duzer/status/948282350101671937">Offerup.com</a>, but the his attempts to get help with this proved futile, as is often the case with, oh, literally f***ing everybody else in the universe who has found their stolen bikes listed on Offerup. Good news, though! Somebody decided to just <b>straight up steal one of them back</b> so, hey, all's well that ends well. Ryan lays this all out in "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A39Tbtg5Eak&t=2s">I Got My Stolen Bike Back In The Most Unbelievable Way!</a>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
(<a target="_new" href="https://t.co/iUkfuJ67Cg">You can check out Ryan Van Duzer's YT channel here</a> ...)</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113316/017.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone ditched your bike in my workshop at Jake's Famous Crawfish..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Raleigh- recovered: Feb 16, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113297/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Local bike shop!" (Bike Index thanks all the LBS's out there using Bike Index!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 BMC BMC Speedfox SFO2 - recovered: Feb 20, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113311/019.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi I believe I may have found your bike! Its a Jamis nova lu Like in
the picture, I got it from a gentleman that had it sitting behind his
house by a trash can, claiming that someone had left it there a month
ago and never returned to get it ( I would assume the thief perhaps) ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Jamis Nova - recovered: Feb 23, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113298/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A bike store called me and they told me they had my bike.
Apparently, a homeless person had brought it in for a tune-up <b>with the lock still on</b>
and they suspected that it was stolen. The store looked up the serial number on Bike
Index and called me. Thanks Bike Index!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek FX S 4 - recovered: Feb 24, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113308/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another spectacular find by Seattle-area stolen bike spotter <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfeb645h-wG/?taken-by=pawned_goods">pawned_goods</a> (IG) "It was posted Specialized Awol posted couple of hours ago in Seattle.
Got the guys ID + info and sent him on his way after showing him the listing."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Awol - recovered: Feb 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113305/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found the bike on "<b>OfferUp</b>" and made an appointment to meet the seller - And then called the police..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Biomega Boston - recovered: Feb 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113319/023.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey I think I found your bike by way of purchase. I’m near where the Bike Index shows it was stolen. Cheers ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1988 BIANCHI VOLPE - recovered: Feb 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/113304/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello. So I bought this bike a few years ago from <b>Ebay</b>. Recently I decided I wanted to
sell the bike, so checked the serial number to confirm the model, and saw
that it is listed as stolen! I never even thought to check the serial number
until now. Whoever stole it must've sold it to the "seller" on <b>Ebay</b>, who I
bought it from. Letting you know I still have the bike, and it is still in
good condition (other than some scratches on the fork). I can't get a refund
from Ebay because it's outside the "45 day period" since it was several years ago,
however let me know if you'd like the bike back and we'll work on the deets on getting it back to you..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek Madone 4.5 - recovered: Feb 26, 2018</div>
</article>
<p>
And that's it for February!
</p>
2018-03-07T19:13:47-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-january-2018-recoveriesBike Index's January 2018 recoveries! 2018-03-07T19:13:47-06:00Bryan Hance
<p>Well, we’ve started 2018 off the right way here at the Bike Index - by recovering bikes. In fact …</p>
<ul>
<li>Our first recovery of 2018 ... comes out of the UK! It was under a hedge. Didn't expect that one. #superbritish</li>
<li>In the "small world" category, we recover one of my PDX neighbor's bikes. </li>
<li>... and then weeks later we help recover his other, final stolen bike! We're 2 for 2 for this guy!</li>
<li>"I am so grateful! This is a bike my 15 year old son built from scratch"</li>
<li>Stolen bike is listed on Offerup. Stolen bike is flagged repeatedly via Bike Index. Stolen bike is sold and the owner despairs ... until the new buyer emails us saying "<i>Ugh, I just bought this stolen bike on Offerup...</i></a>"</li>
<li>Another excellent spot and recovery from the good folks at <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/cyclepdxtours/status/953750160101658624">Cycle Portland</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Real quick though: Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>, so we run a tight ship - on a budget of basically whatever change we found in the couch.</p>
<p>I won’t lie - it’s pretty demoralizing to recover somebody’s $4000 bike - and only get a $5 donation. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it. Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! We would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111565/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Our first bike recovery of 2018 - comes from the UK! Specifically from Northumbria:
"Found by a member of the public <b>under a hedge</b>. They Googled the bike and found the missing notices ... "
(Ed: love the hedge angle, which make this the most British recovery we've ever had.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Alba Levanta 8 - recovered: 01/01/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111556/002.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovered by Seattle Police (Editor: no other details provided)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 01/03/<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111565/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Our first bike recovery of 2018 - comes from the UK! Specifically from Northumbria:
"Found by a member of the public <b>under a hedge</b>. They Googled the bike and found the missing notices ... "
(Ed: love the hedge angle, which make this the most British recovery we've ever had.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Alba Levanta 8 - recovered: 01/01/2017</div>
</article>
</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111555/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This Bike Index member went waaaay above and beyond for a bike owner who was out of town:
"A Bike Index community member found the bike in Seattle. They
were very kind to look it up and hold it for us (for <b>three months</b>!)
for recovery."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Vita Elite Disc - recovered: 01/03/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111557/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Some one recognized it (here on Bike Index) and then got ahold of it and gave it back to me ... "</i>
</blockquote><br />
<div class="blockquote-cite">Peugeot, Unknown model - recovered: 01/03/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111567/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Remember D? The awesome Portlander who skims all the <a target="_new" href="http://govdeals.com">GovDeals</a> auctions for bikes from Portland and cross lists them against the
Bike Index? Well, he scored a bunch of recoveries this month, starting with this one:
"Thank you so much. You’re awesome. It’s confirmed it’s mine and I can go get it on Monday..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Trek Marlin - recovered: 01/05/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111561/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey there, I work at the bike parking facility in Berkeley. I think we might have your bike. (later on, a follow-up:)
We are already in touch. I am so grateful! This is a bike <b>my 15 year old son built from scratch</b>,
that he uses for long distance road rides! He’s in high school. Thank you so much Bike Index!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Douglas Douglas Matrix - recovered: 01/05/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111547/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
D., the <a target="_new" href="http://govdeals.com">GovDeals</a> bike-spotter, found this one too:
" I received an email from Bike Index. My bike was
spotted the auction for unclaimed recovered bikes (govdeals).
While I filed a police report, I was never contacted by the Portland Police
that my bike was recovered. Many thanks to the Bike Index team in helping me get my bike! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Masi Speciale Randonneur - recovered: 01/06/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/112150/linus.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I was contacted by Bike Index users! This bike was left outside their building (and they looked me up here)" ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Linus Mixte 8 - recovered: 01/07/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111558/011.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A cross-department recovery from one of our educational partners at <a target=href="https://umd.edu">University of Maryland</a>:
<i>
"I reported the stolen bike to the campus police of the University of Maryland College Park and the bike was recovered by the Greenbelt police.
The bike was able to be identified because of the Bike Index listing. At UMCP, we are required to register our bikes on the Bike Index if we are to ride around on them on campus. <b>Because I registered this bike on the Bike Index, I was able to forward an officer the link to this bike with all of the information regarding it that I had posted there</b>, and so that officer ... relayed that information to the police officers in Greenbelt, MD"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Pacific Cycle SE.2000.R - recovered: 01/01/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111568/012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike turned up in Laguna Beach CA. Current owner tried to sell it without knowing it was stolen --
potential buyer found serial number here. We already got insurance money for the stolen property,
so allowing current owner to keep it..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Ruby - recovered: 01/12/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/112151/dolce.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I was contacted by <b>SFPD</b> and they suspected that they had recovered my bike so they asked me to come to the station to identify it. Sure enough, it was mine! I couldn’t believe they found it. The person who stole it had been riding it around SF breaking into cars so it was a matter of time before they got caught. Only problem is, it needs a bit of love to get it back in shape. Happy to have it back home! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Dolce Double - recovered: 01/12/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111559/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This distinct-looking Salsa Vaya popped up on Offerup, and within a half hour three different Bike Index users had flagged it.
Sadly, while the owner tried to engage the seller and the police, the guy already sold the bike. Fortunately, the buyer checked Bike Index and ... well ... you know the rest.
Owner: "Thanks! Yep thats for sure my bike, I called Portland Police already this morning, and I will be contacting Gresham Police as well. "
Later: "Ugh. <b>I BOUGHT this bike on OfferUp</b>. I'm sorry. I bought it on Jan 3. And I checked Bike Index thoroughly by make/model before meeting the guy. And I checked the serial number before I took it. I talked with the guy a bunch, and he seemed to really know a lot about the bike. The rack nor fenders are on it. He gave me the fenders though. It seemed to good to be true. It's the exact bike I wanted. I thought I did everything right. I'm not sure what happens now. This is so frustrating."
FWIW: Bike Index notes two things: a) this seller has arrests on file, which are easily Google-able and b) their Offerup.com account is still active.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Salsa Vaya - recovered: 01/01/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111570/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Quoc at <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/cyclepdxtours/status/953750160101658624">Cycle Portland</a> had a keen eye and spotted the bike in downtown Portland. The guy riding it surrendered it to him and Quoc gave it a tune up and a tidying up. Wow! I am lucky and so so grateful."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Soma Saga - recovered: 01/16/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111562/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police found my bike in a homeless person's tent. Someone called into the police that they saw him with a nice bike and looked suspicious..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Cannondale Caad 9 - recovered: 01/17/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111569/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A person familiar with this site ... searched both after finding my bike. They emailed me and then called me to arrange a time and place to return my bike..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Cannondale R600 - recovered: 01/19/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/112165/f_offerup.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This recovery came out of SF, from <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/katiewhoelse/status/956039927136968705">@katiewhoelse</a>, who quickly found her stolen bike <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/katiewhoelse/status/957777589728288769">listed for sale on Offerup</a> (natch) and <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bej4-vrAUlY/?taken-by=katiewhoelse">chased it down with police assistance</a>.
From Katie's story:
<i>"I followed all the steps you guys mentioned me to do! Someone actually saw my post
"Stolen" post from Craigslist and send me a link to a bike that looked like mine
being sold in <b>OfferUp.com</b>. I then signed up for an account and Made an Offer on it!
I met with BART Police at the station to witness me 'buy' my bike back and ask if the
thief knew it was a stolen bike. I then verified it was my bike! "And she rode off into
the sunset...shocked and ecstatic!" I'm still in disbelief, but this is what happens
when we come together and help fellow humans out! Thanks so much Bike Index!"</i>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Civia 2015 - recovered: 01/24/2018</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111560/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
In <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-recoveries">last month's entry</a> I mentioned a neighbor of mine whose stolen bike we helped find ... fortunately, a bored guy on jury duty decided to kill some time in a local pawn shop in Portland and stumbled across his other stolen bike, this Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Even though no serial was on file (which is why the pawn shop didn't flag it) he was able to ID it via the components. The spotter also made a <a target="_new" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CyclePDX/comments/7uist9/i_got_a_stolen_bike_back_to_its_rightful_owner/">reddit post about this</a>, too.
"<i>Hey, I think this bike is on for sale at USA Pawn on SE Stark across from the Multnomah County courthouse. I popped in and everything looks to match up. I couldn’t find the serial number though. Head over there and check it out..."</i>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Santa Cruz Tall Boy XXL - recovered: 01/01/2018</div>
</article>
<p>And that’s Jan 2018! Stay tuned for the February stories …</p>
2018-02-19T09:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/its-almost-springIt's almost spring!!!!2018-02-19T09:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>It’s been a couple of years since your bike got stolen. It’s been a couple of months since your friend’s bike got stolen. It’s been winter for a lot of that time so the cold and grey has rendered you relatively apathetic to most things, but definitely to the care with which you lock your bike, especially because you might not have been riding it very much over the past few months.</p>
<p>We at Bike Index want to remind you really quick to RE-VAMP YOUR VIGILANCE as little puffs of warm weather begin to come and go. As more people are out riding, more carefree because of the sun (wow, I had forgotten what it looked like), bike thieves are preparing to score big time. Bike season = theft season. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a bike theft victim. Just keep a few tips in mind and you’ll be well-prepared to keep your bike.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111045/DWNeLeYVAAARGuq.jpg" alt="BSA" /></p>
<p>1) Lock it appropriately. Just, honestly, get rid of the cable lock. Unless it’s paired with a U-lock. Better yet, use two locks: one through a wheel and the frame, and the other through the remaining wheel. Make sure what you’re locking to doesn’t just pull out of the ground. Make sure what you’re locking to has a top so someone can’t just a slide a bike up and away (trust me, I’ve seen it). Make sure what you’re locking to can’t be unbolted from the ground. Look at these awesome locking cards <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/BikeSecurityAdv">Bicycle Security Advisors</a> made.</p>
<p>2) Just because you’re locking your bike in a highly traffick-ed public place does not mean your bike is safe. Most thefts occur in these areas. Remember, a person wearing an orange construction vest can get away with literally anything, including sawing the lock off your bike.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111044/badrack.JPG" alt="pds cops" /></p>
<p>3) Lock your bikes inside of your own garage. The number of garage - whether personal or in your apartment building - break-ins and thefts is actually egregious. <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/so-lets-talk-about-secure-bike-parking">We wrote an article about this last week</a>. If your bikes are under an additional layer of protection, it might deter thefts. If someone’s broken into your house to steal your bikes, then it’s unlikely that a few locks will stop them. But it might slow them down enough for you to make it home before they escape. Or, I hate to say it, but it might incentivize them to go after a less-secured bike in a shared apartment garage space and leave yours be.</p>
<p>4) <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">Register your bike on Bike Index</a>. You probably already have, and that’s great. But go in and update it. That little scratch on the downtube is new, from sliding over the black ice on your way to work. You got a new saddle. The picture you put in initially is grainy. Go make sure all of the details are up-to-date and everything about the bike can be linked to your ownership.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/111046/bryan_yes.png" alt="bryan yes" /></p>
<p>5) Get out and ride! Don’t let the fear of theft deter you. You’re registered, you know how to lock up, and it’s awesome outside. See y’all out there.</p>
2018-01-31T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/so-lets-talk-about-secure-bike-parkingLet's talk about "secure" bike parking ... 2018-01-31T00:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Let’s talk about “secure” bike parking for a minute.</p>
<p>I personally review every stolen bike report that comes into Bike Index. I do this so I can fix any issues with listings before they go ‘live’, assist with any particularly <a target="_new" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/07/portland_bike_thieves_steal_so.html">egregious thefts</a>, or point victims towards other <a target="_new" href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/DIY-crime-fighters-try-to-roll-back-bike-theft-12502750.php">resources</a> <a target="new" href="https://medium.com/@stolenbikessfo/what-to-do-after-you-bike-has-been-stolen-in-the-bay-area-e08e6b6f005b">that</a> may help recover their bikes. But it’s also a way to keep an eye on theft trends.</p>
<p>Watching the last couple week’s worth of stolen bikes come in has shown me that <b>a lot of the stolen bikes we’re seeing lately are stolen from “secure” bike parking in apartments, condos, and businesses.</b></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109659/000.JPG" alt="pdx cops" /></p>
<p>And just to be clear - I’m not talking about the usual home / residential garage & basement thefts here - sadly those continue unabated as always. I’m talking specifically about bike parking areas that have been designed and designated by property or building management as ‘safe’, usually subterranean cages or locked rooms or other shared ‘secure’ bike parking.</p>
<p>For example: of the last 50 bikes we’ve registered in Seattle WA, 16 were stolen from shared ‘secure’ parking areas in apartment/condos, businesses - or similar ‘shared safe’ interior spaces. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/118666">Here</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/381433">are</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/382158">just</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/381931">a</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/381194">few</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/381770 ">samples</a>. (<a target="_new" href="http://www.rememberingjaron.com/2015/03/and-now-for-some-justice.html">And, while I’m here, here’s one guy’s epic recovery story re: chasing down his stolen Felt that was jacked from his ‘secure’ parking</a> in DC)</p>
<p>And remember - we don’t usually get the full story on most of the stolen bikes registered here - some people leave their details out. So I would estimate the ‘real’ number of bikes taken from these spaces is indeed higher.</p>
<p>So: what’s behind this? My thoughts:</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109887/badrack.JPG" alt="pdx cops" /></p>
<p>1) With the colder weather, more bikes are stored inside. Most apartments and condos already force people to park in “secure” areas, and they also <b>ban</b> bike storage inside apartments - usually by citing fire codes. So that’s just where the most bikes are right now - they’re inside.</p>
<p>2) These apartments and condos <b>tout their bike parking as “safer” and “more secure”</b> because they’re located inside access controlled areas, with entry via keycode or key fob, and occasionally covered by security cameras.</p>
<p>3) Because of this, many riders <b>let their guard down</b> and resort to weaker locks - or no locks at all.</p>
<p>4) The racks and other infrastructure in these locations also tend to be <b>sub-par</b> - usually cheap aluminum racks and/or drywall mounted hooks/anchors. And a lot of these spaces are protected by chain link, which is trivial to cut. Thus, these protections are quickly defeated by thieves that can make it inside the ‘bike room’.</p>
<p>5) Apartment/condo thieves are <b>more devious</b> than the run-of-the-mill opportunists we usually see. Getting inside these bike parking spaces means either tailgating cars inside, maybe entering via some <a target="_new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(security)">social engineering</a> using ‘urban camoflauge’, stealing key cards or garage door openers, and carrying better tools to break into these spaces and remove locks and racks. So, these ‘winterized’ bike thieves tend to be a little hardier.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, a lot bikes being stolen from these spaces lately. And these thefts usually involve multiple bikes stolen at once.</p>
<p>I emailed Portland’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> officer David Sanders about these kinds of thefts, who said “I recently talked to a condo manager that had a bad guy come in with a corded grinder and plug into an outlet in a bike storage room and started grinding bike locks. It’s crazy … I think we should visit every condo building and have this conversation with them because they ARE going to be hit at some point. EVERY bike storage area is at risk!! There is no way to truly make this secure from bad guys gaining access to them. (Cyclists) need to treat this almost even like a MORE vulnerable area because once the thieves gain access to these rooms at 3 a.m., they have basically unrestricted access to whatever they can seize.”</p>
<p>I reached out to some victims of these crimes for their stories of thefts from apartment/workplace ‘secure’ storage areas:</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109539/garages_004.JPG" alt="pdx thieves" /></p>
<p>“It seems like people are naive about the skills thieves have,” says <b>AF</b>, who contacted me via <a target="_new" href="https://facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a>. “I know so many people who bought a brand new bike, only to have it stolen in under a week.”</p>
<p><b>SM</b>, who lives in Seattle, says: “We had 3 bikes stolen from the same Capitol Hill building using three different methods, but occurring during same time frame (month & early morning) each of the past three years.”</p>
<p>“Initially the bike storage area consisted of a chain link fence with an unsecured latch fence door with a mix of metal bar racks and hanging cable system to secure the bikes. The first theft entailed a a custom mt. bike build with an Intense frame that was secured with a cable to a metal post. Cable was cut to take the bike while other non-secured bikes not taken.”</p>
<p>“Months after the second theft, property management put a code entry plate on the fenced door to provide secured access to the bike storage area. The area was accessed by simply cutting the chain link fence and reaching around to open the door without the code. The bike was secured to a metal bar rack with a Kryptonite ULock - medium size - grade 8 I believe. This time it was a new Orbea road bike stolen by cutting the metal bar rack.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109890/sm.JPG" alt="pdx thieves" /></p>
<p>“Months after this theft, property management installed a sheet rock wall in place of the chain fence and a regular door with a coded button system to access. The bike was secured with a Kryptonite Ulock - medium size grade 8-9 to the metal bar. This time a Liv cyclocross bike was stolen by using a blow torch to loosen the brackets on the metal bar rack. I went around the neighborhood after this incident and saw three sets of people with backpacks containing blow torch chambers and two of the sets of people standing around with nice bikes at 6am didn’t look like they intended to ride them.”</p>
<p>“One of the guys in those sets of people showed up on surveillance video from the apartment building - entering the building around 5:30am. Property management was not sure how they entered: if they had a device to disable to secure building access system or if they had a fob. Some trends we noticed: the 3 thefts all occurred in August & September each year and appeared to happen in the early morning hours (4:45-6am) Most of the time multiple bikes were stolen from the storage and multiple groups of people were observed around the neighborhood at the same time - as though it was a targeted group effort.”</p>
<p><b>SK</b>, who had <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/105111">two</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/105367">bikes</a> stolen, sent in a long and painful story. “Both were locked to anchored loops on the brick wall with thick cable locks – overkill, I thought, for a locked garage. I was intending to stop someone from just casually grabbing a bike and running, not preparing for professional thieves …
My neighbor called to say that our garage had been vandalized. The thieves smashed or cut the lock box off to get the key, and they took the box with them (to avoid fingerprinting). They hauled out eight bikes (including my two) – some locked, some not, cutting cable locks to take bikes and grabbing whatever unlocked bikes they could carry. To leave the garage silently and without disturbing any alarms, they pulled the release on my garage door opener and opened the door manually.”</p>
<p>“They didn’t touch or damage anything else in the garage,” says SK. “Just bikes. They took every smooth fingerprintable thing they touched with them. They also avoided driving in front of our building’s security cameras.”</p>
<p><b>CB</b> relayed this story: “We have a private locked bike room in our secure garage way at the back of the parking area - it’s not visible nor is it easily discoverable - you have to know it’s there. You need a fob for the garage doors, plus a different key for the bike room. I discovered one day that someone had tried to take some bikes out of the bike room - lights were stripped, and wheels were loose, as if it was someone who didn’t know what they were doing. Stupidly, we kept one of our bikes there anyway, and within a week there was a major theft. U-locks that were cut through and quite a few bikes missing, including my husband’s beloved Specialized. It was only then that the condo management changed the lock on the bike room door, even though they knew about the earlier problem. No communication, no notification at any time - no warning to the rest of the residents to move their bikes out of the compromised room. Luckily, my commuter was up in the apartment for some reason, so that was safe. Since then, our commuter bikes have been locked visibly in the garage so that they’re in full view of anyone trying to mess with them. Our expensive bikes stay up in the condo.”</p>
<p><b>Common problems:</b> Two huge problems we see a lot with regards to thefts from “safe parking” spaces:</p>
<p><b>Problem #1: Look, we have security cameras! No, you can’t see the footage from the security cameras!</b></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109536/garages_001.JPG" alt="pdx thieves" /></p>
<p>As most victims quickly find out, those widely-touted security cameras are there to protect the building and the owners - and not the tenants. Even if there is surveillance footage (which tends to be typically poor quality to begin with) most management companies <b>refuse to provide that video to theft victims</b>. I can’t tell you how many times we get stolen bike reports saying “There are security cameras, I’ll be back shortly” - only to have the victim report later that “building security refuses to give me the footage.” Most businesses cite “company policy” or simply “we’re only allowed to give this to the police”. Something to think about, if you’re parking in a space covered by security cameras.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109660/freddiy.JPG" alt="x" /></p>
<p><b>Problem 2: A reluctance to let tenants and/or bike cage users know about thefts</b></p>
<p>Also maddening is the complete lack of notifications most property owners give to their tenants and guests about bike cage break-ins and bike thefts.</p>
<p>For example, we’ll see the same apartment building get hit multiple times, and the only way residents know about it is <b>because they’re all reading Bike Index</b> and contacting each other with “Hello, my bike was just stolen here too, do you have any information on these thefts or have you heard any more about what happened?” And that, honestly, is super frustrating.</p>
<p><b>Ok, so - what do we do about these thefts?</b></p>
<p><b>Here’s a couple of tips we put together for cyclists who store their bikes in apartment, condo, or business parking</b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>Don't let your guard down</b> - don't slack on locking your ride up just because it's in a bike cage. Skip the cable locks, use two
U-locks, and check the quality of the rack you're locked to. Can it be unbolted? Is it aluminum? Is it bolted to the floor? Are those bolts exposed?</li>
<li><b>Spread the word</b> - has there been a break in, or a bike stolen from your apartment or business bike cage? <b>Let folks know!</b> Because odds are, if thieves hit a spot once, they're likely to hit it again. So do your fellow riders a solid - tell them when thieves are about, or when the bike cage has been hit.</li>
<li><b>Think like a crook</b> - Some time spent thinking like a crook will will train you to see the holes in the system that's supposed to protect you - and your bike. Look at your building's bike parking with a critical eye. Is it chain link? (Easily cut.) Is it out of the way, and not easily visible to the general building users? (Provides good camouflage). Can people 'tailgate' other folks entering your building? (Easy access to outsiders) </li>
<li><b>Look for security cameras - but ask about policy too</b> - Like we said, just because there are cameras, doesn't mean you're going to help you if you bike gets lifted. Make sure your building has functional cameras, but ask if they <i>will actually give you the footage</i> if you are a victim of a theft in their building. You may be surprised at the answer.</li>
<li><b>Register with Bike Index</b> - This one's a no-brainer, but seriously - register your bikes with us if you haven't done so yet. It takes only a few minutes, it's free, and we're quite simply <b>the best chance of getting your bike back if it is ever stolen</b>. Better yet, register <b>all</b> your building's bikes with us - drop us a line and we'll tell you how. For free. Because we're good like that.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have other tips you’d like to send us here with regards to keeping your ride safe inside of a “secure” parking job - or want to share your bike theft story, I’m <a href=”mailto”bryan@bikeindex.org”>bryan@bikeindex.org</a>.</p>
<p>Don’t forget, we’re also on Twitter too, all over the place - The main <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@bikeindex</a> account, as well as our <a href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">Portland</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">Seattle</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">San Francisco</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesbrk">Berkeley</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikestuc">Tucson</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessan">San Diego</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikeschi">Chicago</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesoak">Oakland</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikemarin">Marin County</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesdc">DC</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessj">San Jose</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesphx">Phoenix</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesatx">Austin</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesbend">Bend</a> … we’re everywhere :)</p>
<p>Want to see your city listed here? <a href="mailto:bryan@bikeindex.org">Drop us a line</a> and help us get your city or local police department set up with Bike Index, too.</p>
<p>As always thanks for reading and ride safe, folks.</p>
2018-01-24T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/a-few-tips-for-the-well-meaning-driverA few tips for the well-meaning driver2018-01-24T17:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>If you’ve driven a car, at some point you’ve had to pass a cyclist. And if you’ve ridden a bike, at some point you have been passed by a car who has a) threatened you, b) tried to kill you, or c) done A but inadvertently.</p>
<p>On bad days, I think about throwing eggs or rocks at cars who try to pass me when I am going over railroad tracks (if my wheel gets stuck and I fall, you will run me over). On good days, I try to give the driver the benefit of the doubt because it’s likely that many of them see few enough cyclists that they don’t know how to react or don’t realize that there are even regulations in place about how cars and cyclists should interact. And while we cyclists tend to focus on the negative interactions we have with cars, if you counted up the number of cars that passed you each day, the neutral or positive reactions between bike and car would far outnumber the bad ones.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109466/Bike-Crash.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>So, in the hopes that there are some drivers out there who are open to some tips about driving around cyclists, I’ve compiled a small list of information that doesn’t accompany a middle finger, because everyone deserves both the benefit of the doubt, as well as the opportunity to learn before they are chastised. I know that cars are not always at fault, and that’s not what I am trying to say here. I’m merely demonstrating one side of the cars + bikes ecosystem in hopes that it may demonstrate where cyclists and cars can improve.</p>
<p><strong>1) We’re <i>sharing</i> the road.</strong> I know this might be hard to accept, but we all pay taxes for the roads. This includes people who aren’t even driving, such as people who take the train. That means cyclists pay taxes for the right to use the roads too. Cyclists don’t (yet) have to pay to title or register our vehicles because most of our bikes cost less than $1,000. Our vehicles also don’t kill people. You can shout all you want that people on bikes have killed people, but let’s be real. People walking can kill people. If you look at fatalities caused by car, you’ll see that they’re significant, and merit vehicle registration. Just because we don’t pay to register our bikes, doesn’t mean we can’t be on the roads. All this is relevant because it means that we belong on, and have a right to use the roads. We’re not on sidewalks because we’re not supposed to be.</p>
<p><strong>2) There are actual laws about how cyclists and drivers can interact.</strong> I encourage everyone to look up the laws in their state. For example, where I live in North Carolina, the Department of Transportation released this <a target="none" href="https://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/download/BicycleTrafficLawsInNCAndUS.pdf">handy presentation</a> outlining some of these regulations. Here are some interesting/important notes:</p>
<li>Several states have laws <strong>allowing drivers to cross the center line</strong> to pass a cyclist.</li>
<li>39 states have laws <strong>allowing cyclists to ride two abreast</strong>.</li>
<li>Several states have laws that <strong>allow cyclists to take the full lane</strong> if needed (i.e. if you're going around a blind corner and a passing car could collide head-on with an oncoming car and kill everyone).</li>
<li>25 states dictate that cars <strong>give 3 feet of passing room</strong> between the car and the cyclist.</li>
<li>Some states have rules that enact <strong>harsher punishments on aggression towards vulnerable road users</strong> such as aggression by a 4,000lb car against an exposed person riding a 30lb bike.</li>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109464/ht9am-pool-noodle-bike-1.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>There are laws for cyclists too, including using hand signals, not texting while riding, and in general, not intentionally being dangerous or obstructing traffic. Some states prohibit using headphones while riding a bike.</p>
<p><strong>3) Bikes are cars too.</strong> In many states, bicycles are considered to be vehicles. A huge pet peeve of mine is when I come to an intersection and come to the appropriate stop and then someone in a car tries to be nice and wave me through. Not only is this breaking road rules, but I’ve already gotten off my bike. Just take your turn. It will be faster for everyone. You stopping causes everyone behind you to resent <i>me</i>. Some states are trying to enact laws that give cyclists permissions to roll through stop signs, but until those pass, if a cyclist stops for your car at an intersection, go. Check your local laws to see how you should treat bikes at intersections. That being said, there are cyclists that will run intersections, even when you are already starting to go. They’re breaking the rules, yes, but that doesn’t mean they deserve to be run over.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/109467/good20bicycle20stop20and20turn.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p><strong>4) PLEASE don’t turn right into me.</strong> I don’t care if the sun is blinding you. I don’t care if I’m going slower than you. Look to your right before turning right. Many bike lanes stay to the right of turn lanes, which is an infrastructural issue, but many cyclists follow the bike lane. That means a cyclist has the right-of-way to go straight, to the right of you, even if you are turning right. Don’t speed up and pass a cyclist and then slam on the brakes to turn right, right in front of them. That’s kinda messed up.</p>
<p><strong>5) Just because there is a bike lane, doesn’t mean I am not going to need to come out of it.</strong> Bike lanes don’t stay as clear as roads because cars aren’t pulverizing everything in the bike lane 24/7. Often, bike lanes are repositories for road jetsam. That means glass, rocks, leaves, and other things that can cause us to crash. If I fall in a bike lane, some of my body or bike will be in the road, and you could run it over. I don’t want that. You don’t want that. And by the way, realistic bike tires are the <i>same cost</i> as new car tires. Crazy huh? We’re not trying to ride through huge piles of glass. Give a little bit of passing room even to cyclists who are riding in the bike lane.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bzE-IMaegzQ" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p><strong>6) Hitting cyclists with your car is not allowed.</strong> This isn’t me being nitpicky.</p>
<p><strong>7) Look before you open your car door.</strong> “Getting doored” is an actual term thanks to so many cyclists getting plowed by someone who just opens their car door right into a cyclist’s path. It really hurts, it’ll mess up your door, and it’ll mess up our bikes. If you’re already getting out of your car, you’ll probably get hurt too, when someone who is riding 20+ mph comes to a stop in an instant, in your lap. Plus, the cyclist will probably be in the right, and you might have to pay for everything: your door, medical bills, and in some cases, their $10,000 bike.</p>
<p><strong>8) Don’t lay on your horn.</strong> I’ve done it in my car, and it feels awesome. I know. But if you lay on your horn - especially if I haven’t done anything egregious and I’m not expecting it - I will probably reciprocate by getting in your way. Just a few light taps to tell me I’ve done something wrong is enough, and I’ll move over.</p>
<p><strong>9) Don’t pass me right before a stop sign, and then stop.</strong> Would you do that to a driver? No. That would be weird.</p>
<p><strong>10) Treat me like someone who is walking their dog.</strong> That person walking their dog in the neighborhood is getting in your way just as much as I am. Why do you treat them so much more nicely?</p>
<p>The best way I can describe this list is as an exercise in attention. So often, when we drive in our cars, we’re well-protected and insulated, and we don’t realize that this is not the same for others on the road. Try to remember that cars can be dangerous when operated dangerously!</p>
<p>There are both drivers and cyclists who will continue to intentionally endanger the other party. Those people are jerks. But ultimately, cyclists are not going anywhere. So, it would be easier and less aggravating for all of us to learn how to co-exist on the road. Presumably, regulations about bikes on the road will continue to change, so stay up to date. If you see a cyclist doing something on the road that angers you or that you think is incorrect, look it up, so that the next time it happens, you know what to do, and maybe you could even <i>politely</i> roll down your window and inform the cyclist they they’re being cray. The same goes for us cyclists: if someone on the road does something dangerous, your first reaction comes from fear and anger, and usually involves an emotional incident with a driver that in all reality, will get you nowhere. Easier said than done, but try to remember that politeness will get you a lot farther than screaming.</p>
2018-01-08T17:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/new-years-resolution-diaries-day-8-commutingNew Year's Resolution Diaries day 8: Commuting2018-01-08T17:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>When I lived in Chicago, I rode my bike everywhere. It was a non-decision - it is bar none crazy to not commute in Chicago via bike, if you are able.</p>
<p>The CTA (Chicago’s public transit) is about as efficient as a system with a daily ridership of some <a target="none" href="https://data.cityofchicago.org/Transportation/CTA-Ridership-Daily-Boarding-Totals/6iiy-9s97">1,000,000 riders</a> can be. When driving your own car you have to take into account all of the $50+ parking tickets you risk. And driving a car is no faster than public transit and in fact, slower than bikes, once you’re into the labyrinth of the city.</p>
<p>Travel time from my apartment to the Loop during rush hour, ~8 miles:</p>
<li>CTA train or bus: 43 mins</li>
<li>Car on Lakeshore Drive: 28 mins (+parking ~$7/hour)</li>
<li>Bike on the Lakefront Path: 33 mins</il>
Getting anywhere in Chicago takes a long time, it doesn't matter which method of transport you use. But riding a bike gets you where you're going no slower than any other form of transport, and you get there on your own terms, without waiting in traffic or having to stand on the bus sandwiched between a bunch of people and holding a loop above your head as you lurch to and fro and hope you don't bite the bus floor.
My bike commute to work took about 13 minutes. Taking the train, with a transfer to a bus, took about 25 minutes, on a good day. Driving was pretty quick, but someone rear-ended me and totaled my '98 sedan after a few months in Chicago, though I hadn't been driving it much. I was taking the train a lot instead of driving or riding because for a month or two I thought the train was cool and urban, which it kinda is. And it was summer and it was hot and I hate to sweat and then put on day clothes for class. It was a little easier riding to work because the ride was short, and I worked in a bike shop basement, so looking nice wasn't really an issue except for the ghost of the former tenant who had lived in that basement and who I saw a couple of times lurking among the hanging bikes.
Commuting in the Chicago winter turned out to be my favorite kind of commuting. 1) No one else is out. 2) Fenders. 3) Cutting fresh tracks in the snow. 4) It's immensely exhilarating to ride in single digits and get toasty inside your jacket, arriving at your destination refreshed and with rosy cheeks. Night commuting was pretty fun too.
I rode a beater. I bought it as a freshman in college and dragged it around, locking it outside every night for four years. I don't know if I ever replaced the chain. I was missing a spoke on the front wheel. I brought it with me to Chicago, where I quickly learned that locking your bike outside was not a thing and a surefire way to get even the beateriest of rides stolen. My bike was everything a true Chicago commuter was not: it had a kickback brake, an internally-geared 3-speed hub, and these big wide curly bars. Once I started riding it to class, I realized I needed to make some changes because 1) my knees hurt, and 2) everyone in Chicago rode a fixed gear '80s Schwinn with a threaded headset and bullhorn or drop bars. I was way uncool. And because I was working in a shop I had access to people and tools that would help me modify my bike into a sick new ride. I soon also realized the difference between functional and cool.
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108501/IMG_3650.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
So I drilled two holes into the steel frame to mount brakes, added some custom fenders (what fenders don't end up becoming a custom job?), put on a freewheel and some drop bars, progressively added stickers to the frame, and joined commuterville. My co-worker had this slick Nature Boy with disc brakes, but whatever. We commuted all over. Some of my fondest memories of Chicago involve rolling around town with my co-workers, rain or shine, warm or cold, sometimes we raced, we pulled each other along, and sometimes I would be alone, headphones in, getting from point A to point B, despite the headwind or snow.
I'm ashamed to say that I stopped commuting once I started racing bikes. An extra 16 mile commute was a not insignificant addition to the 40ish miles I was already riding daily, especially on a bike that was heavy and slow. I had to buy a car to race all over the country, so I abandoned my bike and the train and became another angry perpetrator of car culture.
I now live in North Carolina. Getting anywhere in my small city takes maybe 30 minutes by bike at the very very most. It's not Chicago flat, but it's also not San Francisco hilly. I hadn't ridden my commuter in ages. It wouldn't have worked in NC with just one speed, or with its immense weight. I almost cried of happiness when a customer of my Chicago bike shop took the bike for his son. After five years of ownership, it was hard to see it go, wondering if it would be ridden again. But I did want to revitalize my commuterness, living in a place where most car trips would take less than 10 minutes. I built up a 10-speed Soma road frame with 32 tires and 42 bars and those rad pedals that are flat on one side and clipless on the other. And then I just never rode it.
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108502/IMG_3560.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
When I returned to Chicago for Christmas and met up with my old friends and co-workers, I drove to dinner, and they rode. Of course, they got there at the same time as me, performed the efficient lock-up ritual, and we went inside. I felt kind of gross, like an 'other', or like, well, a lazy person. And so I made it my New Year's resolution to revitalize the commute. After eight days, it's felt pretty good.
My new bike is still heavy, considering that I now have hills to go up and I spend much of my riding time on much lighter carbon race bikes. I'm spoiled. I purchased too wide of a bottom bracket, so the chainline is too extreme and I drop my chain all the time. It took me 5 hours to dremel and attach the fenders to fit under the brakes I bought. But what is a perfect commuter? It's going to be outside all the time, in the rain and snow and salt, and it has to withstand being locked metal-on-metal. People are going to try to - and they might succeed in - stealing the bike. I still get sweaty when it's above 36 degrees. I have to be alert for texting drivers at all times (can anyone else believe that this is a problem? it's insane that anyone would try to look at little letters while hurling through space at many miles per hour). And no one really commutes by bike here. It's weird. But I am committed to upholding this resolution.
The biggest impetus for the change was a series of car problems that cost me upwards of $1,000 in December. I lost my damn mind. I just graduated from school and have student loans. Wasting money on something I don't absolutely need is asinine. I wanted to be as far away from cars as possible. I work from home, meaning that I don't rely on my bike to take me where I need to be every day, but I do occasionally work elsewhere or like, go to yoga. And the best way to get there, is to strap on my shoes and a pack and just go there. Same goes for riding on the trails. In the past, I have driven to those trails to ride. The Bike Snob posted <a target="none" href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2243316/riding-begets-riding">an article</a> about why we should ride to rides because are you kidding me.
What I love most about commuting is the agency I have. Even if I'm not moving as fast as a car, I'm always moving. I'm not stuck at stoplights in a big machine that is spewing out noxious gases even though it's literally doing nothing. I can take quicker routes through the city to the places I am going. I don't have to pay to leave my big noxious machine in a spot, which is basically paying a premium on something I've already bought. I don't mind public transit, but I'm totally at the whim of the driver and the traffic and I need to be in control so it's not the most fun for me. If you need any more convincing that our reliance on cars is completely INSANE, give <a target="none" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/04/absurd-primacy-of-the-car-in-american-life/476346/">this article</a> by <i>the Atlantic</i> a read. Or look at cycling infrastructure and ridership in Europe.
In some ways, my friends inadvertently peer-pressured me into revitalizing the commute. But idk hey, I think it's valid if it gets me back out there. As someone who is a militant recycler, a waste minimalist, bike aficionado, and outdoor enthusiast, it made approximately no sense for me to not ride my bike around town. Even if you aren't those things, try commuting by bike, and see if you like it. I understand sometimes people need cars. And not commuting by bike doesn't make you lazy. But while we cannot deny the comfort and convenience of cars, we have to wonder what the heck we are doing when cars are unequivocally destroying the planet and killing us left and right. So here'e to upholding a New Year's resolution. I expect all of y'all to hold me to it.
</li>
2018-01-01T18:23:11-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-recoveriesBike Index's December recoveries2018-01-01T18:23:11-06:00Bryan Hance
<p>Super ready to end this year on a high note? Me too!</p>
<p>So: let’s do it, with <b>thirty plus</b> stories of bike recovery awesomeness.</p>
<p>In December’s stolen-bike-recovery stories, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>A "kombucha-swilling bike thief/Grinch" nabs a folding bike (and helmet and lock) from Clever Cycles - the whole thing's <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clevercycles/status/944380860974772224">caught on camera</a> ... but BAM days later a local cyclist/podcaster ninja team spots it and <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/SprocketPodcast/status/945431460714082306">STRAIGHT UP JUST TAKES IT BACK</a>. BECAUSE PORTLAND CYCLISTS ARE EXTRA.</li>
<li>"<i>The police said 'that's not a safe method recovery' and I agree, but I was extremely motivated</i>"... BECAUSE SEATTLE CYCLISTS ARE ALSO EXTRA.
<li><a target="_new" href="https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/giving-bike-batman?playall=1505">Seattle's Bike Batman finally takes off the mask, unveiling his true identity to CNN's "Great Big Story"</a></li>
<li>... and then Seattle's Batman spots a sweet stolen Ti bike for sale on <b>Offerup</b> (natch) - which leads to a sting, an arrest, and a recovery. BECAUSE HE IS BATMAN.</li>
</ul>
Before we get started - Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a> and as the year comes to a close - <b>we could really use your help</b>.
It's pretty painful - we monitor thieves who fence stolen bikes online - and <b>they make more cash on a single stolen bike sale than we get in donations for a whole month</b>. Even though we'll recover 40+ bikes, <b>it seems that people just really don't want to pitch into this effort - even after we've helped them pull a bike-sized needle out of a city-sized haystack</b>.
And I won't lie - it's pretty demoralizing to recover somebody's $4000 bike - and only get a $5 donation. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it.
Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- tax deductible, too! We would appreciate it hugely if you did.
Now - onto the recoveries:
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108034/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
(Ed note: not technically a Bike Index recovery but posted due to the sheer <i>cojones</i>) :
"I searched a park with lots of illegal activity where a friend told me he'd seen someone riding the bike.
I found it on the rack of a vehicle and removed it. Owner of said vehicle was not happy and
confronted me but I rode away. Seattle police said that's not a safe method recovery and I agree --
but I was highly motivated."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Norco Bikes Norco Storm 7.1 - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108054/002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I am an officer with <b>Portland Police</b>. I pulled your bike
from a bike chop shop ...
Except for some damage to the frame from getting the lock cut, it was
still in the same shape from the picture"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant ATX - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108036/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A good Samaritan searching for a used road bike saw a <b>Craigslist</b> posting
for my bike for a suspiciously low price and thought to check for
stolen postings online. He came across my posting on Bike Index,
contacted me to confirm it was mine, and set up a meeting with the
seller. I approached seller with the <b>Los Angeles Police Department</b>
and had my bike returned! It was a very good day."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Diamondback Podium Vitesse - recovered: 12/04/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108032/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<b>SFPD</b> bike recovery, no other details available
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Raleigh Revenio 3.0 - recovered: 12/04/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108042/005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I have your bike and would like to return it to you. Bike was purchased by a
friend who did not check to see if a stolen bike report had been filed. I did it for
him and we both agreed the bike should be returned to its owner. we are not asking
for anything, just want to return it without any problems..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Nashbar Flat Bar Road Bike - recovered: 12/04/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108037/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>SF Police Department</b> recovered it from a criminal that was booked for another crime ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Novara Buzz - recovered: 12/04/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108048/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<b>SFPD</b> found it and called me. It was picked up from Mission Station."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly Cross Check - recovered: 12/07/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108033/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police recovered it and got in touch with me (reported stolen + added to the Bike Index, and they contacted me both ways)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Raleigh Revenio 3.0 - recovered: 12/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108052/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This Rivendell with an e-assist, quite spendy, was ripped in PDX and found ... but in bad shape:
"I have your frame. Unfortunately it has been stripped and one of the rear dropouts was cut out with an angle grinder.
The only parts left are the fork and headset. It was sitting outside Katinas on the 27th and I took a photo.
For whatever reason it appeared at my works donation desk on Dec 1st. I checked Bike Index and called Portland Police
but didn't see your ad until today. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Rivendell Bicycle Works - recovered: 12/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108027/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hell - might have found/bought your bike. Description and serial number match posted on
<b>Offerup.com</b> for 220. Said they were moving. Bought it for 180.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Giant OCR2 - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108040/099.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey we recovered a bike like this in SE PDX - Did you get yours back yet? I presume not.
If you want to come get this one, get in touch. Definitely does not have the serial number on it anymore."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
PEUGEOT CARBOLITE 103 P8 - recovered: 12/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108056/011.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How the bike was recovered: Found it at a pawn shop. (No other info provided.)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Spot Rocker SS - recovered: 12/05/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108039/012.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I got a tip from Bike Index who sent me a link from a seller on <b>Offerup.com</b>.
I opened it up and was shocked to see my bike. I knew it was mine. My bag was still on it. The seat was tilted in a
weird way that i hadn't fixed yet. It was definitely mine. I sent the seller a message
saying I was interested in the biike. The seller told me he was selling it for a "friend" and didn't have much information.
I talked more to Bike Index and he suggested I call Officers with the Portland Police Bike Task Force.
I called him and he said i should try to set up a meeting ... I tried to but the seller wanted to sell right away. I called the police to
help and they told me to just call if things got bad. I met with him and kept up with the act of pretending to want to
buy the bike. I took out my key and unlocked the battery on the bike. I told him i was not paying for the bike and he did
not protest at all. He called "his friend" to see what was up."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Radpower Bikes Radwagon - recovered: 12/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108028/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone looked up the serial number on your site and called me!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Roubaix SLR sport - recovered: 12/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108050/014.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I was recovering bikes from a evacuated homeless encampment (seems there's always bikes and/or bike parts in their wake) One of the people that was there was on my bike and once I showed him that I had already still there and then later reported it stolen he gave it back to me. I was ecstatic. Thank you Bike Index."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Cannondale Quick Cx Fsjumbo - recovered: 12/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108049/015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I recovered it after setting up a search for "Diamondback Haanjo" on Craigslist
and checking daily for a couple of weeks. It was recovered from a seller in San Francisco who claimed to have
bought it through an intermediary. I posed as a prospective buyer and reclaimed it. I'm still amazed at my luck."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Diamondback Haanjo - recovered: 12/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108030/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found this bike in Longfellow creek today. Turned it in to the south precinct. It is in good condition ...
(later) Good Samaritan turned it into the police and then checked Bike Index and called me!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Airborne Valkyre - recovered: 12/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108055/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"... here at (redacted) we took the bike from the (redacted) and called the police ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Nashbar Frame Integrated Alloy - recovered: 12/08/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108029/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found it for sale on <b>Offerup.com</b>, met up with the woman
who was selling it, and took it back. It was after I had noticed it online myself,
but one of your people reached out to me today letting me know that a bike very
similar to mine was posted online. I am really, really appreciative of what you
all are doing. Having a bicycle stolen is a crappy thing, and it is fantastic that you do what you do..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
All City Nature Boy - recovered: 12/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108043/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I received a phone call tonight from the <b>Renton police</b>. They were able to recover my bike from two men trying to
sell it at a local pawn shop. <b>The shop owner used Bike Index to match the serial number</b>!
I will be picking it up next week ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Dolce Elite - recovered: 12/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108041/021.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I looked online on <b>Offerup.com</b> and found a guy that was selling it. So
I met up with him and offered him some money but not his asking price because I told him and showed him
this bike was mine. I still have another one to find but I feel happy to have one of them back."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 REI Co-op DRT 1.1 - recovered: 12/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108051/022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I just got word from the <b>Portland Police Department</b> that they have possession of my bike.
I can not thank you all enough for your help! I wish you all nothing but the best this holiday and new year!!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn 'Chaos Wizzard' - recovered: 12/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108044/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This Vanmoof wasn't registered until 2 days after its theft ... which was good because the folks who spotted it had
been checking Bike Index daily because they were 100% sure it was stolen:
"Hey, Your bike is at our apartment complex. We are calling the police. Stay put.
(Later:) Because of you and the amazing people of PDX and the PDX police my bike was
recovered and the thief was arrested. Thanks for all you do!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Vanmoof - recovered: 12/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108035/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A "kombucha-swilling bike thief/Grinch" stole a folding bike (and helmet and lock) from Portland's Clever Cycles - and the whole thing <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clevercycles/status/944380860974772224">was caught on camera</a>, which Clever Cycles put out on social media. Days later, the always-awesome <a target="_new" href="http://sprocketpodcast.blubrry.com/">Sprocket Podcast</a> folks are headed to see a movie when they run into Ms. Kombucha Von TheftyTheft here, and <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/SprocketPodcast/status/945431460714082306">grab the bike</a>!
"Anna and Aaron just happened upon the thief with the stolen bike on a walk near Lloyd center.
Anna just stared at her and said, 'we're taking this back and the cops are on
their way'. A true Christmas miracle!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Brompton M6L - recovered: 12/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108045/025.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"How's it going? My name is Todd. I live in the French Quarter. I've located your
Schwann bicycle for you. Believe it or not it is in great shape."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Fairhaven - recovered: 12/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108046/026.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"... stolen bike was identified and picked it up and returned by police."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Fuji Absolute 2.0 - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108038/027.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen from a shop a while back by a thief using a fake ID, this stolen Tern wound up near Seattle:
" We were emailed by someone who bought this bike on <b>Craigslist</b> up near Seattle.
He's out the $600 cash he paid, but is hopeful to get back the $1200 that he
paid through Paypal to the seller."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Tern Vektron - recovered: 12/28/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108057/028.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police found the bike about a month later. Unfortunately, the bike was trashed."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant Trance 2 - recovered: 12/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108031/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Guy who bought it from <b>Craigslist</b> used this site to ID it ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek DS 8.3 - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108047/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"(<i>Someone who may or may not be a Seattle-based bike superhero<i>) spotted an ad on <b>OfferUp</b>, cross-checked with Bike Index,
and found that it was listed as stolen. The person alerted me to the ad. Then the thief/seller
responded to a meetup through <b>OfferUp</b>. I called the police, who were prompt and arrived 5
minutes before meetup. I verified the bike's serial number and police arrested the seller on the spot."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1992 Merlin Extralight Tom Kellogg Special - recovered: 12/01/2017</div>
</article>
And that's it for 2017!
If you missed it, we posted a rather huge thank-you to all the partners and friends of the Bike Index that helped make this such a successful and awesome year. If you haven't read it yet, you can check it out over at "<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/2017-year-in-review-and-its-awesome">2017 year in review - and it's awesome</a>"
Catch y'all in 2018!
</i></i></blockquote></article></li></ul>
2018-01-01T18:22:32-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-november-recoveriesBike Index's November recoveries2018-01-01T18:22:32-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Most of the nation was busy freezing its face in November, so bike theft reports did indeed finally drop a little here at the Bike Index … but we still helped hook up a bunch of great stolen bike recoveries.</p>
<p>In our November 2017 edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Current score: Portland Police: 6, Seattle Police: 5, Clackamas Co. Sheriff's Office: 2</li>
<li>A PDX visitor has his bike for only a few hours before it's stolen ... then the hunt for the thieves bears fruit, as surveillance footage shows them clear enough to link them to other crimes, and Portland Police zero in</li>
<li>"<i>I never even got around to the Police report...</i>" before the Bike Index (and SPD) helped find this bike</li>
<li>We got a super nice FB note from the wife of a bike theft victim here in PDX - " Anyway, the site helped me to not take the theft personally and that it happens literally every day"</li>
<li>YALFSBR: Yet Another Laney Flea Market Stolen Bike Recovery</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we get started - Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a> and as the year comes to a close - <b>we could really use your help</b>.</p>
<p>It’s pretty painful - we monitor thieves who fence stolen bikes online - and <b>they make more cash on a single stolen bike sale than we get in donations for a whole month</b>. Even though we’ll recover 40+ bikes, <b>it seems that people just really don’t want to pitch into this effort - even after we’ve helped them pull a bike-sized needle out of a city-sized haystack</b>.</p>
<p>And I won’t lie - it’s pretty demoralizing to recover somebody’s $4000 bike - and only get a $5 donation. But, hey, we love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes, so we keep at it.</p>
<p>Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – tax deductible, too! We would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107919/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"<a target="new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a> got pinged back to my bike. Love this site! Saved me $500" (Editor's note: <a target="new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a> is awesome, and has recovered lots of bikes. Keep up the good work in 2018 guys)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek Wahoo - recovered: 11/01/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107930/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Neighbor found the bike and brought it to the police station.
He then saw the posting on Bike Index and called me (the owner). After several calls with the police over a four week period they finally located where the bike was (all the time in their possession) and I was able to pick it up. Big thanks to the finder for calling me as I have little confidence that the police would have matched the bike with my police report..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Workcycles Secret Service - recovered: 11/02/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107920/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A guy that works at <a target="_new" href="http://jrabikeshop.com/index.html">JRA bike shop</a> on 85th found it discarded without wheels in an alley on the to work. And brought it in. The irony is that I had shopped for a replacement at JRA the day before and told
him my story and they put 2&2 together and called me..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Stumpjumper - recovered: 11/02/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107948/99.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was recovered thru police intervention and local pawn shop cooperation. Thank you Bike Index for watching and noticed a connection via a pawn shop. I had to go thru the insurance company and police dept to recover the bike. I am glad I took the time to list my bike on the Bike Index, the pawn shop was very cooperative."
<br clear="all" />
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Scott SUB 10 XL- recovered: 11/02/2017
</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107937/005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found my stolen bike listed on <b>Offerup.com</b> about a month after it was stolen. I set up a meeting and called the cops to go with me."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD - recovered: 11/03/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107924/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered by a <b>Seattle Police Officer</b>, and ID'd in the Bike Index..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Tireno Razza - recovered: 11/05/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107925/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was for sale at the <b>Laney College Flea Market</b>. An excellent person named Tom
spotted it and contacted us via Bike Index. It was our bike, and it is safely back home! Thank you so much Tom, Bryan and Lily!
Anne and I, and our daughter Eleanor who rides on the back of that bike are so grateful for your help.
We really owe you a favor ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Xtracycle Edgerunner 10E - recovered: 11/05/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107922/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"My bike was found by <b>Portland Police</b> with a homeless person. It was returned to me in relatively good state..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Roubaix - recovered: 11/06/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107927/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A Good Samaritan found this bike ... " (no other details supplied)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Gary Fisher Cobia - recovered: 11/06/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107923/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found on eBay, traced it to a pawn shop. Police recovered the bike!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Camber FSR Medium - recovered: 11/07/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107938/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Awesome job Bike Index, Deputy (redacted) of the <b>Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept.</b> and USA Pawn in Milwaukee!
USA Pawn checked Bike Index immediately, determined that it was probably my daughter's bike
(the serial # was off by one character) and managed to get the seller to abandon it.
I just wanted to thank you, Bike Index and The Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept. for
your help in recovering my daughter's bike! Bike Index worked awesomely - the people at USA
Pawn said they checked Bike Index immediately, and even though the serial # was off by one character,
they grilled the guy trying to pawn it and I guess convinced him to abandon the bike. Kudos to them as well!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Vita - recovered: 11/07/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107926/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This bike was another <b>Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept.</b> recovery... " (no other details)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1996 LeMond Racing Cycles Alpe d'Huez - recovered: 11/09/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107928/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The <b>Portland Police Bureau</b> recovered this bike ..." Editor's note: If you're not following the
Portland Police Bureau crew on twitter, check them out at <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Ghost Kato 5 - recovered: 11/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107941/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police recovered! <b>I never even got around to the Police report</b>. <b>The (Seattle) police officer told me
he uses Bike Index all the time,</b> ... he saw it near a homeless camp. Checked Bike Index. Found it. Called me! I had given up. Got it
back one month to the day from the theft."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Generic/no name None - recovered: 11/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107931/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I believe we have your bike at our school.
The S/N is one character off what you have reported but is a similar character
(5 instead of S). If you can verify the frame size I would love to get your bike back to you.
I have it locked up, so it does not get stolen again..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Vita Elite Disc - recovered: 11/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107934/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A good Samaritan saw someone riding the bike on 145th and Division in Portland and thinking
it looked suspicious offered the person cash for the bike on the spot. The thief/seller accepted
way, way, way under market value for the bike. They then checked the Bike Index,
saw my listing, and got in touch. I got the bike back and reimbursed him the next day."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized POLER AWOL - recovered: 11/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107940/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Editor's note: this story was nuts - the owner shown here bought his bike at the excellent <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/gladysbikespdx">Glady's Bikes</a> in Portland, OR -
only to have it stolen literally hours later from a smash and grab in downtown PDX.
There were some murky surveillance photos of the thieves, and this theft <a target="_new" href="http://katu.com/news/local/man-has-new-bike-stolen-in-downtown-portland-seems-like-theyve-done-it-before">got some media attention</a> as well.
Turns out, Portland Police had the same thieves linked to another robbery ---
(Email from another victim) - " I think from the pictures you have on here, the couple who stole your bike are the same ones who took
multiple bikes from the Boatyard PDX building where I live. Just got msg that they have been arrested
by PPD, I hope you will get your bike! Detective Chamberlain apparently recovered multiple bikes..."
(Owner) - "The detective told me her name was (redacted) and was arrested in Beaverton - her backpack was full of stolen clothes with the security tags on them, the sweater she was wearing had a security tag on it ... ****s only scratched half the serial number off. Lazy bums."
(Later, a nice note from the victim's wife: Just wanted to let you know that Bike Index gave my husband hope and confidence that his bike
would be found. As you know—it was recovered. <b>It was a horrible day to see him soooo happy after making the purchase only to get so sad when seeing that it had been stolen a few hours later</b>. It broke my heart. Had it not been for Gladys Bikes we wouldn’t have known about Bike Index. This site also helped ease my mind as I was ready to pack my bags and move back to TN because the theft actually scared me. I’ve never had
anything stolen from me before and I sure as hell have never seen my husband so bummed. Anyway, the site helped me to not take the theft personally and that it happens literally every day—sadly. Also, thanks for reaching out to Patrick. We are overwhelmed by the help. And of course by Gladys Bikes as they weren’t going to let Patrick go empty handed. But even if that were the case I would still buy a bike or two
from them. They were definitely the nicest people." (<b>Editor's note: Gladys Bikes folks definitely are the nicest people!</b> )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
- recovered: 11/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107942/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found a post on <b>Craigslist</b>, reported it to Police. They arranged a meeting with the seller and recovered the bike."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2001 Cannondale R1000 - recovered: 11/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107933/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
An awesome PDX rider spotted this stolen bike outside of a fairly well known and problematic encampment/transient location and called it in - "This bike is on the front steps of Sunnyside Methodist SE 35th and Yamhill as of right now. I'm calling non emergency to notify. I'll post up in the park for a few minutes to watch it."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Dasani Water CO. Commuter Bike - recovered: 11/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107929/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle police called my wife last week. Apparently the bike had been sold to a Cash America in
White Center who "couldn't find the serial number because there were so many numbers on the frame".
Uh huh. Someone bought the bike recently, but felt something was fishy, so they searched for it
(I assume on Bike Index) when they got home, realized it was stolen, and called the police.
They got their money back and <b>Seattle Police</b> notified us to pick it up from the pawn shop, missing the
fenders, rack, and lights, but in pretty good shape otherwise..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Salsa Vaya - recovered: 11/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107932/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered by a <b>Portland Police Bureau</b> Officer ..." (No other information)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Salsa Casserole - recovered: 11/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107935/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovered by one of Portland's <a target="_new" href="https://www.bikegallery.com/">Bike Gallery</a> shops - "Looks like we have your stolen GIANT in our shop..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Giant Cypher 1 - recovered: 11/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107943/023_flipped.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Saw a guy with it on the street. <b>Used my Bike Index listing to show the cops it was mine (serial #)...</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 SPECIALIZED LANGSTER- recovered: 11/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107912/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found on the street, and located us via Bike Index - thanks!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 Kona Jake the Snake - recovered: 11/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107914/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A <b>Seattle PD</b> officer who was in Ballard on Friday, November 24, 2017 responded to my stolen
bike post mentioning that he may have found my bike locked outside of an RV. I met him at
the Ballard Public Library where I was able to confirm that it was my bike. Parts had
been tampered/adjusted/switched to disguise my bike. <b>I didn't really think that posting
on Bike Index would help but I'm glad it did!</b>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Trailway - recovered: 11/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107936/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, <b>Seattle Police Officer</b> here. I recovered your bike 11/24/17 it will be at SPD North Precinct until Monday,
then off to evidence section. You may recover it there after Monday..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant Trance 2 - recovered: 11/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107913/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Buyer found out that I was the owner by using Bike Index - thanks!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Fuji Nevada 29 - recovered: 11/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107916/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The police found and returned it, though by that point it had been stripped of everything except the frame.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 SCOTT Sportster X50 - recovered: 11/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107917/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Recovered by a <b>Portland Bike Theft Task Force</b> officer...." (no other info)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
TREK 7.5 FX - recovered: 11/28/2017</div>
</article>
<p>
And that's a wrap for November 2017.
Keep your bikes safe, folks, and we'll catch you in the next installment.
</p>
2017-12-31T18:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/2017-year-in-review-and-its-awesome2017 year in review and it's awesome2017-12-31T18:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>Happy new year, y’all! Whatever you have resolved to not follow through with post-January, we hope you have enjoyed your holiday season and have made some great memories. We made a couple of good memories this year as well, and are looking forward to moving into 2018 with the sustained goal of registering and recovering even more bikes than in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.</p>
<p><strong>What have we been up to this year?</strong></p>
<p>We’ve been up to a lot! If you want to scroll through our entire <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">news</a> page, you can see some of what we have been up to, but that might be rather time consuming and if you peruse Bike Index and/or read our press releases with some regularity (which you do! right?) then you would have seen all of these articles already.</p>
<p><img src=”https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/78518/bike_index_nonprofit.png” align=”right” width=40%></p>
<p>2017 was a year of growth for Bike Index. We spent our first full year as a <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit">nonprofit</a>. Previously we had been an Illinois benefit corporation, which is an organization that uses a business to support a mission. But we realized that we could do all of the same things by being a nonprofit and actually have a bit more freedom to just register and recover bikes.</p>
<p>We also grew. We have just under 100,000 unique users on Bike Index. We have now recovered more than 4,300 stolen bikes, and we now have over 150,000 bikes on file. We also have over 400 organizations, many are official partnerships, and we added two new universities: <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/uw">the University of Washington</a> and <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/upitt">the University of Pittsburgh</a>. The Bend, OR police partnered with their local Pine Mountain Sports to start using Bike Index in their city and set up a bait bike program, which <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spo">reduced bike theft in Bend by 60 percent in just one year</a>, which is B A N A N A S. We hope to build upon this year’s growth and successes and add even more bikes to Bike Index in 2018, and encourage even more people to ride without the fear of being unable to recover their stolen bike. In a perfect world, every single bike would be in Bike Index.</p>
<p>2017 was a pretty good year for Bike Index. Other years were pretty good too, but since 2017 is about to come to a close, we figured we would say a few last words about it. In addition to the above, we formed a bunch of new partnerships, which to us, means endorsing and working with groups who have something we think is awesome and that could provide a benefit to Bike Index users. Here are a couple of momentous new partnerships of 2017.</p>
<p>1) We partnered with our first insurance company: the renter’s and homeowner’s certified B-corp, <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/">Lemonade</a>. Through Lemonade’s site or app, you can get insurance for your stuff in 90 seconds. Not only are they fast, but they are reasonably priced, and of course, they protect your bike, which was the big selling point for us. We wanted to share Lemonade with any of the Bike Index users who were looking for insurance that would cover their bicycle(s).</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/107865/Lemonade-Tile.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>I discovered Lemonade when a friend bought a bike from the shop I worked at. She mentioned this great and easy insurance that would quickly and faithfully pay claims. When her bike got stolen from a ‘secure’ parking garage - another theme of 2017 - :’( it was the perfect test for Lemonade. She said Lemonade was excellent in handling her stolen bike and paying out her claim.</p>
<p>Lemonade also donates unclaimed money to causes, such as Bike Index! If you register through <a target="none" href="https://www.lemonade.com/l/bike-index?utm_medium=partners&utm_source=bike-index&utm_campaign=website">this link</a> Bike Index will list as your nonprofit of choice. When we began with Lemonade, they provided insurance in New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois. In just a few short months, they have expanded additionally into Texas, Nevada, Ohio, and Rhode Island, and are going international. Yay Lemonade!</p>
<p>And speaking of international, a group in the Netherlands, <a target="none" href="https://bikefair.nl/">Bike Fair</a>, is using Bike Index registries to cross reference the tens of thousands of bikes that get stolen there each year. So technically, we’re going international as well.</p>
<p>2) The city of Boise, ID reached out to us and asked if we would replace their existing registry, and in just a few short months, they entered almost 10,000 bikes into Bike Index. <b>Boise is the most excellent model of how any city could implement Bike Index with few resources and a devoted official or two.</b> Not only did one officer from Boise contact us about Bike Index for Boise, but he also coordinated registration drives and has personally compiled lists and talked to any and all organizations that deal with bikes in Boise. That means bike shops, universities, bike bars(?!), tri shops, advocacy groups, and more. This same officer was also concerned about transient populations and made sure to find a way to account for them in their new Bike Index registry.</p>
<p>Completely awesome. The more people in any one location that are in Bike Index, the significantly larger chance that a stolen bike will be recovered in that location. Boise is serving as an excellent model, demonstrating that it doesn’t take tens of thousands of dollars to effectively fight against bike theft and register bikes.</p>
<p>3) We analyzed the hell out of two new trackers and we think they are both awesome and would recommend them for use. Like I said above, we try to only endorse products that we think will be useful for you guys, based on how useful they are for us, as people who are always rolling around town on bikes and who are always worried that we aren’t doing enough to keep our bikes safe and in our hands, cause heaven forbid two locks inside of a locked building isn’t enough.</p>
<p>One of these trackers is a tiny little doo-dad called Iota. You can read more about Iota in Bryan’s review <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/iota---a-tiny-tracker-with-huge-potential">here</a>. You can easily hide your Iota somewhere on your bike, which makes it great for people who prefer the stealth approach.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108021/large_large_022.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>The other tracker is the multi-functional Boomerang, which is pretty big, for those who prefer the “yeah-that’s-right-I-am-watching-you” approach. You can read more about it in Bryan’s review <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindex-checks-out-boomerang-cyclotrac---gps-tracking-for-bikes">here</a>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108023/IMG_3089.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>We hope that bike lock and tracker companies continue to send us products for review :) so that we can help you guys choose the best products for your ~bikestyle~.</p>
<p>4) We’ve recently been talking to our new friends over at <a target=”none” href=https://twitter.com/redtruck”>Red Truck</a>, a site that helps professional athletes sell their gear and donate profits to a charity of their choice. We just so happen to have a professional bike rider on staff (me, Lily) who is looking forward to selling stuff and spreading Bike Index through each layer and community of cyclists. This means professionals too.</p>
<p>There are huge barriers to entry for professional cycling, namely that in order to compete, you have to buy a light bike. Then of course you have to be able to pay for routine maintenance, if you don’t know how to work on your bike yourself. We hope Bike Index can direct users to a place where they can purchase used bikes that allow them to compete with other people who can afford super expensive light bikes because even though we all love bikes, they’re expensive.</p>
<p>Red Truck also has some great ideas for development, bike ownership, and tracking. Stay tuned for what we hope will be great strides in bike protection in the next year, especially hand-in-hand with another new partner, <a target="none" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/verifir---bike-tracking-tech-weve-been-waiting-for">VerifiR</a>. Can you imagine a world in which all bikes are registered in Bike Index, and tracked with a chip embedded in the frame?</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108026/002_v.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>5) Revisiting something we mentioned above, we partnered with the University of Washington in Seattle, which is huge for us. Seattle has tons of cyclists who love to ride. I mean, you have to love to ride to ride in the rain every day. Seattle consistently ranks as the #1 city on Bike Index, meaning we get more visits each day from the Seattle area than any other city in the world. If anyone else would like to challenge this, please feel free to give them a run for their money :) We have been courting the Seattle PD for pretty much … well … years now, and while there’s tons of informal rank-and-file use, we’ve nothing official worked out yet. We’d love for that to change in 2018. (Hey SPD - tons of your officers are already using Bike Index, so we’d love to build an official registry for you. Drop us a line. We’re here. )</p>
<p>Speaking of Seattle, CNN covered a local hero who has used Bike Index to recover around 40 bikes just, in his own time. He is known as <b>Bike Batman</b>, and he’s finally taken off the mask, so to speak. If a citizen superhero can do all this on his own, just think of how, say, a more official group could use Bike Index to recover even more bikes. (Seriously, SPD, even a text would be a fine intro … we’re here. Just holla’.)</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeWS2bddsQA" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p>We did more than just register bikes and form new partnerships in 2017. We also rapid-fundraised a ton of support and cash for a new bike and travel gear for bad-ass Korean bike traveler - and Portland bike theft victim - Minhyeong Kim. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/event/lets-get-kim-minhyeong-back-on-the-road">If you missed that story, you can recap it here</a>, but Minhyeong had his bike and all of his gear stolen only a couple weeks into his epic Canada-to-Argentina bike tour. <a target="_new" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/07/portland_bike_thieves_steal_so.html">Naturally, we couldn’t let that stop him, so we rallied the troops.</a> This came together so fast, yet so well, and made me (Bryan) super proud to be a Portlander. Hundreds of folks came out of the woodwork with donations of food, cash, bikes, gear, clothing … you name it. That was the highlight of 2017 for me, right there, as we showed Minhyeong the <b>real</b> Portland and got him back on the road. <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/kim_min_hyeong04/">Minhyeong is currently in San Cristobal de las Casas in southern Mexico - 3300 miles from Portland!</a> So he’s doing awesome. My most heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108025/Screen_Shot_2017-12-31_at_5.52.34_PM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>We also had a ton of epic bike recovery stories in 2017, which we post about <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">each month on our blog</a>, but here are a couple of stand-outs :</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-january-2017-recoveries"> We help recover a ‘quite literally irreplaceable’ Romanian women’s bike with enormous sentimental value</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2017-recoveries">“I had (this now recovered bike) for 30 years, so it is a sentimental thing for me”</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-march-2017-recoveries">A stolen bakfiets (not even registered in the Bike Index!) is ID’d and chased down thanks to our Portland twitter feed</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-may-2017-recoveries"> The most Portland recovery over - a BTA/Street Trust member recovers a PBOT employee’s stolen Waterford</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-june-recoveries">The Bike Index helps return a stolen ‘wedding present bike’</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-august-recoveries">An epic cargobike recovery in SF</a> - once spotted, one of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew/">SF bike crew</a> stealthily tailed the guy until he made sure it had been returned to the owner</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">Have a look at our news archives</a> for more wonderful 2017 bike recovery stories.</p>
<p>And every year we get the chance to work with more and more law enforcement partners: <a target="none" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft">PPB</a>, Bend PD, Seattle PD, LAPD, Clackamas Co, King County… all of you do amazing things, like creating a task force or having one cop become an absolute hero and recover a billion bikes or initiate building a Bike Index registry for your city and entering 10,000 bikes into it in just three months. Thanks hugely for all your efforts.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/108024/Screen_Shot_2017-12-31_at_5.51.34_PM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>And of course, no end of the year post would be complete without a couple of shoutouts, Bryan-style:</p>
<p><i>“Without naming names (because I <b>know</b> some of y’all are out there browse Bike Index on the clock at work): C.O., T.M., M.G., D.D., @Fallenstedt, @r27d, RK, @plattyjo, @howrad, Dave @ Cycling Utah, @pedalpt, bongophotoman, @pedaldream ,@cqtel, @voxkev, @joshchernoff, @reedkatu … so many great people I can’t even keep count. And enormous thanks all of our nine billion partners and the literally <b>tons</b> of other folks I’m sure I forgot to mention here. <b>Seriously, it blows my mind that there are now so many of you helping Bike Index now that I can’t keep track of you all</b>. That’s the best thing that happened to me for Bike Index in 2017 - seeing so many great folks from all corners working to protect bikes in their ‘hoods, for their friends, <b>but also for complete strangers</b>. For what was a pretty tough year, on a lot of fronts, all of your awesomeness gives me hope. So thanks hugely.”</i></p>
<p>One of our resolutions for 2018 is to blog a bit more, among many other things. If you have topics you would like to hear about from the perspective of a bike registering expert, let us know. And we would also love to see how you guys start out 2018. Hopefully tomorrow includes a bike ride. Feel free to tweet <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/bikeindex">@BikeIndex</a> with photos or stories that we can share. ANNNNNDD in early 2018 we are going to launch a big new program. More details to come, so stay tuned! <3</p>
<p>BRING IT ON, 2018.</p>
2017-12-03T11:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/university-of-pittsburgh-partners-with-bike-index-to-protect-campus-biUniversity of Pittsburgh partners with Bike Index to protect campus bicycles2017-12-03T11:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/106472/CL_photo.jpg" alt="Pitt campus" /></p>
<p>The University of Pittsburgh and Bike Index.org have announced a partnership to protect Pitt’s cyclists.</p>
<p>UPitt cyclists will now be able to register their bikes, for free, through a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/upitt" target="_blank">UPitt registration portal</a>, including photos and detailed descriptions of the bikes. The portal will add all of these registrants into Bike Index, the largest and most successful stolen bicycle recovery network in the U.S., with over 4,200 recoveries to date.</p>
<p>The University of Pittsburgh marks the third partnership between Bike Index and a university, and also bolster’s Pittsburgh’s increasing support for cycling as a means of transportation and activity. Pittsburgh advocacy group BikePGH has been registering bikes in Bike Index since 2014, but this new official partnership represents a significant step to protect even more bikes in the city.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2017/11/08/pittsburgh-becomes-first-us-city-with-year-round-ups-bike-delivery-route" target="_blank">new UPS bike carriers and census data demonstrating bike commuting is significantly on the rise</a>, the University of Pittsburgh partnership represents a logical step for the city’s increasing number of cyclists: to better protect the bikes that people use bikes for get around and recreation.</p>
<p>“Cycling as a whole is on the rise in the City of Pittsburgh with new bike lanes being added yearly. The amount of people on bikes has risen just in the last two years,” said University of Pittsburgh Detective Marcus Costanza. “With that, our bike thefts have risen as well, we are hoping that with deciding to use Bike Index we can lower these bike thefts.”</p>
<p>“We’re very excited to partner with UPitt” said Bryan Hance, co-founder of Bike Index. “Universities are usually very pro-cycling environments, but sadly this makes them huge hot spots for theft. We’re excited to offer Bike Index’s tools and recovery network to the UPitt community - and we’re looking forward to saving some bikes.”</p>
<p>UPitt joins the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Maryland in College Park as formal Bike Index partners. Bike Index is already entrenched in grassroots cycling communities and bike shops countrywide. But increasing interest from educational and corporate campuses is a sign that these entities 1) are beginning to understand the importance of bikes to their constituencies and 2) need a fast and effective system like Bike Index to help them organize such large numbers of bikes rolling around.</p>
<p>“We researched other Departments throughout the country and I kept finding Bike Index. After researching Bike Index I saw it was a proven effective way to combat bike thefts by getting the community involved,” said Costanza.</p>
<p>Bike Index’s unique platform brings all sorts of organizations together to work against bike theft: community members, advocacy groups, municipalities, bike shops, police departments, and more. The more people across groups using Bike Index, the more eyes will be on the lookout for the same stolen bicycles - and the greater the chance a bike will be recovered.</p>
<p>“We know that once you have all aspects of a city’s community involved - riders, shops, police, and educational partners - you start recovering a lot of bikes. Bike Index is that ‘glue’ that ties all these together,” said Hance.</p>
<p>Bike Index also allows community members and police officers to directly contact victims about their stolen bikes. Often, bikes are stolen, but there is no way for finders to return the bikes to their owners without some proof of ownerships available online - and this is where Bike Index comes in.</p>
<p>“I am hoping Bike Index will help our biking community become better connected and when they see something, say something,” said Costanza. Bike Index allows cyclists to alert other cyclists of potential thefts. In some instances, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-2015-bike-recovery-stories" target="_blank">Bike Index has returned bikes to owners before owners even know the bike was stolen</a>.</p>
<p>The University of Pittsburgh said it decided to implement Bike Index because it gives students more power to claim ownership of their bikes and give them more clarity into the theft recovery process. “It also will have the University Parking and Police on the same page when bikes are either abandoned, stolen or impounded. It is easier for students compared to our old system,” said Costanza.</p>
<p>“I am hoping more students will use and utilize Bike Index compared to the old system. I have already noticed that word of Bike Index is spreading around campus and that was before the site went live. I am hoping the more students that use it and are aware of the bike thefts, the more reporting of suspicious individuals and activity in and around campus,” said Costanza.</p>
<p>Future plans involve spreading Bike Index throughout Pittsburgh. <a href="https://www.bikepgh.org/" target="_blank">BikePGH</a> will continue to register local cyclists in Bike Index through the ‘I Heart My Bike’ campaign, and Bike Index is hoping to bring other local universities and law enforcement on board.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is a great candidate for Bike Index resources. “We hope to one day get to a giant city wide Bike Index site that will have us all connected and see the numbers of recovered bikes rise,” said Costanza.</p>
2017-11-26T23:01:47-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-recoveriesBike Index's October recoveries2017-11-26T23:01:47-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Hey there!</p>
<p>Hot of the heels of our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-sepember-recoveries">September recoveries</a>, here’s October’s! Yes, it’s a rare Bike Index double-month writeup week here, so - enjoy.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition, we have …</p>
<ul>
<li>A great combo twitter/Facebook cargobike sighting and recovery in SF</li>
<li>A local PDX cyclist spots a stolen Breezer 'in the wild', and 30 minutes later it's back in the owner's hands</li>
<li>Some great spotting and recovery by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/files/">PNW Lost & StolenBikes</a> facebook crew</li>
<li>A Portland chop shop/encampment bust leads to several recovered bikes - bikes that were stolen from a local business</li>
<li>A nice chasedown and recovery in DC after a couple of 'confontational attempts'</li>
<li>An SF bike theft victim's friends spot and recover their stolen bike - all while the owner is out of country</li>
<li>The never ending litany of stolen bikes showing up on <b>Kjiji, Offerup, LetGo and Craigslist</b></li>
</ul>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105951/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I saw this one online (on <b>OfferUp</b>) and looks like it could be yours."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Salsa Warbird - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105945/002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Pawn shop found serial number in police
database and reported it to them an hour after Bike Index tweeted the
lost bike notification."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1986 Schwinn Super Sport - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105927/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it for sale on LetGo. Met the seller
at a public place and when I took it for a test ride, I checked the
serial, then called the police. I kept the seller talking until they
arrived and when they did, I showed them proof of ownership and they
let me take it home. The seller was not charged as he claimed to have
to have purchased it without knowing it was stolen. Always keep your
documentation and register your bike. If it's stolen, keep checking
sites and apps like <b>Craigslist</b>, <b>OfferUp</b>, and <b>LetGo</b>."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Fuji Absolute 2.0 - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105928/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I just received a response back from the Vancouver Police Department after
sending them information on finding your bike: "Your message has been
forwarded to our Police Service Technicians for possible follow up." I
had included a link to the Bike Index webpage for your bike as well."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Novara Strada 3 - recovered: 10/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105937/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" I searched for my bike on Craigslist for 7
months, and found someone selling it 200 miles away. The police
contacted the seller and confirmed the serial number. The seller
turned it into the police department for me to pick up."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Giant Avail 3 - recovered: 10/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105941/006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Portland Police found it ..." (Ed: not sure if this was a <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbiketheft</a> recovery or just regular officers, but, hey, thanks!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 SCOTT Sub 20 - recovered: 10/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105935/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, This is Ofc (redacted), I just recovered your bicycle. " (ed note: Another Portland Police recovery)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 10/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105939/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Spotted on a notoriously bad part of Shotwell in SF, this cargobike stood out.
Someone posted it on FB, which lead to the Xtracycle folks digging in and finding an owner.
"We called a local rock gym (assumed this person is a climber based on the stickers) and
they think they know who the owner is"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Xtracycle with e-assist - recovered: 10/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105926/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Glad you got your bike back! Make sure you mark it recovered in this site."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek Skye S - recovered: 10/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105987/098.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle PD found it!" <b>(Editor's note: a huge shout out to all the officers in SPD, on the ground, who use Bike Index. We'd love for there to be more of you)</b>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Cannondale Quick 7 - recovered: 10/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105948/010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A local mechanic recognized it and call it in to the police!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Peugeot - recovered: 10/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105922/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I posed as a buyer when the bike showed up on " <b>OfferUp</b>". I then
cordinated a sting. Upon meeting the seller I confirmed the bike was
mine and locked it to a park bench. Then called local police."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Stumpjumper - recovered: 10/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105950/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"R. from Bike East Bay here. It looks like this <b>Craigslist</b> post might be your bike ... (bike
was purchased at Laney Flea Market, posted onto CL, then found to be stolen and ID'd here)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Soma Wolverine - recovered: 10/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105942/013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The watchful eyes of fellow Edmonton
cyclists noted my bike advertised on facebook. A fellow rider then
contacted me, and I passed this on to police who apprehended the
individual and collected my bike."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Marlin 5 - recovered: 10/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105952/014.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Long story short... bike was on <b>OfferUp</b> in
Jun/July. I contacted the police in July/Aug via e-mail with no luck.
Found pictures of the guy riding my bike at a DC bike party event in
June as well... Then Wednesday this week I saw the guy riding my bike
at another bike event hosted by the same bike group...Eventually the
Police seized the bike. There was 2 confrontational attempts to stop
him. He claimed he bought the bike, but after talking to the detective
and seeing the persons name, it turns out that he was the seller on
<b>OfferUp</b>. There's way more to the story and not enough time to explain
in detail. But I'm happy I was able to get the bike back even when I
didn't have the serial number"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Bianchi Fremont
- recovered: 10/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105925/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The individual who purchased the bike for
$300 was informed by a friend who saw the bike posted on Facebook that
it was stolen. They looked up the serial number online (via this
website) and contacted me to return the bike. I worked with the local
authorities to recover the bike and it's now back in my garage. Thank
you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Salsa Mukluk - recovered: 10/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105923/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Well, a guy I know has owed me $60 for a while now and we just came up
with an agreement on this bike frame. I put all my stuff on it and
just thought I should check the serial number, I've got your bike.
It's just the frame. I'll have to take my stuff off.
"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji Nevada 29 - recovered: 10/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105921/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, To make a long story short I believe I have your bike. We brought
our son back last semester from A&M and he was in possession of your
bike. The report we got at the time was that a friend of his had given
it to him. We knew his friend so we had no reason to question the
report. We learned today that boy had been arrested for unrelated
activities so we thought about the bike. Checked this registry and
here we are. I believe my son and apologize for his poor selection of
friends. I would like to pay you for the bike as we have it now in
Dallas and have used it a few times and would prefer you are fully
compensated. I had a bike myself stolen last year and know how you
feel."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Escape - recovered: 10/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105929/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft officers</a> posted this to their Twitter - "Nice Soma single speed we just picked up in the "boneyard". If you recognize it let us know" - and this bike was quickly ID'd as being stolen in the Bike Index and returned to the owner."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 EAI Bareknuckle - recovered: 10/23/2017</div>
</article>
<!--
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105946/019.JPG">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi my name is (redacted) and my hobby is building and restoring bikes
- especially vintage - and I believe I bought your bike yesterday ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1988 Specialized Hardrock - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
--->
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105947/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I shared the information about my bike
being stolen along with my Bike Index post.
I had over 30 people share it and someone I have never met spotted it
in the Ballard Commons.
He commented on a share on <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwLostStolenBikes/files/">PNW Lost/Stolen Bikes</a> and babysat it for 40
minutes until my friends
showed up to retrieve it. They drove it to me at my office and I have
been reunited with my baby
in less than 24 hours! It has a few war scars but is otherwise fine
with about $200 of accessories gone. Still, much better than I was ever hoping it could be!
I just cannot believe I lost and retrieved it in less than 24 hours."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Salsa Marrakesh - recovered: 10/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105940/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Discovered in one of Portland's many homeless encampments/bike chop shops
by <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/923919693840236544">@ppbbiketheft</a>
along with many, many other stolen bikes. Several of which were stolen from <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2017/09/14/thieves-snatch-three-bikes-from-metropolis-cycle-repair-on-n-williams-243022">Portland's Metropolis Bikes back in September</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Ahearne Hardtail 29'er - recovered: 10/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105934/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Same as the above. This LaPierre and the Ahearne listed above were
stolen from <a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2017/09/14/thieves-snatch-three-bikes-from-metropolis-cycle-repair-on-n-williams-243022">Portland's Metropolis Bikes back in September</a> and recovered in an overflowing chop shop/homeless encampment near Portland's Steel Bridge.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
LaPierre - recovered: 10/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105949/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Stolen along with several other bikes while this owner was out of the country,
one of the owner's friends spotted someone riding the bike and
recovered it shortly thereafter.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Surly Long Haul Trucker - recovered: 10/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105924/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, Just wanted to inform you that your bike was recovered by
Police and is in the property room. Please give me a call!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Ghost Kato - recovered: 10/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105936/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello! We have located your bicycle! Please contact me and we can get
it back to you. Thanks. Officer Sanders"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Enduro - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105943/026.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"They were able to run the serial numbers
off Bike Index for confirmation."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Cannondale Caad 10 - recovered: 10/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105988/999.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Perp posted on <b>Kijiji</b>, was alerted by friendly due to my ad saying it was stolen. Also had someone flag using Bike Index. Got Edmonton police involved, and they took care of
things relatively quickly."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Norco Bikes Threshold A1 - recovered: 10/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105933/028.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The bike was found on <b>OfferUp</b>, and then
the Seattle Police Department did the rest!
To be honest, we didn't reach out directly to <b>OfferUp</b> to report the
bike since we had heard they don't do much to help, and we had the
Seattle PD's attention already to help resolve the issue.
I think we got lucky on the recovery, but I completely agree with you
that it would be ideal to not have to play the system to recover
stolen goods.
Thanks for all the work on Bike Index - I need to get all of my other
bikes up there now!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Cervélo R 2.5 CSC Edition - recovered: 10/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105953/029.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, I believe I have this bike. I recently discovered the Bike Index
stolen status. This message is difficult to write. I could just ignore
it and keep the bike. But that would only help bike thieves. I don’t
want to do that. And how would I feel if I had my own bike stolen? So
I want to do the right thing. Here’s what happened: I purchased it a
few weeks ago on <b>Craigslist</b> from a man at a house in east San Jose. The bike was in bad shape and needed a lot of work."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Sirrus Elite - recovered: 10/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105954/030.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I believe I have your bike. It was mysteriously dropped off in our
side yard around Oct 14 in the middle of the night."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Trek 2200 - recovered: 10/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105938/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A fantastic recovery by <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/howrad/status/923976531738738688">@howrad</a> on twitter - he spotted
this stolen Breezer being ridden by some local 'park-dwelling' folks,
and dropped <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> a line - an officer was quickly dispatched
and the owner came by to recover this bike shortly thereafter. <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/924006339226898432">Here's the victory photo</a>, and can read the <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/howrad/status/923976531738738688">original twitter thread here</a>.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Breezer Uptown 8 - recovered: 10/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105944/032.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Not sure if your receiving your messages. I've got the bike. Bought it
for 40.00 ... </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Windsor Tourist
- recovered: 10/31/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105931/033.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This one popped up in a pawn shop...
"Hello, I just took your bike in at my shop on Sandy Blvd. It doesn't
look exactly like the picture you provided
but the serial matches. We paid $75 to impound it and were able to
get a scan of the thief's ID, if you are
interested in getting it back let me know."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Windsor Tourist
- recovered: 10/31/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105932/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>We've recovered a bike that I think is yours at Cycle Portland (Ed note: <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a> has been fantastic about pulling stolen bikes back - everybody should go check them out. Thanks guys!)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek Wahoo - recovered: 10/31/2017</div>
</article>
<p><br />
… and that’s a wrap for October.</p>
<p>Before I go, let me beg y’all one last time - <b>please donate to the Bike Index</b>!</p>
<p>As the year draws to a close, we sure could use <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">some tax-deductible donation love</a> from all of you to help keep the lights on in 2018. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">Click here to donate</a>, with our thanks, and I’ll see you all again next month!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
2017-11-26T23:01:42-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-sepember-recoveriesBike Index's September recoveries 2017-11-26T23:01:42-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Hey there!</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s been a while since we posted a recovery round-up. Things like day jobs (and vacations) got in the way - but that doesn’t mean we didn’t recover a grip ‘o bikes in September. Because we did.</p>
<p>This post - and my next - are a rare Bike Index double-whammy, chock full of amazing stolen bike recoveries.</p>
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Some great tag-team recoveries with Portland's Bike Theft Task force on Twitter, at <a href="https://twiter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> - they find 'em, and <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/920766116233748481">we ID them</a></li>
<li>Not only Portland Police, but also recoveries from Seattle PD, Marin County Sheriffs, King Country Sheriffs aka the <a href="https://twitter.com/kcsobees">KCSO's 'bees'</a>, SFPD, and more. A huge thanks to all our law enforcement users across the US!</a>
<li>"Thanks to Bike Index, police were able to recover my bike within one week of it being stolen! The officer who found it said there's no way he would've been able to do it without Bike Index."</li>
<li>Someone spots and frees a stolen vintage Lotus in Portland OR - right in front of a pack of street kids, who have an unusual amount of knowledge about the bike - and who then taunted the victim about her stolen bike as it was cut loose. Karma's gonna get ya, kids ... </li>
<li>"Unfortunately our Police Dept. did not load our serial numbers into the NCIC database, however when our Solitude - worth over $3k - showed up in a pawn shop, the owner felt like something was off and they Googled the bike. This (stolen) listing from Bike Index showed up!"</li>
<li>An interesting recovery of a bike that was sold at a transit auction in Seattle, only to pop up as stolen</li>
<li>More bikes from <b>Kjiji, Offerup, LetGo and Craigslist</b> ... it never stops, folks.</li>
</ul>
Also: I'm going to ask for your help. Recall that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a> and as the year comes to a close - we could really use your help.
It's pretty painful sometimes - we monitor serial bike thieves who fence stolen bikes online - and <b>they're making more cash on a single stolen bike sale than we get in donations in a whole month</b>. Even though we'll recover 40+ bikes, it seems that people just really don't want to pitch into this effort - even after we've helped them pull a bike-sized needle out of a city-sized haystack. I won't lie - it's pretty demoralizing sometimes to recover a $4000 bike and only get a $5 donation. But we love catching thieves and finding bikes, so we keep at it.
Point being: We would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index</b>. Please help us keep these recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- tax deductible, too! We would appreciate it hugely if you did.
Now - onto the recoveries:
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105903/001.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Saw the guy riding my bike followed him to a public location. Had a police officer flag him down.
Showed them it was registered. They were very surprised because most people don't register but this proved I was the owner."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Pure Fix Mike - recovered: 09/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105904/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"This is Deputy (redacted), King County Sheriff's Office, Sound Transit Division.
You bicycle was found at either a light rail station or a bus stop.
Unfortunately, the wheels and the seat are missing, so it's just the frame."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Scott Sportster X50 - recovered: 09/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105900/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found this bike outside my building yesterday, dumped by a delightful gentleman calling everyone a B****.
I currently have it locked up in the garage in my building though we frequently have thefts
& I'm not sure how long it will last."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 GT Bicycles Transeo 4.0 - recovered: 09/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105897/007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi, I think I just bought your bike off a guy down in Kent, WA. I can show you the listing to prove I
was not the one who stole it ... I can get your bike back to you"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Focus Evo Cayo - recovered: 09/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105899/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A couple found it in the woods several cities away, looked up the serial number on the Bike Index,
sent me an email with photos and we met up in a common area and they returned the bike."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Diamondback Haanjo Comp - recovered: 09/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105894/008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Its nice to know there are still some honest people in the world. A good man named Mike bought
the bike at King County Surplus at auction. He checked the status of the bike at BikeIndex.org and
found the serial number matched. So he got in touch with me. I have my bike back! Its a bit beat up
but still works. Thanks Mike! Others - if you buy stuff at auction from the county or city -
please be like Mike and check to see if it was stolen.."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Diamondback Haanjo Metro Plus - recovered: 09/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105891/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it on <b>Craigslist</b> and 'bought' it, told the seller it was stolen and got it back (did not pay anything for it)."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 09/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105905/090.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, good news! I am writing you from West End bikes to inform you that we have recovered your Ghost!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Ghost Slamr 5 - recovered: 09/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105885/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The good news first -- I have your bike. The bad news -- someone sold it to me on <b>Kijiji</b>.
After buying it, I started wondering about the seller; a few things seemed suspicious,
so I tried to find out whether it might have been stolen and finally found your ad.
I will gladly return it to you."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Bike Friday Silk - recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105886/013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, Wanted to pass along my contact info so we could talk about your stolen bike which was located. - Officer (Redacted)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Rove - recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105873/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike was listed on <b>Kijiji</b>, the person who bought the bike apparently had 2nd thoughts and called the police about it. Police returned it. There are good people in the world!??"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
- recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105869/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Business owner found it and looked it up on Bike Index! They contacted me through here."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Tarmac SL4 Pro Mid-Compact- recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105906/091.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I bought this bike at a garage sale in Milwaukee 2 weeks ago. I Googled the serial number and came across this listing..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek X-Calbier 6 - recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105870/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone got the information from the Bike Index and contacted me. It's in bad shape, but I'm glad to have it back."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona Dew Deluxe - recovered: 09/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105889/017.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A mechanic from Circle City Bicycles found it and returned it to me! So happy to have it back after more than four months!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Origin8 Del Pasado - recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105874/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"We reported the bikes stolen to the police, on this site and all over facebook within 1 hour after we noticed they were missing.
Unfortunately our Police Dept. did not load our serial numbers into the NCIC database, however when our Solitude
(worth over $3k) showed up in a pawn shop, the owner felt like something was off and Googled the specs on the bike.
This listing, from bikeindex.org showed up. He then contacted us and well as the police and this bike has now been recovered.
1,000,000 thanks to Kenny from Tooele and this site for helping us!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Fezzari Solitude - recovered: 09/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105907/092.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A good Samaritan purchased the frame and fork online. He contacted the manufacturer to get the frame specs.
They informed him that it had been stolen, and he contacted me and returned the frame and fork."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Seven Cycles Axiom - recovered: 09/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105872/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I have your bike, please call me..." (Ed: sometimes this is all the info we get, but, hey, we'll take it.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek 7.4 FX - recovered: 09/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105875/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Just found your bike! yay. give me a call! -Officer Sanders" (of Portland's <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
FELT Eighty - recovered: 09/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105908/093.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The frame was found outside WTF bikes. No fork just the frame. I noticed this was from 2011. Pretty beat up .."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 SE Bikes workhorse - recovered: 09/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105884/021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found it at Laney College Flea Market in Oakland." (Ed: Laney Flea Market is a notorious site where stolen bikes are
fenced. We sure would love it if the local Oakland gov't stepped up its enforcement here)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Felt VR5 - recovered: 09/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105876/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found the seller on <b>OfferUp</b> a day after the theft (what a find!), and set up a sting sale (quite a rush).
The boyfriend of the seller showed up with some story about how he'd had it for years, bought it for $1,000,
was moving away and so needed to sell it - for $300. Even less because the tire had popped recently. Its an $800,
2-year old bike. I told him it was stolen, and I was going to take it back. He questioned it for about 10 seconds
until I flashed the receipt and offered to call the police and talk about it with them - he preferred to just
give me the bike back. Had a buddy there for backup, which was a good idea because he didn't try anything with 2 on 1."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes D8i - recovered: 09/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105909/094.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I called the number associated with this stolen bike and reunited (redacted) with her stolen bike in person. I got the back story:
She said she was out with a group of friends at the Alibi Tiki Lounge on Interstate and when they came back outside,
4 of their bikes had been stolen from the rack outside. Her friends thought that would definitely be the last they’d
see their bikes. But Danielle reported hers on Bike Index, and was witness to the recovery when I cut the lock for
her where it was left at Jamison Square.
An unfortunate piece to the story is I strongly believe the questionable group of shady individuals milling
around on a park bench near the bike may have had something to do with the bike being in one piece. When I first
went to investigate, one immediately came up to me and mentioned how long the bike had been there, sort of offering
his opinion of things. Then when I came back he said “did you find her?” to which I interjected “what do you mean
“did I find her”? And then he said “I mean, her, him, whoever this belongs to”. I shrugged and said “what
are you talking about, tell me more”. He said “I don’t know, did you find who this belongs to?” Later,
when (Redacted) arrived, the group was watching and sort of heckling from the bench while I was cutting
the lock. <b>When the bike was free, another person got up into (redacted'd) face and started mocking her and harassing her. </b>
I interjected for them to back off. (redacted'd)told me the guy had said to her “hey, that’s my bike, what
are you doing with it?”. Grrrr. My theory is that they were keeping watch on the bike for when
a buyer would buy it off of the street, hence it not being picked apart yet.
Hooray for bike registration! Booo for thieves!!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Vintage Lotus road bike - recovered: 09/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105878/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I'm not sure what happened...All I know is the management building sent out an email that there was
video footage of both the person letting the thief into my building and of the thief taking the bike.
I go to the bike storage this morning to take pictures and there's my bike. Thrown on the ground without
it's front tire (which is hanging from the wall)."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Felt F85x - recovered: 09/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105888/025.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It was found abandoned in a school playground (then identified in the Bike Index)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
ALL City Dropout - recovered: 09/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105881/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The <a href="https://twitter.com/kcsobees">KCSO Bees</a> found my bike! Stolen at 4:45 pm, offficers found and went out of their way to return it
by 8:30! If it wasn't for Bike Index I don't think I would seen my bike again!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek A 173/764 - recovered: 09/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105877/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Found by a Good Samaritan (and identified in the Bike Index)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Surly Long Haul Trucker - recovered: 09/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105883/028.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The police are still trying to locate the person who had the bike.
I actually found the listing on <b>Craigslist</b> for someone who owned a stereo and outdoor
gear store who told me that he was offered the bike and he believed it was stolen and he
helped me retrieve it when they returned the next day. Others on (Bike Index) notified me of
the Jet 9 in the area."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Niner Jet 9 RDO - recovered: 09/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105910/095.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I am not sure how this works, but I own a bike shop and this bike just came in..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Hard Rock - recovered: 09/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105911/096.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
We posted about this bike, and then the <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/911227858575532032">@ppbbiketheft</a> guys realized they had it ...
"Thanks for the info! I think we just located this bike! Have the owner contact us."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1983 Miyata 410 - recovered: 09/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105912/096.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hey, I think I found your bike. I contacted UoP, thanks to the bike registration number on it. We stashed it in a neighbors yard, in case the thief came back for it. It's in SE Portland.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Novara Aspen - recovered: 09/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105913/097.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Spotted for sale online on <b>LetGo</b> ...
I know its missing a couple of things
...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus Elite - recovered: 09/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105890/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found on the street, and located us via Bike Index"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 Kona Jake The Snake - recovered: 09/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105901/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The Marin County Sheriff's department recovered the bike. It was found on the back of an abandoned car in the middle of Novato.
Suspect has yet to be identified, truly though, it is a huge relief to get the bike back. The bike was identified within an hour
of the case being sent out to multiple agencies across Northern California. It has been quite the 24 hours! :D"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 BMC Team Machine ALR01 - recovered: 09/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105898/035.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Posted for sale on <b>OfferUp</b>. Set up a meet and took a "test ride". Met owner down the block, along with Minneapolis Police."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Marin Bikes Fairfax SC2 - recovered: 09/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105981/999.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi! I found the bike you registered at BikeIndex.org at a pawn shop in Vancouver, WA.
I was excited because it is a Novara Strada and happened to be my size.
I went back a second time after looking up stolen Novara's in my area on Bike Index, and saw that the serial numbers matched.
I informed one of the pawn shop staff that the bike had been registered as stolen and gave him a copy of the police
report number. I am not sure how this is handled at this point..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
- recovered: 09/28/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105902/037.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thanks to Bike Index, police were able to recover my bike within <b>one week</b> of it being stolen!
The officer who found it said there's no way he would've been able to do it without Bike Index.
Thank you folks SO much for making and sustaining this resource, I can't sufficiently express
how grateful I am to have my beloved bike back!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Torker EM50 - recovered: 09/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105895/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Our Friends at the <a target="_new" href="https://www.pdx.edu/bikehub/home">PSU Bike Hub</a> because they saw your posts!!! Thank you so much!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Tricross Elite - recovered: 09/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105896/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The San Francisco Police found it in conjunction with some other crime (not sure the details).
They tracked it down on Bike Index and contacted me."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Masi Alare - recovered: 09/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105914/099.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I'm 100% sure I've found your bike and would like to get it back to you.
It was donated to the program I work for, YBike, from MUNI's unclaimed lost
and found some time ago. The bikes typically go to our high-school Earn-a-Bike clubs,
but we didn't have any youth interested in it.
It seemed like a pretty special rig and worth putting an extra effort into finding it's owner,
despite it lacking any registry tags" -
Later, from the owner:
"We are thrilled to see that my girlfriend’s bike has been found, and in pretty good shape!
After this bike was stolen during her solo USA cycling trip last year, we bought and identical
second hand bike in Holland, with which she could continue her four month journey from SF
via Seattle to Yellowstone NP."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Koga-Miyata Trekking Touring - recovered: 09/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105982/998.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone found it and stored it in their classroom then after a while found me here on bikeindex.org!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji Finest 2.3 - recovered: 09/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/105893/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"It's been really difficult dealing with the police and pawn shop.
Currently the pawn shop still have it and I am trying to get it released to me.
(Later) Bought it back from the pawn shop it was sold to, as (police) were useless
in assisting with releasing my stolen bike (from the pawn shop)."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Charge Grater 1 - recovered: 09/30/2017</div>
</article>
<p><br />
And that's a wrap for September!
Be sure to check out our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/admin/news/bike-indexs-october-recoveries/edit">October recoveries</a>, too ...
</p></li></ul>
2017-11-17T11:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindex-checks-out-boomerang-cyclotrac---gps-tracking-for-bikesBike Index review: Boomerang Cyclotrac - GPS tracking for bikes2017-11-17T11:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>If you’ve read <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news">our other reviews</a>, you know we’re basically huge nerds and cyclists at Bike Index, so we’re always on the lookout for new anti-theft technology.</p>
<p>When Kevin Fahrner with <a target="_new" href="https://boomerangbike.com/">BoomerangBike</a> dropped me a line, my interest was piqued, because the Boomerang looks a lot different than other GPS units we’ve seen before.</p>
<p>Just to recap: GPS is a tricky thing do so with bikes. The biggest problems are</p>
<p>a) <b>Stealth</b> - it’s pretty hard to hide a huge GPS device on a bike somewhere a thief can’t find it.</p>
<p>b) <b>Battery life</b> - GPS trackers are basically functional cellphones, and power hungry. Thus they eat up a lot of power, which means charging and power are often an issue. Nobody wants to have to charge their bike’s tracker every 12 hours.</p>
<p>c) <b>Price</b> - keeping costs down on a tech-heavy device is hard, and with GPS it’s also complicated by the need for a cellular subscriptions (so the GPS can talk to the owner) which also compounds the price issue.</p>
<p>Most GPS-bike trackers we’ve seen so far have either</p>
<p>a) totally failed to ever get out of the crowdfunding phase, or</p>
<p>b) are subpar, hacky devices sold on foreign auction sites - and buyers have to plow through their own SIM provisioning and a whole bunch of other tech issues on their own</p>
<p>So while we’ve seen some very neat engineering ideas come and go, most of the bike-centric GPS trackers we’ve been told about over the years haven’t delivered a solid product. Or any product at all. And sadly this is par for the course in the bike-related theft/tech space - and yes, <a href="https://twitter.com/HelloLattis/">LATTIS LOCK</a>, I’m looking at you. And I’m still waiting on my #$% refund. :P</p>
<p>With that in mind, I took a long hard look at the Boomerang - and I was pretty surprised at what I found.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104892/IMG_3081.JPG" /></p>
<p><b>First impressions:</b></p>
<p>The Boomerang is … overt. Really overt. Not only is it enormous, but it’s got some blinking status lights, emits a fair amount of audio noise throughout the day, and is essentially built <em>not</em> to be hidden. It’s a tracking device that more or less screams <b>I AM A TRACKING DEVICE</b>. It throws the stealth problem I mentioned above right out the window by being something thieves are meant to see right off the bat.</p>
<p>This overtness may be part of the point - in some Boomerang trials with police (in which no Boomerang-enabled bikes were stolen) they assumed nobody touched the bikes they put out precisely because they were so visibly sporting an enormous black Boomerang tracker.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104893/IMG_3089.JPG" /></p>
<p>Installation’s pretty much a cinch - the Boomerang provided hardware lets you attach it in about 5 minutes, and in my case I went ahead and mounted my bottle cage on top. The mounting screws are also tamper-proof, to make it a that much more secure.</p>
<p>I have to admit, this addition made me a little self-conscious - I thought I’d get a lot of questions or comments from other riders about the enormous blinking thing now strapped to my frame, but I hardly got a second look. Whether this is because the unit’s more or less hidden behind a water bottle or simply because this is Portland Oregon - where giant tallbikes and/or sparkly unicorn bikes are not unheard of - I can’t say. But I rode with the Boomerang for weeks and only fielded one question about it. So even though it’s big, it’s still fairly low key.</p>
<p>Because the Boomerang is physically large, there is room for a sizeable battery. The charge port is a standard USB mini and located on the side of the device and a full charge takes between 4 to 6 hours. I plugged mine in for an overnight charge and began my first week’s worth of testing the next day.</p>
<p><b>The Boomerang app</b></p>
<p>Daily control of the the Boomerange GPS is via an app (natch) which supports a single or multiple Boomerangs per account.</p>
<p>The Boomerang app lets you ‘arm’ your Boomerang, much like a car alarm as well as get at-a-glance location, alarm and battery status,
and trip history.<br />
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104894/X.JPG" /></p>
<p>If someone moves the bike while it’s armed, the Boomerang goes off - much like a smoke detector - and texts you a rather
alarming note - “Your bike is being stolen as you read this message.”</p>
<p>Since the Boomerang is tracking your bike at all times, there’s some other nice features in here
for metrics-driven cyclists, like: Distance, Elevation, Rides history, and “Money saved”. Personally, I don’t fire up Strava when I ride to work - so I don’t really make a habit of clocking my boring work commutes. So I’ve never really realized I clock about 30 miles a week on these ‘boring’ commutes until I rode with a Boomerang for a week.</p>
<p>Speaking of the app: many of the apps we demo here at the Bike Index are usually still pretty hacky, often because the products themselves are still in development. And I have another “pro” GPS device I use for vehicle tracking and other GPS tests, and the web dashboard on that product looks like something a first tier engineer drunkenly slapped together in Visual Basic on a dare. It is almost physically painful to use, and it certainly makes the case for paying UI folks more money.</p>
<p>Boomerang’s app has no such hackiness or rough edges - they obviously put a lot of work and a lot of polish into their app and the dashboard (see below) and it shows. They’re both easy to navigate, easy to use, the app didn’t crash once on my iPhone and the dashboard is stable and worked in all the browsers I used throughout the test. Whoever designed and built the Boomerang apps and backend did their homework.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104895/XX.JPG" /></p>
<p><b>The Boomerang Dashboard</b></p>
<p>You can also log into the Boomerang’s web-based dashboard, which offers all of the same features as the app, but with some additions like Geofencing and Carbon Offset calculations. (And if you’re wondering what Geofencing is: it lets you define a zone on a map that your bike can’t leave. If the bike ever leaves that zone, you get an alert. )</p>
<p>For the casual, single unit Boomerang user the app’s probably enough to get by - but I can see bike fleet managers and other industry niche users who could get a lot of utility by having the web based, all-bikes-at-a-glance overview from the dashboard.</p>
<p><b>Daily use</b></p>
<p>My biggest two concerns when testing the Boomerage were simple: battery life and weight.</p>
<p>I ride a pretty standard commuter (a Surly Pacer) which is already fairly clunky, so adding the Boomerang didn’t make much of a discernible difference in my daily ride. I’m already lugging a messenger bag and a laptop, so adding the Boomerang (5oz and 141 grams, according to its specs) to the mix wasn’t really an issue.</p>
<p>As for battery life: <b>I got a solid 7 days out of my first Boomerang charge</b>, which was quite surprising. I got about 6 days out of it the next week - I rode more often so the unit was ‘active’ more - but this still great. Six to seven straight days of live tracking one one charge? That’s a pretty great achievement for a device that’s doing full-on live GPS and cellular.</p>
<p>I also put the Boomerang through some 100% authentic Portland downpours, and the unit survived intact. I wouldn’t say it’s completely waterproof, so I wouldn’t take mine on a Pedalpalooza Puddle Ride or anything like that - but it held up to three days of sustained rain riding without a problem. Just make sure you close the rubber gasket to the USB charge port, to keep grime and moisture out.</p>
<p><b>A few quirks</b></p>
<p>There were a couple of quirks worth mentioning:</p>
<p>The Boomerang I demo’d had a habit of emitting an occasional ‘chirp’ for absolutely no reason at all.
My bike would be parked, completely stationary, nobody within 20 feet of it - and it would emit a status beep as if it just wanted to say <b>HELLO! HOWS IT GOING?</b>
This honestly isn’t a big deal, but it is a little alarming when it happens at 2am.</p>
<p>The Boomerang also emits a wakeup ‘chirp’ after you move it for the first time when it has been standing stationary. So for example, as I’m walking out the door in the morning and I pull my bike from the stand in my house, it’ll ‘wake up’ and chirp.
I’m pretty sure this is because the Boomerang wants to say it is operating - but this is a little grating
if you’re trying to just get your bike out of the house early in the morning with a minimum of noise.</p>
<p>Boomerang says both of these are known issues and will be addressed in later versions.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104891/IMG_3126.JPG" /></p>
<p><b>Final thoughts</b></p>
<p>A Boomerang for my daily commuter (a Surly) is probably overkill, but I can see the Boomerang
being a hit with cargo bikers, e-bikers, or fleets of cargo-bike based businesses. These riders are already used to a lot of weight, their bikes offer a lot more stealthy hiding spots for a Boomerang, and a lot of them already have a “charge station” set up for their rides,
so plugging in another device isn’t that big of a deal. Heck, with a little work you can probably charge a Boomerang off of a dyno hub or an ebike battery, which would be a huge plus.</p>
<p>A lot of the cargo bikers I know also tend to be family types who use their rides for kid-hauling - so I see utility in the app for parents who might want to be able to track each other’s whereabouts via the Boomerang app all day long. Combined with the generally high value of most cargo bikes - and their propensity for getting stolen - I think the Boomerang’s price point and utility would likely appeal to the cargo bike crowd.</p>
<p>Price wise: The Boomerang retails for $99 for the device and one year of cellular subscription, and they have US and non-US models (to support non-US cellular connections). Without the data plan it’s $59 for the USA version but $3.90/mo for data purchased in the app. After one year, it’s another $15 (quarterly) to re-up the cellular subscription, which is paid through Boomerang. Like I said, the cellular link is always part of the GPS equation.</p>
<p>Even though they have a functional product you can buy right now, Boomerang will soon be running an Indiegogo campaign to to help fund further development.</p>
<p>I spoke to Kevin a little bit about their campaign goals and where they see the Boomerang tech heading in the future. According to Fahrner they’re eventually aiming at some of what we’ve managed to do with the Bike Index, i.e. tie local users and shops into a larger network for theft awareness and recovery. Fahrner also says that scaling larger would help them aim for a sub-$100 price point, or as frame-embeddable tech. “The bike manufacturers are not investing in any bike security products,” he says “And this is an opportunity for the bike community to loudly scream they support development of new security technology. We are well positioned to deliver on this technology - but we need the bike community’s support.”</p>
<p>You can learn more about their campaign at: <a target="_new" href="https://boomerangbike.com/">endbiketheftnow.boomerangbike2.com</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading this review! Have questions? Comments? I’m <a href="mailto:bryan@bikeindex.org">bryan@bikeindex.org</a></p>
2017-11-06T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/we-ride-bikesWe ride bikes too2017-11-06T00:00:00-06:00Lily Williams<p>I am a professional cyclist.</p>
<p>To clarify, I must first say that there are a number of very different groups who could all call themselves professional cyclists. There are messengers, who deliver parcels throughout cities via bike, each and every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. Some people make enough money to live off of cycling blogs they post in every week. Thousands of people work in bike shops fixing bikes and getting other folks out onto the road.</p>
<p>I am a professional road and cyclocross racer – <a href="https://pscxteam.com/">I use my bike to compete at the professional level</a>. I can compete at the national and international level. And I spend probably 50+ hours riding, racing, traveling for, and thinking about bikes.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104530/E56I3788__1_.jpg" alt="Bruce Buckley Photography" /></p>
<font size="-1">Photo by Bruce Buckley.</font>
<p>Outside of professionalism, there are a thousand and one different ways and reasons that people ride bikes. Before you scoff at me for buying shoes that are carbon-molded to my foot shape, or ask me why I run through the mud carrying my bike, I want to tell you the story about how I got into cycling. I think the story may transcend many folks’ experiences with bicycles in some way, and demonstrate some of the reasons why <strong>bikes are important to us at Bike Index</strong>.</p>
<p>We use bikes to get around. We’ve fixed bikes all day as a job and we’ve then gone home and fixed our own bikes for fun. We ride bikes in the woods and on the roads with our friends. Bike Index wasn’t built to fill a tech niche. It was built to serve every single person who rides a bike and doesn’t want to lose their bike to theft. This means racing cyclists, messengers, commuters, folks in lycra, those parents who put their kids in a cargo bike and ride them 10 miles up steep hills every day in the snow to school, and cruisers on the lakefront (but please signal before you turn right onto the middle of the path). We’re inclusive.</p>
<p>Every one of us at Bike Index rides bikes – all sorts of bikes. So we know why your bikes are important to you. Bikes are a huge part of our existences, maybe to a fault. But hey, you got Bike Index out of it, so it can’t be that bad.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104528/IMG_6414__1_.JPG" alt="BBB Bryan Bikes Beer" /></p>
<p>But back to the story, I ask you to think back to your first bike. We all remember our first bike. Well, maybe not our first bike, but like, our second or third - the first one we got as a self-aware human being. If you remember your first one - the one with the streamers coming out of the handlebars or the one with the flames on that chain guard, props to you. I hope your current bike is as special as that one.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104771/Screen_Shot_2017-11-06_at_6.06.24_PM.png" alt="indented quote" /></p>
<p>I got my first “adult” bike as a freshman in college. The university I attended was in no way big enough to require a bike to cross campus, but heaven forbid walking for 15 minutes. My cool aunt visited me and convinced my parents to spend $400 on a commuter with these big wide curly bars, a coaster brake, and a rear hub that housed three full speeds. And that bike saw a great five years of bar none, no helmet, all-weather, U-lock hanging from handlebars commuting. I locked that bike anywhere and everywhere: to trees, to fences, to handrails. It only got cut once. It was so heavy. The saddle had a big hole in it that spurted water into my butt anytime it rained. One time I took it on a 30-mile ride (still without a helmet, obviously) in gym shorts and tennis shoes and ran over a nail so hard that it went through the rim. I cried. I lost a spoke on the front wheel and just kept riding around. What is a true wheel?</p>
<p>That bike was a friend of mine, Endowment Effect notwithstanding. I brought it with me when I graduated from college and moved to Chicago for graduate school, where my bike universe experienced its Big Bang.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104766/bryan_yes.png" alt="bryan yas" /></p>
<font size="-1">This isn't me, it's my co-worker Bryan, who is here demonstrating the joys of bike commuting.</font>
<p>I had been a student-athlete in college, but when I left for graduate school I quit, and all of a sudden had a bunch of free time. I decided that I wanted to get a job at a bike shop, seeing as the folks who always helped me fix my bike in college were pretty nice, and I wanted to learn more about maintenance. A shop brought me in as a bike builder/floor sweeper/trash taker outer/you get the point. A slew of events led to them keeping me on during that winter, teaching me what they needed help with, from flat fixes to overhauls.</p>
<p>And instead of just riding my bike around campus, I also now relied on my bike to take me 8 miles through the city to class each day, to get to work, and to just get to places on time (or just a few minutes late). I rode my bike through the snow, at night, all the way south on the lakefront and back. I discovered fenders. I discovered the awesome pedals that are a platform on one side and clipless on the other. And now when I got a flat, I could fix it.</p>
<p>At the same time, I picked up race bikes because a group ride left from the shop every Wednesday night and it was called Wednesday Night Worlds and I am very competitive and those carbon thingies we sold were so light and at cost. What is a Strava? Plus Chicago has a fabulous amateur cyclocross series that also had beer and friends. And because, sports. And so it all went from there.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104525/Image_uploaded_from_iOS__1_.jpg" alt="sport" /></p>
<font size="-1">This is a kind of sport.</font>
<p>I can’t claim to transcend even a fraction of a percentage of people’s experiences with bikes. I’ve never been a messenger, I’ve never toured across the country, I honestly am terrified of fixed gear bikes (props to y’all), and I could not tell you a thing about working on mountain bikes (we have boat ramps in Chicago). But I can say that bikes are important to me. I could claim some cliché about freedom, etc. but really it boils down to a fascination with the utility of these efficient machines, their ability to both give me alone time and bring me together with others, and that I just like to go fast.</p>
<p>A lot of people have the idea that if you’re a messenger, then you don’t race bikes. If you race bikes, you have to be the world champion. If you’re a world champion, you don’t commute. If you commute, you’re in the way of traffic. And if you work somewhere, it doesn’t mean you’re into what your company or nonprofit does. While you don’t have to love what you do, Bike Index as a collective really really really loves bikes, for a bunch of different reasons. Bike Index co-founders Seth and Bryan both avidly commute. Bryan hosts dozens of community bike events, including one where <a href="https://bikeportland.org/2017/07/05/event-planned-for-south-korean-bike-tourer-victimized-by-theft-in-portland-233778">he helped a cyclist from South Korea</a> get back on his journey from Canada to Argentina after his bike was stolen in Portland. Seth completed flippin Grinduro despite 4 flats. Seth built Bike Index when he was working at a shop and thought “Hey, there’s this thing cyclists need. I’m going to build it now.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/104529/Untitledseth.png" alt="grinduro bb" /></p>
<p>We’re tooting our horn a bit here. But we want everyone to know why Bike Index is here. It’s here for everyone. It’s here because we cherish our bikes, and we know that you guys do too. That feeling you get when you first hop on your brand new bike doesn’t really diminish over time (it’s presumably the same way for thieves who hop on a brand new prize). So we’re doing the best we can to make sure your bikes are as protected as our own.</p>
2017-10-09T15:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-renters-and-homeowners-insurance-company-lemoBike Index Partners with Renters and Homeowners Insurance Company, Lemonade2017-10-09T15:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><strong>“Hey Lemonade! You guys protect stuff. I’m with Bike Index. We protect bikes! I want to chat!”</strong></p>
<p>Bike Index’s newest partnership with <a href="https://www.lemonade.com/l/bike-index?utm_medium=partners&utm_source=bike-index&utm_campaign=website">Lemonade</a> - the renters and homeowners insurance company that actually enjoys paying out claims - began with a tweet. And a shared appreciation for tech’s ability to provide super simple solutions for things.</p>
<p>We have been wanting to partner with an insurance company for awhile now. After all, a huge part of our mission is to recover stolen bicycles by way of protecting them. The best way to recover bikes is to prevent theft in the first place. When theft inevitably does happen, we work to recover your bike. Sometimes this doesn’t happen. But with an insurance company protecting your stuff, you could still recoup the cost of the loss, while replenishing the donations to your favorite charity (us 😀).</p>
<p>The problem is that many bicycle insurance companies say they’ll help you out, but then you spend months going through the process of trying to convince them that the theft was real, and you didn’t just accidentally run over your frame in the driveway.</p>
<p>So we decided to go a different route: renters and home insurance powered by AI and behavioral economics, instead of bicycle insurance. We surveyed a bunch of Bike Index users and their results indicated that insurance was something the average user might be interested in.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99379/005.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Things users might be interested in post-theft, especially those who fell victim to the significant percentage of thefts that occur from garage break-ins or “secured” apartment bike room heists:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99381/011_2.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Any other thoughts?</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99382/013_6.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Bike Index and renters insurance can both do a couple of things to get people back out and on the road in the case of a theft: 1) They can actually recover the bike or 2) they can return the lost cost of the stolen bike so that you can get a new bike. But almost more importantly, they give cyclists security and incentivize them to spend the money on the bike that will best suit their needs. Too many cyclists are deterred by the low-quality bikes they are tempted to buy because they’re afraid a more expensive bike will be stolen. With insurance and Bike Index, cyclists know there is an extra layer of protection between them and the thieves who could steal their main means of transportation.</p>
<p>The problem is, either people don’t know about Bike Index, or they don’t know about a good renter’s insurance company. A partnership with Lemonade will bring Bike Index users to a great insurance group, and show currently insured renters Bike Index’s additional layer of protection. A ton of Bike Index users that we surveyed, whose bikes had been stolen, were interested in receiving theft-related deals from Bike Index.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99383/012.JPG" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
<img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99384/Untitlede3df.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>I used to work at a bike shop. My co-workers sold a friend of mine a bicycle. I asked her how she had been enjoying riding it and if she was worried about getting it stolen in the city. She said no because she had this awesome renter’s insurance that protected her bike, even when it wasn’t at home. The insurance was called Lemonade.</p>
<p>I looked it up and went through the renter’s insurance quote process, stopping right before the end, because I already had renter’s insurance (although Lemonade helps you switch quite easily and quickly). The whole process took me about two minutes. And covering all of my items was just over $12 a month.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99385/Screen_Shot_2017-09-08_at_12.27.57_AM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Lemonade’s interface is super clean and simple, which was a nice contrast to the usual renter’s insurance forms that you spend 20 minutes navigating and another 45 asking your parents for all the field information.</p>
<p>Lemonade covers bikes worth up to $3,000, which is pretty significant. Most stolen bikes are worth between $500 and $1,000, which is well within the range Lemonade will send you if your bike is stolen from your apartment or beyond.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99387/Screen_Shot_2017-09-08_at_12.40.27_AM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Additionally, Lemonade donates to charities of your choice. So if you setup Lemonade from <a href="https://www.lemonade.com/l/bike-index?utm_medium=partners&utm_source=bike-index&utm_campaign=website">this link</a> Bike Index will be selected as your charity of choice. They charge a flat fee for insurance, pay back premiums super quickly, and any money that’s leftover will go to Bike Index, or whichever charity you decide to benefit, should the occasion arise.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/99386/Screen_Shot_2017-09-08_at_12.33.06_AM.png" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /></p>
<p>Right now, Lemonade is in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Illinois. You can add yourself to an e-mail list to get a notification of when Lemonade is going to roll out in your state.</p>
2017-09-05T00:08:20-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-august-recoveriesBike Index's August recoveries2017-09-05T00:08:20-05:00Bryan Hance<p>August continued at full force here at the Bike Index.</p>
<p>We’re still in the thick of this summer’s “high theft” season, and here are this month’s highlights:</p>
<ul>
<li>A stolen bike <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BWUFvb_AYmO/?taken-by=theloamwolf">chased around OR for months</a> - once leading to an assault - is finally recovered as the thief is arrested by a forest service officer</li>
<li>SF bike messenger and all around recovery ninja <a href="https://twitter.com/r27d">@r27d</a> goes for a rare back-to-back recovery 'twofer'. This is his ~13th (?) recovery. Seriously, we kind of lost count.</li>
<li>"Another Bike Index user was looking for her stolen bike that was the same model .... (but) she found mine instead ..."</li>
<li>"The idiots who stole my bike turned the phone in the pannier back on," leading to GPS tracking ... and a bust. </li>
<li>"When the Omaha Police contacted me they had not entered the serial number ... from the police report. Fortunately they got a hit on the registry I made with Bike Index."</li>
<li>An epic cargobike recovery in SF - once spotted, one of the SF bike crew <b>stealthily tailed the guy</b> until he returned it to the owner</li>
<li>Portland Police's <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> recovers a bike stolen in 2013 ... never give up, folks ...</li>
<li>Portland Police's <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbeast">@ppbeast</a> asks for help ID'ing a bike. We ID it 24h later, <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/ppbeast/status/900236832721469440">and it comes home</a>.</li>
<li>Rivendells, Cervelos, Felts ... jeez. We have a spendy crop of bike recoveries in here!</li>
</ul>
<p>As always: <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? Did you know we could really use your help?</p>
<p>It’s true, and we would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> Please help us keep these awesome bike recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>These servers don’t pay for themselves, folks - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">and $5 goes a heck of a long way</a> here at the Bike Index. So please - kick some support our way if you can.</p>
<p>Now - onto the recoveries:</p>
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<i>
"A guy steps in a pawn shop in Seattle and is trying to sell the bike only for $100!
They check Bike Index - and find that the bike is stolen. They let the guy know that the bike is stolen and
they guy runs away. They called me saying that they have my bike. Thanks guys! "
</i>
</blockquote>
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2017 Fuji Sportif - recovered: 8/1/2017</div>
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<i>"Somewhere between our posting here and your encouragement to file a report,
they knew who to call when the bike turned up."</i>
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2016 Norco Bikes Indie 2 - recovered: 8/1/2017</div>
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<i>A Portland Police Bureau recovery ... one of many such PPB recoveries this month.</i>
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2016 PUBLIC bikes V7 (sm/med) - recovered: 8/1/2017</div>
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<i>"A King County deputy arrested a man riding my bike in White Center (about 8 miles south of where the theft occurred) ... No other details unfortunately... "</i>
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2014 Giant Trance 27.5 1 - recovered: 8/2/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"SFPD recovered it and found out I had reported it stolen via Bike Index"</i>
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2011 Raleigh Cadent FT3 - recovered: 8/3/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"Recovered via Bike Index user tip that it was on <b>OfferUp</b>.
Long story short, I was able to recover the bike. (Not without some drama and blue lights. Got the guy arrested, too.)
Thanks again for your help! The tip off was exactly what I needed. I hope to pass it forward for someone..."</i>
</blockquote>
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2011 Raleigh Cadent FT3 - recovered: 8/3/2017</div>
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<i>The backstory on this bike is so crazy long I simply can't post it all here, but this bike was stolen, <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BWUFvb_AYmO/?taken-by=theloamwolf">spotted</a>, lost, spotted again,
then the guy who had it <b>assaulted somebody who went after it</b> - and then the guy was finally arrested by a forest service officer. "He had a ton of kayaks, computers, tons of stolen items with him. " Owner says: "The bike has definitely lived a rough life the last month.
All in all though she can be fixed and will be fine :) We are so grateful to all the people who paid attention."</i>
</blockquote>
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2016 Santa Cruz V10 CC - recovered: 8/5/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"Thank you for running this site. I've know other folks who have been able to recover their bikes thanks to Bike Index.
Today, I was able to quickly see a bike out of place, narrow the model and year through a quick search and find
it minutes later on your site. <b>Being able to offer SPD the incident number and serial number, they took the call seriously,
responded fairly quickly, and recovered the bike</b>." Ed note: we continue to support more anti-theft efforts by the City of Seattle.
We'd love to have more help!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Camber 29 - recovered: 8/5/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"Another Bike Index user was looking for her stolen bike that was the same model. She found mine on a Craigslist add and messaged me to check out the listing to see if it was mine... (it was) "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Novara Carema - recovered: 8/5/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"The idiots who stole my bike <b>turned the phone in the pannier back on</b>. I guess it never crossed their minds that signed in Google calls home over WIFI just as well as LTE. I parked across the street from a certain single digit motel in SE and called 911 to report a "crime in progress" with my case #. Police arrived and went to where my GPS precisely indicated. They found bikes (unfortunately not mine) drugs, a shotgun. You get the picture. I thumbprint unlocked my phone and handed them another felony 1 charge. While the officers were upstairs, I was downstairs and was approached by a local "commodities dealer". He stated that he knew where my bike was. <b>He went so far as to tell me that he had ridden it and complimented me on my build. Surreal. I actually sensed sincerity.</b> He called me this morning and adamantly denied any involvement in the theft. I kinda believed him. He met me in the parking lot of an upstanding establishment and paid him what I could get out of the ATM for reward/ransom. He stated that he'd try and recover my bag, rack and fenders. I actually believe him. I guess that I'm kind of proactive and a really lousy victim.
I've been up here for 12 years and it just keeps getting worse. A I stated in my post I'm proactive and a lousy victim. Where I'm from proactive seems to be interpreted differently. And the victim thing? People here seem to relish that title way too much. I've just decided to turn up the heat on the local dirtbags. They've gotten way too comfortable. "Advisory groups" and committees don't stop criminals. Making them less comfortable does slow them down. Thus ends my rant."</i>
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2017 Soma Wolverine - recovered: 8/5/2017</div>
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<i>"Thank you, so much, for your help. Without Bike Index I probably would not have found it.
When the Omaha Police contacted me they had not entered the serial number and information from
the police report. <b>Fortunately they got a hit on the registry I made with Bike Index (via LEADS Online)</b>. Keep up the good work! "</i>
</blockquote>
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2007 Gary Fisher Wingra - recovered: 8/6/2017</div>
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<i>"Portland Police found my bike on a chronic bike thief downtown! So happy to have it back :) "</i>
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2016 PUBLIC bikes V7 - recovered: 8/6/2017</div>
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<i>"Hi. (redacted) from stolen bikes Nola here. I think (redacted) recovered your bike. I have it at my house. "</i>
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1980 Fuji - recovered: 8/6/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>"Seattle PD recovery - RECOVERED BY SEATTLE PD ON 08-07-2017 AT 0020 HRS."</i>
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Giant Defy 1 - recovered: 8/7/2017</div>
</article>
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<i>An epic SF recovery. In short, B had her Bullitt stolen in Berkeley, only to have it pop up a couple of days later
when <a href=" https://twitter.com/BikePretty/">@bikepretty</a> spotted it in the back of some sketchy truck and <a href="https://twitter.com/BikePretty/status/894682634319560704">tweeted about it</a>. What happened next? A ton of folks from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew/permalink/1459923647437027/?hc_location=ufi">the FB group SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew</a> kicked in while I was on the phone with the owner - one of them <b>even tailing the truck around SF</b> for a while until it was clear the guy was coming to return the bikes. We love cargo bikes, and <a href="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98361/015_2.JPG">we love this recovery photo</a>, too. Thanks for the assit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew">SanFranciscoBikeRideCrew</a>!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Defy 1 - recovered: 8/7/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98373/016.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone bought my bike and after checking Bike Index and realizing it was stolen he immediately contacted me and returned the bike. Big thanks to Bike Index and the person for getting my bike back to me. Yes it was the one posted in the past 24 hours. Thank you for offering this wonderful service you are helping a lot of people!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Throne Cycles Track Lord - recovered: 8/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98390/017.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"After posting to Twitter, FB, LN, on Tuesday (redacted) reached out to me via Twitter that someone on next door has tried for days finding me. Their friend had found the post and shared with him and had seen my post. (redacted) reached out with my contact info to (redacted) who contacted me minutes later. (redacted) mentioned that he saw someone trying to cut my bike lock, then shouting "this is my bike!" This is a great success story, what helped me was the SFgate article on recovering my bike, the fact that placed tens of stickers on my bike to make it unique, the power of social networks, and that there are some genuinely brave and awesome people out there! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Novara Strada 3 FB Bike - recovered: 8/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98376/018.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" A few standup citizens messaged me that they saw it posted for sale online, and then I worked with the local police to recover it."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Jamis Xenith Comp - recovered: 8/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98371/019.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/895416588911779840">Found by the @ppbbiketheft officers</a> - "Recovered a Surly today in Waterfront Park that was stolen in 2013! Post your bikes publicly and there's always hope!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Surly Crosscheck - recovered: 8/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98354/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Guy tried to pawn it, serial number flagged as stolen.
Think I saw it on Craigslist actually. Then it turned up getting flagged at a pawn shop shortly after.
Unfortunately the guy probably got the money from the shop and cops said it would be hard to prove he knew it was stolen."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Momentum Street - recovered: 8/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98352/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Some one sold to a pawn shop for 80$ - and unfortunately in order to get it back
I had to pay the 80$ - but the scumbag is in jail for 10 years for breaking and entering and robbery ."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 SE Bikes Primetime - recovered: 8/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98385/021.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A thief tried selling it through local classified site. He brought it to the gas station where abouts she wanted to sell it and when confronted with serial numbers and the camera filming his face and bike frame, he run away. Captured the entire event on the video. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Madone 5 - recovered: 8/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98405/097.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another sweet recovery via Bike Index + Portland Police: 1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbeast/status/897691106867064832">@ppbeast posts for identification help</a>, and
2) <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/898574151102771201">Bike Index IDs the bike a day later</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbeast/status/900236832721469440">leading to a recovery</a>. From the owner:
"Someone off of this site sent me a link to the PPB twitter account that matched the description/photo of my bike,
and that was it! Shortly after I was in touch with the Portland police who confirmed it was mine and I
now have it back! I really appreciate the effort on all parts as I was sure it would be gone forever.
Thanks so much guys."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale Synapse - recovered: 8/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98377/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello, my husband found a bike matching this description today in Seattle in the bushes ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2001 Specialized Rockhopper - recovered: 8/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98370/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Luckily enough I spotted a "Found Bike" posting in <b>my</b> local NextDoor feed here in Portland OR ... and of course it matched a bike we had on file.
"A local person took picture of bike tossed in bushes...sent to wife who searched Bike Index - and BAM -
finds my bike on your site...contacts me and I pick up an hour later! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Rockhopper - recovered: 8/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98382/024.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"After a few weeks, my precious felt was finally returned to me. The thieves tried to sell it to <a target="_new" href="https://circlecitybicycles.com/">Circle City Bicycles</a> and the clerks working the counter recognized the make and model, forked over money for recovering the bike, and notified the authorities. If you're a cyclist and you need repair work or bike components please give Circle City Bicycles your business."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Felt V100 - recovered: 8/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98358/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Police recovered it " (Ed note: Not everybody gives us a super detailed explanation when their bikes come home. So - hey, thank you, unnamed Police
Department!)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek 7.2 FX - recovered: 8/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98406/096.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Hey!! I think I found your bike! And I feel pretty sh*tty because if I'd looked on this earlier you would have gotten it back a lot sooner..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji FINEST 2.3 - recovered: 8/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98379/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Bike ID'd through a stranger who identified it at a pawn shop via a google search of the serial number ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Diverge A1 Sub Compact - recovered: 8/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98368/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
SF messenger and general stolen bike recovery ninja <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/r27d">@r27d</a> is at it again - <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/R27D/status/900071739836702720">spotted this stolen IBEX, called it in, and freed it.</a>
"A bike messenger found my bike locked up at Civic Center in San Francisco. He'd recognized it from Bike Index and matched the serial number! He contacted me, added his lock to the bike, and waited for me and the police (who helped me recover it). So very grateful to the bike messenger and so glad I used Bike Index. I'm surprised and overjoyed that I recovered the bike. Success!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 IBEX Corrida LT Disc - recovered: 8/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98407/095.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
... and then <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/r27d">@r27d</a> literally <a href="https://twitter.com/R27D/status/900789754471497728">does the same thing the next damn day</a> with an un-serialed Sycip.
" Got a call from a local (SF) bike messenger that spotted it and was able to take possession of it, and flag SFPD - super rad! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 SyCip Mountain Bike ( custom ) - recovered: 8/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98408/094.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hello - I found your bike for sale cash (redacted) pawn on Aurora ... (later)
Thank you, I have and am in contact with the pawn shop (the lady on the phone was very nice and informative),
and they were able to provide me with a Seattle PD contact in the Pawn Division who will be able to assist."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Charge Grater 1 (8 speed) - recovered: 8/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98383/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello - This bike is here at Santa Barbara MTD headquarters..." (Ed note: this bike was recovered with no serial on file, thanks to the Bike Index photograph - one of many non-serial bikes recovered this month.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1982 Schwinn Le Tour Tourist - recovered: 8/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98409/093.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello this bike is listed on Kijiji Ontario, area ... from my experience usually the seller is actually from another city though."
(Later, from the owner)
Wanted to let you know, I've recovered my stolen bike, almost a year later.
I setup a buy and local police sent an officer under cover and confirmed it based on the serial number on my power meter that was on the bike!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Cervélo S5 - recovered: 8/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98387/031.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A sad case of an owner ransoming his own bike back ... but it's a Rivendell, so ... worth it. <i>"(Bike Index user) found out that a Rivendell Roadeo was being offered for sale for $200 via <b>OfferUp</b>. She sent me the link to the offer and told me how to go about getting my bike back. The picture of the bike in the offer matched the picture on Bike Index. I contacted the police but they were not very helpful as I had no serial number for the bike. I met the seller in San Jose, paid him $200 and got the bike back. He claimed he had bought it from someone. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Rivendell Bicycle Works Roadeo - recovered: 8/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98360/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another bike found, ID'd, and recovered by the @ppbbiketheft crew. <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/901145710275379201">They were pretty busy last month. </a></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Next NEXT PX 4.0 - recovered: 8/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98410/092.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello I found your bike near Granite Falls on side of HWY 92. I was considering restoring it.
Wheels were trashed, seat was trashed .... the frame seems like it is in fair shape.
I'd happily return the frame to you. I'm a Cascade.org season-pass member."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Redline R540 - recovered: 8/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98360/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Somebody found it offered on a 'sales' website, and checked on Bike Index. He warned us. We bought it back."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
SCOTT Sub 10 - recovered: 8/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98362/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"THANK YOU SO MUCH! We have retrieved my sons bike. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!
I am a single mom that depends on my son having reliable transportation to and from school since he travels far.
I really couldn't afford this bike but I needed something that could survive my over 6ft 14 yr old.
... this is his transportation
from Portland to Milwaukie. It crushed his heart. He was spending the night at a friends house.He didn't even
tell me the night it happened. Showed up at my mom's house crying, later that day and didn't
even want to come home and tell me. He went on for days searching for it. It is amazing what you guys do.
Thank you!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek 7.1 FX 22.5 RD - recovered: 8/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98355/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found it while looking for my own bike at the Laney College Flea Market.
Found another guys bike there last weekend — <b>so still no sign of my own, but two other
people got their bikes back</b>."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Marin Bikes Lombard - recovered: 8/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98381/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone bought it at Alameda flea market, searched the Bike Index, saw it was stolen, and contacted me... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Felt FR60 - recovered: 8/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98375/038.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" I had gotten a report of a possible siting via Bike Index--much appreciated! Thanks to the attentive BART police, who it turns out were called as someone had broken the lock and was stealing the bike. I had (already) made a report to the Berkeley Police Department, which was rejected because the incident happened on BART property ... I’m so grateful! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Felt SPORT-e - recovered: 8/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98411/091.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" A Portland Police recovery of a bike stolen in a commercial robbery ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Ghost SQUARE CROSS 3 - recovered: 8/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/98396/99.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered with the help of Dave @ CyclingUtah and a local spotter. Good job, guys!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bianchi Eros - recovered: 8/30/2017</div>
</article>
<p><br clear="all" /></p>
<p>And that was August, folks. It was pretty tiring!</p>
<p>Keep your rides safe folks, and we'll see you in September.</p>
2017-08-30T21:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/boise-police-department-joins-with-bike-index-to-help-protect-bikesBoise Police Department joins with Bike Index to help protect bikes2017-08-30T21:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p><strong>Boise PD will use Bike Index to register, protect, and recover bikes.</strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/97794/BoiseGreenbeltRedBridge.jpg" alt="One of several motor vehicle-free bridges across the Boise River connecting both sides of the Boise Greenbelt. By Kenneth Freeman from Boise, Idaho" /><small style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 640px; margin: 0 auto;">One of several motor vehicle-free bridges across the Boise River connecting both sides of the Boise Greenbelt. By Kenneth Freeman from Boise, Idaho <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons</small></p>
<p>Bike Index continues its summer push to enlist new partners in the fight against bike theft by pairing with the City of Boise Police Department. With an upcoming September awareness boost in the works, BPD will broadcast Bike Index as Boise’s official registry, and seek to engage local shops, universities, advocacy groups, and surrounding cities.</p>
<p>The BPD is partnering with Bike Index to recover bikes stolen in Boise as well as those taken outside of the city. Similarly, they want to help local universities find bikes stolen from campuses and moved into surrounding areas, said Haley Williams, Public Information Officer for Boise PD. It helps that Bike Index will move all of Boise’s existing registries into the Bike Index system.</p>
<p>“We hope that other police stations and cities within our area will use this as a one stop place to register their bikes,” said Williams. “We hope shops will register their bikes and put a sticker on the bikes that makes it pretty clear that if a bike is stolen it will be tracked down.”</p>
<p>“We know how successful it is when cities and law enforcement use Bike Index,” said Bryan Hance, Bike Index co-founder. “It really takes a multi-pronged approach between law enforcement, bike shops, and other local partners, and Boise’s taking all the right steps.”</p>
<p>“By plugging Boise into Bike Index’s massive network of users, we’ll be doing what we’ve done in so many other cities so far - letting the city and community tackle this problem from all angles,” said Hance. <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spo">Bend, OR</a> is one of these cities: with the right community mix for preventing bike theft, Bend decreased bike theft by 60 percent in just one year.</p>
<p>Williams said BPD’s efforts dovetail with Boise’s increasingly ‘bike friendly’ image and recent accolades, as Boise is making its way onto the radar as one of America’s notably bike friendly cities. Thrillist included Boise in a list just last month of <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/most-bike-friendly-cities-in-the-us">best cities in the U.S. for cyclists</a>. And in 2016, Boise moved to 27th place on Bicycling Magazine’s list of <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/most-bike-friendly-cities-in-the-us">50 Best Bike Cities in the U.S</a>.</p>
<p>“There has been an increase in bike awareness and commuting, and that is a big thing for our city going forward,” said Williams. “We do have a very strong bike culture, people do commute on their bikes and people use the Boise Greenbelt, which is huge.”</p>
<p>The BPD decided that their existing registration was not getting the job done - mainly because it lacked more advanced listings, and the far-reaching network that Bike Index can leverage when a bike is stolen.</p>
<p>“We were looking for a better option than what we currently have. We have a registration but it’s just limited to the city of Boise,” said Williams. With Bike Index, “If you get a new bike you can add it, you can upload a new picture, new serial number. The user takes care of it rather than them having them rely on us.”</p>
<p>The BPD hopes to enlist more local organizations, as Bike Index is open source, meaning anyone can use it to register and search for stolen bikes. For instance, if someone brings a suspect bike into a local shop, that shop can search Bike Index for a match, and quickly contact the owner and the BPD. Bike Index also has a partnership with national pawn search provider LeadsOnline, whose nationwide system alerts pawn shops if a stolen bike is registered at their shop.</p>
<p>The Boise PD’s next steps include promoting Bike Index at community events, such as Boise State University football games. Their largest effort will be September 14 at the BSU vs. New Mexico football game. The BPD is going to incorporate media interviews, pregame coverage, and provide information on bike theft. An officer will register bikes for anyone interested. This is something the BPD normally does, but this year’s efforts will focus on getting bikes listed in Bike Index’s system</p>
<p>“The idea of registration shouldn’t be new to Boise, but now even if your bike might go out of state, the bike may also still be found. Hopefully the idea will be more appealing to people. They may have been thinking I should do that, I should do that, and now they will,” said Williams.</p>
<p>The Bike Index Boise site is now live at <a href="http://police.cityofboise.org/home/downloads-online-services/bicycle-registration-form/">www.cityofboise.org/bikeindex</a>.</p>
2017-08-10T19:58:31-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-july-recoveriesBike Index's July recoveries2017-08-10T19:58:31-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Welcome to the July Bike Index recoveries!</p>
<p>We’re still in the thick of summer’s “high bike theft” season, but here’s this month’s highlights:</p>
<ul>
<li>A couple of super-epic, multi-stage recoveries as folks chased their bikes all over town</li>
<li>... one of which wound up in a double-recovery for a PDX bike victim!</li>
<li>Lots of bike shop involvement - super happy to see all these recoveries via shops</li>
<li>The rare "I stole your bike and want to return it" recovery </li>
<li>Two cases of serial number alterations. We don't see that too often!</li>
<li>Yet another stolen Yuba Mundo recovery. (I think we average 1 Yuba per month.)</li>
<li>We watched as an owner chased their stolen Evil Undead from Seattle, to Wyoming, then finally recovering it in Colorado</li>
<li>"I was skeptical about this Bike Index thing, but am shocked at how efficient it was..."</li>
<li>An epic twitter spot, and multi-day stolen bike chase of a Rad Power RADWAGON in SF</li>
</ul>
<p>As always: <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? Did you know we could really use your help?</p>
<p>It’s true, and we would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> Please help us keep these awesome bike recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>These servers don’t pay for themselves, folks - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">and $5 goes a hell of a long way</a> here at the Bike Index. So please - kick some support our way if you can.</p>
<p>And away we go …</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94011/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Good News! Your bike has been recovered and was turned in to the Portland Police Bureau's Property Warehouse as
"found property" - later: "Thanks a lot for this email, I immediately went and picked up the bike.
I was not at all expecting to see this bike ever again so I am really happy that it was found."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Ghost Kato - recovered: 7/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93995/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found via the <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/sbnola/">Stolen Bikes Nola</a> facebook group: "I just had the bike returned. So awesome! <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/sbnola/">StolenBikesNola</a> is awesome!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Roll Sport - recovered: 7/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94002/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Friendly stranger saw it abandoned in the weeds. Found me on Bike Index. Hooray!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Novara Gotham - recovered: 7/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94006/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"My neighbor ... found it tossed in the bushes outside his door.
He realized its value and took it inside. He checked Bike Index and ... knocked on my door today! I'm very grateful to Bike Index and my neighbor for getting it back to me!!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Independent Fabrication Ti Planet X - recovered: 7/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94010/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The officer who helped me found both bikes - two people had purchased them from a swapmeet style short
sale but they didn't research what they purchased. Ended up being my bikes ... and they are home and getting
tuned up again. Way too excited at the moment!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Radio Bike Co Fiend 26 - recovered: 7/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94007/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland Police Bureau, ID'd via contact in the Bike Index</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Bianchi EROS - recovered: 7/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94001/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hi there! Just recovered your bike downtown! It's in great shape too!
... officers spotted it in Waterfront Park. Happy 4th!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Zektor 2 Stagger - recovered: 7/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93978/008.JPG
" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another Portland Police score: "It's a little murky, but the police ended up with it.
The officer reading the file said it was brought into VELOCULT
and someone ran the serial # - ba-boom -- here come the police.
The bike must have reeked of 'stolen' since it had been painted black over the nice factory paint,
and had electrical tape too for coverage. Basically all intact but all the secondary gear is gone
and it looks like it's been living on the wrong side of the tracks for a while. But YEAAAH! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Giant TCX - recovered: 7/6/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93977/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"This is (redacted) at JRA Bike Shop. I found what is left of your bike behind our shop today.
All the parts have been stripped off, and someone tried to use the frame as a lever to break the lock
and damaged the frame in the process. Right now, it's just scrap metal.
Sorry about your bike, but maybe this will give a bit of closure on it. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant - recovered: 7/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93988/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A bike was pawned in Omaha, NE and came back with the hit listed above ... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Gary Fisher Wingra - recovered: 7/6/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93983/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Portland Police patrol found bike leaning on a tent near the PSU campus.
Fender Kit removed, Lime Green U Lock was painted black and bell was smashed.
Great work by Portland Police and Bryan at Bike Index to contact me
and my very new Kona bike is in great shape considering I missed it for 3 weeks.
THANK YOU BIKE INDEX. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Kona Kona 6061 Aluminum Butted - recovered: 7/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93979/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"SAPD found my bike and returned it to me this morning! So grateful for their work!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Cannondale Quick 7 - recovered: 7/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93992/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"
What a crazy day! Story time? I got the e-mail about this thread via Bike Index ...
A few hours later I get phone calls saying that my bike and the person
are being held at 46th and Main! I'm working out in Troutdale and was wrapping up but was still a half
hour away. S. (stranger from NextDoor) calls me and puts me on to speak with the dude. He's pretty
chill, really, but says that he doesn't know why he should believe it's my bike when his friend who
loaned it to him says it's his. Ok... I give him some real specific stuff about the bike's components.
He suggests that perhaps S. had given me that information and we were trying to fool him, so maybe
he'd better just take it to the police station. All of a sudden he gets frazzled and hangs up on me.
I call back and tell S. I'll send them a photo of the bike and maybe that'll convince him, but
in the 45 seconds or so that it takes me to do that, he takes off and says he's going to Laurelhurst.
On the way to the 'hood from Troutdale I call the police ... The operator had apparently heard from several of you,
finishing my sentence as I said where the bike was last seen, and told me no one was coming, no police
were available. (ed: in the sake of brevity here: they chaned this a lot) Later: As soon as S. rode off the police called me and
said they had my bike at 37th and Stark! I went and retrieved it, and the guy said that he was on his
way to take it to the police station... Alright. Anyway, got it back and it's in pretty much the same
condition it was when they took it! Now, the subplot: LITERALLY FOURTEEN MINUTES before I got the e-mail
to this thread I received an e-mail from Bike Gallery saying that someone had brought in my Surly Karate
Monkey that was stolen at the same time in mid-may!! The person who brought it in said it was under the
deck of a house for 2 weeks with some clothes and stuff. <b>So after I brought the GT home I went and picked
up that bike from Bike Gallery.</b> A little full moon magic? Any astrologers out there able to interpret this?
Huge thanks again to everyone who went out to check for the bike, and especially to (redacted) for posting the
photo to begin with, and S. for fulfilling your apparent destiny of being my bike's guardian angel."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 GT Bicycles Team Lotto - recovered: 7/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93985/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Ed note: this is the other bike noted in the recovery above:
"A good samaritan found it under their porch and it had been there for 2 weeks, along
with some clothes and other various personal belongings. They brought it in to Bike
Gallery on Milwaukee and Bike Gallery found it on Bike Index and contacted me! Thanks everyone! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Surly Karate Monkey - recovered: 7/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93986/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I have your stolen bike. I 'liberated' it this evening and it's at (redacted) whee I work ... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
PUBLIC bikes C1 - recovered: 7/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93984/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone bought the bike off Facebook Marketplace, realized it was stolen, and returned it to me ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale CAAXD 105 - recovered: 7/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94009/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"So I parked my bike outside Helium comedy club
around 6:15pm and found it stolen at 9pm. I was surprised as it was still daylight and I
used a good u-lock. Per the officer who informed me it was found, around 3-3:30am some sketchy
people were seen with my bike around SE 16th and Oak. Two good Samaritans were just getting off work and
saw this strange scene: sketchy people with a really nice bike. Somehow they were able to get
the bike back from them! Ironically, it was the sketchy people actually called the police saying they
stole it from them. The officers interviewed the people, found my bike registered with Bike Index and
subsequently found the police report about it being stolen. The sketchy person was apparently a heavy
set woman in her 60's who said someone sold it to her as her daughter's graduation gift but when pressed
for details by the officers she couldn't keep her story very straight. Once the police officers figured
out the whole situation the sketchy people down the street had already ran away. Can you believe this?
<b>This is the 2nd bike that was stolen from me in the past 6 months.</b> This story is a hard to believe but
I'm so very grateful for these two Samaritans and, of course, the Bike Index! Wow!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Vita Comp Disc - recovered: 7/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93989/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Was contacted that my bike was listed on Craigslist under the lost and found category with the title,
"I stole your bike and want to return it". Strangely enough, I met up with the bike thief and was
given back my bike. Would have never found it on Craigslist if I didn't get a call from someone
saying they saw my bike and found the listing on Bike Index.
I'm pretty sure what happened is one person stole it off the MAX, then some kid
stole it form that person. The kid's dad found out that he stole a bike, tracked me down from
your website, and made him give it back. Pretty crazy."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1987 Univega Nuovo Sport - recovered: 7/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93987/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I have your bike! - found dumped in long grass at Press & N.Rampart Street.
Seems to be in good condition apart from damage to mud guard. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn - recovered: 7/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94012/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A wonderful neighbor spotted the posting about this bike. He then saw another
neighbor with the bike and was able to buy it back and then get in touch with us through this website. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Raleigh Grand Sport - recovered: 7/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93991/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Via the finder: "I actually bought the bike but became suspicious when I discovered
the frame was not the 56cm as advertised, but 47cm. Then I was told that the serial #
of the bike looked like it may have been altered. I had checked the serial # the seller gave me and got no hits,
so I thought it legit. But when I Googled "Stolen Riese and Muller Nevo Nuvinci U.S." this page came up.
The serial # on the bike I purchased differs from this one by only the next to last digit (88 instead of 58).
There is "touch up" paint on
several spots on the bike, including on the serial # ... I've had 3 bikes stolen over the years, and don't want to be party to any
potentially "ill gotten" property ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Riese und Müller Nevo - recovered: 7/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93980/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Recovered by Portland Police - owner ID'd and contacted in the Bike Index."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona (unknown) - recovered: 7/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93999/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Spotted by a local bike community member who - through a long history of getting stolen bikes back to people -
was able to negotiate for the bike's return. "Thanks for all you do! Bike Index was how we found the owner of this one!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Yuba Mundo - recovered: 7/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93998/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"(redacted) spotted kid riding badly spray-painted bike, two blocks from my house.
Ran the serial number and got a match. Sadly, the bike was badly damaged (horrible paint job, parts missing or
replaced with inferior components) and is no longer worth keeping."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Cypress - recovered: 7/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93990/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Finder: "I have your bike. Text me. I'll explain how I got it, and I'll bring it to you." Owner: "Thanks! I was skeptical about this Bike Index thing, but am shocked at how efficient it was. Wonderful thing you got going on..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 VSF Fahrradmanufaktur T-300 - recovered: 7/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94004/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" I never thought that registering my stolen bike on Bike Index would help me get it back,
but it did! I registered my bike after it was stolen from my back yard, and a few weeks
later, I had given up hope and was about to begin the process of purchasing a new bike.
I got a message from someone on the Bike Index saying they "should have known better" but
bought my bike off of someone on the street, and after checking the Index, realized it
was stolen. They just wanted to get it back to the rightful owner. I'm so grateful
for their kindness, and so happy to have my bike back!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Jamis Allegro Comp Femme - recovered: 7/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93981/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" A resident 20 blocks from my house saw some scetchy people with a killer bike and looked it up on the Bike Index.
They texted me. I called the police and arived at the location (Essex park) about the same time and caught the
bastards riding it around on the street. The cops were a huge help. Make sure you have photos for proof of
ownership and police report handy if this happens to you."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Surly Disc Trucker - recovered: 7/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93997/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone contacted me through Bike index and returned it to me!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn - recovered: 7/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94000/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I have this bike in my shop ... A sketchy dude dropped it off asking for a bar swap. I told him to give me an hour.
I can hang on to it for a little bit, please let me know how you want to proceed. It is DEFINITELY your bike. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Co-Motion Diablo - recovered: 7/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93996/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I work with the Pawn + Property Recovery Unit at Seattle PD.
I have a pawn shop owner contacting me, thinking he may have your bike in his shop. I cannot confirm
that it is really your bike with the limited information provided. I was hoping you could possibly
supply a serial number, or something distinguishing about the frame, etc. that we could use to
identify whether or not it is yours ... "
(<b>Turns out: this was a total match! The owner recovered their bike.</b>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Jamis - recovered: 7/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94014/99.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This crazy recovery was all thanks to Portland Police's <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>-
who noticed thieves had altered the serial on this Kona Coco in order to make '1' look like '7' and a
'3' look like an '8'. Fortunately their restamping job was so terrible it stood out like a sore thump. <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> promptly <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/888406891738443776">highlighted this on Twitter</a>,
which was picked up by the <a target="_new" href="http://katu.com/news/local/bike-thieves-now-modify-serial-numbers-to-foil-recovery-efforts">local news
media</a> ... pretty crazy, considering this is the 2nd 'tampered serial' report we got this month.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona Coco - recovered: 7/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94005/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This was an epic recovery facilitated by our SF spotters such as
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits/status/888240767373791232">@SFbikebandits</a>,
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/milesbcooper/status/889511306679558151">@milesbcooper</a> and
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKDavidson/status/889525673664040961">@andrewkdavidson</a> and
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/LoicPhoto/status/889613089791987712">@liocphoto</a>
- this distinct looking Rad Power
was spotted, lost, then spotted again, then SFPD called in to <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/LoicPhoto/status/889613089791987712">chase the guy down and arrest him</a>. This was taken in a home break-in, so I'm hoping he's toast.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Rad Power Bikes RADWAGON - recovered: 7/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94008/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Ed: this one wasn't technically our recovery but the owner's pursuit on this one was so
doggeded I wanted to share it. This bike was originally stolen in the Seattle area, and then ...
"Found it on Craigslist out of state, was diligent in communicating with the local Police Department
in the area it was listed for sale. Officers met with the buyer and seized the bike.
This bike made its way to <b>Cheyenne, Wyoming</b> and then later appeared in <b>Northern Colorado</b>.
<b>Fort Collins PD</b> was able to recover it for me. They are doing a background check on the
seller but the seller told them they had purchased it from someone else (the usual story).
Not sure if they've arrested the individual but they are trying to get more information
on the seller to potentially bring them in.
I don't think this bike was ever flagged, I first saw it on Craigslist on May 31st.
I simply stayed on top of it and it all worked out."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Evil Undead - recovered: 7/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93993/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Mason City Police recovered the bike after the subject fled on the bike for an unrelated crime.
Bike had been stripped of the quality parts and replaced with inferior parts, only the frame was original. The frame was
dented when the subject took an unfortunate tumble during the pursuit."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek 8.3 DS 19 - recovered: 7/XX/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93982/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Portland Police found my bike on a chronic bike thief downtown! So happy to have it back :)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 PUBLIC bikes V7 - recovered: 7/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94013/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found in a Seattle pawn shop ... (Ed note: Bike Index continues to work with a lot of pawn folks, as we know a lot of bikes are showing up in the pawn system.)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 1000 - recovered: 726/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/94003/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle Police received a call for "found property" - the bike had been tossed in a dumpster behind the local QFC.
The officer suspected that the thieves had tried to pawn it and were unable to, and so (naturally) decided to
toss it in the trash. The QFC employees thought it strange that a perfectly good road bike was in their dumpster,
so (thankfully) reported it to the police. Big thanks to those QFC employees and the West
Seattle precinct of the Seattle PD! "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Abici Podium - recovered: 7/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93994/037.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Did you ever recover this bike? I recently found a bike in a natural area in North Clackamas County.
When I ran the serial number this came up. If it is the same bike, it has been painted and all the
components have been changed. It has different wheels, seat, seat post, fork, pedals, etc...
It still appears to be in decent condition though. Let me know if you would like to come check it
out and see if it's yours"
From the owner: "Thank you so much! I spoke and met with (redacted) at the North Clackamas maintenance facility
and got my stolen bike (I showed him a copy of my bill of sale).
I also shared this on my FB page; everyone was thrilled at the news of my bike showing up!
So very glad Bike Index exists.
It's also amazing how the bike had much nicer components added by whoever used the bike. Go figure!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Trek 7200 - recovered: 7/30/2017</div>
</article>
<p>
... and that's it. July was a busy month, as you can tell.
</p>
<p>
Yes, that was a lot of bikes ... and yes, we're already very deep into August recoveries. Stay tuned.
</p>
2017-08-10T19:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bend-reduces-bike-theft-by-60-percent-with-help-from-pine-mountain-spoBend reduces bike theft by 60 percent with help from local shops, bait bikes, and Bike Index2017-08-10T19:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>Summertime in Bend, OR is synonymous with bike season. But with more bikes on the road, that means a corresponding rise in bike thefts.</p>
<p>After noting a drastic increase in bike theft over the years, the Bend Police Department realized they needed to address the problem head-on. By enlisting Bend’s bike shops, the local cycling community and Bike Index, BPD decreased Bend’s bike thefts by <strong>60 percent.</strong></p>
<p>In just one year.</strong></p>
<p>When the Bend PD started looking at the numbers, they found that bike thefts increased a startling 49 percent between 2014 and 2015, costing Bend’s victims an estimated $467,000.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93927/2015-Bike-Theft-Poster__1_.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
Poster courtesy of Dan Ritchie of Bend PD.</p>
<p>“Studying and understanding the problem thoroughly before coming up with a plan is the key to success as you know how and where to focus your efforts,” said Sergeant Dan Ritchie of the Bend Police Department. “This study was done through strong crime analysis and reviewing hundreds of police reports… It’s been fun and seeing the results made it all worthwhile.”</p>
<p><strong>A multi-pronged approach</strong></p>
<p>In response to their findings, the BPD tackled the bike theft issue on several fronts.</p>
<p>They formed a Central Oregon Bike Theft Task Force to coordinate with other Oregon cities and law enforcement, allowing members of multiple communities to watch out for the same bikes. The task force releases a “hot sheet” each week of bikes to look out for, to help retrieve stolen bikes being fenced in cities outside of their origin.</p>
<p>Within Bend itself, the BPD formed the Bend Bike Theft Committee, with members from local shops, commuting and advocacy groups, and Bike Index. This committee consolidated local efforts and promoted residents and shops to use Bike Index. This unique mix of private and public efforts, as well as the number of local groups who were interested in implementing Bike Index, helped keep the funding and costs for the program have been minimal.</p>
<p>Between January and June of 2015 and the same months of 2016, the time period of the 60 percent drop, the BPD worked not only to diminish bike theft, but also to make known to bike thieves that their activities were constantly under scrutiny.</p>
<p><strong>Enter a very visible bait bike program</strong></p>
<p>One of the BPD’s key partnerships was a bait bike program. The police department studied how the thefts were occurring and where they were most likely to occur. A local shop, <strong>Pine Mountain Sports</strong>, provided bikes for the BPD. Ritchie said after the first arrest, the results seemed to pour in.</p>
<p>“We’ve found our bikes with notes taped to them that read, ”Bait” and “Warning This is a Trap”. We went public with the use of the bait bike so that suspects were aware and would think twice when considering taking a bike and that seems to work,” said Ritchie. The program led to 21 arrests. They have made two more arrests in the past two days.</p>
<p>The BPD presented Pine Mountain Sports owner, Dan McGarigle, with an award last month for their collaboration with the Bike Theft Task force.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93826/20228277_10155508223489509_4673712903124315661_n.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
Photo courtesy of the City of Bend, OR Facebook.</p>
<p>“They know that cops are working with bike shops and they can’t just grab any bikes,” said McGarigle, of Bend’s bike thieves.</p>
<p><strong>Local partners are key</strong></p>
<p>In 2014, as the BPD was looking for ways to <a href="https://pinemountainsports.com/not-get-bike-stolen-bend/">diminish this bike theft</a>, so were shops such as Pine Mountain. Pine Mountain was the first in Bend to recover a bike via Bike Index when they saw it on Craigslist and knew something was off. Henry Abel, who handles the marketing for Pine Mountain, did a lot of work to bring Bike Index to Bend.</p>
<p>Abel said Pine Mountain and the BPD kind of each discovered Bike Index independently. When they realized that both city and commercial groups could use Bike Index the same way and collaborate against bike theft, it cemented the deal to implement Bike Index throughout Bend.</p>
<p><strong><font size="20">“As retailers, people will forget what we do and forget what we say, but they will remember how they feel. Pine Mountain cared? You can’t buy that.”</strong></font></strong></p>
<p>Another huge draw was Bike Index’s ability to leverage the Bike Index’s network of users outside of just Bend. Abel said utilizing Bike Index is a “group effort. Ever since I’ve been at the store we had always registered bikes via the Bend Police Department with every bike that we sold. We would even ask people to bring in their other bikes. Bike Index was starting to emerge as something that was a little bit broader, as bikes go out of the area if they disappear.”</p>
<p>McGarigle said Pine Mountain’s partnerships with the BPD and Bike Index not only retrieve bikes, but de-incentivizes theft throughout the region. “Bike thieves are going to leave town. Even if they do steal it, it’s going to be harder and more dangerous to sell it.”</p>
<p>McGarigle and Pine Mountain train their staff to go through a specific safety checklist with each of their customers, which includes obvious steps such as purchasing lights, but also entails registering each bike they sell with Bike Index. Teaching their customers about theft prevention promotes bike safety.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/93924/IMG_6172.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
Dan McGarigle registers a customer on Bike Index. Photo courtesy of Pine Mountain Sports.</p>
<p>“If you want to prove to your customers that you care about them more than your competition, it’s this,” said McGarigle. And competition aside, bike theft affects many businesses in town. Pine Mountain was key in hosting Bend’s first bike theft meet up and enlisting other shops nearby.</p>
<p>“If you truly care about the cycling community and you want to provide your customers with a better and more involved experience, then Bike Index is a great way to do it. It shows your customers that you care about your purchase. I don’t know of a customer who would say ‘no I don’t want that,’” said McGarigle.</p>
<p>Abel makes the point that registering your bike takes just a few seconds, but could end up saving you thousands of dollars if the bike gets stolen. Registering isn’t a surefire way to recover your bike, but it exponentially increases your chances. And with Bike Index, the more people that use it, the even higher chance that it’s recovered.</p>
<p>“As retailers, people will forget what we do and forget what we say, but they will remember how they feel. Pine Mountain cared? You can’t buy that,” said McGarigle.</p>
2017-07-17T19:44:44-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-june-recoveriesBike Index's June Recoveries2017-07-17T19:44:44-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Welcome to the June Bike Index recoveries – aka the ‘my inbox is on fire’ version.</p>
<p>This month’s scoreboard?</p>
<p>Offerup: 4<br />
Craigslist: 0<br />
Portland Police: 10<br />
Cargo bikes recovered: 3<br />
Stolen bikes recovered inside of stolen cars: 1<br />
Stolen bikes recovered inside of stolen vans: 1<br />
People who couldn’t figure out how to use a Presta valve: 1<br />
Number of “two bikes recovered for the same victim within a few hours” recoveries: 1<br /></p>
<p>In this month’s edition, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>A bike stolen in <b>2010</b> is found for sale ... online, natch.</li>
<li>The Bike Index helps return a stolen 'wedding present bike' (yaaaaay!)</li>
<li>A nice Salsa recovery - no serial on file - from a 'semi-abandoned car full of chopped up bikes'</li>
<li>The <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> crew recovers a bike thanks to a local Portland spotter ... and then immediately spots and recovers another stolen bike parked in front of their office</li>
<li>Last month we helped a dual-tandem robbery victim get his bike back. This month, he found the 2nd one - for sale online - "Apparently they could not figure out how to pump up a Presta Valve" ...</li>
<li>A bike is stolen on election day, is recovered days later because '... ironically a rioting protester was arrested' with it.</li>
<li>"<i>Being reunited (with my stolen bike) was such bliss, but the cops' stolen goods recovery warehouse was a little spooky</i>"</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we begin - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? Did you know we could really use your help?</p>
<p>It’s true, and we would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> Please help us keep these awesome bike recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>These servers don’t pay for themselves, folks - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">and $5 goes a hell of a long way</a> here at the Bike Index. So please - kick some support our way if you can.</p>
<p>And away we go …</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91078/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen all the way back in 2010, this distinctive looking <a target="_toast" href="https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=3030126">Guru Carbonio</a> was found for sale on <b>Offerup</b>:
<i>
"Given I don't have serial number and I don't have proof that this guy is the original thief (since this is from 2010) ...
I drove today to Portland and got/bought my bike back. Just wanted to say how grateful I'm that you found it and reaching out to me.
It needs TLC but it is indeed my bike :)"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Guru Carbonio - recovered: 6/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91097/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The police tracked this bike down to a local pawn shop ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Dolce Sport - recovered: 6/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91084/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Call (redacted, name of shop in Seattle) looks like we purchased your bicycle ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Panasonic team - recovered: 6/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91076/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This Giant Talon was found by the <b>Portland Police</b>, and the owner was contacted via the Bike Index ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Talon 27.5 1 - recovered: 6/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91096/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"First saw the bike listed on <b>OfferUp</b> over Memorial Day weekend. Tried to connect with seller but bike sold
to the guy that returned it to me. One week later, the guy who ended up returning it to me listed it on <b>OfferUp</b> to cover his medical
expenses for his broken collar bone. I was notified by several members of Bike Index and someone in a lost/stolen bicycle facebook group who
knew the seller. He connected us, the seller checked craigslist and pinkbike to see if the bike was stolen before he bought it (my
craigslist stolen post expired a few days prior). Seller and I met up and he returned the bike to me."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Talon 27.5 1 - recovered: 6/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91091/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police recovered it and found me on Bike Index, via the serial number ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Allez A1 Elite - recovered: 6/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91111/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone took it to a bike shop for service - and the bike shop looked up the serial number and called the police ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 All City Mr. Pink - recovered: 6/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91098/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Clackamas County deputy found this stolen Specialized Daily Sport at a pawn shop..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Daily Sport - recovered: 6/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91093/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike Index had a rare double-recovery on this one:
"Thanks to a vigilant community member and Bike Index <b>both</b> of our bikes made it back home within hours!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Bianchi Vigorelli - recovered: 6/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91094/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Same as above - "Thanks to a vigilant community member and Bike Index <b>both</b> of our bikes made it back home within hours!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Prologue- recovered: 6/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91081/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found this stolen bike thrown on some bushes in College Park this past Sunday morning. It's well-used but still in decent shape ..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 GT Bicycles Passage - recovered: 6/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91082/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Thanks to Bike Index, the police must have matched the serial number ... The police just dropped the bike off. We're stoked!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Diamondback Edgewood - recovered: 6/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91079/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The <b>Portland Police</b> Bureau's Property and Evidence Division has recovered your bike..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona Paddy Wagon - recovered: 6/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91086/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Got an email from Bike Index that a bike like mine appeared on <b>OfferUp.com</b>. Went to go check out the bike and told the person it was mine - and stolen ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona Dew Plus - recovered: 6/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91087/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, we have your bike, it was found out front of our shop..." (Ed note: this one was stolen/found in Canada)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Norco Bikes Storm- recovered: 6/6/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91105/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, I have recovered your bike.... I live nearby ... the bike is in good shape."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Work 3 - recovered: 6/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91109/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike Index note: this bike was a wedding present to the victim, so we're extra happy this one came home - <i>"I got an email from Bryan with Bike Index about a lead and within a couple hours he passed on an email from an Officer with <b>Portland's Bike Theft Task Force</b>. They provided the contact information of the person with my bike and I set up a meet time and retrieved my bike, unfortunately with a few missing parts :( My bike was stolen 3 weeks ago and I thought I would never see it again. Bryan was really great and super helpful and I got my 'wedding' bike back!!! Thank you so much again, I don't think I would have gotten it back without you guys and the amazing work you do!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Novara Divino - recovered: 6/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91092/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike Index notes: Another <b>Portland Police Bureau</b> recovery ... this one, like many, was made with no serial on file.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Republic Single Speed Men - recovered: 6/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91114/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello - I have purchased your bike and did not know it was stolen. I would like to return it to you. I knew better but purchased it without checking first. I want nothing but to return it to its owner."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Jamis Allegro Comp Femme - recovered: 6/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91101/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Was brought back by someone who said they bought it ... and then looked it up on Bike Index and wanted to return it ..." (Ed note: for those of you keeping score that's <b>two</b> cargobikes this month so far ... )</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly Big Dummy - recovered: 6/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91095/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello - <b>Portland Police Bureau</b> recovered and returned my stolen bike ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc 29 - recovered: 6/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91104/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A decent person spotted someone who wanted to return to owner helped him do so. Glad to know good folks are out there!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Giant Bowery - recovered: 6/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91083/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, I bought your bike online. I've called Salt Lake Police and waiting for an officer to call me back ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek Gary Fisher Marlin 29ER - recovered: 6/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91102/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A good Samaritan returned bike. It was found abandoned and in rough shape with different handle bars. Will be insuring the bike for the future as the handle bars were expensive and hard to replace ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Norco Bikes Shinobi 3 - recovered: 6/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91080/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Bike was found via Bryan at Bike Index who notified me a that a (Bike Index) friend found it on a local auction site ..."
(Bike Index notes: there's an amazing person here in PDX who goes through and matches all the unclaimed bikes being
sold on </b>GovDeals.com</b> with Bike Index reports. That person found this bike, and is awesome. Keep being awesome, D!)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Yuba Boda boda - recovered: 6/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91085/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"<b>Portland Police Bureau</b> brought my bike to me last week. Recovered and delivered to me at home. Meth head was riding it under Burnside Bridge ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Bianchi Eros - recovered: 6/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91088/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I have your bike. My name is (redacted) I got it in a RV that I purchased at the Lincoln towing auction. When I looked it up online and saw your stolen bike add I figured it was the same ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Kreidler Versailles - recovered: 6/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91100/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone on social media alerted me that the saw the bike and I was able to recover it ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Dengfu FM-098 - recovered: 6/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91112/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" My bike was stolen the day after the election - insult to injury for sure. Ironically a rioting protester was arrested, and thankfully I knew how important that serial number is. This is a vintage Schwinn Chicago frame - it fits me like no other and has been my special lady for over 7 years. Being reunited was such bliss, but the cops' stolen goods recovery warehouse was a little
spooky!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Letour - recovered: 6/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91110/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" With a lot of support from the <b>SeattleCyclist</b> Classifieds group on Facebook ... (names redacted) retrieved the bike from a tent encampment on 4th & Spokane and delivered it to my door."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 All City Big Block - recovered: 6/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91089/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Located bike. Recovered to Seattle PD Evidence Unit. Reported under incident number (redacted) ... -- later, via owner: Thank you for letting me know this, I'm surprised that it actually showed up and not in pieces"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Kona Dew Plus - recovered: 6/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91103/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone saw the bike a few blocks away in
a random driveway...ulock still on it... and returned it using this
posting. THANKS SO MUCH to Bike Index!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1977 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist- recovered: 6/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91090/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone found it in their backyard bushes, only a few blocks away! Thanks Bike Index and my neighbor who bothered to look it up! It's been my year-round commuter vehicle for 7 years, I am glad to have it home after only 1 week missing."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 KHS Bicycles Flite 220 - recovered: 6/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91115/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Reunited and it feels so good! Long story, but we noticed a semi-abandoned car with some chopped up bikes and a really nice @salsacycles Fargo. Turns out it was registered stolen with @bikeindex and we were able to notify the owner and get his bike back to him!
#Reunited #WRITEDOWNYOURSERIAL# (Later, from the owner) Bike Index is a wonderful service! I am so thankful for the good samaritan that saw my bike, looked it up, and sent me a text!!" (Bike Index: better yet, this bike was recovered by the always awesome <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BViQs_5lFxc/?taken-by=cycleoregon&hl=en">@cycleoregon</a>)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Salsa Fargo recovered: 6/20/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another twitter recovery saga -- "One of our guys was outside our building on the phone and noticed a very intoxicated, likely transient white male walking 2 bikes. He followed, convinced the person to sit down in the shade, and then grabbed this bike and brought it back to our office at NE 23rd and Oregon. So, it’s here safe and sound ... But no need to worry, the owner just walked into the office! Our offices are actually in the same building, and they were playing basketball a little earlier by our building and it got stolen. Then they saw our tweet and walked down the hall, so all good. Twitter FTW!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Jamis Sputnik - recovered: 6/21/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A slam-dunk example of how to get a bike back - a rider spots it, tweets (<b>Portland Police Bike Theft</b> officers) at <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> about it, who then pulled it back - and it's back in the owners hands shortly thereafter. Via @ppbbiketheft "Kudos to Alex!!! PERFECT example of community involvement in our fight against #biketheft"
(<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/Fallenstedt/status/878263391684485120">Here's the original tweet</a> - props to <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/Fallenstedt">@Fallenstedt</a>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Jamis Sputnik - recovered: 6/23/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Pretty much immediately after they made the bike recovery shown above ... the @ppbbiketheft guys walked out of their offices and ran smack into this one, too. They ID'd it in the Bike Index and got it back to the owner, <a href="http://www.hauglandbikes.com/">Haugland Bikes</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Free Spirit Brittany - recovered: 6/23/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"A man purchased the bike from a property in
his neighborhood located at (removed) in January. At the
time he was not aware that the $150 he paid for it was far under the
$2400 value. He became aware of how expensive these bikes are and was
suspicious. He took it to a local bike shop and asked them to help him
determine if it was stolen. They looked on Bike Index and found my
stolen bike report ..." (Ed note: that's <b>three</b> cargo bikes so far ... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Surly Big Dummy cargo bike - recovered: 6/25/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone messaged me via the Bike Index and pointed me in the right direction! Thanks y'all!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Retrospec Mantra Fixed gear - recovered: 6/26/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91071/040.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Brought in to our neighborhood LBS, who checked Bike Index and repossessed the bike!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Salsa Vaya - recovered: 6/26/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Via a video posted on NextDoor. I contacted the poster, went to the location (a tent city under hwy 101 in San Francisco) and saw my bike. I call SFPD, they came and I have my bike back."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Abici Gran Turismo - recovered: 6/27/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I am the Warehouse Manager for (redacted) in NW Portland. We had one of our delivery vans stolen
over the weekend. We recovered the van yesterday, and I believe your bike was in it. I have it here.
Description and style match, as does the serial ... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Specialized Dolce Sport Compact - recovered: 6/27/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
We already helped this owner get a stolen bike back months ago, and then he followed up when
he found the 2nd one for sale online:
"This story gets even crazier. On Father's Day I found the Vanguard on <b>Offerup</b> for sale. It was
stripped, the basic bike, rear rack, and wasted tires. Apparently they could not figure out how to pump up a Presta Valve. His 2 pictures on his post showed about which city he lived in, a pool and apt. complex behind the bike, good enough to even tell which apt. he lived in and where. My theft was City of Portland, but all they could off was to call Burglary Detectives on Monday. Sunday I drove out ... and flagged down one of their policemen .. and I showed him serial and supporting proof of my ownership. Within 30 minutes he checked it out and called me there to load up my Ryan."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Specialized Dolce Sport Compact - recovered: 6/28/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/91077/044.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Portland Police matched the serial from Bike Index and gave me a call. Bike is completely intact (down to the functioning speedometer). Really stoked!
"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh RXS - recovered: 6/29/2017</div>
</article>
<p><br /></p>
<p>
Lastly, speaking of bike theft ... Bike Index got to help out <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/kim.minhyeong.9/posts/1247934188650080?pnref=story">Minhyeong Kim</a> after his bike and ALL of his gear got stolen in Portland <a target="_new" href="http://www.kptv.com/story/35830243/portland-community-comes-out-to-help-south-korean-traveler-after-bike-was-stolen"><b>only 35 days into an epic 2-year journey from Canada to Argentina</b></a>. We were so, so, so bummed to see this happen that we <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10212190157041527&id=1004800307&pnref=story">had to help out</a>.
</p>
<p>
For more on this, see
<li><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/07/portland_bike_thieves_steal_so.html">Portland bike thief derails South Korean cyclist's intercontinental ride</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.kgw.com/news/local/south-korean-traveler-has-bike-stolen-stalls-trip-in-portland/454124821">Bike stolen from South Korean traveler in Portland</a></li>
<li><a target="_new" href="http://katu.com/news/local/fundraiser-held-for-south-korean-man-whose-bike-was-stolen-in-portland">Fundraiser held for South Korean man whose bike was stolen in Portland</a></li>
<li><a target="_new" href="https://bikeportland.org/2017/07/10/i-no-longer-feel-alone-theft-victim-on-bike-tour-showered-with-support-234303">“I no longer feel alone”: Theft victim on bike tour showered with support</a></li>
</p>
<p>
Portland really made me proud on this one - the amount of support and goodwill that came out of Min's theft was amazing, and everybody here at Bike Index is excited to watch his journey unfold on Facebook over the next couple years. <b>Say hi to Argentina for us, Min</b>!
</p>
<p>Keep those bikes safe, and we'll be back in July, which promises to be equally busy.</p>
<p>-<a href="mailto:bryan@bikeindex.org">bryan@bikeindex.org</a></p>
2017-06-28T13:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/uw-recruits-bike-index-to-protect-campus-from-bike-theftUWPD recruits Bike Index to protect campus from bike theft2017-06-28T13:00:00-05:00Lily Williams<p>The University of Washington and the Bike Index have joined forces to register and protect bikes for UW’s thousands of campus users.</p>
<p>Bike Index, the most widely used bike registration and recovery network in the U.S., allows cyclists to register bikes for free, along with photos and other identifying details. If a bike is stolen, the bike’s information is made available to Bike Index’s 370+ partners in law enforcement, cycling organizations, pawn shops and retail bike shops across the U.S. who use Bike Index to ID and recover stolen bikes every day.</p>
<p>“For us, the big sell was ease of use. Officers can get access to bike data for searches,” said Sue Carr, Strategic Initiatives and External Relations Manager for the UW Police Department. “In the Pacific Northwest [Bike Index has] a big and dedicated follower group. That’s an opportunity to leverage not only the registration aspect, but also to spread the word when a bike is stolen.”</p>
<p>“We’re elated to help UW protect bikes,” says Bryan Hance, Bike Index cofounder. “Bikes and are a huge part of the UW experience, and we know most bikes stolen from any campus eventually ‘trickle out’ into the surrounding community. Having a recovery network that reaches past campus borders is key – and that is where Bike Index excels.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/89466/Screen_Shot_2017-06-28_at_12.55.36_PM.png" alt="Screen grab of the UWPD Bike Index landing page" /></p>
<p>At UW, bikes are often stolen by someone outside the UW community and then sold, says Kendra Borzio, a crime analyst at the UW Police Department. Most bikes are stolen from outside bike racks during daylight hours, in public areas.</p>
<p>“On almost every campus, bike theft is often the most reported crime. It’s almost a rite of passage,” said Hance. “UWPD has really stepped up their efforts to fight bike theft on the UW campus, and we’re excited to help provide modern and effective tools for bike registration and identification.”</p>
<p>Bike Index’s UWPD registration site gives the UW community a quick, easy-to-use portal for registering bikes via any mobile device or browser. In the event of a theft, owners can use this same site to quickly alert UWPD about the bike theft and the bike’s identifying details, such as appearance and serial number.</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/uw">The UWPD Bike Index page</a> is now live and ready to accept student and faculty registrations. UWPD encourages all UW riders to register their bike and upload a photo of the bike. The process takes less than a minute.</p>
<p>About the Bike Index:</p>
<p>Bike Index is the nation’s largest and most successful bike registration and recovery network. With over 115,000 catalogued bikes, free, web-based tools designed to offer efficient registration, recovery, and anti-theft services, Bike Index has proven more effective than any service of its kind, aiding in over 3,600 confirmed bike recoveries to date.</p>
<p>Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information on Bike Index and how to donate, please visit our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/about">About Page</a> or <a href="https://bikeindex.org/help">Contact Us</a>.</p>
<p>About UW:</p>
<p>The University of Washington is located in Seattle, WA.</p>
<p>One in four UW students has a bicycle, and about 20,000 trips are made to campus on bike each week, according to <a href="https://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/files/reports/transportation-survey-report-2016.pdf">UW’s 2016 Transportation Survey</a>, published in February of this year. It is estimated that many more ride, just less frequently.</p>
2017-06-07T21:18:32-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-may-2017-recoveriesBike Index's May 2017 recoveries! 2017-06-07T21:18:32-05:00Bryan Hance<p>It’s hot. It’s sunny. It’s …. bike theft season :(</p>
<p>But it’s also bike <b>recovery</b> season, and here are all our <b>May 2017</b> recovery stories!</p>
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>A Seattle victim chronicles her recovery online in 'Ashley Got Her Bike Back!'</li>
<li>Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept. wins this month's round with <b>five</b> recoveries</li>
<li>A very Portland recovery - a BTA/Street Trust member recovers a PBOT employee's stolen Waterford</li>
<li>We break from tradition and add in some bikes that 'got away' and weren't recovered - read on, and you'll see why</i>
</ul>
Before we begin - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? Did you know we could really use your help?
It's true, and we would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> Please help us keep these awesome bike recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> -- we would appreciate it hugely if you did.
All these servers don't pay for themselves, folks - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">and $5 goes a hell of a long way</a> here at the Bike Index. So please - kick some support our way if you can.
And away we go ...
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
" Hey Good News, I got this bike from a friend who had bought it on <b>Craigslist</b>! I ran the serial and discovered it was stolen.
I just turned it into the Police at the North Precinct, its under your case number... "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Novara Strada 5 - recovered: 5/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86998/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Clackamas County Sheriffs office found this at a pawn shop in Clackamas county. Thanks guys!! I love when a stolen bike gets reunited with its owner!"
(Ed: so do we! This is the first of many, many Clackamas County Sheriffs Office recoveries in this edition. So we're going to count them ... )
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Norco Bikes Tactic - recovered: 5/1/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another Clackamas County Sherrff's office find: 'I have your now recovered Trek 1000 in the backseat of my patrol car and would like to return it to you.' (Ed: That's <b>two</b> ...)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 1000 - recovered: 5/2/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86999/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This is possibly the most Portland recovery ever: We had a hand in recovering the stolen Waterford that Margi Bradway - <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/">Portland Bureau Of Transportation's</a> Active Transportation and Safety Division Manager - has owned for over 18 years. Not only that, but the spotter and all around awesome guy who got it back is a volunteer with <a target="_new" href="https://www.thestreettrust.org/">The Street Trust</a> (formerly <a href="https://bikeportland.org/2016/08/10/bta-members-support-changing-orga-name-to-the-street-trust-189172">BTA</a>) as well. Here's the scoop: "Good day, and good news... Looks like Bike Index has come through for you. A colleague owns a 90's Waterford, so seeing yours being casually ridden in Old Town yesterday was out of the ordinary. I was on my way to the <a target="_new" href="https://www.thestreettrust.org/">Street Trust (BTA)</a>; I'm a member and volunteer. Long story short, the 'story' of the person who had your bike changed considerably from where it began when I first approached and 'asked nicely' about the Waterford..."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Waterford RS-22 - recovered: 5/2/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86978/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Clackamas County Sherrif's office score! Yes, they're that good at this ... (Ed: that's <b>three</b> bikes now ...)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Daily Sport - recovered: 5/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86994/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Spotted by a friendly messenger who saw my posting here on Bike Index" ...</i> (Yes, it's the same messenger you may have heard of before ... he's still at it.)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Soma Pick Up Artist - recovered: 5/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86968/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Whoever took my bike found out who the owner was here and decided to give it back. Which is really awesome and I'm super stoked about getting it back. Thanks for all your help guys! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Sunday Model D- recovered: 5/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86988/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i><a href="https://www.secondlifebikes.org/" target="_new">"Second Life Bikes</a> in Asbury Park notified us that the thief had come in and they recognized they bike.
They called the authorities. We had notified them to keep an eye out. Eternally grateful!!!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Roll Elite - recovered: 5/6/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86975/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Portland Police Bureau found it and dropped it off! " (Ed: Funny story - this bike's owner knows a good friend of mine from my 'day job' world - and also they tangentially work with Bike Index co-founder Seth Herr. Small world, I tell 'ya.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Scattante Americano - recovered: 5/6/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86990/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Police appreciated the mis-match of guy trying to ride a bike with di2 system that he couldn't shift due to ripping off all the electronics, including the electronic hub that is needed to shift....."</i> (Sadly this owner is still looking for another one of his stolen bikes - a <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/118118">2014 SAGE</a> stolen out of back of locked van along with this Moots...)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Moots Cycles VaMoots - recovered: 5/7/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86967/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A kind soul found it on <b>Craigslist</b> and went out of his way to return it to me when he saw my stolen bike report. I'm so appreciative!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Fuji - recovered: 5/8/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86986/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A kind-hearted <b>Ebay</b> user found the bike for sale online, did their homework and suspected it was a match with my listing on Bike Index, though couldn't confirm the serial number. They alerted me and provided the listing # so I could follow up with the seller. The bike was being sold with a $200 shipping fee out of Baltimore, MD. I messaged the seller and arranged a meeting to see the bike, and brought proof of ownership (receipt from original purchase) and the Bike Index stolen bike listing. The serial number was a match! They told me they had purchased the bike on <b>Craigslist</b> 2 years prior (shortly after it was stolen), for $200, and they were sad but understanding that their purchase of the stolen bike was not a legal transfer of ownership ... they gave it back to me and we exchanged info, in the event they're able to track down the person who sold it to them, who we suspect is or is connected to the thief. Aside from a few scratches and a tear in the seat, the bike is still in great condition. After 2 years apart, it feels so good to be reunited!!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Marlin 5 - recovered: 5/8/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86982/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone thought the bike looked out of place given the surroundings ... and checked Bike Index."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Spot Wazee - recovered: 5/9/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/87001/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The bike was found on <b>Craigslist</b>. A friend on Facebook noticed the CL ad and mentioned it to me. I had filed a police report immediately. I contacted the police again. Local police contacted the seller. Police recovered bike and brought it back home. One bike to go. Lock your doors! Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Trek Boone 5 Disc - recovered: 5/10/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86970/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A stranger named (redacted) saw my bike on the street and thought it looked stolen. She haggled with the guy who had it and bought it from him for not much money. She looked up the bike on Bike Index and found me!!! I'm thrilled. It's been chopped apart a bit but nothing I can't fix."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Nishiki - recovered: 5/10/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another bike recovered by Portland Police! Speaking of which -- the PPB registered over <b>450 bikes</b> during
the weekend of <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/866376453390127104" target="_new">Portland's first Sunday Parkways</a>! That's pretty amazing, and we're looking forward to the next <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/46103">Sunday Parkways</a> here at Bike Index.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Fuji Roubaix Sl - recovered: 5/12/2017</div>
</article>
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<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<b>Here's one that got away</b> - Thieves broke into this locked bike room in a Portland apartment and the whole thing was caught on camera.
This bike is still missing, but cops nabbed one of the thieves:
"<i>The two of the three individuals, the two that had visible faces from the camera footage are well known to the police. An officer I gave the still-shots to, passed them around and another officer was well acquainted with them (knew them both by name).
I was told by the detective these guys live in an RV together that frequently sits around (redacted) Park about five or six blocks from the apartment building they stole the bikes from. The one that was arrested admitted to being the guy on the camera footage, admitted to taking property, but will not give up the third individual's name. To my knowledge the guy is sitting in jail awaiting trial today... I would appreciate people keeping an eye out for it (the bike), I have been checking every day since they took it...</i>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
<b>NOT RECOVERED</b> - 2012 Surly Pugsley - still on the loose</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86985/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found it for sale on <b>LetGo</b> - purchased my bike from them, and now they are charged with a felony charge of trafficking stolen
property. And the original theft charge."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Specialized Rockhopper - recovered: 5/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86987/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The Police found someone with it in the U-District, brought it back to my door! <b>Huge shout out to UWPD!</b>" (Ed note: UWPD is a Bike Index
partner and user, and we run their <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/uw">campus bike registration system</a>.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1981 Trek 1000 - recovered: 5/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86981/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Bike was flagged at a pawn shop..." (Ed: We continue to appreciate how many pawn shops are now using the Bike Index to check
on bikes that come through the door.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Momentum Street Reg - recovered: 5/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86992/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A security guy in China Town recovered it from a homeless man who knew it was stolen. Luckily the only thing that was changed were the pedals. Thanks a bunch! I thought I would never see my bike again!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Fuji Roubaix Sl - recovered: 5/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86989/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello ... I am a bicycle shop owner in West New York, NJ. So a man ... offered this Orbea Bicycle. We buy second hand bicycles as well as selling new ones. So I was looking for a price range of this bicycle and realized this picture of your bike. I compared it and realized this bicycle must be YOURS. So I am contacting you to come to our shop because I compared it and saw that it looked way too similar to it. It doesn't have the basket or the baby rack but its still looks just fine!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Orbea Plaza Eureka - recovered: 5/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86969/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"This bike came into <a target="_new" href="http://www.rickcycleshop.com/">Rick Cycle Shop</a> on 5/18/17 - we have the gentleman's info. Please come into the shop. He is interested in returning the bike to you. He says he purchased it from someone else ... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Trail 4 29er Hardtail XXL - recovered: 5/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86977/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Recovered by the Eugene Police Department in a <b>record 5 hours</b>!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 EG Bikes Oahu 500 ex - recovered: 5/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/87000/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Ed note: this is another one that got away but, man, it's an interesting story: <i>"Didn't stop looking for it, checked several sites like Craigslist and ebay... I finally traced it back to <b>Mexico City</b> where it was being sold thru and e-marketplace like ebay called "<b>MercadoLibre</b>". In my case distance traveled was ˜1800 km (1125 mi), my bike was stolen in a border town with El Paso TX; Juarez, you might have heard of it before. They didn’t remove anything, the Look pedals, Zipp seat post, Zipp bar, cadence sensor, Garmin tail light, mount, I mean, everything. And while its possible for anyone to buy the same bike, it is highly unlikely that someone would choose the very same things I did. If they would’ve installed other brands or unbranded parts and removed the stuff that usually doesn’t come with a bike, like the pedals, or lights … but that is how they took it from a house they broke into."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
<b>Not recovered, still on the loose</b> - 2017 Cannondale Slate</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86983/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Yet another Clackamas County Sheriff's recovery: "I have recovered your bike frame. Unfortunately it is only the frame with a bent rear derailleur hanger and possibly the front forks. The forks with it say “KONA” on them. It was found in a house that had been foreclosed on in the Milwaukie area. Sorry about the bad news."</i> (Ed: <b>that's four</b> ...)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona Jake the Snake - recovered: 5/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86984/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Fast and easy recoveries are the best: "A neighbor found (this stolen) bike in a local park!" <br /></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 SCOTT Spark 930 - recovered: 5/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86979/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This stolen Jamis was recovered by - you guessed it - the Clackamas County Sheriffs Dept. And yes, that makes <b>five</b> recoveries so far.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Jamis Commuter 3 - recovered: 5/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86993/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello I have recovered your bike - I live nearby (redacted) The bike is in good shape ... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Work 3 - recovered: 5/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86972/031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello I have your bike, please call" (no other details provided)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek Allant - recovered: 5/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86974/032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Somebody tried to sell my bike in pawn/loan store, before buying it a man from the store checked Bike Index and found it stolen. Thief instantly disappeared and he left the bike. Thank you, Bike Index! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc - recovered: 5/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86996/033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A wonderful couple happened to notice my post on <b>Craigslist</b> (and then on Bike Index as well) and managed to buy it back! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bridgestone MB-2 - recovered: 5/25/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/87003/034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Portland police found it during a cleanup of a <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/867841119064702976">camp</a> and looked up the serial number using Bike Index! I was so happy I cried when they called to tell me it had been found. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
- recovered: 5/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86976/035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone bought my bike at the Fairville fleamarket in Oakland for $200 from a guy and later discovered that that price did not represent the value of the bike. So he put it on this website (Bike Index) and I contacted him!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Cube Agree - recovered: 5/28/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86995/036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Had serial #, posted as stolen on Bike Index ... setup Craigslist keyword alert, filed police report. A week later after two attempts we arranged with undercover police and bike was returned after serial # confirmed. Fice bikes recovered and seller in Rainer valley is in jail."</i> (Ed: The owners here turned their very, very long story into a post called: "<a target="_new" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/HsCU1S9k6gdRh/
">Ashley Got Her Bike Back</a>" and you should read it - it's a good read!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Orbea Onix Dama - recovered: 5/28/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/87002/037.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Your bike was recovered by the King County Sheriffs Office today..." (Ed: y'all should follow the Bees on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/KCSOBees/">@kcsobees</a> if you aren't doing so already)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
- recovered: 5/28/2017</div>
</article>
<p>
</p>
Before we go, let me reiterate how much it would help if you could help us <b>spread the word about Bike Index</b>.
Are your local police looking for a way to register and protect bikes? <a href="https://bikeindex.org/contact" target="_new">Drop us a line!</a>
Does your local bike shop not know about Bike Index yet? <b>Please tell them!</b>
Are you having a public event where you'd like to register bikes? <a href="https://bikeindex.org/contact" target="_new">Drop us a line!</a>
Thanks for reading - and we'll see you on the road.
</li></ul>
2017-06-06T11:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/verifir---bike-tracking-tech-weve-been-waiting-forVerifiR - the embeddable bike tracking tech that we've been waiting for2017-06-06T11:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Many years ago - back in my <b>stolenbicycleregistry.com</b> days - I wrote an article about the possibility of using RFID to track bikes.</p>
<p>If you’re not familiar with the term, RFID is short for “<a target="_new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification">radio frequency identification</a>”. The most well-known RFID example is likley the chips you can have implanted in your pets at the veterinarian. If one of these ‘chipped’ pets ever runs away, a vet or shelter worker can just wave a special reader to scan them and - voila - an owner can be found.</p>
<p>It’s pretty neat tech - and it brings a lot of lost pets home. Naturally, lots of people over the years have asked me about using this for finding bikes.</p>
<p>That original article is long gone, but the gist was this: RFID is great tech for tracking things! We should use RFID’s to track bikes! Sadly, though, there are tons of hurdles to deal with before this will be possible - signal problems, a lack of cheap ‘readers’, and no good way to hide them and ensure they won’t be removed.</p>
<p>As with all things tech-related, that equation eventually changed as the tech got better.</p>
<p>Since that article was written, our phones basically became ‘the reader’ - thanks to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication">NFC</a> technology - and a lot of NFC-capable phones are finally on the market. Also - much to our delight - <a href="http://verifir.com">VerifiR</a> showed up with a promising spin on RFID tracking technology <b>designed specifically for bikes</b>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86197/001_v.JPG" alt="VerifiR chip" /></p>
<p>VerifiR’s chip technology comes from the pharmaceutical and anti-counterfeiting industry, where item tracking takes on a much more serious role. Their real breakthrough, though, is that <b>VerifiR chips can be molded inside of a carbon frame</b>, or <b>concealed under a painted finish</b>.</p>
<p>Think about that for a moment, because it’s a game-changer: Once embedded in a frame or paint, VerifiR’s chips are <b>nearly impossible to remove or deface</b> – not to mention they make it much easier and faster to scan than <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/serials">traditional</a> serial numbers.</p>
<p>The more I read about their technology, the more I was convinced that VerifiR basically nailed everything I’ve been looking for, so I reached out to VerifiR’s inventor <b>Jurgen Schmerler</b> to learn more. Without saying too much more here, I’m very excited to see VerifiR’s embeddable chips come to market - and the trick now is getting those chips inside bikes on a massive scale.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/86199/002_v.JPG" alt="Chip scan" /></p>
<p>Fortunately that is what Jurgen and VerifiR are busy doing now - and even better, the <b>Bike Index is going to help out</b>.</p>
<p><b>We are very excited to announce that the Bike Index is partnering with VerifiR to support each other’s efforts re: bicycle registration and protection! </b></p>
<p>Bike Index will be adding all the VerifiR-protected bikes into our database when an owner of a participating brand registers via VerifiR’s app.</p>
<p>Furthermore, any VerifiR-embedded bikes that are stolen will automatically cross-list into the Bike Index’s stolen listings, making that bike’s information immediately available to our thousands of national partners who ID and recover stolen bikes every single day.</p>
<p>We here at the Bike Index think VerifiR’s scannable tech represents an enormous, badly needed advancement in the way bikes are tracked and ID’d - and we’re ready to help them spread the word. Like I said - we’ve been waiting for something like this for quite a while.</p>
<p>You can read the official press release <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-and-verifir-partnering-to-protect-bikes-with-state-of--the">here</a>, and you can expect a lot more to come in our blog re: this great technology and its capabilities for fighting bike theft in the future.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
2017-06-06T10:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-and-verifir-partnering-to-protect-bikes-with-state-of--theBike Index and VerifiR partnering to protect bikes with state-of- the art technology2017-06-06T10:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p><b>Bike Index</b> and <b>VerifiR®</b> have announced a partnership to share their advanced technologies in the fight against bike theft.</p>
<p><b>VerifiR’s</b> groundbreaking security tags let anyone with a smart phone quickly ‘scan’ a bike to check origin and verify ownership. Once molded into a bike’s frame or concealed under paint during manufacture, VerifiR’s technology is nearly impossible to remove or deface and much easier to scan than a traditional bicycle serial number.</p>
<p><b>Bike Index</b> - the world’s largest and most successful bike registration and recovery system - will add VerifiR-protected bikes into its database of over 116,000 bicycles when the purchaser of a participating brand registers the bike through a scan. Stolen bikes embedded with VerifiR tags will also cross-list into the Bike Index upon theft, making the bike’s information immediately available to the thousands of partners who identify and recover stolen bikes every day.</p>
<p>“Bike Index is the best resource for protecting bikes and for checking a bike’s provenance,” said Bike Index cofounder Bryan Hance. “We’re the go-to service for checking a bike’s serial number, and we are elated to support VerifiR in the market because this kind of embedded technology is something our users have been asking us about for years.”</p>
<p>“VerifiR lets anyone with a phone verify a bike’s ownership in just a few seconds, and we’re happy to know Bike Index is going to be powering those search results,” said Hance.</p>
<p>“Some of the leading bicycle brands are already adding VerifiR modules to their frames or are working on adding them to new models,” said VerifiR CEO Jurgen Schmerler. “We are excited to get the VerifiR technology into bike frames across the US and worldwide and to protect bicyclists by joining forces with Bike Index.”</p>
<p>“VerifiR has the unique capability to unambiguously prove the authenticity and ownership of a product to the consumer,” said Schmerler. “Bicycles are protected through our integrated chipsets. These can’t be removed without destroying the bike. And VerifiR ensures that only the authentic owner of the bike has access to the bike’s data.”</p>
<p><b>About Bike Index:</b>
Bike Index is the nation’s largest and most successful bike registration and recovery network. With over 116,000 catalogued bikes and over 370 partners in law enforcement, bike organizations, pawn shops and retail bike shops, the Bike Index database powers daily bike recoveries across the nation.</p>
<p>With free, web-based tools designed to offer efficient registration, recovery, and anti-theft services, Bike Index has proven more effective than any service of its kind, aiding over 3,600 confirmed recoveries to date</p>
<p>Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information on Bike Index and how to donate, please visit our <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/about">About Page</a> or email contact@bikeindex.org</p>
<p><b>About VerifiR:</b>
VerifiR offers the first secure, user-friendly solution to global brands’ concerns about authenticity and ownership. From sports equipment to luxury items, VerifiR gives customers innovative tools to authenticate and protect their brand purchases with a touch of their cell phones. All data is processed on highly secure cloud data servers and VerifiR users don’t even need to install an app.</p>
<p>VerifiR’s modern tracking technology and cloud-based analytics offer brand customers easy warranty registration, product support, theft prevention, and upgrades. VerifiR’s technology works in the biking, golf, sports apparel, and other industries scaling to millions of products.</p>
<p>For more information, contact VerifiR, Inc. at <a href="http://verifir.com/about/contact">VerifiR.com</a>.</p>
2017-05-04T21:54:59-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-april-2017-recoveriesBike Index's April 2017 recoveries!2017-05-04T21:54:59-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello all! We’re back with our <b>April 2017</b> stolen-bike recovery round-up!</p>
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>A Portland thief has an apparent change of heart - and walks a stolen bike <b>into a police station</b> (after his photo is posted on Twitter)</li>
<li>A Seattle recovery ends up with the finder tackling & detaining the thief for good measure</li>
<li>An awesome stolen bike recovery in SF is described as ... '<b>TWITTER MAGIC</b>'</li>
<li>"... <i>and by the afternoon I was drinking a beer with my newly found bike</i>..."</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we begin - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? Did you know we could really use your help?</p>
<p>It’s true, and we would <b>love it if you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> Please help us keep these awesome bike recoveries coming <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">by donating here</a> – we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>Seriously. Sometimes I feel like we’re the only ones doing ANYTHING about bike theft - and it absolutely kills me when people don’t donate after we’ve pulled a needle out of a haystack and recovered their bike. <b>If we recovered your bike, and you didn’t donate - yes, I’m talking to you.</b></p>
<p>All these servers don’t pay for themselves, folks - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">and $5 goes a hell of a long way</a> here at the Bike Index. Please kick some support our way if you can.</p>
<p>Now - onto the bikes!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83121/001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Hey neighbor! We're on 28th and found your bike in the alley behind our house this morning! It is safe in our hands."
The finder explains later: "They were staying at my neighbor's AirBnB (when their bike was stolen) and are leaving Portland today. I'm glad she got her bike back before she left town! Thanks to you and Bike Index for helping make it possible to reunite people with their stolen bikes!!!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Felt ZW85 - recovered: 4/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83120/002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another in a long line of CCSO (Clackamas Co Sheriff's Office) stolen bike recoveries
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Cervelo P2 - recovered: 4/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83122/003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hi, I work for the SFPD in the Property Division. I think we have your Bianchi that you listed stolen...
I just got the bike here from the warehouse, its definitely your bike, matches your description on Bike Index. It’s a little dusty and dirty from being stored, and the tires are flat. Other than that, it looks okay. A good Samaritan saw someone trying to cut off the lock and called the police. Officers arrived, couldn’t find the owner at that time and booked it as found property."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Bianchi Pista - recovered: 4/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83124/004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by a sharp eye'd manager for a shelter in Bellevue. "Did a little research and found you on the net. I locked up the bike in my office.
It's spot on - it's your bike."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Gary Fisher Superfly- recovered: 4/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83123/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A user on Bike index recognized it on <b>Offerup</b> from a seller with multiple stolen bikes. With help from Portland bike theft officers this bike was recovered - but was already destroyed by the scumbags."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Enduro Elite - recovered: 4/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83126/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A very nice gentleman found my bike in his backyard and noticed that it was a very nice bike. After calling around and searching for ways to get in touch with the owner, he finally got in touch with Bike Index and contacted me. He emailed me Sunday morning and by the afternoon I was drinking a beer with my newly found bike!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Specialized Roubaix Comp C2 4/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83114/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone posted it on <b>Craigslist</b> and a man called me because he was going to buy it and looked at Bike Index before the purchase to assure it wasn't stolen. He called me to let me know he found my bike... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Trance Advanced - recovered: 4/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83125/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I thought this site was a long shot and I'd never see my bike again. Wow, was I wrong. An amazing guy who lived a few blocks away, saw my bike locked behind his apartment under some junk. He thought it looked out of place, so he called his brother who knows a decent bit about bikes. The brother searched on this site and saw it reported stolen. He called me, I ran over, and it was indeed my bike! It got better though. The thief had locked my bike using a u-lock, which we were having trouble removing. B. generously offered to drive to Home Depot to buy a drill bit to remove it. Just as he returned, the thieves showed up in a van – they had come back to collect the bike! B. confronted them and said they couldn’t have the bike. When the thief tried to escape, B. chased and tackled him until the police showed up and could arrest him. All in all – got my bike back, thief arrested – all thanks to this site and the local hero B. Amazing day. Thanks again!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Niner RLT 9 - recovered: 4/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83128/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone tweeted at Bike Index (<a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">@stolenbikessfo</a>) and we were put in touch! It was TWITTER MAGIC!!!"</i> (You can see
the whole thread here - <a href="https://twitter.com/niceshirtchung/status/849872365076881408">thanks @brezina</a>)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes V7 2015 - recovered: 4/6/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83127/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I FOUND YOUR BIKE IN MY BUILDING AND I HAVE IT AND I WANT TO GIVE IT TO YOU!!" From the owner: "Thanks so much. Never expected to see the bike again!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1995 Skykomish Crosscreek - recovered: 4/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83129/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Listed on <b>CraigsList</b>, the first buyer realized the bike was stolen and tried to get cops involved. No go, but he alerted the owner that the bike was found. After the owner found it listed online again, and the PPB Bike Theft Task force officers were able to recover it. "I was able to track down the thief and thanks to ... the Bike Index, the police and PDX's wonderfully supportive bike community it was returned to me!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Soma Double Cross - recovered: 4/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83130/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"It just so happens that the police recovered the bike the same day it was stolen.
A good Samaritan saw what happened, alerted nearby police and the bike was recovered immediately.
However, since I filed a police report with UCSF PD instead of SFPD it took a year for my bike to be
returned. One year later, an SFPD officer looked up my bike on Bike Index and used the info on the
site to find me. He contacted UCSF PD and they contacted me. Posting on Bike Index really helped me get it
back! Thanks!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Windsor Rapide - recovered: 4/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83131/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I guess I beat the odds... someone reached out to me and let me know they purchased my stolen bike.
It was sold on <b>Offerup</b> and resold on <b>ebay</b> to a guy in Utah. So he googled the serial
number and found it on Bike Index and reached out to me. He filed a claim with PayPal and I
provided a copy of the police report and info to him and he was able to get a full
refund. I'm pretty blown away about how all of this worked out for the best.
Thanks for alerting me to it (redacted), and thanks everyone at Bike Index for doing what you do!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale Synapse - recovered: 4/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83107/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Saw it on <b>Craigslist</b>, set up a meeting and called the Police!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Raleigh Grand Sport - recovered: 4/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83113/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Awesome Seattle policeman found it at homeless shelter and delivered to me!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Tommaso Sentiero - recovered: 4/11/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83116/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This bike was stolen off of Portland's MAX line ... the photo shown here shows the guy taking off on this bike at the Goose Holloe station. We put this on our Portland twitter feed, and then .... "Police called yesterday. Said someone rode it up to the station and dropped it off. Officer was as bewildered as I am."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Trek 1.5 - recovered: 4/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83109/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I received a call from Way Cool Stuff, in Gresham, OR ... Someone attempted to sell this bike to them. Way Cool owner
checked the Bike Index and told the guy it was stolen, and his name did not match his fake/stolen Oregon drivers license.
He ran our of the store very fast. No camera unfortunately. An amazing win for the good guys in life. Thanks!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 Easy Riders Tour Easy SS recumbent - recovered: 4/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83111/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen from PDX's Clever Cycles in 2016, this Linus turned up in a pawn shop, where a CCSO deputy ID'd it. Physical recovery is still in process due to paperwork/pawn release.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Linus Roadster - recovered: 4/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83115/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This stolen Soma Double Cross Disc was recovered by the always vigilant <a href="https://twitter.com/r27d">@r27d</a> in SF when he spotted it in a local homeless encampment. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Soma Double Cross Disc - recovered: 4/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83108/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Tracked it through three different listings on <b>Offerup</b> and <b>Craigslist</b>,
and then arranged a police escort to come with us to meet with the seller. Identified it via the serial number and took it home."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Trek 7.2 FX - recovered: 4/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83106/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Got a text message saying it was up on <b>Craigslist</b>. Met with the seller and checked the serial, and it was our bike.
Police met me at the sale and facilitated in the recovery."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Love Giant - recovered: 4/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83112/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Recovered by Oregon City Police & Clackamas Co Sheriffs Dept associated with an arrest of person who had other stolen property.
Hats off to CCSO, the Oregon City Police & Bike Index. Never thought I'd see my Surly again. Looking forward to having a great ride tomorrow !! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Surly Long Haul Trucker - recovered: 4/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83118/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Popped up on Craigslist!
It's a great story that I hope to write up soon- starting 2 years ago when it was stolen from our bike cage at work, then
retrieving serial number from shop in PDX that had a paper copy of the receipt WITH the serial, police report filed
and updated with serial no, then the Bike Index post, then CL alert set up ... 2 years go by with various Langsters popping up
- THEN, Friday I received an alert for a 2006 50cm Langster! More to tell on help/guidance from Seattle Police
and my great friends who helped with meet up and recovery! Photos too!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Specialized Langster - recovered: 04/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83119/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Police recovery: A sheriff apprehended the scumbag who stole my bicycle!
He apparently was riding my Trek while stealing another Novara bicycle.
He is being prosecuted. I couldn't believe such a luck can happen.
Please register with your local police & on Bike Index!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek Marlin - recovered: 04/27/2017/div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/83132/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Local laundromat owner noticed it in his establishment and checked the serial number and cut the lock and secured it for me. He's a hero in my book. We need more upstanding citizens like him. Can't believe the guy was riding it just blocks from where it was stolen. Thanks Bike Index - I'm a believer."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Trek DS 8.5 Gary Fisher Collectors Edition - recovered: 04/29/2017/div>
</article>
<p>
.... and that's a wrap for April. Thanks for reading, all. Again <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">please donate to the Bike Index if you can</a>, and thanks for all your support!
</p></div></article></div></article>
2017-04-05T17:45:40-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-march-2017-recoveriesBike Index's March 2017 recoveries!2017-04-05T17:45:40-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Whew - Spring is creeping in, which means more bikes are on the road, which means registrations, thefts, and recoveries are all seeing an uptick. Numbers across the board are creeping up - we’re now over 109,000 bikes on file, and my inbox is more or less aflame.</p>
<p>Without further delay: Here’s all the bikes that Bike Index helped recover in March 2017. We’re super proud of some of these, and you’ll see why.</p>
<p>In this edition, we have …</p>
<ul>
<li>A former bike theft victim - <a target="_new" href="http://www.kptv.com/story/31606225/portland-woman-gets-stolen-bike-back-after-five-years">whose stolen bike we helped find in 2016</a> - pays it forward and recovers one on her own</li>
<li>A Portland rider and all around awesome guy sinks about 10 hours into finding the owner of a found bike - owner finally pops up on Bike Index</li>
<li>One of the <b>first 200 bikes</b> ever registered - a bike that went from Chicago to Portland - is stolen and then recovered via Bike Index</li>
<li>A stolen bakfiets (not even registered in the Bike Index!) is ID'd and chased down thanks to our <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Portland twitter</a> feed</li>
<li>The folks at <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a> Just. Keep. Pulling. Stolen. Bikes. Back. And it is awesome.</li>
<li>A smash-and-grab thief in SF was nice enough to be caught on <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo/status/842160094523547648">3 security cameras</a> at once ... staring directly at one of them. So, yeah: that bike is back.</li>
<li>A brief PDX <a target="_new" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSEQ0A7DZDm/">bike-recovery brawl</a> is caught on Instagram. Arrest was made.</li>
</ul>
<p>Before we begin - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is now a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? We’re pretty proud of that, too … and we’d love it if <b>you could donate to the Bike Index!</b> We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming.</p>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">You can donate (tax deductible!) here</a> – and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>Now - onto the bikes!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80824/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by the same Clackamas Sheriff's Co. Sheriff's deputy who was on a great recovery streak last month - "An officer found it at a pawn shop. Thank you!!" </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek Portland - recovered: 3/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80820/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The police found it locked up downtown Portland and searched Bike Index to identify me as the owner." </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek 520 Disc: 3/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80844/003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>One of those rare cases where a victim we've helped in the past pays it forward! From the spotter: "My neighbor has a bunch of hooligans over all the time ... I came home from a cold ride on (redacted) today and there were some characters in my
driveway - one riding a shiny new Fairdale. I asked about the bike and they quickly diverted the question.
I snapped a picture of her and looked up Bike Index - it was the first listing." From the owner: "(redacted) called the police for me! They
confiscated it and called me from my police report! Amazing people all around! Thank you!" </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fairdale Weekender: 3/2/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80819/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone I didn't know had his bike stolen, and was looking for it on Craigslist.
When he went to check out a bike listed, he looked up the serial number and found that it belonged to
me and contacted me ... Since I had filed a police report when it was stolen, I notified the police, who helped set up a sting operation to recover the bike. Unfortunately, the bike had been totally rebuilt, and not for the better, but at least I got the original frame back."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
(This bike's listing and info was redacted by user for privacy): 3/4/2017
</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80826/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"My neighbors and I found a stolen bike months ago. I spent over 10-20 hours trying to find the owner of this stolen bike... I searched craigslist, posted my own found ad on craigslist. Searched next door. I think I posted to next door. Searched your database, called the bike shop who sold it only to find they don't keep records. I even called REI headquarters ... Nada.
I've been doing searches, but they did not find a hit. I was about to clean out my garage and give it to the cops but I searched again and found the owner (via this listing). It has to be." (Turns out, it was! Owner has been reunited with the bike - Thanks JR!)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Cannondale Quick 6: 3/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80836/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> Short on details but long on awesome: "An officer recovered it on campus" </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Gravity Liberty: 3/4/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80843/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The report on this bike doesn't nearly cover this whole story -- this sweet looking <b>Handsome Cycles</b> was one of the first couple hundred bikes registered by Bike Index, back in 2013. That happened in Chicago. The bike (and owner) eventually made it to Portland OR, where it was stolen in Jan 2017. Two months later, <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/839247587521679360">the Portland Patrol officer pictured here found it</a>, matched it to the owner, and the rest is history. Can't tell you how happy this one makes us - it's an amazing confluence of awesomeness and excellent luck.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
HANDSOME CYCLES: 3/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80834/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This Bakfiets was stolen in Portland OR -- and because of this, it went out over our <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/839176015595261952">Portland twitter feed</a>. Days later, someone spotted it and <a href="https://twitter.com/diana_rempe/status/839652876574048257">alerted the owner via twitter</a>, who then chased it down and <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieBurr/status/840043206179868672">recovered it with police</a>. Another wonderful
example of the PDX bike community keeping an eye out for each other,a nd how tools like Twitter can enable these
needle-in-a-haystack recoveries.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Clever Cycles Bakfiets: 3/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80845/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another awesome recovery by the <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a> crew. "My stolen bike was taken in to a local bike shop for maintenance and was recovered as it was registered on Bike Index. Thank you so much for providing this service and for collaborative effort with <a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/">Cycle Portland</a>!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Motobecane Phantom 29er: 3/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80821/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Friend spotted the bike and informed me. Called the police and they released the bike after checking the police report with the serial number. Thanks!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek Verve 1: 3/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80842/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Cycle Portland score! <i>"The folks at <b>Cycle Portland</b> checked the serial number of a bike someone brought in for repairs, and it came up on the Bike Index as my stolen bike! They contacted me, confronted the person who had brought in the bike, who denied having stolen it, but let the matter go without a fight. Cycle Portland returned the bike to me. I am so grateful for the help, and was really surprised that I got it back in fairly good condition. I really appreciate that we have a network in our city to help combat bike theft!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 7.2 FX: 3/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80839/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A rare case of attempted Paypal chargeback fraud. This was a bike sale where the buyer paid for a Craigslist sale via Paypal, took the bike, then went home and disputed the charge. (Paypal's notoriously terrible about this). And that's a bad idea in a town like Portland ... esp. after leaving a trail of phone #, email, Facebook, etc. From the seller: "The police officer just left. He called her and got her to admit she has the bike. She is supposed to pay me in cash tomorrow. <b>If she does not she will be arrested.</b>" The buyer reversed their decision after being contacted by police.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1984 Peugeot: 3/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80841/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone posted your bike to Craigslist as Found - please reclaim!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1988 Ciocc: 3/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80832/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Suspicious character brought this bike into the <a target="_new" href="http://www.bikegallery.com/about/clackamas-happy-valley-pg65.htm">Clackamas Bike Gallery</a> .... a Bike Gallery employee recognized the scenario and matched the bike with my posting on Bike Index. I'm very grateful for both (redacted)'s effort and with Bike Index. Thanks!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Jamis Nova Race: 3/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80830/015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>One of those rare smash and grabs <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0H_HO5fGfI
">caught on multiple security cameras</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo/status/842160094523547648">including a very clear shot of the thief</a>. "The Northern District Police Station circulated the images/videos/descriptions to the various patrols. Plain clothes officers spotted the thief with the bike and arrested him. They have had past contacts with this guy."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Carve SL 29: 3/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80855/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Some guy named '(redacted)" locked it to a bike rack and texted my girlfriend the combination. I am happy to provide a quote or whatever for you as a happy user of the Bike Index! The bike shows some wear and I am no expert so it is difficult to assess its true condition. It is a vintage bike and it has been through a lot. Glad to have it back, thanks! I feel very fortunate indeed."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1984 Davidson: 3/22/2017</div>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80838/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"... it was brought back to the building where I live (on the patio of one of the first floor units). Remorse perhaps?"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1996 Cannondale: 3/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80818/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>How's this for nuts - this assumed bike thief dukes it out with these guys after they recognize this stolen bike, and it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSEQ0A7DZDm/?taken-by=bikeindex">winds up on Instagram</a> "Found it in front of a bike store while he was trying to put air into the tires, <b>he assaulted us</b> but with the help of <a target="_new" href="http://rivercitybicycles.com/">River City Cycles</a> employees we recovered it. The bike is damaged a little bit which seems that they had used a torch to break the lock off but it is replaceable." Was told an arrest was made.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 State Bicycle Co. Contender: 3/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80833/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Good guy spots a unique looking bike, ID's it in Bike Index, contacts the owner, then cuts it free. Full service! "Hey, I just put a u-lock around a questionable looking 54cm Cannondale R1000 Optimo similar to your bike. What made me think it was yours is the round sticker on the downtube, which is definitely not standard. I'm going to try liberating your bike with my grinding wheel and get it inside so it doesn't disappear."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Cannondale R1000 Optimo: 3/23/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80840/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone found it and then they returned to the nearest bike shop."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Specialized Enduro Comp: 3/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80837/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Your bike was located by the Santa Monica Police Dept. please contact us at your earliest convenience to have it returned to you."</i>
(<b>Shout out to Santa Monica PD for using Bike Index!</b>)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Diamondback Podium 4: 3/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80827/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I bought this yellow cannondale bike at Kobys Swapmeet (San Diego) 2 weekends ago.. was really greasy/dirty and couldnt read serial #. But after cleaning. I checked it.. and yep, stolen.."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale: 3/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80828/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Chased it down ourselves - stolen bikes Nola was a huge help. Thanks for all that you do! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
(This bike was removed by the registrant for privacy): 3/24/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80831/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found someone riding it; they had bought it off of <b>OfferUp</b>.."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Dahon Vextor X27H: 3/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80852/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"UPDATE!!! I'm happy to say with the help of my boyfriend who found my bike posted on <b>LetGo</b> we were able to set up a buy with a guy who posted it for sale. Big thanks to the Buffalo PD who also stood by as I confirmed it was my bike via speaker phone and who then arrested the dirtbag who stole it! I couldn't have done this alone and it was set up as an extremely safe scenario. Resale apps are not for stolen goods! Thank you for all of your help!
Thanks for reaching out! We did and I've notified the local bike community and shops as well! We're a tight knit in Buffalo so many people were beyond helpful re-posting and keeping their eyes peeled"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Revolt 3 Hybrid: 3/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80822/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Same Clackamas County Sheriff's Officer with another score - "Can you call me .... I have found a Rover in an abandoned house."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Terra Trike Rover Custom: 3/26/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80825/029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hi. I think I found the frameset of your bike this morning. It still had a campy bb and an fsa headset on it. It's in pretty rough cosmetic shape. Lots of scratches and two decent sized dents in the toptube, but it looks to be straight."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1999 Rodriguez Stellar: 3/29/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/80829/030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I received a call from the Portland, OR evidence lockup saying they found my bike listed on Bike Index."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek 3500 Disc: 3/29/2017</div>
</article>
<br /><p></p>
... and that's a wrap!
<br /><p></p>
Other notable things from March 2017:
<ul>
<li>Pine Mountain Sports in Bend OR published this excellent guide: <a href="https://pinemountainsports.com/not-get-bike-stolen-bend/">How To Not Get Your Bike Stolen in Bend</a></li>
<li>Mission Bicycles in SF is now Kickstarting something I've been waiting for ... for YEARS. A bike with an <a target="_new" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1804944614/lyra-a-new-mission-bicycle-with-lights-gps?token=48fbb6a5">embedded, unremovable GPS tracker</a> (and sexy internal lighting) </li>
<li>TheSweetHome put together this insanely thorough article "<a target="_new" href="http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bike-lock/">The Best Bike Lock</a>"</li>
</ul>
Do us one more solid - and help spread the Bike Index far and wide. Please: let your local <b>bike shops</b> and <b>police</b> know about the Bike Index!
And yes, please keep cross checking all those sketchy bikes posted for sale online, because those tips are panning out ...
See you next month!
</article></i></blockquote></article></i></blockquote></article>
2017-03-22T22:56:01-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2017-recoveriesBike Index's February 2017 recoveries!2017-03-22T22:56:01-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello there! Yes, this update’s a little late, but as usual we’ve been <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit">pretty</a> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/iota---a-tiny-tracker-with-huge-potential">busy</a> here at the Bike Index.</p>
<p>So, without further delay: Here’s all the bikes that Bike Index helped recover in February 2017 :)</p>
<p>In this edition, we have …</p>
<ul>
<li>A TON of bikes being recovered by our police users: Portland Police, Clackamas Co. Sheriff's, King Co. Sheriff's, etc.
There's one officer with Clackamas Co. Sheriff who went on an absolute tear in February ... </li>
<li>"I had (this bike) for 30 years, so it is a sentimental thing for me"</li>
<li>A gratifying <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/aaronthewk/status/827985144816373760">stolen bike liberation video on Twitter</a></li>
<li>We have helped recover yet another stolen bike whose owner <b>never even reported stolen</b></a>
</ul>
Real quick though - <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofit" target="_new">Did you know Bike Index is now a 501(c)(3) non profit</a>? It has been long in the coming, but we're super excited about our new status.
With that in mind - <b>please donate to the Bike Index!</b> We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming. We run this via donations from awesome folks like yourself, and <b>we could always use some help!</b> <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">You can donate (tax deductible!) here</a> -- and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.
Now - onto the bikes!
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79910/001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Three months after it was stolen, someone from Bike Index spotted it for sale at the Laney
Flea market in Oakland.
Paid $1 entry fee, went in and located my bike, then went back to the front. They radio'd two security guards to
escort me to the booth. We got there, they told him I was there to get my stolen bike and that I would be taking it.
I was sent away with my bike while the vendor of stolen goods
waited with the Laney Flea security to be questioned and <b>escorted off the premises by the police</b>. It was awesome.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Panda Road Bike Frame - recovered: 2/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79912/002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike Index contacted me after seeing my stolen bike on <a target="_new" href="http://westseattleblog.com">westseattleblog.com</a>.
After a few phone calls I arranged to pick up my bike from the school where it was found abandoned.
It has been a long time missing but it is home safe and in good condition. Thanks Bike Index!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Diamondback Devine - recovered: 2/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79917/004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A person bought it on the street in trade for a laptop ... This person saw it on bikeindex.org and contacted me.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Seven Cycles Axiom- recovered: 2/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79914/005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A good Samaritan saw a sketchy dude locking up a bike that looked familiar.
So, he waited until he left and checked the serial number against Bike Index.
He found my posting and called me. He then proceeded to lock up my bike until I got there.
It was pretty awesome. The cops and <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronthewk/status/827985144816373760" target="_new">Harborview security cut through the thief's lock</a>.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Raleigh Merit Elite - recovered: 2/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79913/006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> I found it listed on ((redacted)), contacted the seller as an interested buyer, test rode it around the corner and took it back.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Trek Pilot 5 - recovered: 2/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79966/Fix_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found by Stolen Bikes Nola - recovered w/o a serial on file</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Golden Cycles - recovered: 2/5/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79916/007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> How the bike was recovered: Portland Police and Bike Index!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly - recovered: 2/7/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79915/008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Greetings! I am one of the owners of a cafe bike shop in the Central District called <a target="_new" href="pelotonseattle.com">Peloton</a>. We had a customer bring in a bicycle for work some time ago ((..redacted...)) he said that he was not coming back for the bike and that we could have it. Doing our due diligence, we checked the Bike Index and sure enough, it's a stolen bike. We have it here if you would like to come get it back...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Trek 1200 - recovered: 2/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79911/009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The morning after I posted the Venge I got this email. It turns out its been in a pawn shop, USA Pawn since then.
So I went out there last night and confirmed they have it. It's is the same condition as when is was stolen with some spray paint over the logos as an added feature. <b>Your site is amazing!!</b> Both bikes and a wheelset are just about returned. Like a friend told me last night: someone is looking out for you. I replied yeah it's Bike Index! I definitely owe you a donation...and a beer or ten!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Venge S-works - recovered: 2/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79909/010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland Police Bike Theft Task force, contacted via Bike Index</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Revel 3- recovered: 2/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79924/011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike Index notes - get this - we helped recover a bike the <b>owner didn't report as stolen</b> because they thought it would be found. Portland Police Bike Theft Task force found it, then matched it via serial number: <i>
"Thank you so much! That actually is my bike! <b>I never reported it stolen because I wasn't hopeful it would be tracked down</b>."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Dawes Cycles SST - recovered: 2/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79926/012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found behind a fence in a encampment on the north side of I5 near Roy and Minor Ave N. Adjacent to a parking lot on the
Fred Hutch Campus. Had to hop the fence and recover it ...</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1984 Benotto Mexican - recovered: 2/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79921/013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone in SF observed some guy trying to sell a bike she was pretty sure was stolen. She was proactive and went out to talk to them (kind of brave I think!). The person ran off leaving my bike with her. She called the police, who told her it was hopeless to find the owner, so they were going to trash it (boo!). But she persuaded them to leave it with her, and looked up the serial # on Bike Index -- and found me! I never thought I would get my bike back -- <b>I had it for 30 years, so it is a sentimental thing for me</b>. Thanks A - and thanks Bike Index!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1983 Peugeot PBN - recovered: 2/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79920/014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Clackamas Sheriff's recovery: <i>
"I recovered the bike last night and am still in shock to have it back. Glad I registered it!
Someone took it to the pawn shop (someone know to deal in stolen bikes) and took out a short term loan against it. He never came back, thus defaulted on that loan, leaving the shop with the bike as collateral. They then put it out for sale in the shop, someone bought it and then later returned it after checking Bike Index and seeing that it was stolen. They then took it back to the shop to report it and get a refund. The shop then called the officer (who they have a working relationship with) and reported it to him. He then got my info off Bike Index.
I believe the officer deals with bikes a lot and is a bike fan."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Cannondale Bad Boy - recovered: 2/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79939/FIX2.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another Clackamas Co Sheriff's recovery - details are light but hooray another Surly comes home!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly 1x1 - recovered: 2/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79938/FIX.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I have your bike - my son bought it from someone for $50 and gave it to me. It may just be the original frame. Looks like a lot of parts are mismatched. Contact me and we can give back what's left of your bike. It is rideable but needs some work.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona Dew Deluxe- recovered: 2/10/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79925/016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Portland Bike Theft Task Force recovery: <i>
"Thank you so so so much to Bike Index and to Ofc. Sanders. I was so bummed when my bike was stolen from my school, but just the other day I got an email from a police officer saying he had my bike, and I'm going to go pick it up in a few days. A huge thanks! PS here is a video of the guy who stole my bike: <a target="_new" href="https://youtu.be/wpBPGC0JgVo">https://youtu.be/wpBPGC0JgVo</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant Revel 3 - recovered: 2/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79927/017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police BTTF recovery: "Police recovered it from the person who stole it. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Norco Bikes Indie 3 - recovered: 2/12/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79922/018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<b>This one isn't a recovery</b> but I wanted to document it here - I personally spotted this one
being sold on Offerup a couple of days after its theft and alerted the owner, who tried chasing it down, to no avail:
<i>"Just to see it pop up motivated me. With some help from one of my neighbors (who is a Portland Police Officer) I tried to engage the seller into meeting to buy my bike. After not getting a response I connected with Portland’s Bike Theft Task Force who quickly ((redacted)) Although PBTTF could not get him to engage either to recover my bike, they were going to put this guy on their radar. It seems the guy (& my bike) is in the wind at this point, but there’s always hope. <b>I am in awe that Bike Index was able to pick up & match the ad to my bike</b>. Maybe it’ll resurface again at some point. Bike theft is obviously a tough nut to crack, but so appreciate the service and time your organization puts into it."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Surly Long Haul Trucker - NOT RECOVERED</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79923/019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Portland BTTF recovery: <i>"Hello, Just wanted to make sure that you knew your bike was in our property room!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 3700 disc- 02/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79918/020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another KCSO recovery: <i>"Hi this is Deputy Lim with King County Sheriff's Office. I have recovered your bike ...."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant - recovered 02/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79928/021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen in 2014, the Portland Bike Theft Task Force crew found this bike in Feb 2017 and reached out to the owner. If this bike could talk ...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Lemond Reno - recovered 02/14/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79935/022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Yet another Clackamas Sheriff's recovery: <i>"Bike recovered in complete condition. Huge thanks to Bike Index and the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office. I never thought I'd see it again, let alone whole..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Lemond Reno - recovered 02/16/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79929/023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A Bike Index member found it for sale on an add on Offerup and snagged it for me. Score!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Kona Process 134 DL- recovered 02/18/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79933/024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Amazing! Spotted by someone on the Burke Gilman outside an encampment tent. In safe hands - thank you, (redacted)!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Rodriguez Shiftless 725 1S- recovered 02/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79930/025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Yet another Clackamas Co. Sheriff's recovery. Not that I'm counting, but they may be trying to set a record here for
number of bikes recovered in one month ...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Specialized Dolce Elite Compact - recovered 02/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79931/026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike Index user spotted it for sale online, and then: <i>"Met in Columbia city in a public place. The seller was just a low key, slightly sketched out person. Not threatening. I told them I knew it was stolen and had talked to the cops just before we met. I offered $20 to get the bike and call it done. It's a little worse for wear but most of the nice parts are still on it. Thank you both for helping me reunite with my bike. I didn't think I'd ever see it again!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Masi Strada Speciale - recovered 02/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79932/027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> A guy named (redacted) purchased the bike off Craigslist but was told by his friend to check Bike Index. He was honest enough to call me to return it. Great news getting the bike back - but bad news when they cut the lock, they cut the frame leaving a huge hole ... so the bike is totaled."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cervélo S3- recovered 02/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/79934/028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A good Samaritan notified me he bought the bike on the <b>Offer Up</b> app. He then looked it up on Bike Index and contacted me - and the bike was returned."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Felt Road Bike recovered 02/27/2017</div>
</article>
... and that's a wrap!
March is already b-a-n-a-n-a-s here as far as recoveries go, so keep an eye out for the next edition.
</li></ul>
2017-02-28T14:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index--now-a-nonprofitBike Index—Now a Nonprofit2017-02-28T14:00:00-06:00Seth Herr<p><img class="post-image post-image-right-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/78518/bike_index_nonprofit.png" alt="Bike Index NFP" /></p>
<p><strong>Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit!</strong></p>
<p>I built Bike Index because I believed there needed to be a publicly accessible bike registration utility. At the time, I was excited about benefit corporations (organizations that support their mission with their business).</p>
<p>After running Bike Index for four years (and becoming the most widely used registry in the world!), Bike Index cofounder Bryan Hance and I realized being a nonprofit is a better fit for what we do.</p>
<p>We aren’t interested in maximizing profits or delivering value to shareholders.</p>
<p>We just want to register bicycles and help return stolen bikes to their owners.</p>
<p>Bike Index has always operated as a public service without a goal of making money. You can see that in our basic functionality, we provide a database everyone can search.</p>
<p>We believe open bike registration is a utility the world needs.</p>
<p>So this doesn’t change anything about how or what we do, it just means you can <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">make tax deductible donations</a>!</p>
<hr style="margin-top: 60px; border-color: #eee" />
<p><span class="less-strong"><em>For those curious, our EIN number is</em> 81-4296194</span></p>
2017-02-16T13:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/iota---a-tiny-tracker-with-huge-potentialIota - a tiny tracker with huge potential2017-02-16T13:00:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>We field a lot of questions about ‘bike trackers’ at the Bike Index - everybody wants a small, <strong>affordable</strong> GPS tracker for their bike, but are surprised to learn that this really doesn’t exist yet.</p>
<p>There are a few basic reasons why this is:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Size / hideability</strong> –
It is hard to disguise a tracker so thieves can’t instantly find it. And having something that uses several antennas (GPS and cellular) means they aren’t easily hidden - nor are they very small.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Reliance on cellular</strong> –
Most trackers use the cellular network to report their location, which means most trackers are 50% cell phone parts - and means paying for cell data, supporting a SIM card, having a hefty battery, etc.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Power</strong> –
Because of #2, power is an issue. Nobody wants to constantly have to charge a tracker, but once you’ve gone with cellular there’s really no way around this. Talking to the cell network takes a fair amount of power, end of story.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>For a while I was excited about the low power bluetooth trackers - especially the ‘crowd tracking’ capabilities, but my own tests with these have been super disappointing. And while there are a lot of smart people out there working in the bike-tracking space, most of them are just pending Kickstarters with no real product on the market.</p>
<p><strong>The Iota Tracker - a totally different approach</strong>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77495/large_iotabox2.JPG" alt="SF" /></p>
<p>The Iota tracker really piqued my interest - yes, it’s a GPS tracker, but it <em>doesn’t use the cellular network</em>. Instead, Iota uses RF frequencies and a ‘community network’ of tiny base stations to report its position.</p>
<p>This completely upends the equation I listed above, eliminating problems #1 and #3 by getting rid of #2. The results is a small, versatile tracker with a <strong>significantly</strong> longer battery life.</p>
<p>Iota has been mostly focused on pet and child tracking, but there’s obviously a lot of potential here for tracking bikes. After a week of tests with my hands on an Iota, <strong>I see a whole lot of potential for bike tracking - and hackability</strong>.</p>
<p>I grabbed two Iotas - one for my own testing, and one for cyclist/motorcycle-riding friend of the Bike Index <a href="https://twitter.com/larsvons">@larsvons</a>, as Iota’s aiming at the <a href="http://moto.iotatracker.com/">motorcycle market</a>, too.</p>
<p><strong>The Iota Network</strong></p>
<p>Just to recap how Iota’s tracking works:</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77493/large_iota_sf.JPG" alt="SF" />
Iota users get a small ‘<a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5a6kSo1Qxc">base station</a>’ to install for local coverage - <a target="_new" href="http://support.iotatracker.com/hc/en-us">Iota’s website</a> base stations cover ‘up to 12 blocks from your home’ but as with all things RF-related, your mileage may vary - especially in dense urban environments. Think of it like the original cordless phones - remember how much range you could get with some of those? Same thing applies here.</p>
<p>All the Iota base stations in a location form a patchwork ‘blanket’ of coverage, so when your Iota leaves your home station’s coverage it can still report in via someone else’s base station. It’s basically like a baby cellphone network - but dedicated to tracking.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77494/large_iota_pdx.JPG" alt="PDX" /></p>
<p>You can see <a target="_new" href="http://www.iotatracker.com/coverage">the current coverage map</a> on Iota’s site - Iota is based in the Bay Area, so the SF coverage map is very dense, while Portland is a little patchier. Yes, Iota’s coverage network is still being built - customer by customer - but you can see that it wouldn’t take many more to blanket a town like PDX. Other cities - Boston, DC, Chicago - are the same: about halfway covered and growing.</p>
<p><strong>Bluetooth backup:</strong> The Iota also does ‘crowdsourced Bluetooth tracking’, meaning that if someone near your Iota is running the Iota app, it’ll report its position that way - instead of using the base stations. This is how most of the small trackers already on the market operate, but it’s totally dependent on that nearby cellphone to be running the app, and typically only gets a few dozen feet of range under even the best of conditions.</p>
<p><strong>The Base Station</strong></p>
<p>Base station setup is super fast - you associate the base to your wifi,
then to the tracker, and stick it in a window. Iota recommends installing it in ‘<a href="http://support.iotatracker.com/hc/en-us/articles/206677577-Home-Base-Installation-Guide">the highest point possible</a>’ and ‘near a window or wall that faces … the best line of sight.’</p>
<p><strong>The Tracker</strong>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77746/large_large_022.jpg" alt="SF" /></p>
<p>First impression? The Iota tracker is small. <b>Really small</b>, as you can see here.</p>
<p>Size: At - 1.75in x .5 x 1in , the Iota looks and feels like a small domino.</p>
<p>Weight: light - the iota is about as heavy as an AAA battery</p>
<p>Battery life: I’ve had this tracker for over two weeks now and I’ve only used half of the battery! Iota promises ‘weeks’ of battery life, which, compared to everything else available in the tracking sphere, is a <strong>huge improvement</strong>. I haven’t put this to the test yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if you could squeeze a month out of a single charge, as long as you aren’t tracking it that often.</p>
<p>There’s a small USB adapter provided for charging the Iota, via two small charging points on the back of the tracker. Some folks - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks9jQbTPGFc">as shown in Iota’s motorcycle setup video</a> - have already used an adaptor to provide perpetual power.</p>
<p><strong>The app, tracking, and real-world tests</strong></p>
<p>Iotas are tracked via an app, and there’s the usual set of tracking options you would expect, such as</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77743/large_app001.PNG" alt="SF" /></p>
<ul>
<li>current location</li>
<li>live tracking</li>
<li>location history</li>
<li>‘ring’ - makes the Iota tracker emit a beep</li>
<li>geofencing - receive an alert it the tracker leaves a certain area</li>
<li>motion alerts - receive an alert it the tracker is moved/jostled</li>
<li>signal/gps/battery strength</li>
</ul>
<p>You can also ‘share’ your Iota’s location and data with another Iota user, and they can view, track, beep and operate a shared Iota just like it is their own.</p>
<p>The app also handles ‘out-of-range’ scenarios well: If your Iota’s out of range, you can set the app to alert you when it pops up again.</p>
<p>If you’re like me, your bike-tracking spidey sense should be tingling by now …</p>
<p><strong>Testing the Iota</strong></p>
<p>I carried an Iota around for a week, testing it out its range and trackability - I’d walk various parts of Portland and test the <strong>locate</strong>, <strong>track</strong>, and <strong>beep</strong> functions, just to get an idea of how well the Iota worked in real-world scenarios.</p>
<p>The results? Pretty good - sometimes surprisingly good. Case in point: Even while sitting on the bus - surrounded by glass and metal, moving - my Iota was getting ‘hits’ on the network and was trackable. Given, I was in South East Portland where there seems to be a dense cluster of base stations, but it is impressive nonetheless.</p>
<p>There’s no coverage in downtown Portland at the moment, but again, judging from the <a href="http://www.iotatracker.com/coverage">Iota coverage map</a> it looks like Portland could be covered with a fairly small number of new base station additions.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77745/large_4E2D4A46-C2B3-46ED-8250-D452C24ED13D.PNG" /></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/larsvons" target="_new">@larsvons</a> chimed in with his motorcycle tests: “<i>Considering motorcycles, I really just want to know if my bike is moving without me moving it (someone knocked it over, or is riding off with it). For this reason, the motion sensor function is terrific. Setting the sensitivity to “low” means that little shakes will not trigger it, and so far this has worked well. I do have to manage the alerts when I am actually moving it, but that doesn’t seem too annoying yet. I have set a geofence for the same purpose, but I think the motion sensor accomplishes what I would be looking for.</i></p>
<p>I have not done this yet, but pro-level hacking would be placing the tracker guts inside the seat chamber or somewhere else where I have an existing USB power port so it’s easy to keep charged, and is also not obvious to thieves. The beeping and flashing would not help this but might be enough to scare someone off that sees or hears it. Overall though I think this is a promising solution to nanny your wheels.</i>”</p>
<p>(Fwiw: everything <a href="https://twitter.com/larsvons" target="_new">@larsvons</a> describes above has me thinking about cargo bikes - almost the same exact use cases here…)</p>
<p><strong>Huge potential for bike tracking - and hacking</strong></p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="http://westweb.radioactivity.fm/images/unrelated/iota_tiny.JPG" /></p>
<p>The Iota’s combination of <strong>small size</strong>, <strong>long battery life</strong>, and the <strong>community-built</strong> aspect of the tracking network really makes the Iota like a great option for DIY bike tracking.</p>
<p>Even the limited coverage doesn’t worry me - We find lots of stolen bikes less than a mile away from the theft location. Another group who recently got into chasing stolen bikes told us recently that most of bikes they find are ‘<em>recovered within a 3 mile radius from where it was stolen - and thieves tend to park them in a public place.</em>’ So the Iota’s combination of strong ‘local’ tracking via base station - coupled with the motion alerts and geofence options - have me excited about the Iota.</p>
<p><strong>Let’s open one up</strong></p>
<p>Speaking of potential … let’s talk hackability for a sec.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="http://westweb.radioactivity.fm/images/unrelated/iotaguts.JPG" /></p>
<p>The street, as someone famously said, finds its own use for things - and bike folks are natural tinkerers. So, I cracked my Iota open with the idea that I’d love to hack one into a more bike-friendly form - camouflaged? Better powered? Sure - let’s see what we have to work with first.</p>
<p>As you can see the Iota’s three tiny parts - circuit board, battery, antennas - are all super small, fairly modular (in the right hands), all begging for some hands-on hacking. That battery could be swapped out for a larger one fairly easily, for example, or powered off of a bike light. Or sandwiched inside a reflector. Those antennas could be worked into a stem cap. In short: Lots of potential here!</p>
<p>Just for the heck of it, and to provide a potential example here - I cannibalized an old bike light, and in about six seconds I had a nicely camouflaged Iota tracker – with lots of room left for spare batteries. Imagine the tracking life we could get out of two AAA’s already inside the light …</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77496/large_impromptu_tracker.JPG" alt="SF" /></p>
<p><strong>Final thoughts</strong></p>
<p>After a week with an Iota, my head’s brimming with ideas: If I had a cargo bike, this would be a no-brainer. I want some hardware-centric friends to try and piggyback extra batteries on one. I’d like to camo one out in black, so it’s not super recognizable. I want to see if I can fit inside my handlebars, antennas fitted into an end cap. I have several acquaintances who have had tool trailers stolen here in PDX - I’d like to try and bake one into a tail light and power it that way. And I want to get some nerdy friends to help build out the network of base station ‘nodes’. The list goes on…</p>
<p>Honestly the Iota hardware is so small that it looks like it could be a huge boost to someone looking to add small, low-power tracking to … well, anything, really. And that’s pretty huge.</p>
<p>The Iota retails for <strong>$149</strong> - that’s 1 base station and 1 tracker. Which, admittedly, is a little steep for most folks, but the lack of recurring payments (for phone data) should help smooth that out for people. They aren’t selling individual trackers yet, but I suspect it’s in the pipeline, which would likely drop the price significantly.</p>
<p><strong>Want a discount on one for yourself?</strong> There’s a ‘$15 off’ Iota promo running if you’re interested in getting your hands on one - <a target="_new" href="http://iotatracker.refr.cc/bikeindex">click here</a> and use the referral code they issue at checkout. (Thanks @ Iota for passing this our way)</p>
<p>Thanks for reading this write-up – I’m looking forward to watching the Iota network grow both in Portland and across the U.S.</p>
2017-02-04T15:35:50-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-january-2017-recoveriesBike Index's January 2017 recoveries :)2017-02-04T15:35:50-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Well, 2017 certainly started out with a bang.</p>
<p>In addition to the fantastic and regular stories of fellow riders helping victims get their stolen bikes back, this month’s roundup contains some of the best stories re: unlucky thieves with pure bad luck that we’ve ever come across. Keep it up, guys. :)</p>
<p>In January’s edition, we have …</p>
<ul>
<li>We help recover a stolen <b>Forified Bike</b> <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotham/invincible-end-bike-theft-once-and-for-all">Perhaps you've heard of them</a> ... </li>
<li>We help recover a 'quite literally irreplaceable' Romanian women's bike with enormous sentimental value</li>
<li>Back-to-back, multi-bike recoveries via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TukwilaPD/posts/1720383844877854
">Tukwila PD</a> and Portland PD - multiple stolen bikes per owner recovered!</li>
<li>Unlucky thief #1: A stolen bike walks into a shop ... where the owner and victim just happens to be working</li>
<li>Unlucky thief #2: A quick note re: surveillance cameras and the single unluckiest thief in the continental US</li>
</ul>
<p>Real quick though - Want to help us out? <b>We’d love that!</b><p></p>
<p><b>Please donate to the Bike Index!</b> We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming. We run this whole effort out of pocket, via donations from awesome folks like yourself, and <b>we could always use some help with the bills!</b>. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">You can donate here</a>, and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77238/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one's interesting: Fortified Bike pitches their bikes as 'Theft Proof Bikes Made For The City' and touts anti-theft features
heavily in their marketing. So when one went missing in Portland, we were pretty interested to see a Bike Index user
recover it a couple of days later: <i>Hey! I think I bought your bike. Call me!
I purchased it from an individual downtown on the 27th. It's
definitely the same bike (serial #'s match).
(Later) The guy is legit! We set up a meet at a public place .. I'm going to catch a bus over to him right now..</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Fortified Invincible - recovered: 1/1/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77233/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland police (no other details provided by the owner) ... <br /> </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Trek 7.1 FX - recovered: 1/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77232/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This stand-out Romanian "Pegas" was stolen from an owner who was crushed by its theft. Fortunately a local
Vintage resale shop had it 'walk in', and they looked it up and found it in the Bike Index. The owner says: <i>This bike was purchased in small village in northern Romania in 1994 on bike trip from Slovakia to Bulgaria. It is quite literally irreplaceable! Thank you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1980 "PEGAS" (Romanian) - recovered: 1/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77237/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Your bike is currently on Craigslist. They changed the cockpit, but your wheels are still on it. Good luck getting it back!
(Later, from the owner: I just wanted to let you know that we were able to recover the bike last night. Thanks for your assistance and services, Bike Index. We were able to set up a meeting to purchase the bike with the Craigslist seller and invited the police as well - SPD took care of everything once the bike was in view! Keep up the great work !</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Evil Following - recovered: 1/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77214/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike shop recovered it ... the thief rode in with it to put air in the tires!</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Superfly 8 - recovered: 1/3/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77215/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered - found bike listed on Craigslist, Seattle WA</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Superfly 8 - recovered: 1/8/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77216/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thanks to Bike Index, over a year after my bike was stolen I got it back!
Last week out of the blue I got a text from a stranger (via Bike Index)
saying that: "HI! I have good news! I have your missing Kona bike. :) It was stashed behind my car last
year on 11th and Republican. I searched online last summer and
posted some fliers when I found it
but nothing came up. It had been sitting in a closet forgotten
until we moved. Today I changed a key
word in Google and it came up! Let me know when/where we can meet
up so I can get this back to you!" I'm so thankful to Bike Index
for providing this service!!! :)</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Kona Bass - recovered: 1/9/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77218/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found in an alley on Capitol hill, called SPD and they took it into evidence - owner contacted here via Bike Index. "</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes C7 - recovered: 1/10/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77226/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hey ... I think I may have ended up with your bike... Some junky downtown at a max
stop was selling this super nice rare bike for way too cheap so I
bought it thinking I could maybe find the owner because surely whoever
owned this bike was a bike lover - and it wouldn't be too hard to track
them down. I checked online to see if
there were any missing ads and sure enough I think I found you!
(Later, from the owner:) I just contacted her to get my bicycle back!! Thanks for the Bike Index website! Great job!!
</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Fausto Coppi Alloy K28 - recovered: 1/11/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77217/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This stolen RODRIGUEZ RAINIER went from Washington State to New York - via Ebay - only to have the buyer find out it was stolen when he recieved the bike and checked the serial. Lots of red tape later, it's coming home: <i>'
Thanks for checking back. I'll be getting the bike back. The gentleman who bought it received his reimbursement from eBay today and he says he's dropping it by his local bike shop Saturday so they can box it up and have it shipped to me.'
</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Rodriguez Rainier - recovered: 1/11/2017</div>
</article>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77219/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I just purchased this on Craigslist and had a funny feeling about the seller. I did a Google search and found the serial number matching to your loss ...</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Vita Comp Carbon - recovered: 1/13/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77229/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The thief who stole my bike sold it to a guy who saw my listing on Bike Index!! He called me and I went to pick
up my bike. I'm overjoyed! So happy to be reunited with my bike!</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bianchi Volpe - recovered: 1/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77231/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Someone recently sold the bike via OfferUp. After purchasing, the buyer thought there was something odd about the seller being not the type of person who would build/own a custom S&S travel track bike. He looked up the bike, found it on the registry and returned it to me."
</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Co-Motion Co-Pilot - recovered: 1/15/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77220/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'The Portland Police Bike Theft Task Force found it after I registered the bike with Bike Index'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Trek 7.1 FX - recovered: 1/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77221/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A man out on work-release was given the
bike as a loaner by a bike shop. He looked up the serial number, found
it on Bike Index, and called the police!'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2008 Raleigh Cadent FT2 - recovered: 1/17/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77230/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"It would appear that I have ended up purchasing your bike from someone
who is obviously less than honest. I would like to get this bike back
to the rightful owner at your convenience." -- (later) Hi, someone bought it from a guy off the street, looked up the S/N on
Bike Index, and saw it was stolen. He’s contacted me and were sorting
out a time to get it back to me...</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Specialized Crosstrail Disc - recovered: 1/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77222/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This stolen Commercial Supreme DH was spotted for sale (on Offerup, natch) and we alerted the owner, who alerted
police. In a pretty epic recovery, the Tukwila PD not only busted the seller and recovered multiple bikes for this same victim - but they recovered several other bikes in the sting as well.
The owner says: "The really nuts thing was that at around 5pm the guy asks me if I want a <b>Banshee Rune</b> too, another high end bike that was stolen from me as well. I tell him sure. So I got back my DH bike -- and my trail bike too! One year later! Couldn't have done this with out Bike Index's amazing help!!!"
<p>
From the Tukwila PD <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TukwilaPD/posts/1720383844877854">Facebook post</a>: "Great job by our night shift officers in the recovery of a $5,000 bicycle that was stolen a year ago in Seattle! An observant victim located his stolen bicycle on OfferUp and requested PD assistance in recovering it. Suspect booked, bicycle returned to the owner and several other bicycles were recovered as well ."</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Specialized Crosstrail Disc and Banshee Rune- recovered: 1/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77235/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another multi-bike recovery: <i>Stolen from a Pearl District condo from the same owner, this stolen Transition Smugger and Cannondale Synapse were recovered by Portland's Bike Theft Task force a couple days later - still
together, and still intact. "Bike Index definitely works and the officers at the Portland Police Bureau were incredible in getting these back home nearly immediately and with almost no harm. Many thanks again, I owe all of you beers!"</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Transition Smugger 29 and Cannondale Synapse - recovered: 1/19/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77227/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Hello, I just wanted you to know that your bicycle was brought into my shop today. It's a pawnshop off of (redacted). I looked it up on Bike Index to check the serial number on it and found this listing. I notified the police and they came and arrested the individual as well as confiscated your bike. It should be with Gresham PD. Hope you get it back!</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2015 Specialized Diverge A1 - recovered: 1/20/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77224/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> Found it for sale on Offerup. Met the POS seller at a public place and took the bike back without incident. I did contact Federal Way police as soon as I verified a matching serial number but they were not able to send an officer.</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2006 Redline Conquest 24 - recovered: 1/21/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77236/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> This stolen PLANET X PRO CARBON was spotted for sale on Offerup by a Bike Index user, who alerted the owner.
In a stunning turn of crazy luck, the <b>thief then brought the bike into the same shop where the owner and victim was working</b>.
Needless to say, he didn't leave with it: "Once the bike was inside the doors, I ask if I can see the bike up
close and he hands it to me. I had the bike over the
service desk to our mechanic and let the gentleman know the bike was
reported stolen and is now considered recovered. He starts screaming
about how he bought the bike, and I need to give it back to him. I
pull out the packet from PPB, with the case number, serial number, and
photos and ask him if he recognizes the bike in the photos.
He realizes he is screwed and tries to bolt out of the
store. Little does he know, the door was locked behind him when he
walked into the shop. So he ends up running full-speed into our front
doors and ends up on his back side in the lobby ... At this point, his story changes
and he was just riding the bike around. It was his 'friend' who was the
actual owner, who was outside. I let him know, he is welcome to invite
his "friend" to come inside while we wait for Portland Police to
resolve this matter."</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Planet X - recovered: 1/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77223/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Someone ... bought my bike from
the thieves and got online to register the bike and put the serial
number in -- and it popped up stolen with my contact information, so they
contacted me and returned my bike to me'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek Domane 2.0 - recovered: 1/22/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77225/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'I received a call this morning from the
Portland Police Department that I bike was found in the back of a
stolen car, in perfect condition. Praise God. This happened one day
after posting it on your website.'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2017 Trek FX3 22.5 BK - recovered: 1/27/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77234/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Someone found the frame laying on the
ground near my building! All most everything else was taken off the
frame, but hey the frame back is something'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1978 Raleigh Super Grand Prix - recovered: 1/30/2017</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77228/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This last one is still in process with police, but it's too funny not to share - let me introduce CA's most well-photographed thief: <i>'The bike was dumped by a bike thief who switched it for a nicer bike in my company bike room ... this is a little bit of a weird situation because I am the product manager at (name of major security product manufacturer here) - for a new line of surveillance cameras. <b>Our bike room is our demonstration environment, meaning we have an excessive number of cameras for such a small space, resulting in (40 minutes) of great footage of the thief</b>.'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">GenZe e101 - still in process: 1/30/2017</div>
</article>
<p>
And that's a wrap! As always, if you like what we do and want to support the cause, we could use your help. Please tell your local bike shops and police about Bike Index, and contact us if you'd like to get Bike Index rolling in your own community. We're always here to help.
</p>
<p>
See you next month!
</p>
</p></i></blockquote></article>
2017-02-01T23:28:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-2016-recovery-storiesBike Index's December 2016 recovery stories!2017-02-01T23:28:00-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Man, was December a busy month.</p>
<p>Usually we get a little break as winter hits and thefts drop off a little, but this December was the exception to the rule. We had a steady beat of registrations, tips, and best of all - bike recoveries - all month.</p>
<p>So, let’s get to it - in December’s edition, we have …</p>
<ul>
<li>A <b>lot</b> of assistance from bike shops pulling back stolen bikes that rolled through their doors.</li>
<li>We help recover a stolen bike within 2 hours of its theft!</li>
<li>A nice assist from Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) with a found Pedego Interceptor.</li>
<li>" .... recovered the bike in a stolen Porsche that the thief had crashed near Oprah's house in Montecito ... "</li>
<li>A nice Bike Index-assisted recovery from across the pond in the UK</li>
<li>A stolen bike rides directly in front of one of the <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/66825">Portland Bike Theft Task Force</a> officers. Nice luck, that!</li>
</ul>
<p>Want to help us out? We’d love that:
<b>Please donate to the Bike Index!</b> We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming. We run this whole effort out of pocket, via donations from awesome folks like yourself, and <b>we could always use some help with the bills!</b>. <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">You can donate here</a>, and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77097/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This bike was recovered recovered by police. Only frame recovered though.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Sterling Bicycle Co. City Sport 15 - recovered: 12/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77107/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone from a .... shelter contacted me and was kind enough to arrange me to pick up the bike.
Thank you for keeping this site available to all of us. Good success story ... all the expensive components are still there and the bike works.
Very happy to have the bike back :) </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Salsa Vaya - recovered: 12/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77109/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Spotter: Probably a long shot, but there's a brown Torker listed on <b>OfferUp</b> </i><br />
<i>Owner: THATS MY BIKE THATS MY F**KING BIKE!! </i><br />
<i>Bike Index: here's the mugshot and arrest record of the person selling your bike. Call police.</i><br />
<i>Owner: Bike recovered with police assistance - see attached photo.</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Salsa Vaya - recovered: 12/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77100/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland Police - this bike was stolen 45 miles away in Stevenson WA - and recovered intact by Officers with <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/66825">Portland's Bike Theft Task force</a> a few months later - tool bag intact!</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Talon 4 - recovered: 12/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77090/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Your bike was brought into our shop over the weekend for repair. The frame looks to be the only
thing left of the original bike. We let the customer know they had bought a stolen bike.
He left it at out store. Please call.'</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Specialized Tricross Sport - recovered: 12/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77084/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>After 4 weeks of searching, I received a call from someone. They have purchased a frame at a San Jose flea market and checked the serial number. The kind stranger offered to return it to me, but I was just relieved that at least a part of the bike has ended up in good hands. This was all that was left of it</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Cannondale CAADX - recovered: 12/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77099/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Hi, This is (redacted) I believe I have your bicycle. Contact me ...
We've already spoken on the phone but I wanted to send a message anyways.
(Later) I drove it out to him. He was on crutches but no doubt relieved to his bike back!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Seven Cycles Axiom - recovered: 12/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77083/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hi, I have recovered your bike!!! It is at <a href="http://emerys.com/">Emerys Cycling</a>. A thief tried to sell it to us yesterday. I have the police coming in Monday to take the information we collected on the thief. I'm not sure what time they will be there. I also do not know if they will take custody of the bike for evidence. Bike is in great shape! Glad to help you out.
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Seven Cycles Axiom - recovered: 12/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77092/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The bike was stolen from in front of my house, while I ran inside for a quick minute. When I returned, it was gone. I ran back inside and reported it stolen on bikeindex.org and within a matter of 2 hours, I was called by a person who had found the bike. I was so relieved!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Roadmaster Steel Mountain - recovered: 12/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77089/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A guy brought my bike to Mission Hills Bike Shop for repair, and the good Samaritans there recognized the bike ... and informed me. Feeling great. Thanks to the shop owner and the biking community :)
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Fuji Sportif 2.1 - recovered: 12/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77095/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A Bikeindex user spotted my bike listed on <b>Offerup</b> and messaged me. I set up a time to "Buy" the bike from the "Holder" of the bike in a Lowe's parking lot. We arrived early and staked out the setting. (Many things redacted here) I went up and confronted them at that point to stall them. The police arrived in about 8 minutes after I called them. The police then confirmed details and I was able to take the bike home with me :D The "holder" was released at the time. But he has other bikes listed for sale on <b>Offerup</b> so avoid (seller name redacted).
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Bianchi VIA NIRONE 7 105 - recovered: 12/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77102/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hiya! This is (redacted) from <a target="_new" href="http://www.browncycles.com">Brown Cycles</a> in Grand Junction, CO. We found your bike! A guy brought it in to sell. We took it in and called the Grand Junction police department. They now have possession of your bike. Hope you get it back soon!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Rocky Mountain Element 970 - recovered: 12/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77094/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found by Colma Police Department ... (no other details available)
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Diamant T3 - recovered: 12/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77105/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
(A Portland citizen) found bike in their yard abandoned, reported to Dept of Transportation who then found me in the Bike Index registry, and it was returned to me within one week of being stolen!!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Pedego Interceptor - recovered: 12/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77103/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The bike was recovered The Santa Barbara Sheriffs recovered the bike in a stolen Porsche that the thief had crashed <a href="https://www.noozhawk.com/article/stolen_porsche_crashes_in_montecito_increase_in_motorcycle_thefts_20161211">near Oprah's house in Montecito</a>.
(The Bike Index notes this is one of the more fantastic bike recovery one liners we've ever received.)
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 STORCK - Olivarius carbon fiber - recovered: 12/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77106/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Police found my bike in parking garage near W Burnside bridge ... (Bike Index notes this bike has no make, model,
serial number, or any identifying marks whatsoever, but police ID'd it via the Bike Index photo.)
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
UNMARKED, NO SERIAL - recovered: 12/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77091/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
How's this for luck?
Bike is stolen. Bike is immediately spotted for sale on <b>Offerup</b>. This bike's <b>Offerup</b> ad is sent out to our police partners in the <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/66825">Bike Theft Task force</a> ... who then leave their office only to see the bike ride directly in front of them. <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/809089627961200641">Bike is then recovered</a>.
Owner says: "Bikes mean the world to me. From the time I was a poor kid growing up in Northeast LA, to the time between college and my stint in the Marines, and now I commute every day on my bike. This was a big faith-in-humanity boost. Thank you." (Bike Index notes this seller's account is still active on <b>Offerup</b>.)
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Beast Of The East - recovered: 12/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77087/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hello! Just a quick note (and sorry if this is late) but the Portland Police Bike Theft officers said they have this bike in their property warehouse and that you can please come get it?
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Vita Sport Disc EQ - recovered: 12/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77101/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hello! Just a quick note (and sorry if this is late) but the Portland Police Bike Theft officers said they have this bike in their property warehouse and that you can please come get it?
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Jamis Coda Sport - recovered: 12/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77086/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Found from a .... g by a person who was brave enough to look at it and check the serial online. Thanks!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Escape - recovered: 12/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77096/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Clackamas County Sheriffs Office is awesome.
They take bike theft seriously and got my bike back to me within a week! I honestly didn't think I'd see it ever again.
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Kona operator - recovered: 12/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77128/large_rose.PNG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Your bike is on Gumtree mate. Definitely yours. I've saved the lads phone number too in case he deletes the ad." -- one of our
rare UK recoveries.
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Rose Uncle Jimbo - recovered: 12/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77088/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Got a call that ... they found it!!! I'm so happy!!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona Jake - recovered: 12/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77093/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I had posted my bike as stolen, with pictures ... A great human being messaged me to say someone was offering my bike as a trade and that it was posted on <b>OfferUp</b>. I then asked a local rider if he would help me get it back, and he was down. So we met up and went to the sale together (Police were unable to get us a unit in time). The thief let me test ride it, so my friend got in his car and drove away as I pedaled out of there! We re-met down the road and put my bike on his car rack and took it home. (name redacted) thanks bro!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Kona Cinder Cone - recovered: 12/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77104/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
There's a small encampment of RVs (where I found the bike) ... and I decided to take the bike back.
Anyhow, there were other bikes there. There was a sea foam green Elektra cruiser and some other bikes. Thought I'd let you know if it will help someone else. I plan to call the San Jose police tomorrow to discuss it.
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Paper Bicycle Step Through - recovered: 12/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77085/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A man bought it from a flea market just 20 miles north of where I lived. After discovering the real value of the bike he realized it must have been stolen. He posted on Craigslist where someone recommended he check out Bike Index, and he contacted me and has returned the bike. Thanks!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek 520 - recovered: 12/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/77108/large_027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I spotted my bike at an encampment less than a mile from my home. I did not have the serial number logged anywhere other than Bike Index, so it was helpful that i could retrieve that info here and use it in my police report, which was crucial in getting my bike back after calling it in. The wheels had been replaced, the light and the fenders removed, but I am glad I do not have to replace the whole thing!
</i><br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Marin Bikes Larkspur - recovered: 12/29/2016</div>
</article>
<p>
.... and that's a wrap for 2016!
</p>
<p>
Thanks to all who made 2016 Bike Index's biggest, most successful year yet. Y'all know who you are.
</p>
<p>
Onward to 2017!
</p>
2016-12-04T22:15:22-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-november-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's November 2016 bike recoveries2016-12-04T22:15:22-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Thankfully, bike thefts tend to drop off as winter hit the US. People ride less when it is cold, so fewer bikes are out in the wild - and thus, less bikes get stolen.</p>
<p>Here at the Bike Index we’re now seeing the seasonal ‘drop’ - but we still helped return a lot of bikes last month! Here are our highlights from November 2016, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>We started the month off with a no-photo, no-serial recovery, which is rare.</li>
<li>We help recover two stolen Yetis in 24 hours.</li>
<li>SF messenger & bike-recovery ninja <a href="https://twitter.com/r27d" target="_new">@r27d</a> is back at it with a Surly recovery,</li>
<li>Several fantastic recoveries from our bike shop partners. Thanks for keeping an eye out, shops! Y'all are awesome.</li>
<li>Bike Index also passed <a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-tops-100k-bikes">100,000k registrations</a> in November! </li>
</ul>
<p>One last plea before 2016 is all over: <b>Please donate to the Bike Index!</b> We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming. We run this whole effort out of pocket, via donations from awesome folks like yourself, and <b>we could always use some help with the bills!</b></p>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">You can donate here</a>, and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.</p>
<p>And now, the November 2016 recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73724/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'I got a call today from a wonderful lady who found it and looked on Bikeindex.org!
Not even a picture or serial number on my profile and now I have my baby back. Unbelievable! Thank you Julie,
and thank you Bike Index!'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1993 Specialized Stumpjumper FS - recovered: 11/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73723/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Hello - your bike was brought in over the weekend for repair. The frame looks to be the only thing left of the original bike. We let the customer know they had bought a stolen bike. He left it at our store.'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Specialized Tricross Sport - recovered: 11/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73725/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Hello - I was forwarded an email regarding a bicycle listed on Bikeindex.org , that we believe is also listed on our Twitter Page <a href="https://twitter.com/getyourbikeback" target="_new">@GetYourBikeBack</a>. It’s a Scott Speedster S30 (Blue/White)...'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Scott Speedster - recovered: 11/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73720/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Hi, I have recovered your bike!!! It is at <a target="_new" href="http://emerys.com/">Emerys Cycling</a>. A thief tried to sell it to us yesterday. I have the police coming in Monday to take the information we collected ... bike is in great shape! Glad to help you out. '</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek 7.3 FX - recovered: 11/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73734/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'The <b>Seattle Police Department</b> recovered this bike, cross-referenced it on Bike Index, and got in touch. Awesome!'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2017 Diamondback Haanjo - recovered: 11/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73735/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike Index: This one's a little different. We found this stolen Vilano Nuovo being sold (on <b>Offerupnow.com</b>) and alerted the owner.
The owner ran a sting with cops, and: 'They did manage to catch the suspect, but it looks like my bike is gone for good. Officer (redacted) said the suspect is a juvenile, and his mother was unable to locate the bike. They said that they will close the case at this point, and that I will probably get restitution whenever the case goes through the court. I just wanted to thank you all for looking into this, even though the police search ended up being unsuccessful. <b>Thanks to your efforts, I might at least get reimbursed for the bike</b>.' </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Vilano Nuovo - NOT recovered: 11/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73726/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A very stand up guy bought my bike for his girlfriend at a Flea Market in Oakland ... '</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bianchi Campione - recovered: 11/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73727/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'The thief posted the bike on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b> the morning after the theft and I was able
to coordinate a response with the police ... thankfully the police did support me while I pretended to purchase the bike.'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Cannondale - recovered: 11/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73736/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Your stolen bike was sold ... to me. :(' (Bike Index reminds everyone we have a nice guide called "<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/how-not-to-buy-a-stolen-bike-online">How Not To Buy A Stolen Bike Online</a>" for people buying bikes online.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Gary Fisher X-Caliber - recovered: 11/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73731/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Please contact <b>Auburn Police</b> about your bike...' (ed: Bike Index thanks Auburn WA PD for using the Bike Index! Glad to have you onboard.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Schwinn Volare - recovered: 11/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73728/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<b>Owner:</b> "Two kind passersby saw my bike in a homeless encampment at Hubble &7th in the Dogpatch and called me. I hustled over there and took it back. This was 24 hours after I listed my bike as stolen. This service is a miracle!!! People are so kind and try so hard to help."
<b>Spotter:</b> "WE DID IT! We recovered the bike!!!!! For whatever reason I didn't see her phone number at first but then I found it and called her. She hightailed it over there, I kept an eye on the bike, and the look on the criminal's face when she confiscated it back was **cking excellent. GO US!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Vita - recovered: 11/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73729/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Got a call from local bike repair shop in downtown Seattle - eight months later I am reunited with my bike. A little different looking after living on the street with gold petals, stickers, but good to have it back home. Kudos to Bike Index and the Brad at <a target="_new" href="https://www.thebicyclerepairshop.com/">The Bicycle Repair Shop</a> at 68 Madison Street, proving that bike people are good people!'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Trek Portland - recovered: 11/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73730/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Someone saw the bike posted for sale online on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b> and then checked with Bike Index. After seeing the bike, the person contacted me saying, "I think I found your bike". I made contact with the seller, involved the police (I had a filed a police report when it was stolen), and the police confronted the seller and recovered the bike.'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Yeti ASR-7 - recovered: 11/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73737/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'I found your bike at the EZ Pawn at 15th and Sheridan. I took a picture of the serial number ...' </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Yeti SB66 - recovered: 11/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73739/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike Index: yet another score by fantastic SF messenger/badass <a twitter="_new" href="https://twitter.com/r27d">@r27d</a> -
"Randall saw someone had listed a Surly on Craigslist for $300. He saw there was a stolen bike matching it's description on the Bike Index, offered
the seller $150 over asking, went to go pick it up and simply said, "I know this bike is stolen." The person handed it over and he got my contact info off the Index and reunited me with my bike! Thanks, Bike Index!!! And THANKS RANDALL!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Kona SUTRA - recovered: 11/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73738/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A person who bought it from someone else looked up the serial number here and contacted me to return the bike ...'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Marin Bikes Fairfax - recovered: 11/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73719/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'It was posted on Craigslist, and I pretended to be buyer and showed up with police ...'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Electra Amsterdam - recovered: 11/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73717/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'After 4 weeks missing, my bike was found chained to a man's fence in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. This great guy noticed the bike, checked the serial number, and found the bike on Bike Index. He called the local police, who notified me! '</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Trek 2.1 - recovered: 11/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73718/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Got a call a few weeks ago by someone saying they think they saw it. It added hope. Then one day as I was biking to work I saw it out of the corner of my eye in a pile of junk at a homeless encampment (under the 1st Ave Bridge and Denver Ave S in Seattle). I proceeded to wait 9 hours for police assistance to get it back. Got fed up with the wait and my wife came with the car and stood watch as I walked into the junk pile and took it back. Scary as sh*t. I don't recommend doing that alone. The bike had major modifications such as bags missing, new seat, replaced rear wheel (minus disc brake), missing handlebar grip and other mad-maxesque adds such as handlebars to the xtracycle and foot pegs. Glad to have it back, cops made me feel like an idiot though waiting for so long. Probably will cost me $500-600 to get it back to normal. Kinda a monkey paw story. '</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Surly 1X1 - recovered: 11/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73733/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Bike was recovered by the <b>University of Washington Police</b> abandoned under a stairwell the same day it was stolen. I got a sweet seat upgrade and some dope stickers, but otherwise my bike was exactly as I had locked it up.' </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Orbea Lanza - recovered: 11/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73722/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Someone read the posts on the Twitter feed and contacted me. I'm feelin' the love!!!'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Specialized Globe Daily - recovered: 11/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73721/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Found the bike in a neighbors yard with the headlight missing. I do not think the neighbor had anything
to do with the theft. We are at least pretty certain the thief is living close to us and will be
looking out for the distinctively bright, modified headlamp that was taken.'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1971 Schwinn RACER - recovered: 11/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/73732/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A woman in the area saw my post and recognized the bike when the thief tried to sell it to her.
She called me and let me know where he was. A friend helped me by cruising the area looking for the guy
and got it back. New Orleans is a tiny city and people who live here are mostly good. Yay, networking.
Thank you for having this site up!'</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1941 Schneider Cruiser - recovered: 11/28/2016</div>
</article>
<p>… and that’s a wrap for November 2016.</p>
<p>We’re already several bike recoveries deep for December, so stay tuned for our Dec. wrap-up coming at the end of the month.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
2016-11-16T18:17:14-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-tops-100k-bikesBIKE INDEX TOPS 100K BIKES2016-11-16T18:17:14-06:00Alex<p><strong>Bike Index celebrates its 100,000th registered bike!</strong></p>
<p>The Bike Index is proud to announce it has registered its 100,000th bike as of November 15, 2016.</p>
<p>“One hundred thousand bikes is a huge milestone for us,” said Bike Index Co-Founder Bryan Hance. “We know that simple, fast, free registration is key, because the more bikes we can get in the system, the more we can recover after a theft. Having 100,000 bikes on file means we’ve hit that critical mass, and that the cycling community knows the Bike Index works wonders when it comes to protecting bikes.”</p>
<p>What is now the largest and most widely used bicycle registration and recovery service in the nation, Bike Index has grown from 18k registrations in 2014 to a whopping 100k+ in 2016 - and we’re just getting started.</p>
<iframe src="https://bikeindex.org/bike_creation_graph?height=400px" style="width: 100%; border: none; height: 400px;"></iframe>
<p>With advancements like our integrated <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/lightspeed-retail--bikeindex--win">Point of Sale platform</a> and our recent partnership with <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online">Leads Online</a>, the largest online investigation system used by law enforcement, we are experiencing unprecedented growth in both registrations and recoveries. Our partnership network continues to expand.</p>
<p>Along the way to 100,000 bikes, the Bike Index has reunited thousands of riders with their <a href="bikeindex.org/news">stolen bikes</a>, helped law enforcement agencies <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/10/20/guest-article-stolen-bike-took-nine-months-recover-166194">identify bike thieves</a>, and helped hundreds of partner shops forge closer relationships by protecting their <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2016/03/30/i-had-given-up-hope-portland-woman-gets-stolen-bike-back-five-years-later-179491">customers’ rides</a>. Bike Index has given the cycling community the tools to fight bike theft, and the community has responded with enthusiasm and support.</p>
<p>Now is an exciting time for Bike Index. We are bigger and more effective than ever. But that doesn’t mean our job is done. Join us. Push us to provide more stellar tools. Push us to recover more stolen bikes. Push us to protect more bikes in your city or community. With your support, help us to hit 200k registered bikes in 2017. Help us to span the globe. Help us fight bike chop shops everywhere. Help us to fight bike theft one serial at a time.</p>
<p>It begins with you. <a href="https://bikeindex.org/users/new">Join Bike Index now.</a></p>
2016-11-06T22:05:07-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's October 2016 bike recoveries2016-11-06T22:05:07-06:00Bryan Hance<p>October was - as the kids say - amazeballs.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>We help recover (via tweet) - a bike that the owner **didn't even register in the Bike Index** - leading to an <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/791482776860041216">epic recovered-bike selfie</a></li>
<li>We make <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clarebydaybyday">@clarebydaybyday</a> <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/clarebydaybyday/status/792505887587840000">cry tears of joy</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/clarebydaybyday/status/792507696008138752" target="_new">over her recovered Mercier</a>)</li>
<li>Our friends in DC make a stellar recovery for a Swiss bike tourist (<a target="_new" href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Swiss-Tourists-Stolen-Bike-Found-Fixed-by-DC-Area-Cycling-Community-400085921.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand">and wind up on TV</a>!)</li>
<li><a target="_new" href="http://pinemountainsports.com">Our friends in Bend</a> make an equally stellar recovery for a local cyclist - in conjunction with Bend OR PD (a new Bike Index partner!)</li>
</ul>
<p>As always - before we begin - I have a quick favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shops about the Bike Index!</b> We always have great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? Seriously … what are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a> - and please tell your friends.</p>
<p>3) Are your local police using Bike Index yet? If not, why not? We’re <em>free</em>, super-effective, and have resources available just for law enforcement. Have them get in touch, we’d love to talk.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! Keep your bikes safe!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72026/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Muni driver turned in to lost and found! A MUNI recovered my stolen bike in the wee hours and called me.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Jamis Coda Comp - recovered: 10/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72006/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A Bike Index user contacted me through this site to let me know they found it in
their complex. If it wasn't for your site I don't know if I would have
ever gotten it back!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1995 KHS Bicycles Mountain Bike - recovered: 10/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72005/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">Stolen bikes NOLA!</a> Ed note:
keep an eye on this spot re: Stolen Bikes Nola - they're doing awesome work. Methinks we're about to hear much
more about this work very soon. ;)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
"Manhattan Green" - recovered: 10/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72028/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike was recovered someone found it at a pawn shop TWO YEARS after it was stolen and ID'd the serial thanks to this database
:)! Police booked the recovered bike as evidence. They are now following up
w/ pawn shop owner to try and find the person who was attempting to
pawn it. No trace of my other bike (MTB) yet but yes, you can now mark the road
bike as recovered (after 2 years ;)!). My hope at this point is that
police follow the trail and catch the thieves.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Cannondale Six13 - recovered: 10/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72014/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The thief apparently held onto my bike
as his personal ride. A few days later, he stole another bike
elsewhere and left mine in order to ride away. Later, he
boldly returned to the scene of the crime to try and recover my bike,
but was turned away by security and had his ID photographed. So we
know who he is!
I was still blown away to not only get my bike back but also have the
thief identified. Never ever expected that. And here I wasn't sure it
was worth going through the registration process. Thanks to you guys!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Cannondale CAAD10-4 - recovered: 10/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72016/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A good Samaritan got in touch with me through this site! Thank you!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant Invite CoMax - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72009/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hi there, I also had my bike stolen :( So I was searching for a cheap second hand bike to replace my stolen
bike and came across *this* bike on craigslist which I bought from a
decent looking man. He said that he's relocating to London so needed
to sell. He produced to me his driver's card which I took a photo of.
I had just found out that this is a stolen bike when I ran the serial
# on bike index :(. I know the
feeling of having your bike stolen as I just had mine stolen on
Saturday ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Priority Bicycles Eight - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72012/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police found my bike in an abandoned house ... (Ed note: <a target="_new" href="http://www.wweek.com/news/2015/11/02/bike-theft-at-reed-college-leads-police-to-chop-shop-behind-secret-passageway/">see also other crazy stories about
bikes being found in abandoned houses</a>)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized HardRock V 650b - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72025/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/aaa/posts/10209760997157710?comment_id=10209761008758000&notif_t=feed_comment&notif_id=1475535949533426">My Panasonic road bike showed up at the Alemany Flea Market</a>
and luckily another cyclist bought it and looked it up on Bike Index for my contact.
Definitely a bummer she had to buy it off the seller but happy to have it back.
Still keeping an eye out for my other two bikes, but so relieved getting this one back!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1986 Panasonic Team Japan - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72004/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police found it being ridden (redacted) ... A couple questions later and a
check of the serial #, and I get a call that they've got my bike for
me!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 specialized sirrus - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72018/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
San Francisco Police Department found my bike
in a park with thieves and searched the serial number online and found
that I had listed it as stolen!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Bianchi San Jose - recovered: 10/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72002/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone attempted to bring this bike to a
local bike shop (in Indianapolis) to sell it. Police were contacted
and recovered my bike.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Circle A Cycles (unknown) - recovered: 10/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72022/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone said they found it, kept it for 6
months, then saw it on Bike Index and returned it. Thanks Bike Index !
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Lapierre Xelius 400 - recovered: 10/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72003/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hello - I just found your bike in our building's recycling area...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Bonita (other) - recovered: 10/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72032/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
An absolutely stellar recovery story pulled together by DC cycling community that goes like this:
1) Cross-country riders (from Switzerland) have 2 Surly bikes stolen on the last leg of their journey, in DC
2) Months later, a Bike Index spotter finds one of the bikes for sale on Offerup (Ed: Because *of course*.)
3) We work with our new DC friends (thanks <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/realchrisolin">Chris O</a>! good lookin' out) who call in MPD, who then were able make an arrest and recover the bike.
This whole fortuitous series of events is then covered by DC's NBC4 in "<a target="_new" href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Swiss-Tourists-Stolen-Bike-Found-Fixed-by-DC-Area-Cycling-Community-400085921.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand">Swiss Tourist's Stolen Bike Found, Fixed by DC-Area Cycling Community</a>"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Surly Long Haul Trucker - recovered: 10/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72019/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I am just reaching out to you to let
you know that a person tried to drop off your bicycle for repair here.
The police have been notified and are on their way. I just thought
that it might be nice to know that it has been found. Thanks, (redacted)
<a target="_new" href="http://www.holyspokespdx.com/">Holy Spokes</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 10/7/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72017/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
An off duty cop found it
in a homeless camp in the city and used Bike Index to contact me. The bike was
stripped of almost everything, but the shifters were still on it, at least.
I think that there was also big raid, related to this -
"<a target="_new" href="http://www.kgw.com/news/crime/prolific-bike-thief-burglar-arrested-portland-police-say/326264446">Prolific bike
thief, burglar arrested</a>".
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 10/7/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72008/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Good Samaritan "Mitch" saw this post after
buying it from 'dealer' and returned it today. He was told by a friend
of my listing on here (Bike Index)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Santa Cruz 5010 - recovered: 10/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72031/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police patrolled a homeless encampment and
found a bunch of stolen bikes. They looked each up on the police
records and Bike Index. Since the bike was stolen that morning, my
police record hadn't been processed yet. They said if it wasn't for
Bike Index my bike would have never made it back to me. Thank you!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Cypher 1 - recovered: 10/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72010/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Transit Police spotted at Gateway
Transit Center and checked serial number on Bike Index.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Disc - recovered: 10/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/71999/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Seattle bike shop checked this registry while doing
repairs and called me -- Thanks <a href="http://www.recycledcycles.com/">Recycled Cycles</a>!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Kona Rove al - recovered: 10/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72007/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police called after checking registration, found at a home with
multiple other stolen bikes.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Escape 3XL Satin - recovered: 10/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72030/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Seattle police caught them ..." (Ed: little else known re: this one except we're
happy to see SPD using social media more and more in order to identify stolen bike owners)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cervélo S3- recovered: 10/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72020/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
<a target="_new" href="http://bayareabikes.com/">Bay Area Bikes</a> called me, saying that
someone had brought in the bike for work, and saw it listed stolen in
the Bike Index. I confirmed the bike stolen, and forwarded receipt
information. An Oakland PD officer later called me to confirm receipt,
and theft details, and returned my bike!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bianch volpe - recovered: 10/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72021/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A police officer found my bike behind an
abandoned house a few miles from where it was stolen. He found the bike
on Bike Index immediately after he had recovered it! I had filed a
police report at the same time as reporting it as stolen on Bike Index,
but the poliece report for whatever reason, bid not show up yet, he did not even know I had filed one yet!
He gave me a call using my Bike Index info, and my bike was back with me within a
few hours of being found, Amazingly fast! They spray painted it
grey! I've got to give the guy credit, he tried really hard to do a
good job, removing the wheels, taping off certain parts to attempt a
cleaner look and preserve the RALEIGH logos! He scratched off the part
of the saddle that said "lady", swapped my pedals out with some sweet
retro platforms, and added a sturdy water bottle cage and headlight.
I feel so fortunate to have it back. Thank
You, Thank You, Thank You!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Raleigh RXW - recovered: 10/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72011/large_027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> (Ed note: this single bike recovery tip led to all three of this registrant's bikes being
located from the assumed thieves. Certain details omitted here to protect various folks.)
" Thank you to those who are in the bike
community and KNOW when they see something that doesn't add up and
take the time out of their busy day to take action!!! I am amazed and
impressed. We couldn't have recovered all THREE bikes without your
help. "
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Ahearn Cycles - recovered: 10/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72001/large_028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
An alert bikeindex.org member spotted it way across the city - where I never would have found it -
and when I went to the location he saw it at, it was still there and I was able to recover
it from the thief.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek Allant 7.2 - recovered: 10/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72015/large_029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Ed note: just FYI we helped recover Abra's bike *even though she didn't register it on the Bike Index*.
We only <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/791033508449751040">tweeted out a photo of Abra's sexy maroon black-and-white taped mixtie</a>, which promptly alerted our friends at
<a target="_new" href="portlandbicycletours.com">Cycle Portland</a> when someone wheeled it into their shop.
(<a target="_new" href="https://www.portlandbicycletours.com/2016/11/01/happy-endings/">They wrote
this blog post about the recovery - be sure to check it out.</a>)
We kept in touch with Abra on Facebook during this recovery and it was pretty bananas - she's had the bike since she was
18 and was obviously blown away to hear it walked into a local shop.
<a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/791482776860041216">Also, we love her bike-recovery photo</a>!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Peugeot mixtie with black/white bar tape - recovered: 10/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72029/large_030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The majority of the credit goes to Bike
Index here. They contacted me because they found a posting on Offerup (Ed: because, again, of course)
that sounded like my bike. After I set up a meeting with the seller I
contacted Portland Police and they took it from there. Many thanks to
Bike Index and Portland Police Department!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Surly Straggler - recovered: 10/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72023/large_031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The transit police just found it!! Yay!! (Ed: it is unclear which city's transit cops this was)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Giant Escape 3 - recovered: 10/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72024/large_032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Tipster: "There is a blue Mercier that matches that photo (but with a different
seat) locked up outside a camper that is squatting at SE 16th and
Taggart." (Ed note: Portland has a lot of methy RV's that move from neighborhood
to neighborhood, generally wreaking havoc, and this bike was spotted outside
of one of such said methy RV's.)
<br />
Owner: "I got an email from Bike Index letting me
know that a bike that matched mine had been seen. I drove to the spot,
and knew immediately it was mine. It was locked to a tree. I
called the police and they dispatched an officer who
was incredibly helpful. I was able to prove to him that the bike was
mine. We called a locksmith who
was able to cut the u-lock, and my bike has been returned. <a href="https://twitter.com/clarebydaybyday/status/792507696008138752">I am elated</a>
and <a href="https://twitter.com/clarebydaybyday/status/792505790619758592">so thankful for Bike Index</a>!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Mercier Elle - recovered: 10/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72027/large_033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
(Ed note: this is one of our first recoveries by our friends in Bend OR.)
"A huge Thank You!!! to <a href="https://pinemountainsports.com/">Pine Mountain Sports</a> in Bend, OR who
spotted it for sale on Craigslist, and for the amazing work of Officer Tim
Williams of the Bend Police Department for his diligence and
perseverance in locating it and seizing it from the perpetrators! It
takes a village and I am forever grateful!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Veloforma F1R - recovered: 10/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/72013/large_034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"The guy sold it to a pawn shop. We went right to the cops and they found our other
bike had been brought by an employee there also. The guy who stole
them has been arrested as he was found to have other car break ins in
the area. Remembering to have the serial numbers and pictures is a
huge help! We only owned our bikes for a month before they were stolen
so looking forward to getting more miles on them ourselves."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Quick Cx3 - recovered: 10/31/2016</div>
</article>
<p>
And that's it for October, folks! Be sure to keep your bikes safe and I'll catch you in November.
PS - In case you missed our big announcement regarding pawn shops, check out "<a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-online">Bike Index Partners With Leadsonline!</a>"
</p>
2016-11-02T09:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-partners-with-leads-onlineBike Index partners with LeadsOnline!2016-11-02T09:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>The Bike Index is excited to announce a fantastic new partner in our fight against bike theft - <strong>LeadsOnline!</strong></p>
<p>LeadsOnline provides the nation’s largest online investigation system used by law enforcement investigators. Thousands of pawn and secondhand businesses across all 50 states report their daily transactions via LeadsOnline. Law enforcement investigators then use LeadsOnline to search for
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/71225/large_lologo.JPG" />
stolen property and suspects, including bikes and bike thieves. Nearly 4,000 law enforcement agencies contract with LeadsOnline. Through the corporation of reporting business and law enforcement, investigators are able to efficiently recover stolen items sold across jurisdictional lines. Even if the law enforcement agency is not on the national LeadsOnline network, investigators may contact LeadsOnline for no cost assistance regarding a bike theft.</p>
<p>“We’re elated to work with LeadsOnline,” said Bryan Hance of Bike Index. “We know that bike thieves try to ‘game the system’ by pawning stolen bikes immediately after a theft – often in a different city or state - and LeadsOnline has an outstanding solution to that exact problem.”</p>
<p>In addition to filing a police report, registering a stolen bike with Bike Index helps law enforcement look for it in more places than is otherwise possible, and keep searching until the case is resolved. “Law enforcement investigators will go to great lengths to recover stolen bikes, and LeadsOnline is regarded as a helpful resource for them. In one case, the Santa Clara County California Sheriff’s Office used LeadsOnline to locate and recover more than $50,000 in inventory, including carbon fiber bikes that had been stolen from a business in Cupertino. In another case, a detective found a stolen bike via LeadsOnline, and then used his personal vehicle and vacation time to recover the bike in another state and return it to its owner,” said Ashley Sacrider, LeadsOnline Director of Operations.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/71224/large_bilogo.png" /></p>
<p>Thanks to <a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation/api_v2">Bike Index’s open API</a> and <a href="https://www.leadsonline.com/main/services/leadsonline.php">LeadsOnline’s national investigations system</a>, LeadsOnline checks its bicycle transactions against the Bike Index stolen bike reports continually and reports any alerts to law enforcement when a stolen bike is found. Law enforcement officers can then use Bike Index’s owner-provided photographs and bicycle configuration details to further assist with identification.</p>
<p>“LeadsOnline has very impressive technology, and Bike Index has great data on stolen bikes, so this is a productive mix,” said Hance. “By giving LeadsOnline our data, we know investigators will have the best information they need to efficiently work these cases – and that more stolen bikes will come home.”</p>
<p><strong>About Bike Index:</strong></p>
<p>The Bike Index is the largest, most successful bicycle registration system. With over 97,000 bikes on file, 3,400 stolen bike recoveries, and 320+ partners in retail, law enforcement, bike shops and schools, the Bike Index chases bike thieves and recovers bikes on a grand scale. See our bike recovery stories at <a href="bikeindex.org/news">https://bikeindex.org/news</a> for more.
Inquiries? contact@bikeindex.org</p>
<p><strong>About LeadsOnline:</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://leadsonline.com">LeadsOnline</a> is the nation’s largest online investigative system used by more than 3,800 law enforcement agencies to recover stolen property and solve crimes. Each day, millions of items are added to the LeadsOnline database by businesses including second-hand stores, scrap metal recyclers, pawnshops, and Internet drop-off stores across all 50 states. Those records are instantly available to law enforcement agencies, meaning crimes can be solved in seconds, not months. Each year, LeadsOnline is credited with recovering millions of dollars in stolen goods and solving thousands of crimes that are often associated with bigger crimes, such as homicide, identity theft, and arson.
Visit <a href="https://www.leadsonline.com/main/success/all-stories.php">leadsonline.com</a> to see examples of cases solved by investigators using LeadsOnline.
Inquiries? support@leadsonline.com</p>
2016-10-11T00:00:47-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-september-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's September 2016 bike recoveries 2016-10-11T00:00:47-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Not a single day went by in September when we weren’t recovering bikes or working on simultaneous recoveries. September was one of our busiest months in a long time - it is as if the thieves are getting in one last big hurrah before the weather turns cold.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Several SF area cargobikes found with the assistance of our fantastic 'spotters' - apparently enormous, brightly colored cargobikes are easy to spot ... </li>
<li>Also - our first Faraday recovery! (Yes, <a href="https://twitter.com/faradaybikes?lang=en">@faradaybikes</a> you should send us a Faraday in return as a thank you. Please. Please?)</li>
<li>A known 'chop shop' house in Portland OR yields yet another stolen bike thanks to an alert neighbor ... pretty sure it won't be the last, but they're on the radar now, so stay tuned.</li>
<li>A Salsa Mariachi that has been spotted several times in the last several months *finally* gets recovered</li>
<li>Lots of recoveries & assists from our law enforcement friends in Portland Police Bureau and other agencies across the US</li>
</ul>
<p>As always - before we begin - I have a quick favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We always have great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? Seriously … what are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a> - and please tell your friends.</p>
<p>3) Are your local cops using Bike Index yet? If not, why not? We’re free, effective, and have special resources available just for law enforcement. Have them get in touch, we’d love to talk.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! Keep your bikes safe!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69587/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Gents from <a href="http://abrahamfixesbikes.com/">Abraham's Fixes Bikes</a> in Portland saw it, threw a lock on it, and called the police.
The "perp" upon discovery of the lock, took the front wheel and jetted. Bike Index and the great bike folks in Portland do it again!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Salsa El Mariachi - recovered: 9/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69580/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was recovered - turned into Stafford County Sheriff's Office, id'd and returned :)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Roadmaster - recovered: 9/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69584/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Portland Bike Theft Task Force recovered my bike this morning on the Portland waterfront! See <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/771769259059847168">this tweet from @ppbbiketheft</a></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 9/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69588/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"An observer downtown saw my bicycle was listed on Bike Index and called the Portland Bureau of Police,
who made the arrest and released my bicycle to me :)"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Bianchi ISEO - recovered: 9/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69582/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone found my stolen bike, ID'd it, and returned it to me! Very fortunate! Thanks ... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Surly Long Haul Trucker - recovered: 9/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69581/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was purchased, checked it at the time and it came back clean. Days later, it pops up as stolen, and is then returned. "I'm a bike guy and
believe in karma..." says the finder.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized - recovered: 9/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69585/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another score from SF's very successful and very busy <a target="_new" href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a> who have
been running around SF, ID'ing and pulling bikes back for a few months. We're looking forward to seeing what they have coming up for SF in the future!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Giant OCR3 - recovered: 9/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69589/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I placed a link to my stolen bike's Bike Index listing on local cycling club pages.
A detective here had already found my bike and was posting on one, trying
to locate an owner. Others on the page recognized the connection between our
two posts and linked us together. I had my bike back in less than 48 hours from when it was stolen!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Specialized Allez Comp 27 - recovered: 9/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69583/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I contacted SPD - I purchased your bike :( give me a call"</i></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Tricross Sport - recovered: 9/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69586/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Yet another "Hello, I bought your bike, didn't realize it was stolen until a year later, sorry!" stories - but summed up nicely
in this <a href="https://t.co/6dS6tHTLwn">blog post by the owner</a> (LinkedIn Blog, login required) -
"Long story short, this kind, generous, fellow cyclist made my day. Bike Index made it possible. I cannot thank them enough, which is why I'm writing this post to illustrate that this process works. I'm loving the ride, and grateful for it."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Spot Highline - recovered: 9/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69596/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovery by a fellow cyclist who stumbled upon a Seattle encampment with this stolen Cervélo soloist: "I came upon a dude wearing snowboard boots and 7 layers of clothing fiddling with two bikes. It was pretty obvious that this guy didn't have any idea what he had and that the bike was stolen ... He didn't really put up much of a fuss and I rode home with the bike. Within 2 minutes of posting it on Facebook we found the guy on your site and he just picked it up!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Cervelo soloist - recovered: 9/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69619/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A friend of a friend of a friend saw a sketchy looking dude riding around and realized it wasn't right..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant Trance - recovered: 9/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69613/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" Someone bought it in a flea market down in San Jose, saw it posted here on BikeIndex.org,
and then reached out. :) Got the frame back that but's the heart of a bike. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Custom Paul Hewitt Cycles - recovered: 9/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69600/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" Purchased from the thief by a guy that tunes & flips bikes. Upon seeing the serial number listed on Bike Index, he contacted me and returned the bike!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized - recovered: 9/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69616/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>" I went to (an SF homeless encampment) after receiving your message, and I saw the frame with my custom windshield so I knew it was definitely mine. I called the cops, reported the situation and the fact that there is at least 20 bike frames and lots of bike parts... I really appreciated your help, you and the Bike Index community are really an awesome moral support..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Larry Vs Harry Clockwork Orange - recovered: 9/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69615/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Recovered via Web sleuthing (stolen bike posted on <b>OfferUpNow</b>) and partnership with the Portland Bike Theft Task Force."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Gary Fisher - recovered: 9/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69612/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found at the Berkeley Bart Bike Station, in cooperation with Berkeley Police. Contacted me as a result
of registering serial number in Bike Index ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Raleigh RX 2.0 - recovered: 9/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69595/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"The person who stole it tried to sell it on the street; the buyer, a good guy, guessed that the bike
was stolen so he bought it; he looked on-line and learned that it was my bike..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Felt Cafe 24 - recovered: 9/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69742/large_fix3.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone came into <a href="http://kozy.com/">Kozy's Cyclery</a> to get the spokes fixed after they were cut
(when it was stolen). The mechanic thought it looked fishy and looked up on the Bike Index and saw my posting.
They called the police, the police called me and shared with me the news they found my bike!
I was just about to file a claim to buy a new one when they called! Great luck."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Felt speed 40 - recovered: 9/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69592/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Earlier this week I was riding my bike and saw a homeless guy with a titanium mountain bike. He was working with it and it looked out of place. I thought to myself, I would hope that if my bike was stolen and someone seeing it might figure out a way to get it back to me. So I asked the guy about it & I looked at it pretty closely ... (redacted) .... I took it home and punched the serial number into Bike Index and lo & behold the bike was stolen in Eugene back in July... "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Unknown/other Titanium - recovered: 9/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69689/large_bab.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone brought it into <a target="_new" href="http://bayareabikes.com/">Bay Area Bikes</a> for a tune-up, they ID'd it from the BikeIndex.org posting, and then the police brought it back to me! If it weren't for this site, I would never have gotten it back - thank you so much!!!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Salsa Casseroll - recovered: 9/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69603/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hi my name is (redacted )and today I purchased your bike for $200. I ran the serial number and found out it was
stolen..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 SCOTT SUB 20 - recovered: 9/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69591/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Police found my bike abandoned, looked it up in the Bike Index and reached out to me via email..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus - recovered: 9/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69601/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, My name is (redacted) at (redacted) Seattle. We have your bike in the shop. It was brought in by a sketchy looking character. Please contact me at the store...."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 GT Bicycles Track Frame - recovered: 9/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69606/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Homeless encampment @ 3rd & Potrero (in SF) ... " Bike Index notes how successful our SF spotters are doing in SF
by taking photos of suspect bikes and encampments and tweeting them to our SF twitter feed, <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">@stolenbikessfo</a></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Other Road / Cyclocross - recovered: 9/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69593/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello, this evening I purchased few bikes from some crackheads
for cheap with intention of finding their rightful owners
and I believe one of them belongs to you ... call me"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 SCOTT Aspect 920 - recovered: 9/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69594/large_027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A woman contacted me after discovering that bike someone was trying to sell her was my stolen Bianchi.
She looked up the serial number on the Bike Index and found me! "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Bianchi San Jose - recovered: 9/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69692/large_fix.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"My bike was stolen and came up for sale online ...
I was able to bait them into taking to a bike shop to get checked out. They confirmed it was
my bike, we called the cops, the bad guys ran away, and I have my bike back. Hopefully,
that's the end to it ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Blue AC1 SL Limited Edition Competition - recovered: 9/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69691/large_GG.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone from Bike Index notified me of a posting (of my stolen bike) on <b>OfferupNow.com</b>. I then coordinated with local police and setup a sting and got my bike back. The perp was taken away in handcuffs. <b>Thank you Bike Index for your thankless work</b>!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail Beta - recovered: 9/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69605/large_029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Yes!! It was fast! And, Bike Index helped immensely! The officer recovered it from a known offender ... He actually recovered it before my bike was officially reported (it took a couple hours for officers to make it to my house to get the information). This morning, he checked Bike Index and connected me with my bike! I'm so thankful for Officer Conway and Bike Index!!"</i> The Bike Index notes here how much they really, really want a Faraday. Please, <a href="https://twitter.com/faradaybikes">@Faradaybikes</a> ... please give the Bike Index a Porteur :)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Faraday Porteur - recovered: 9/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69608/large_030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Found my bike listed on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b>. Coordinated a meet up with thief and cops ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Marin Bikes Cortina T3 CX - recovered: 9/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69611/large_031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A Portland Police bureau detective matched my stolen bike on BikeIndex.org ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fuji Sportif - recovered: 9/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69620/large_032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"<b>I had three different people contact me about this online sale based on my Bike Index listing...</b> The Boston police asked me to set up a meeting with the (online) seller. They went with me, verified the serial number, and returned my bicycle."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 All City Space Horse - recovered: 9/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69618/large_033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A very long and convoluted story involving shipping fraud. We now have the thief's name and info, however: "Hood River police ... left voicemails to the thief, threatening a warrant on 2 felony counts. They gave him 24 hours to return the bike and we received a phone call the next day from a third party (to recover the bike)"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Workcycles FR8 2013 - recovered: 9/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69598/large_034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"... one of the members of the Bike Index recovered it and brought it home to me ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Unknown/other/unlisted 2013 - recovered: 9/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69610/large_035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A neighbor told the family who found my bike about Bike Index and they
looked me up! My bike had made it all the way across town. It was such a good surprise and a good story."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Hardrock A1 FS - recovered: 9/25/2016</div>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69617/large_036.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hi I think I accidentally bought your stolen devinci minus yesterday. Please call me..." Then:"
I just called and spoke to (redacted). The serial matches my stolen bike. My accessories like my Garmin,
toolbag and mudguards are also there... I will divulge more details later but as I would not like to
compromise the investigation. (Other high value bikes bikes were stolen from our complex the same night)"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Devinci Minus RS Fat-bike- recovered: 9/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69597/large_037.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I officially got my bike back today and wanted to send my sincerest thanks to Bike Index for making it happen.
It was stolen a year ago and I never thought I would see it again. Bike Index member DR
saw my bike on a local police auction site, sent me an email through my Bike Index posting and the rest is history.
Thanks for the great service you provide and for helping me recover my bike!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Lynskey Viale - recovered: 9/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69609/large_038.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A really rad member of the Portland community saw my bike and contacted me through Bike Index.
I had my bike back an hour later. <b>I've had this bike for 14 years</b>, so I'm really happy to have it back!
Bryan and the Bike Index team was super helpful with keeping me up to date throughout the 4 days it was missing.
Thanks to the team and all of the people of Portland who helped return my bike to me!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2003 Marin Bikes Verona - recovered: 9/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69602/large_039.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A bike mechanic at SF Caltrain thought it looked suspicious ... They looked it up and called me!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek - recovered: 9/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69614/large_040.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I found someone selling it on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b>. I tried to get ahold of them, but they never responded.
So I contacted OfferUp and the cops - and posted the link on a Facebook group for our neighborhood.
<b>The first person that responded on FB was the seller’s mother</b>. She said she'd find out if it was my bike and get back to me.
I sent her here so she could verify the serial number. It was my bike, and she ended up giving it back."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Novara Safari - recovered: 9/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69607/large_041.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone here on Bike Index tipped me off that it was at a certain address.
I found it there, called the cops, and they searched the yard. They gave my
bike back to me, and seized other stolen bikes from the yard.
Thank you Bike Index and good Samaritan tip person! " (Bike Index notes: if you're going to chop bikes and generally
annoy your neighbors, you should probably stop leaving your collection of stolen goods where those neighbors can see them.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
BikeE recumbents - recovered: 9/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/69599/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another stolen cargo bike in SF - many folks spotted this on and off for weeks but it was <a href="https://twitter.com/sfwom1/status/781554562461110272">this tweet</a>
that lead to the recovery: "Bike successfully recovered! Totally trashed, but frame appears to be in one piece so that's something.
Thanks for your help in letting me know about the sighting! And for the awesomeness that is Bike Index :)
Twitter users noticed bike in possession of a homeless guy in the Bayview
neighborhood of SF, identified it from Bike Index listing and posted it. SFPD Bayview station were notified and made the recovery."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Larry Vs Harry Bullitt Bluebird- recovered: 9/29/2016</div>
</article>
So! I'll leave you with one crazy stat about all these stolen bikes:
We ran a quick estimate on the total est value of all these recovered bikes, using online sources and resale data - and because of some of the real stand-outs in here (the cargo bikes, the Faraday, that <a target="_new" href="http://rideblue.com/ac1-sl/">Blue AC1 SL Limited Edition</a> etc) our best guess estimate says we helped recover over **$60,000 in stolen bikes in September**.
Think about that. $60k in bikes, and we're not even touching a fraction of a fraction of what we could be doing here.
-Bryan
And that's it! Not a bad month!
-Bryan
</article>
2016-09-05T17:18:44-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-august-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's August 2016 bike recoveries 2016-09-05T17:18:44-05:00Bryan Hance<p>August was pretty bananas here at the Bike Index. Lots of recoveries, lots of near-misses, lots of exciting new partnerships coming along - and a nice Bike Index mention in <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/2108066/emerald-citys-velo-thieves-have-problem-bike-batman">Outside magazine</a>! :O</p>
<p>I’m going to switch it up a bit in this edition and include some of our ‘misses’ - stolen bikes that were spotted & flagged, but still got away. It’s nice to focus on all the bikes we recover, but there’s a lot to be learned from bikes that get away, so I’m sharing some of those stories as well.</p>
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul>
<li>Nice recoveries by our friends at the <b>University of Washington</b> and <b>LAPD</b></li>
<li>A stolen Waterford that went over <b>100 miles</b>, recovered by our friends at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/discoverybikeslb/">Discovery Bikes Long Beach</a></li>
<li>Prolific SF spotter and all around ninja <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a> rocked multiple recoveries this month, one of them a very unique cargo trike</li>
<li>We help ID and return a stolen bike registered in <b>somebody else's</b> registration system (SFSAFE's) because, hey, we're good like that</li>
</ul>
<p>As always - before we begin - quick favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? Seriously … you’re killin’ me here … what are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! Keep your bikes safe!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<p>Here’s our August recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65305/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by University of Washington Police Dept!</i> -- Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/uw_police">@uw_police</a>! We're always grateful to our university Bike Index users :)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 TREK EMONDA S5 - recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65306/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Finder of the bike called me!</i> Ed note: No other info provided - sometimes we simply don't get a whole lot to go on other than
the original spotter tip and messages like this. (Not even a "thanks!" - which always kills me ... )
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Supercycle Tempo - recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65307/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The awesome <b>Brady McCash</b> (show below) at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/discoverybikeslb/">Discovery Bikes</a> in Long Beach WA pulled this stunning stolen <b>Waterford</b> back once he id'd it in the Bike Index. This bike was stolen from Portland Oregon, and Brady's in Long Beach WA - which means this bike hopped state lines and went over <b>100 miles</b>. Crazy! Brady has a long history of bike recovery - "<i>That was the 23rd bike I've recovered stolen - Thanks for the awesome site and support to stop bike thieves</i>" --- Thanks Brady! Hope you enjoy the Bike Index schwag we sent your way :)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Waterford Touring Frame - recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65311/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by local bike shop ICS ... the (rider) wanted to change the tires!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Felt Speed 22 - recovered: 8/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65310/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Spotted for sale on <a href="http://govdeals.com">govdeals.com</a>, where Portland Oregon's seized bikes go to auction when
they are unclaimed. There's one lone & fantastic Bike Index user who routinely
spots and flags bikes posted for sale that are also listed in Bike Index. Owner says: "<i>That is indeed my bike!
Thank you so much for the email. I contacted the property dept. and they still need to verify my police report ...Still, very exciting.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Lynskey Viale - spotted: 8/3/2016 - recovery pending</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65309/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A man purchased my stolen bike from a woman (assumed thief) on <b>Craigslist</b>. He googled the serial number to
purchase parts (since the thieves damaged my bike) and noticed through Bike Index it was stolen. He contacted me and returned it. A
true good Samaritan to whom I'm forever grateful - An amazing story that showcases the goodness of humanity!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Specialized Ruby Elite - recovered: 8/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65314/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A person within two blocks found my bike after another bike theft.
They Looked up the bike on Bike Index and got my contact info!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Rocky Mountain Bicycles Etsx 50 - recovered: 8/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65317/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Bike was found in a hotel room in Milpitas, approximately 10 miles from location of the theft. Milpitas Police confiscated the bicycle, checked
the serial number, identified it as my bike ... case is still undergoing investigation."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Allez - recovered: 8/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65315/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Our friends at <b><a href="http://www.lapdonline.org/west_la_community_police_station">LAPD</a></b> found and ID'd this stolen Specialized Crosstrail Disc, returned it, and covered their recovery in this piece on <a href="http://www.lapdonline.org/home/news_view/61158">lapdonline.com</a>. LAPD is just getting started with Bike Index, but we're excited to help them fight bike theft from here on out :) See also "<a href="http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/08/29/lapd-detectives-reunite-man-with-bicycle-thanks-to-free-registration-site/">LAPD Detectives Reunite Man With Bicycle Thanks To Free Registration Site</a>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Crosstrail Disc - recovered: 8/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65331/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The fantastic <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTimeLandis">@RealTimeLandis</a> found a stolen
<a href="https://twitter.com/RealTimeLandis/status/765207908745302018">Virtue Bike Classic</a> and reached out to us over Twitter.
Upon checking out the photos, we noticed a <b>SFSAFE/Safebikes</b> sticker with a registration number on it -
however the <a href="http://sfsafe.force.com/seriallookup">SFSafe serial lookup</a> was returning nada. Zip. Zero! Super frustrating! So:
We reached out to a contact in SFSAFE & found the owner, the bike was returned, and everybody wins. Apparently the SFSAFE/SAFEBIKES serial search only searches the <b>manufacturer's serial number</b>, and not the <b>SAFE Bikes Registration number</b> ... which, um.... yeah. I got nothin'. SFSAFE, I may be biased here but perhaps you should let us fix that for you! :P
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Allez - recovered: 8/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65318/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen Giant was spotted on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b>, ID'd via unique item still attached on the bike, so we took it up with the owner over email: "<i>This is the person that was selling it....in case you see other stolen bikes on there</i>." (Owner contacts seller here and much of the usual happens, ending with the seller saying he sold it) -- Later: "<i>YAY!!! I'm getting my bike back. His sale to the pawn shop alerted the police.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Rincon SE- recovered: 8/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65345/large_jungle.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A good Samaritan saw my bike and emailed me. Seattle PD was called but the bike not recovered right then ... a
week later, the same cops are in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle_(Seattle)">The Jungle</a> (Seattle's notorious homeless encampment / sprawling mess) and he recognized by bike from the previous week! Thanks guys!"</i> (photo shows 'The Jungle')
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
(redacted) - recovered: 8/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65322/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
There's a prolific SF spotter and all around ninja (now tweeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a>) who spotted this amazing stolen <a href="http://www.butchersandbicycles.com/">Butchers and Bicycles</a> cargo trike just a few days after it was taken - <i>"Listed our stolen cargo trike with you and got a notification from (redacted) -- Hubby scanned for it with undercover cops. We recovered at Best Buy near
Division (in SF). Thank you so much for the eyes and support!! Wouldn't have found it (in one piece) without you."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Butchers And Bicycles Cargo Trike - recovered: 8/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65328/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by the <a href="http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/">Berkeley Police Department</a> (longtime friends of the Bike Index!) and ID'd via its Bike Index listing
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Tarmac - recovered: 8/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65334/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This was a fun one - I saw this tip on a stolen bike here in Portland come in while biking home - (Thanks BD! you rock!) - <i>"There is a bike that looks just like this on the corner of (redacted) -- it is a known vagrant camp".</i> Oddly enough, I was only about <b>six blocks away</b> at the time, so I rode by and met the spotter - who had by now confirmed the serial and called the police. While the officers came and recovered the bike, we called the owner, who was out of town at the time but pretty happy to hear from us.
Here's what she said, later: "<i>It's my bike. You guys are awesome. We know all our stuff is inside but there's not much the cop can do since no one will open the door. We are going after these people.. Thanks for being such rock stars. I can't thank you enough... Seriously. Thanks so
much. Everyone seems to know that this house is a problem, including (redacted) my coworkers who bike by it, and neighbors on Next Door.</i>" Later: "<i>Also, via next door website, a family found their stolen older Burley trailer sitting in the front yard of this house yesterday</i>." Needless to say this house is on our list now ...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Trek Allant 7.4 - recovered: 8/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65330/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">Stolen Bikes Nola</a>!</i> <b>Ed:</b> Speaking of Stolen Bikes Nola -
they're undergoing some hard times and are now running a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/sbnola">GoFundMe</a>. If you know anybody
in the New Orleans area who cares about fighting bike theft, let them know. They've recovered hundreds of bikes and are a good crew - support them
if you can!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Trek 3500 Disc- recovered: 8/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65333/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Long story here, but here's the tl;dr: Two bikes stolen. One bike immediately spotted on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b>. Owner somehow <b>tracked down the seller</b> to their home address using some crazy detective skills - and spots their bikes. Cops are engaged. (The owner, to police: "<i>Screenshot shows the “Other Items” for sale on “<b>Offerupnow.com</b>”. These items can be used to match to a user on “Letgo” who is listing identical items...</i>") After much chasing ... "<i>I basically tracked down where the apartment where the seller had lived for a short period, Officer interrogated the lessee, lessee gave up name of the seller, Officer dealt with OfferUp and LetGo ... Officer contacted both, buyer said she traded a bike + $100 for mine (claiming did not know it was stolen, that’s a bit sketchy but..) and now the bike is in the officer’s hands.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Specialized Sirrus A1 - recovered: 8/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65321/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Someone reached out to me through Bike Index as they found an ad on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b> that matched my stolen bike. After coordinating with the police on a planned meeting with the seller to "buy" the bike, the bike was recovered and the seller was handcuffed and sent to jail. This was also a good learning opportunity, since the city of Salt Lake City requires bike registration for all bikes - I wasn't aware of this. I also considerably upgraded my bike lock and am revisiting my insurance policy."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Fuji SLM 2.2 LE - recovered: 8/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65326/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another recovery from the awesome crew at <a href="http://wtfbikes.net/">WTFBikes</a> in Portland OR - <i>"Hey! I have your bike! I am at WTFbikes ..."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek Cobia - recovered: 8/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65325/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Redacting a lot of info here, but ... another Stolen Bikes NOLA score - <i>"I am sitting here laughing how this all went down and wanted to say thanks again man!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
FUJI - recovered: 8/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65332/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Found by a very observant person at the Wagon Wheel Flea Market (Pinellas Park, FL) - displayed for sale and then ID'd ... This person then called the police and an officer worked quickly to recover the bike. I hope that I can pass this good deed forward one day!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.5 C - recovered: 8/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65346/large_LETGO.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I got a call from a stranger telling me that he saw my bike for sale on <a href="http://letgo.com">letgo.com</a> .. What a guy! Is everyone that diligent? I offered to buy the bike and we met in a parking lot. I called the police as he was pulling into the parking lot, bought time “test riding” and heckling, and waited for the cops to show up. They immediately arrested him for <b>multiple outstanding warrants</b>. Both wheels and pedals were swapped out for lesser quality gear but still a big success!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Scott Aspect 940 - Recovered: 8/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65320/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Thank you so much Joe and Bike Index!! Joe saw a sketchy ad on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b>, checked on Bike Index and contacted me. We set up a buy and got the cops involved ... and I got my bike back!!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cervélo R3 - 8/31/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65351/large_fsots.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>A person bought the bike from someone on the street and then checked Bike Index to see if it was a stolen bike. We had registered the bike and so he found it and contacted us. On Monday morning we were lamenting the loss of the bike. By Tuesday evening we had the bike back and were grateful for our good Samaritan and for Bike Index.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Bianchi Boardwalk - recovered 8/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65327/large_028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>This bike and another was discovered at a pawnshop via (flagged) <b>Craigslist</b> posting 9 after the theft!
Remarkably, the bikes were reported to the City of Pittsburgh and the serial numbers were given (as is required by law)
HOWEVER, apparently the police don't share stolen serial numbers with pawnshops -
Since the pawn shop can not search for stolen serial numbers they did
not know the bike was stolen (because, you know... everyone who owns a relatively new and fairly expensive
mountain bike is willing to sell it to a pawnshop for 4.5% of the purchase price, right?) and the detectives who had the serial number
did not make the connection between the police report and the pawnshop report. I pointed out my Bike Index page to the pawnshop and they were interested in a more effective method of identifying stolen bikes ... </i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Giant Trance X 29er 1 - recovered 8/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65324/large_030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Gresham police got it back for me. They are awesome!!</i>" Ed: noting here that Gresham police are, in fact, awesome - they've hooked up a number of recoveries through us over the years - thanks Gresham PD!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Salsa Casseroll - 8/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65329/large_031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>The bike was found on campus ... with <b>the bike registration decal scraped off</b> and the wire
basket missing. Bike is still functional. Good karma from you guys - thanks!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Roadmaster Mt. Fury - 8/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65350/large_lovejoy.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Bike was seen at Lovejoy Fountain Park
(Portland, OR) - an alert observer called Portland Police Bureau who made the
arrest and secured my bicycle - along with a second bike.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Bianchi ISEO - 8/31/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65358/large_giantocr.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The prolific & unwavering <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a> also spoted this stolen 2006 GIANT OCR3 'in the wild' and
connecting with SFPD to pull it back. For those of you keeping track, yes, this is the 6th or 7th bike <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a> has pulled back in SF, and if you're
in the SF area and want to see how it's done, wow, follow them - <a href="https://twitter.com/SFbikebandits">@SFbikebandits</a>.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 GIANT OCR3 - Recovered: 8/31/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<p>Here's something interesting: A conservative estimate of the total combined value of all these recovered bikes (based off of similar online sales info) - is <b>$33,400</b>.
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<p>And now, here are some of August's stolen bike 'misses'.</p>
<p>These are stolen bikes that are spotted, positively ID'd, and then pursued - but not recovered. <b>You would not believe how much time these 'misses' eat up</b> - all time we sink into emails, coordination with folks we know in the specific areas ... it adds up. So: here's what we're up against:
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65525/large_x001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i><b>Tipster</b>: "Hello .. I know where your bike is ... I know who
stole it and who he sold it to, where you can find it. (lots redacted here) I don't think it's right people to steal other people's
property" <b>Owner</b>: "Yes, the tip did pan out. However, the perp got away due to the slow response from the authorities. I'm grateful this site allowed me the chance to retrieve the bike though"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 (redacted) - NOT recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65526/large_x002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>Spotted (PDX bar name here, sent in by a shop worker who has recovered bikes before). Dude split when I asked to see the serial number.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1998 Redline Conquest - NOT recovered 8/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65527/large_x003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
(Bike found, then) "<i>called police, response time was over 6 hours & they called me after midnight yesterday. Today detective went to the
location of the bike & never checked to see if my receipt & model # matched the bike. Told me their story matched, they bought it a month
ago, they are the only ones with this bike in the area & they have to find the receipt! Funny I have the receipt & I bought it a month ago!
Disgusted with all this!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Black Genesis V2100 - NOT recovered 8/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65528/large_x004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>I just stumbled on this and thought it might be yours...(<b>OfferupNow.com</b> link)</i>" Owner: "<i>Wow! I think that's it! Mainly because of the cage. That's the exact cage I had. What are the odds?!!</i>"(later) "<i>No dice, police were less than helpful and now the post has been removed. Bummer. Thanks for the heads up.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Rocky Mountain Altitude - NOT recovered 8/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65531/large_x005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"<i>I really appreciate all the help and the link. Unfortunately it seems it was sold on <b>OfferUpNow.com</b> so I am
trying to track down the buyer as well as the individual who sold it to them so law enforcement can intervene.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 SCATTANTE XRL CARBON SS - NOT recovered 8/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65533/large_x006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen Bianchi spotted on <b>OfferupNow.com</b>: "<i>We contacted them and set up a time to meet, and we contacted the police. They sent
someone over to stake out while my wife engaged. They were 10 minutes late. When my wife went to go meet them they had a <b>different bike</b> than what they advertised. When we pointed that out they said "Oh I know which one that is I think. Let me call the
person who has it." She said it went straight to voicemail, and "If I can get ahold of him I'll let you know" -- and they left. Got a text an hour later saying bike was sold - and the seller listed it as sold on OfferUp. My guess: they noticed the cop car opposite the parking lot or were just trying to bait and switch my wife. I flagged the seller on Offerup but they haven't done anything yet".</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Bianchi Boardwalk - NOT recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65534/large_x007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen Specialized spotted on <b>Craigslist</b>. Owner alerted. "<i>I had three different people write emails to the author of the Craigslist ad ... but we never got any response.</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Sirrus Sport - NOT recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65313/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Tipster: <i>(gist: bike spotted at a known drug house)</i>
<i>Owner: I've had two independent witnesses see my bike at the address. I've forwarded their email & contact info to the detective the case is was assigned to... I have to "convince" the officer to go out there ... <b>very frustrating especially because the Bike Index has been such an incredible tool.</b> </i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Ceepo Venom TT - NOT recovered: 8/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<p>Now, let's end this article on a good note!</p>
<p>I can't wrap this up without linking to <a target="_new" href="http://www.outsideonline.com/2108066/emerald-citys-velo-thieves-have-problem-bike-batman">Outside Magazine's coverage of Seattle's Bike Batman</a>!</p>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<a target="_new" href="http://www.outsideonline.com/2108066/emerald-citys-velo-thieves-have-problem-bike-batman"><img border="0" class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/65538/large_BATMAN.JPG" /></a>
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Bike Batman was just an average-seeming guy in Seattle who liked to ride his bicycles. He had no inkling to become a vigilante who would face off against criminals while armed with little more than a smartphone, some spare time, and a pair of brass balls. <b>But sometimes in life, the cape finds you</b>."</i>
<p>
Writer <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisasolomon">Chris Solomon's</a> take on <a target="_new" href="http://www.outsideonline.com/2108066/emerald-citys-velo-thieves-have-problem-bike-batman">Seattle's Bike Batman</a> is a super fun read. Thanks Chris! And thanks to the Batman as always.
</blockquote>
</article>
<p>Thanks for reading, all! Keep your bikes safe ... </p>
</p></blockquote></article></p></article></p></article>
2016-08-02T10:22:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-july-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's July 2016 bike recoveries 2016-08-02T10:22:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello! I cannot wait to tell you all about the recoveries we had last month :)</p>
<p>The stories this month are as awesome as always, and include these gems:</p>
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">Stolen Bikes Nola</a> crew continues to do amazing work pulling bikes back</li>
<li>A crazy foot/car chase in SF that results in a bike recovery and an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bhassig/posts/10101765209942180">epically long FB post</a></li>
<li>'<i>Bike was recovered by SFPD ... then about 30 minutes later, <b>my boyfriend asked me to marry him</b>!</i>'</li>
<li>Great recoveries from our friends with <a href="http://twitter.com/seattlepolice">Seattle Police</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/portlandpolice">Portland PB</a>, and the <a href="http://twitter.com/kcsobees">KCSO Sheriff's officers</a></li>
<li>One story where the bike <b>wasn't recovered</b>, but I've included it here to shed light on the tactics of thieves who sell stolen bikes online</li>
</ul>
<p>As always - I have a favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? What are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! Keep your bikes safe!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61640/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> It was found at Jackson Square and returned to me by (redacted) - thank you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Schwinn Clear Creek - Recovered: 7/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61657/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Hello! I have recovered your bike! Unfortunately I discovered the Bike Index listing AFTER I purchased the bike but at least we can get it
into the owners hands.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Specialized Ruby Elite - Recovered: 7/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61642/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The crew at Capitol Loans spotted a suspicious person with the bike and helped recover it!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD H3 - Recovered: 7/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61643/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Dean of <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">Stolen Bikes Nola</a> went to the house of the thief and recovered the bike ...</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD H3 - Recovered: 7/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61644/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I received a phone call at 6:30 from someone saying they were certain my bike is being sold on <b>offerupnow.com</b>.
They said they have the same bike, and saw it on offerup at half price, listed under the wrong name. They checked Bike Index, saw my
listing, and called. (Some info redacted here) When they showed up... I knew it was mine. I rode it around a bit, flipped it over to check the serial #,
and told the seller it is mine. <b>The seller admitted he thought that the bike was stolen.</b> I rode away.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Giant TRANCE 2 - Recovered: 7/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61665/large_fsr.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This bike was found in an abandoned storage unit ...</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Stumpjumper FSR Comp 29 - Recovered: 7/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61638/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> An awesome SF police officer had seen my bike on Bike Index, and then spotted it a few days later and recovered it! He
called me to let me know, and it really made my day. <b>Then about 30 minutes later, my boyfriend asked me to marry him!</b>
So, all in all, a pretty amazing day. ;) The bike is a little beat up but will be rideable again, and even had
my favorite bell intact. Thanks so much for creating Bike Index!</i> Bike Index says: a huge congrats to you!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1982 Schwinn Traveler - Recovered: 7/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61649/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Police found it in a homeless camp in poor shape, disassembled with missing pieces. They matched the serial from the
Bike Index and brought it straight to me. Now I have a project to work on.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Electra LOFT 3I MEN'S LG ARM - Recovered: 7/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61659/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A very nice woman ran the serial number on Bike Index and contacted me! Thank You so much, this is my favorite bike and I have it back! You people are awesome!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Novara Big Buzz - Recovered: 7/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61647/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The owner's recovery story is way, way too long to post here, so here's the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bhassig/posts/10101765209942180">FB link</a> -
however the short version is: spotted for sale on the street, chased all around SF, and then a miracle recovery after that.
"I have to give the biggest thanks to Jefferson, Kuy, Chase, Dylan, the SFPD, Bike Index, and the couple who recovered the bike.
<b>Ya'll got my back, and I wouldn't have a bike without you</b>."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Mission Bicycles Matte Black - Recovered: 7/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61669/large_bianchi.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen from the owner's workplace in NYC this Feb., this Bianchi 928 carbon popped up on <b>OfferUpNow</b> and was spotted by one of our
prolific spotters (Thanks KRS!) The owner engaged the cops, and a sting ensued: "The NYPD at the 108 prescient were awesome -
After I met the seller and confirmed that it was my bike, the police swooped in, and confiscated the bike and detained the seller!" PS - Bike Index sends a shout out to the <a href="https://gfny.com/">Gran Fondo New York</a> crew :) </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Bianchi 928 carbon, - Recovered: 7/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61655/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"A third party discovered it and contacted me through the Bike Index. Not all of the bicycle was returned, but I did get the frame, fork, bb, brakes and front hub."
- Bike Index notes this bike was recovered without a serial number on file.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2012 Coon Cycles Commuter - Recovered: 7/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61653/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It was recovered by Dean of <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">StolenBikesNola.org</a> - Got it! Picked it up today. Y'all ROCK!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 3500 - Recovered: 7/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61651/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another recovery by our friends of the King Co. Sheriff's Office - <a href="https://twitter.com/kcsobees">@kcsobees</a> -
"Hey whoever owns this bike contact the BEES we have your bike - the bike was in good condition when we recovered it!"
</i> Bike Index: little bit of trivia - have you ever wondered why the KCSO guys call themselves 'bees'? Well, <a href="https://twitter.com/KCSOBees/status/738412885689257984">here you go</a>.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 3500 - Recovered: 7/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61672/large_boardwalk.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was spotted but NOT recovered - but I want to share the owner's story here so you are aware of the kind of stunts thieves pull when they sell stolen bikes online: <i>Bike was burgled from a garage, then spotted on <b>Offerup</b> by a Bike Index user. "Owner: we set up a time near us to view the bike ... we contacted the police and they sent someone over to stake it out.
They were 10 minutes late, and they had a different bike than what they advertised. When (we) pointed that out (there was a male and a female) the female said, "Oh I know which one that is
I think. Let me call the person I think has it." She then stated it went straight to voicemail and that and stated "If I can get ahold of him I'll let you know."
And they left. She got a text an hour later that stated the bike was sold and the seller listed it as sold on OfferUp. They also put up the truck they rode in which wasn't registered to the same people ...
The police ran the plates. My guess is that they noticed the cop car ... I flagged the seller on <b>OfferUp</b>, but they haven't done anything."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Bianchi Boardwalk - NOT RECOVERED</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61646/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Edward from <a href="http://www.ridebicycles.com/">Ride Bicycles</a> in Roosevelt found it, searched online and got my number. We were reunited last evening, so happy ! I WILL record my serial right now...and get a U-lock! (Bike Index
notes this bike was recovered with no serial number on file)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 7000 - Recovered: 7/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61654/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A King County Transit Deputy recovered it from someone near Westlake Station.'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Breezer Downtown EX - Recovered: 7/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61700/large_vivalo.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'We are writing from the Community Cycling Center in NE Portland. Your (stolen) bike was donated today. The frame has been damaged and the front wheel is missing.' Bike Index notes: this neat little bike's owner is now in Japan, so a friend here in PDX is going to keep it safe for them. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
VIVALO(JAPAN MADE) MINI VELO- Recovered: 7/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61701/large_jekyll.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen from a major retailer in Seattle, this Cannondale Jekyll was spotted on OfferupNow a few days later, then recovered in a sting:
'Questionable offerupnow.com posting for new 16' Cannondale Jekyll. 'Cannondale' is misspelled, stock photos, and copy and paste bike description. I would guess this is probably your missing bike. I hope you get it back' (Sting ensues, thieves busted, owner writes back) .... 'bike was recovered and returned to the store today. YOUR help was invaluable, thank you so much!!'</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale Jekyll - Recovered: 7/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61670/large_BYRNE.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This Asylum Meuse was stolen in Seattle, then spotted for sale on Craigslist by a Bike Index spotter a short while later:
"Hey guys, you really helped me and the Seattle police! We did a reverse sting, and we have the bike in perfect condition. The seller is in jail for trafficking stolen property.
Thanks again. I'm telling all my friends to register their bikes with you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 ASYLUM meuse - Recovered: 7/31/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/61664/large_ppbbikeguys.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The awesome Portland Bike Theft Task force officers took a ride on Portland's notorious Springwater Corridor this weekend and recovered this
stolen 2015 PUBLIC bikes R24 in the process. Owner says:"PPB recovered this bike a little more than three months after it was stolen (in a break-in) -- Many thanks to Officer David Sanders!!" You can see more on <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/with_replies">@ppbbiketheft</a>, and <a href="http://bikeportland.org">BikePortland.org</a>
also covered this recovery in "<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2016/08/01/bike-theft-task-force-officers-host-ride-along-on-the-springwater-corridor-188771">Bike Theft Task Force officers host ride-along on the Springwater Corridor</a>" -
Thanks <a href="http://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes R24 - Recovered: 7/31/2016</div>
</article>
<p>… and that, friends, is the story of all the bikes we helped recover in July. Stay safe out there!</p>
2016-07-21T13:42:33-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-june-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's June 2016 bike recoveries2016-07-21T13:42:33-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello! As you can imagine, June was busy - we’ve been doing all sorts of fun registration events in <a href="https://twitter.com/familyride/status/749711468875046912">Seattle</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/751996213289848832">Bend</a>, and lighting up a steady stream of new Bike Index partners. Summer = busy!</p>
<p>So this update is a little late in the coming, but it is just as awesome as ever.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Our first stolen bike recovery in Australia!</li>
<li>An stolen bike chase in Portland conducted partially via Twitter</li>
<li>Not one, but *two* Lynskey's recovered this month thanks to the Bike Index</li>
<li>The usual Offerup and Craigslist grind</li>
</ul>
<p>As always - I have a favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? What are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! Keep your bikes safe!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60613/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>... found it for sale on Craigslist and the police department met
up with the seller. Thanks for your help!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Schwinn 700c Women's Admiral - Recovered: 6/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60603/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Metro Sheriffs recovered the bike in downtown Seattle and returned it to me!
I think they saw it on Bike Index before the police report, one of the
cops mentioned Bike Index, and
a local pawn shop employee also said he saw my bike on Bike Index when
I went in to ask around and give him a photo of my bike. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1991 Cannondale - Recovered: 6/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60599/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Vancouver Police recovered it - We were thrilled to get it back!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Cannondale Caad10 - Recovered: 6/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60596/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>(Recovered in SF) This is what you would call a success story - My
bike is sitting about 10ft away from me in almost better condition
than when I left it... I don't know how it all worked out though... it
seems like the bike was in storage for almost a year. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Salsa Vaya 2 - Recovered: 6/3/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60600/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found at Laney (notorious Oakland stolen bike flea market) by 3rd party who connected it
to serial on BikeIndex.org!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant Escape 2 - Recovered: 6/7/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60612/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i><a href="https://twitter.com/R27D">Randall</a> remembered my post, saw someone pushing it along a street
and used the Bike Index post to convince the person to give him the
bike.
He than contacted me and I picked it up. Thank you Randall D. and
Bike Index! (Bike Index note: Yes, Randall is the same kick-ass SF messenger you may remember from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVYrOCDmDfY">this recovery last month</a>)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Surly Troll - Recovered: 6/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60609/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">Stolen Bikes NOLA crew</a> :) (Bike Index note - if you haven't checked
out the Stolen Bikes Nola guys yet, <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">you should</a>.)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Marin Bikes San Rafael - Recovered: 6/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60604/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Milwaukie Police Dept Officer called me about his investigation of
car theft - thief was arrested by stealing a car. Then officers found
my bike in the car. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 GT Bicycles Karakoram - Recovered: 6/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60606/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Took the PDF to the police. I found where the bike was located and
we went to pick it up.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1981 Schwinn World Tourist - Recovered: 6/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60610/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Finder: HEY! I FOUND THINE BICYCLE!! WHOOO! (Bike Index note: thanks for not throwing a "m'lady" in there)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 TREK 7200 - Recovered: 6/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60598/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>We talked it through and figured out it was my bike! We got the
cops involved and my bike was returned to me by the end of the day.
Thanks for enabling this to happen!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Asprille AR 6000 - Recovered: 6/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60597/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>SFPD contacted me that they had recovered it - got the message via
Bike Index</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cannondale 700 M - Recovered: 6/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60615/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Received text from person with picture of bike and location because
of Bike Index. Went to location and bike was there. Called police and
they came and got some other bikes too.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Shogun 1000 - Recovered: 6/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60616/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>(Bike Index note - this is our first recovery in Australia!) 'Hi I found your bike.
All the specs match - Cash
converters, Pascoevale road Glenroy. I hope you get it back! Cheers'
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Bombtrack Hook 1 - Recovered: 6/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60618/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>(Hat tip to you-know-who, from the Bike Index) "A Good Samaritan
saw it on OfferUpNow.com a *YEAR* later, texted me and emailed me
notifying me when he went and got it."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cannondale Synapse 6 Tiagra - Recovered: 6/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60611/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Local pawn shop looked up serial number on Bike Index and contacted me. So awesome!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Scott Metrix - Recovered: 6/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60602/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone tried to sell it at Capital Loans Pawn, who ran the
serial through Bike Index and it matched mine - they held on to it
while the person that brought it in dashed out the store.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Sirrus Sport Disc - Recovered: 6/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60608/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>According to the person who returned it, he was approached by
someone in a parking lot who offerred to sell him the bike. He ended
up buying it ... then searched it online and found that it was stolen.
He then contacted me to pick it up. Big thank you to Bike Index. Thank
you very much.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Scott Solace 30 - Recovered: 6/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60614/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Person who had bike discovered it was stolen via Bike Index and then contacted me and returned it.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Rodriguez Arrow Sport - Recovered: 6/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60620/large_lynskey.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Been in the bike industry for many years ... and pumped up on your service.
Lynskey Urbano is a new model - only 100 have been made and mine has
a graphic package that is a one off ... After a nice ride, locked it to my Thule rear rack and parked at the
busy Fred Meyer parking lot in Lake City Way in Seattle. Walked out
to see the empty Thule rack - you know the whole body "ugghh" that
overwhelms you...
On 6/18/16 got a call from local bike shop that my bike was in their
possession! A person who keeps their eye on Bike Index saw two dudes
talking on the side of a bike trail and one of them had my rig.
(They) struck up a conversation and after negotiating bought it from
them ... walked it into a local shop - Call placed to me and yea
haw! Went to the police to close out the file and they are using this
info to hopefully see if it leads them to some current suspects under
suspicion.
Now the Urbano is getting a full overhaul after a very
good scrub down to remove the "baddies" residue.
So thank you Bike Index for providing a service that is very much
needed and really does make bikes find their way back home!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 LYNSKEY URBANO - Recovered: 6/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60621/large_lynskey2.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike Index: this Lynskey R265was spotted shortly after being stolen. An alert rider snapped a photo of these fine upstanding gentlemen who had it in their possession, and a brief manhunt ensued over Twitter. They got away. Days later, it was spotted again in a local homeless camp, and chased down with the assistance of Portland PD. From the owner: "the responding officer verified the serial number, and they were also on the verge of arresting one of the homeless campers... " etc. Long story short: Don't steal bikes, bro.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 LYNSKEY R265 - Recovered: 6/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60605/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen from former D.C. Council member Tommy Wells, this little
Green Brompton got <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/06/23/where-in-the-world-is-Tommy-Wells-bike/?postshare=1041466709893365&tid=ss_tw">a
lot of press when it was stolen</a>... so when it showed up for sale
days later (in front of a liquor store) the buyer swooped in and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/06/30/former-dc-council-member-tommy-wells-reunited-with-stolen-bike/">reunited
owner with the bike</a>. Props to Washington Post for covering this!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 BROMPTON BICYCLE H6R + SON DYNAMO - Recovered: 6/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/60601/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I accidentally bought your bike from a guy on OfferUp tonight. I
just wanted to contact you right away as I am upset and want to start
resolving this. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. He is
still selling a bunch of other stuff, so I already reported his
profile on the website. Is there anything else I can do to put more
pressure on OfferUp to take action? I hate that I fell into this
scheme and propagated their operation, and want to amend the situation
the best I can." Owner and buyer connected, bike recovered.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Kona Dew Plus - Recovered: 6/28/2016</div>
</article>
<p>… and that’s it for June!</p>
<p>We have some crazy exciting announcements coming up in July, so keep an eye out for some major announcements. :)</p>
2016-06-06T00:19:08-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-may-2016-bike-recoveriesBike Index's May 2016 bike recoveries 2016-06-06T00:19:08-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello! As you can imagine, May was busy - whenever the weather gets warmer, bikes go missing.</p>
<p>In this month’s edition, we have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of good connections via Twitter - thieves spotted in the wild, bikes chase down, arrests made - keep it up! The number of tips we're getting via Twitter is phenomenal.</li>
<li>More recoveries by our law enforcement friends @ppbbiketheft in Portland and @kcsobees in Seattle</li>
<li>More great work by longtime friends of the Bike Index who spot, ID, and return bikes they find online and 'in the wild'</li>
<li>A pretty great stolen bike recovery - and video - from Randall in San Francisco</li>
<li>'Bike sting' video from Seattle - stolen bike we found for sale on Offerup. Seller arrested, bike returned.</li>
<li>A disturbing uptick in the number of bikes coming back via pawn shops :(</li>
</ul>
<p>… plus many, many more. Also: can’t say much yet but a close friend of ours is also getting some more national press soon, so keep an eye out! :)</p>
<p>As always - I have a favor to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? What are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55936/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by our friends at Gresham Bicycle Center. This is their fourth or fifth recovery - thanks guys!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Dolce C2</a> Recovered: 5/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55938/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Guy said he bought it, tried to register it on Bike Index and found out it was stolen so he called me...</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Fit aitken 1</a> Recovered: 5/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55939/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A guy bought it at the San Jose flea market for a great deal. He looked it up on bike index and found me, although the serial number had been covered up, and some parts replaced. I paid him back for it, and it's nice to have my bike home :)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Cannondale Synapse 7 Sora</a> Recovered: 5/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55937/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Not a full recovery yet, but we'd like to share the story - the owner of this bike tweeted this
crystal clear security photo of his bike thief to our Seattle twitter feed, @stolenbikessea. We forwarded this to the
The King Co Sheriff's officers who use the Bike Index, who then responded: "The @KCSObees arrested the person in your
attached photo on unrelated warrants." So: this one's still in process. But, hey, thanks for looking directly up into the security camera!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Salsa Vaya 3 </a> (still in process)</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55935/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Pawn-related recovery</i> - one of several bikes reported coming back via pawn matches this month.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Vintage Raleigh Triumph </a> Recovered: 05/03/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55940/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A homeless woman bought it at Jantzen beach for $20 then looked on Bike Portland's Bike Index listings and returned it. Thanks!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1973 Schwinn </a> Recovered: 05/03/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55942/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Pawn-related law varies wildly from state to state. Some victims, like this one, are forced to pay what is effectively a 'ransom' to get their stolen
bike back from a pawn shop: "<i>Oakland PD investigation led to a SF pawn
shop, but we had to pay to get it back! There is a CA law that
requires a pawn shop owner to be "made whole" if a stolen bike is
retrieved from their shop. MADNESS!</i>"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Misceo 2.0</a> Recovered: 05/04/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55943/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by the Portland Police Bureau, whose warehouse staff matched it in Bike Index and tweeted this recovery photo. "Thanks again for this service, I'm telling all my friends to register their bikes on Bike Index!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly Cross Check</a> Recovered: 05/04/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55941/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
One of the more interesting recoveries we've had, as it played out on
Twitter: Bike gets stolen, bike is listed with us and publicized on <a hfref="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/723552799707930624">Bike Index</a> PDX twitter and by <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft/">@ppbbiketheft</a>.
Bike is spotted <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/727866900420534272">'in the wild'</a> and later
an alert Bike Index user <a href="https://twitter.com/RobAlan/status/727884490274545664">spots it again</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/728380252406190080">Police then chase it down and recover the bike.</a>
<i>"Because one of your followers the police were able to id one of the crooks in the photo
supplied by your followers. They tracked him down and made the arrest.
Thanks again Bike Index!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Argon 18 117 Tri+</a> Recovered: 05/05/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55944/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another recovery thanks to an alert SF rider - <i>Randall, a bike messenger in San Francisco and an amazing guy, took a chance and negotiated for the bike. He had seen the bike listed on Bike Index, spotted it, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVYrOCDmDfY">made a great video about the recovery</a>.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Fitz Orange and Black</a> Recovered: 05/06/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55945/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Yet another pawn shop recovery. Notice the trend? :(
<i>Pawn shop made contact after checking database.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc</a> Recovered: 05/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55947/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police Bureau recovery and match. Thanks, North Precinct!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Surly Karate Monkey </a> Recovered: 05/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55946/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A local man who happens to run a bike repair shop found my frame and called to return it.</i> (Shout out to
<a href="http://www.blackbirdbicyclerepair.com/">Black Bird Bicycle Repair</a> in Portland, OR!)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Surly Long Haul Trucker</a> Recovered: 05/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55948/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Yet another pawn shop recovery ... Sigh. Someday I'll finish a very, very long blog post on the pawn shop
issues we face. But for now: this bike is home.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Kona Dew</a> Recovered: 05/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55949/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The owner of this stolen Yeti sent along a very long & crazy story - complete with him tackling
his thief and details re: their chase and arrest by the local police.
"I saturated social media to get the word out. It was on my personal FB page, the 303 Trail chatter,
303 Trail conditions, MTB Enthusiasts Utah, my twitter account, Craigslist and Bike Index.
I am very lucky to have some great friends and it was shared out over 30 times by various people so
the exposure was high. I don't recommend doing what I did but in the heat of the moment
you make the best decision to get your property back... arresting officers tols me that they were high as a kite, had drug paraphernalia and have been linked to other robberies around this area."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Yeti SB66</a> Recovered: 05/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55953/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello! There seems to be an abandoned brown Schwinn outside my work in NW
Portland..." - bike then recovered</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2004 Kona Dew</a> Recovered: 05/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55955/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Spotted by a Bike Index user for sale on OfferupNow, owner alerted.
Police ran a 'sting buy', which then became a news story: "Man finds his stolen bike being offered for sale, lets undercover cops meet with ‘seller’:
<br />
“I rode it from San Francisco to L.A., 549 miles over nine days, so this is why it was really important to me,” said Luckey.
It was the sentimental loss that bothered him the most when his bike was stolen out of his garage in Capitol Hill.
He’d listed it on BikeIndex.org and was lucky when he got an anonymous email from someone who saw it for sale on Offerup.com. He contacted the seller, who wanted to meet him at a parking lot in Burien.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Giant TCR C3</a> Recovered: 05/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55951/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Hello - I purchased this bike a while ago; I looked high and low for the ad on BikeIndex, called the police to run the serial number and nothing came up and only noticed it when I was looking to cross match another bike" - Bike was positively ID'd by a friend of the Bike Index, owner says: "Very happy to have my bike back! It lost a few things from theft to recovery, but the guy who contacted me about it was EXTREMELY generous and helpful in helping me get it put back together. "</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 520</a> Recovered: 05/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55950/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was spotted by one of our amazing Portland spotters who has ID'd many, many, many stolen
bikes. Details omitted here to protect the victim ... but I'll just say the owner was pretty creative in recovering their bike. :) We now have the seller's info and will be watching them closely.
<i>"Popped up on Offer Up and someone who had seen your tweet saw it and sent ya'll an email. It was amazing." </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Trek 520</a> Recovered: 05/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55952/large_027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The police recovered the bike from a pawn shop about a month after the theft. The bike was actually found on ebay
by a person that checked its serial number against this registry. They called me and left a message and I was able to get the police involved before the ebay sale went through. It was being sold by a local pawn shop and the
police took possession of the bike from them.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Giant Anthem SX</a> Recovered: 05/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55956/large_028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another friend of the Bike Index came across this one 'in the wild' and contacted the owner through Bike Index. Thanks, M!
Owner reports: <i>"Got my daughter's bike back. She is thrilled!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Specialized Vita</a> Recovered: 05/30/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55954/large_029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one just came in, and we're following up on this odd one a little more, but:
<i>Long involved story, but this bike was chased down and found in a local meth house by the owner after a lot of annoying detective work.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Cannondale Synapse Carbon</a> Recovered: 05/30/2016</div>
</article>
<p><br />
And that’s it for May. Keep an eye on your bikes, folks!</p>
<p>I’ll leave you with these two tweets from our friends the <a href="https://twitter.com/kcsobees">@kcsobees</a> :</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55962/large_bees001.JPG" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/55961/large_bees002.JPG" /></p>
<p>-Bike Index</p>
2016-05-04T18:52:54-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-april-2016-recovery-o-ramaBike Index's April 2016 bike recoveries2016-05-04T18:52:54-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello everyone - April was a busy month here at the Bike Index! Lots of good recoveries in this round up, and May is already keeping us busy as well.</p>
<p>In this edition …</p>
<ul>
<li>A Seattle bike theft victim gets a great photo of the guy selling his stolen bike via Offerup ... which then leads to his arrest</li>
<li>A bike stolen in San Francisco is ID'd on the street (the very next day!) and recovered thanks to quick-thinking Bike Index users</li>
<li>Several cases of bikes not showing up in police databases, but since they're in Bike Index, they are ID'd and returned</li>
<li>King County Sheriff officers catch a thief in the process of stealing a bike ... that was already been reported stolen. Second time's the charm, apparently</li>
<li>Bike theft victim sends her '6 foot 5 husband, plus a friend' to recover her stolen bike. Bike was successfully recovered</li>
</ul>
<p>… plus many, many more.</p>
<p>As always - I have some favors to ask:</p>
<p>1) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - and we could always use more.</p>
<p>2) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? What are you waiting for? <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody!</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53311/large_001.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thanks for your help! Just confirmed that the Portland Police found my bike.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Specialized Sirrus</a> Recovered: 4/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53304/large_002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A gentleman name J spotted my bike at a flea market and recognized it's distinctive color. He
got in touch and described the bike to me and sent a picture. Thank you, J! Thank you Bike Index! Without you I would never
had the info, and bike.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Specialized Tarmac - Recovered: 4/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53291/large_003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Details thin on this one, but the bike was ID'd via the Bike Index and returned to the owner.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 SE Bikes Single Speed - Recovered: 4/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53308/large_0035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>An awesome score from our friends in the <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">Portland Bike Theft Task Force</a> - two stolen bikes at once! <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/718199494337105921">Officer Oliphant recovers two bikes downtown that were stolen in a burglary</a>!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Trek 1000 & 2015 Scattante W-330 Recovered: 4/7/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53283/large_004.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Person who bought it tried to register it, and it came up as being stolen, along with my
phone number. She called and dropped off the bike to me!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Fuji Newest 1.0 - Recovered: 4/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53313/large_005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>C. (a user of Bike Index) found it near Bryant street Safeway. A BIG BIG thanks to C. He even went to see the guy
and take back the bike for me!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Peugeot Tourmalet - Recovered: 4/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53298/large_007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A good Samaritan spotted my bike being sold on 16th and Harrison.
He approached the person buying the bike and said he suspected it had been stolen. He searched bike index and got in touch with me. Totally unexpected and awesome of this guy to take the time and effort to get my bike! Bike Index works!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Specialized Ariel Elite Disc - Recovered: 4/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53282/large_008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thanks to Bike Index, after busting a dope house where my bicycle had been stashed, the Portland Police kindly called to tell me
they had found my Bianchi. The detective also noted that he always checks Bike Index so to tell any friends who have a
bike stolen to always register them. YAY!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Bianchi D2 Axis - Recovered: 4/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53317/large_boom.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>An amazing fellow found a sketchy post on OfferUpNow.com & crossed referenced Bike Index,
suspected it was my bike ... we called the cops to be on stand by,
he met the guy to check out the bike, saw it was my serial number, and BOOM.
I got my bike back and the filthy scum who ripped me off is in cuffs.
THANK YOU BIKE INDEX! The Bike Index is an incredible resource and a selfless commitment of good will.
The bike community is SO LUCKY to have you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Salsa Vaya - Recovered: 4/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53280/large_009.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Shortly afterward my bike was stolen Wednesday morning, I posted my Bike Index link on Twitter which was retweeted by <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessfo">@stolenbikesssfo</a>
and <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessf">@sfpdbiketheft</a>. That afternoon someone texted me to tell me that he saw my bike in the Mission. I quickly drove down and on the way received a call from another person, named A., saying he saw
someone trying to sell my bike on Mission street. Long story short, I was able to recover my
bike before it was sold and it was all thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/chloeftz/status/720344712947720192
">Twitter</a>, Bike Index, and a couple amazing human beings.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek Alpha SL 2300 - Recovered: 4/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53286/large_010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone dumped my bike in a backyard a few blocks away from where it was stolen and the homeowner turned it in to the Police.
The police searched Bike Index and found it! Then contacted me. Thanks, Bike Index!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 PUBLIC bikes R16 - Recovered: 4/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53287/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Spotted by a nieghbor (stashed by the thief) and returned to the rightful owner.
"This bike was recovered a few blocks from our house, where it was tossed over a wall down into blackberry bushes with only minor damage."</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Eddy Merckx Carbon CHM - Recovered: 4/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53284/large_012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police called at 2:30AM saying that a guy bought the bike from someone else and then went on Bike Index to see if the bike was stolen.
As the guy found the bike was stolen he called the police at 2:00AM and they called us. We filed a police report, but it was not even in the system yet! The officer was very clear - without Bike Index he could not have found us! Bike Index report worked better than a police report. Thank you!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 SCOTT Sportster X30 - Recovered: 4/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53281/large_013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I was contacted by a person who possessed it. Thank you Bike Index!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.5 - Recovered: 4/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53290/large_014.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Police North Precint found bike inside stolen vehicle. When detectives initially ran a check in their system for bike's serial number,
nothing came up but when he checked Bike Index, he found my info. Thank you, Bike Index for being crucial in recovering my bicycle!
I'm forever grateful!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek 7.0 FX - Recovered: 4/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53318/large_fix.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found the woman who had it and showed her my registration, then told I was on my way to the police ... bike recovered.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Premium FRB008 - Recovered: 4/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53319/large_epic.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
It's an epic tale of persistent struggle and ultimate triumph ... bike returned to owner.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1976 Schwinn Varsity - Recovered: 4/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53315/large_fuckstick_von_bikethief.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This story is so long that I can only summarize it here: Bike stolen from
apartment parking lot, bike spotted for sale on Offerupnow.com, the owner then ID'd where the bike was from the photos & sent his parents
to scout the location. His parents ran into the suspected thief and snapped this photo before he took off - bike
was recovered. Seattle police then ID'd this guy and he was arrested a few days later and booked. Score!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Fuji Sportif 1.3C - Recovered: 4/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53314/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Called the police. Two officers responded. Additional case information is being recorded as a supplemental
statement under the original case report number. Everyone, record your bike serial numbers and take ample
photos! This is a success story!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Peugeot Vintage 1987 Tourmalet - Recovered: 4/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53312/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Fire fighters are the greatest! Someone had crashed my bike and the local fire fighters were called to the scene.
They found the situation questionable, so they checked out the serial number on bikeindex.org, contacted me,
and now I have my bike!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Jamis Coda Sport - Recovered: 4/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53306/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Police arrested thief with two stolen bikes (one of which was mine). Thanks!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2016 Cannondale Synapse - Recovered: 4/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53297/large_021.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another score from our friends in New Orleans: "Stolen Bikes NOLA spotted it and got the bike back to me!!! Thank you!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Gravity Avenue C - Recovered: 4/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53320/large_LPS.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Local pawn shop called police when a person in possession of it tried to sell it.
The people at the pawn shop managed to keep the guy around until police came.
Register your bikes! Report the theft! Pass out photos! (the pawn shop remembered the photo and
checked serial number). The police were all over it.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 TREK 8.3 DS - Recovered: 4/20/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53307/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike back because of Bike Index! Thanks so find much! (Spotted in front of a business by that business, ID'd via Bike Index)
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 GIANT DEFY 2 - Recovered: 4/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53302/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A good Samaritan who just moved to New Orleans and purchased the bike was not comfortable with the seller or sale so
she searched Bike Index and contacted Stolen Bikes Nola.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Revil Stream - Recovered: 4/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53299/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>What an awesome initiative Bike Index is - I received a call from a man who
purchased my bike at the San Jose flea market. He thought the deal was too good to be true,
and so he went home searched for 'Stolen Giant Invite' and saw my post on Bike Index.
I now have my bike back! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Giant Invite 2- Recovered: 4/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53296/large_026.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The bike was located by an honest citizen, ID'd, and then returned to me. Thank you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 SCOTT hybrid - Recovered: 4/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53309/large_027.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Person that took it responded and delivered. Thought bike was trash since I hid it in the dumpster bay while at work because I forgot my keys...</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 CRITICAL CYCLES FIXED - Recovered: 4/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53288/large_028.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>King County Sheriff's guys saw someone doing something to the bike which didn't look right,
so they intervened. He was trying to steal the bike - which of course had already been stolen. Great news that I have it back, but
both wheels where changed, the gear/break leads were cut, kickstand and water bottle
holder were broken off with lots of scratches. Going to cost a fortune to repair ...
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2005 Fuji Royale - Recovered: 4/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53300/large_029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>An amazing tipster sent me the Craigslist ad for my stolen bike - I made an appointment to test ride and sent my 6'5 husband with his buddy to take it back.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Fairdale Weekender - Recovered: 4/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53295/large_030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Spotted for sale on Craigslist, owner retrieved the bike from the seller. Seller continues to
sell bikes in Gresham, OR. "Got my bike back and reported the situation to Gresham PD. I owe the tipster a big thanks, a hug and beers."
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1978 RALEIGH SUPER GRAND PRIX - Recovered: 4/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53310/large_031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Received a call from someone in the Portland area after they saw it listed on the Bike Index website.
They had typed in "Blue Trek" and mine was the first to show up. The gentleman was very nice and
happy to have helped me be reunited with my bike. He just knew that someone was looking for the
bike based on how well it was maintained. He was in his 60s and recounted a story of when
his bike was stolen as a child. I am thrilled to have a happy ending as I have been
loving my bike for over 10 years.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 1200 - Recovered: 4/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53293/large_032.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was discovered by Trader Joe's employee nearby the location it was stolen. It was stashed
outside the store with the front tire removed and locked to the back (with my same U-Lock!).
The employee thought it looked suspicious because it was not locked to a bike rack,
so he checked the registry for a match, gave me a call, and the rest is history.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Fuji Absolute 3.0 LE - Recovered: 4/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53301/large_033.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by a worker at (redacted) - Thanks for your help!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Cannondale Killer V 500 - Recovered: 4/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53292/large_034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Kind bike watcher L. found it parted out ... but I can rebuild.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1980 MARUISHI (ROADACE) 303 - Recovered: 4/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/53292/large_034.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i><a href="greshambike.com">Gresham Bicycle Center</a> had it brought in for repairs!</i> (This is the 3rd or 4th
bike that our friends at Gresham Bicycle have pulled back - thanks guys!)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Specialized Dolce C2 - Recovered: 4/30/2016</div>
</article>
<p>And that’s it for April. Keep an eye on your bikes, folks, and please keep an eye our for everybody else’s, too.</p>
<p>-Bike Index</p>
2016-04-01T10:27:38-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/heres-all-of-bike-indexs-march-2016-recoveriesBike Index's March 2016 recoveries! 2016-04-01T10:27:38-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello everyone - we have some amazing bike recovery stories this month, including</p>
<ul>
<li>A stolen Kinn was recovered - oddly enough it was being used as collateral on a used car trade-in (!) which, honestly, is not something we have ever seen before</li>
<li>Even more recoveries from our friends in the Portland and Seattle Police</li>
<li>A *lot* of bike shop involvement this month - we love our bike shop friends!</li>
<li>Lots of gorgeous bikes coming home: an Asylum Meuse, a Bob Jackson, a Torelli Montefalco, and a Rivendell Sam Hillborne</li>
</ul>
<p>… and many, many more - we helped recover 34 bikes this month, to be exact.</p>
<p><b>Two things</b> that I beg of you before you start reading:</p>
<p>1) So very many of these bikes were stolen in <b>garage break-ins</b>. Please remember to secure your bikes, even when they are in your garage! As the weather gets warmer, there are lots of creepy folks out there breaking into garages at 3am - so be on your toes.</p>
<p>2) <b>Please tell your local bike shop about the Bike Index!</b> We’re getting great recoveries thanks to our bike shop partners - we could always use more.</p>
<p>3) Haven’t registered your bikes yet? What are you waiting for?<a href="http://bikeindex.org">Please register ASAP</a>, and tell your friends.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody,</p>
<p>-Bryan</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49828/large_001_kinn.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was stolen from our friends at <a href="http://clevercycles.com">Clever Cycles</a> - who told us:
<i>We received call from (removed) at the 82nd auto mall... they had purchased the bike as a trade-in for a used car. (and then looked the bike up here)</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://twitter.com/clevercycles/status/704782530453463040">2015 Kinn Cascade Flyer</a> Recovered: 3/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49829/large_002_linus.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I received a tip that my bike was listed for sale on an app called 5miles. APD was able to track the seller to his address and locate my bike!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Linus Dutchi</a> Recovered: 3/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49830/large_003_jamis.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was stolen from our friends at <a href="http://pedalbiketours.com">pedalbiketours.com</a> - seen here hilariously recreating their theft for Twitter:
<i>
Someone traded for the bike without realizing it was stolen.
She has offered to pay for the bike as it is her only means of transportation.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2013 Jamis Commuter 3</a> Recovered: 3/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49831/large_004_godio.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A fella bought it for $78, and after realizing someone would be missing it, he found it on the Bike Index and
gave me a call ... we sat down and chatted for a bit over a cold one.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Godio Vintage italian frame</a> Recovered: 3/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49832/large_005_kestrel.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
SF bike-recovery repo-woman and all-around Instagram badass <b>cheledelia</b> - who has already recovered a bunch of bikes through us - spotted this one and managed to get it back with the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCzKbaPkDWi/?taken-by=cheledelia">lock still intact on the frame</a>.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCzKbaPkDWi/?taken-by=cheledelia">1987 Kestrel 4000</a> Recovered: 3/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49834/large_006_giant.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I found your bike, it's in my car. I confronted a dude in Ballard for it. Call me!"
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Giant Talon 29er</a> Recovered: 3/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49835/large_007_trek.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Portland Police got it when someone reported it as
"found property" near Airport Way. Police mailed me a letter and said they were
just about to contact me via Bike Index on the day I picked it up.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Trek 7.3 FX</a> Recovered: 3/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49836/large_008_asylum.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Was purchased at an Oakland swap meet by an awesome Bike Mechanic at <a href="http://www.cyclepathhayward.com/">Cycle Path</a> in Hayward and returned to me
with only the pedals and Garmin mount missing. I am now a Cycle Path client for life!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Asylum Meuse</a> Recovered: 3/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49837/large_009_cannondale.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
After 6 months of looking for, and almost giving up on my bike, I received an email from a
Bike Index user thinking they saw it listed on Craigslist. This person was hoping to purchase my bike, but saw that
it was registered as stolen on Bike Index, emailed me about it, and I set up a sale with the supposed thieves who
were listing my bike. 30 minutes before the 'sale' was to take place, I called the police and they assisted in
retrieving my bike from the 'sellers.' My bike had a few broken parts, but otherwise in fairly good condition.
I am so grateful to the Bike Index community!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2007 Cannondale CAAD 8</a> Recovered: 3/13/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49838/large_010_trek.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thief tried to sell it on offerupnow.com, but the purchaser contacted me after he looked it up on the Bike Index.
I turned the guy's offerup link over to the police, he's selling other stolen items on it. I want to give the police a chance to get this guy before tipping him off.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Trek Steel District</a> Recovered: 3/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49839/large_011_origin.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovered by our fellow bike-crime-fightin' friends at <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">stolenbikesnola.org</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Origin8</a> Recovered: 3/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49840/large_012_konajake.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one came back via a local bike rebuilder who has recovered bikes through us before. Glad we could put
the two parties together. <br />
<i>
A good samaritan checked a suspicious ad on eBay against BikeIndex and contacted me regarding the bike.
BikeIndex investigated spoke to the seller - Forever gracious for such a great website!!!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Origin8</a> Recovered: 3/16/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49841/large_013_raleigh.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hi, I am an employee at <a href="http://www.recycledcycles.com/">Recycled Cycles</a>. I found your bike a couple of nights ago in an alleyway
off of the ave. I assume someone ditched it after getting a flat. The bike is currently sitting at my house.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Grand Sport</a> Recovered: 3/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49842/large_014_trek.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another bike guy saw a sketchy wrong size dude riding my bike in a shady area. He offered to buy it,
bought it, contacted me through Bike Index and returned it to me!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2006 Trek Portland</a> Recovered: 3/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49843/large_015_spd.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Seattle Police - who told us:
<i>I am a Seattle Police Officer and I have found four bikes in recent weeks using your site.
I just wanted to say thanks for your service - it's super helpful.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Kona Dew Plus</a> Recovered: 3/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49844/large_016_raleigh.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was recovered by King County Metro, who have recently started checking their recovered bikes (often left on the busses) against Bike Index - thanks King County Metro!<br />
<i>Thief abandoned the bike on a Seattle Metro Bus, and King County Metro brought the bike to their surplus store, found my stolen bike report on Bike Index and contacted me.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2014 Raleigh MISCEO2.0</a> Recovered: 3/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49846/large_017_bobjackson.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This is one of the most favorite recoveries we've had in a long time - this gorgeous Bob Jackson was stolen
FIVE YEARS AGO, but a sharp eye'd mechanic at <a href="bikegallery.com">Bike Gallery</a> here
in Portland pulled it back. <a href="http://bikeportland.org">BikePortland</a> covered this in "<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2016/03/30/i-had-given-up-hope-portland-woman-gets-stolen-bike-back-five-years-later-179491">“I had given up hope”: Portland woman gets stolen bike back five years later</a>" (and <a href="http://www.kptv.com/story/31606225/portland-woman-gets-stolen-bike-back-after-five-years">KPTV</a> ran a story too!)<br />
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1990 Bob Jackson</a> Recovered: 3/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49847/large_018_specialized.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A friend of a Bike Index user bought my stolen bike and luckily that user, John, did a little research.
He contacted me and now my bike is back home. As soon as I get a better lock, I'll be back out there riding!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2009 Specialized Roubaix Compact</a> Recovered: 3/22/2016</div>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49851/large_019_se.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
... one of those instances where the Bike Index database actually works better than the local police database :0<br />
<i>I found your bike behind bush near my house. Cops came and checked the serial number and the operator didn't find it. Then I found your info here on Bike Index. Contact me!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 SE Bikes Workhorse</a> Recovered: 3/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49854/large_020_trek.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Recovered by our fellow bike-crime-fightin' friends at <a href="http://stolenbikesnola.org">stolenbikesnola.org</a>
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Trek 3700</a> Recovered: 3/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49855/large_021_ruck.png" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone had the bike advertised for sale on Craigslist. Between this website and someone searching
on Craigslist my bike was able to be recovered. Because a honest citizen messaged me to take a look
at the for sale ad, I was able to confirm it was mine and proceed with recovery. Thanks Bike Index! So recommended!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2008 Bianchi Ruck 2600</a> Recovered: 3/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49856/large_025_trek.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> - Portland's Bike Theft Task Force officer.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2000 Trek 8000 R</a> Recovered: 3/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49857/large_026_trek.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Two Seattle Police officers were making an arrest last night and recovered my red Cannondale.
The officers ... rely on the Bike Index to quickly lookup serial numbers, and with my police report number attached to the bike report,
they were able to find me. The SPD officer dropped it off last night! Thank you Bike Index and thank you to the Seattle Police for recovering my bicycle!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
1991 Cannondale R400</a> Recovered: 3/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49859/large_UWASHINGTON.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Hooray to University of Washington, who, from what I hear, are avid users of the Bike Index:
<i>Big thanks to the University of Washington police who recovered and delivered the bike to my house.
It is missing lock and lights but I have my daily rider back. <b>UW PD searched Bike Index and were able to
identify the bike and recover it</b>. Thank you! I'm going to go register all my bikes now.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona jake</a> Recovered: 3/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49860/large_028.jpeg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A kind soul ran into a street peddler who clearly didn't purchase this bike.
After posting on Craiglist he searched bike index and let me know. Super kind chap, brilliant site. Forever greatful to you all.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Kona jake</a> Recovered: 3/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49861/large_029.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Shout out to the <a href="http://www.trustyswitchblade.com/">Trusty Switchblade</a> crew for keeping their eyes peeled and spotting this one:
<i>I got a text from a member on Bike Index saying they saw my bike at a homeless camp on the Springwater Corridor.
We called the police and they met us there. Sure enough it was my bike (luckily I had the serial number to prove it)!
This website is awesome. Keep up the good work!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Norco Bikes Charger 7.2 20</a> Recovered: 3/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49862/large_030.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I was at a flea market/parking lot sale in downtown Redmond today and I bought a purple carbon bike frame for $20.
It looked a bit suspicious, so I had my neighbor who is on the Redmond PD swing by to record the bike as possible stolen.
I found the serial number, looked on here and it looks like it's your bike. All I have is the frame (which has now been
poorly sanded and painted purple), the direct mount XT rear derailleur, and the rear shifter (if it had SLX) and that's it.
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Stolen 2015 Santa Cruz Bronson C</a> Recovered: 3/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49864/large_031.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I wanted to say thank you for all of your help to us.
And I wanted to tell you that our wonderful Seattle Police Officers, and our wonderful Seattle Police Detectives,
found my son's bicycle, and have now returned it to us! They are the best, and we are so happy!
</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Raleigh Misceo</a> Recovered: 3/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49865/large_032_trek.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>We got the bike back in pieces. It's unfortunately completely destroyed... The serial had been taken off somehow. It had been through some serious abuse and parts taken off and broken. It's a pretty sad sight. <b>My husband absolutely loved his bike. We moved to Portland more or less because of the cycling here. We will be much more careful now. </b></i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2015 Trek</a> Recovered: 3/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49866/large_033.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>We talked it through and figured out it was my bike! We got the cops involved and my bike was returned to me by the end of the day. Thanks for enabling this to happen!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Stolen Asprille AR 6000</a> Recovered: 3/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49867/large_034.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This gorgeous Torelli was one of 5 bikes taken in a garage robbery, but fortunately another Portland rider spotted
it and seized it from the ne'er do well who had it:
<i>A good Samaritan saw it (shortly after we got broken into) and recovered. He looked up on your site!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2010 Torelli Montefalco</a> Recovered: 3/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49870/large_035.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one was equally fantastic - this gorgrous Rivendell was stolen from its poor owner while he was in the middle
of moving. Less than 24h later, though, someone walked it into <a href="http://www.rideyourbike.com/">Aarons Bicycle Repair</a> in Seattle, who
quickly seized it. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AaronsBicycleRepair/photos/a.116607528360586.13433.113752518646087/1101179329903396/?type=3&theater">They wrote about this seizure on their Facebook</a>:
<i>The great people at <a href="http://www.rideyourbike.com">Aarons Bicycle Repair</a> got the
bike after someone brought it in to sell it.
They're amazing people. Everything was recovered less the front racks and fenders.
I'm so thankful for Bike Index and Aarons for helping make this happen!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Rivendell Bicycle Works Sam Hillborne</a> Recovered: 3/28/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49874/large_BRUCEGORDON.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Remember the local rebuilder who had the bike that was spotted on Ebay? Days later he hooked up another recovery
on this Bruce Gordon: <br />
<i>Returned by (redacted) custom bike restorer. He bought it off a kid on the street, checked the Bike Index and saw it was stolen, and then he called me. If your bike is stolen he may be your best friend!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
2011 Bruce Gordon Basic Loaded Tourer</a> Recovered: 3/29/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/49875/large_poersche.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It still had my clothes line wrapped around it that got broken when it was taken off of my back deck. Turned up a block-and-a-half from where I live in the homeless Camp right behind the Lutheran Church on 11th and Olive.
I'm guessing they have my second bike as well but it's a white specialized ... Still I'm super thankful that I got back the Porsche which was certainly the most expensive of the two. Once again a huge thank you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">
Porsche Bike S</a> Recovered: 3/29/2016</div>
</article>
And that's a wrap!
Thanks for reading, and please do us a favor - tell your friends and local shops about the Bike Index!
</article>
2016-02-29T21:44:09-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2016-recoveriesBike Index's February 2016 recoveries!2016-02-29T21:44:09-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Hello everyone - Here are our February 2016 stolen bike recovery stories, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>A smokin' hot Origin8 Del Pasado that was about to be auctioned off as unclaimed property</li>
<li>Great recoveries from our friends at Archer Bicycle in Oakland and Gresham Bike in Gresham, OR</li>
<li>A large crop of the "someone bought this bike at a flea market then found out it was stolen" incidents</li>
<li>An assist for an SPD officer during an investigation (that helped lead to 8 arrests)</li>
<li>A fantastic stolen Metrofiets was spotted for sale on Craigslist and repo'd by the owner</li>
</ul>
<p>… and many, many more. Read on for all our February 2016 bike recoveries:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46761/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Stolen, then found for sale on Craigslist, flagged by a Bike Index user - and then - "We got our bike back! I was able to set up a time to meet the person trying to sell it and Officer Edner took it from there. The Portland Police were great in helping me retrieve it! Thanks so much for all you do!"</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2002 Cannondale ADV 400</a> Recovered: 2/1/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46763/large_002.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This bike was found for sale on govdeals.com (being auctioned by Portland Police Bureau as unclaimed property - no serial on file) but ID'd by a Bike Index user: "This is it! Some of the parts were swapped but it's definitely my bike. Thanks for finding this!"</i> (Ed note: the govdeals.com staff check every bike against the police databases to make sure they aren't auctioning off goods that can be ID'd. In this case, the bike had no serial on its report, but it was ID'd visually when it went up for sale.)
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> Origin8 Del Pasado </a> Recovered: 2/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46762/large_003.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Repurchased from buyer who had unknowingly bought it, then found it to be stolen.'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Genesis Stealth 1.0</a> Recovered: 2/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46767/large_missing.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A person contacted me through Bike Index after he bought the bike and then searched and found out it was stolen. He checked serial number on this site. The person was extremely honest and kind and returned me the bike!'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Giant 3 Defy 1</a> Recovered: 2/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46764/large_005.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'With the help of a fellow bike index follower, the local police, and a few good friends I recovered the bike!'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2008 Surly Cross Check</a> Recovered: 2/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46765/large_006.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'Got a text from someone who said they bought it from the Oakland Flea market (then found it was stolen)'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Masi Cx</a> Recovered: 2/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46766/large_007.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'My bike was sold at a flea market in the Bay Area and was to Archer Bike shop for fix/repairs. The shop was suspicious and he checked the registration number of bike and saw I marked it stolen from SF 3 days before. Kudos and deep compliments to bike shops like Archer and the Bike Index team to have a system to fight this crazy number of thefts in Bay Area!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Cannondale T6 Aluminium</a> Recovered: 2/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46772/large_008.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'I was contacted via this site by the awesome folks at <a href="ridewithgps.com">ridewithgps.com</a> who had seen it at a
7-11, assumed it stolen, and looked it up here. We went and confronted
the individual (who claimed he'd traded it with someone else) and he
returned it to us. Thank you RideWithGPS and Bike Index!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1994 Bridgestone MB1</a> Recovered: 2/10/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46770/large_009.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone saw it for sale on Craigslist and recognized it from a post on Bike Index and notified me. Then they set up a meet and I met the person ... Many thanks Bike Index!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Surly ECR</a> Recovered: 2/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46769/large_010.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'I think I found your bike!!!! I have spent over 3 hours trying to figure out where to report a bike I found by my apartment and I finally found this website!'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen Fuji Absolute 3.0</a> Recovered: 2/12/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46773/large_012.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A very nice man bought my bike for $140 dollars on Market and 7th from a man who matches the description of the thief. He then looked up the serial number and found out it was reported stolen by Bike Index, called me and hand delivered my bike in perfect condition. I can't thank Bike Index enough!!!! My bike was missing for less than 48 hours!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Mission Bicycles Valencia</a> Recovered: 2/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46771/large_013.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A helpful citizen contacted me through Bike Index and told me where to find it for sale online - on offerupnow.com. I arranged a meeting with the person, and police helped me retrieve my bicycle.'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek</a> Recovered: 2/17/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46768/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>'A babysitter saw my bike off the side of the road looking suspicious: no lock, helmet and lights intact, and sitting on a main thoroughfare with no one in sight. I'd already reported it stolen to the authorities; she found my bike listed as stolen on Bike Index, took down the case number, and called it in to the police. My bike was returned to me the same day she found it. Thanks Bike Index!'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2002 Giant extralight ALUXX</a> Recovered: 2/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46775/large_015.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone alerted me to an ad on offerupnow.com after they saw my bike listed here.
I engaged SPD who showed up to accompany me to the meetup but the guy never showed up.
He then messaged me later in the day - I called
SPD again and they came again and helped me recover the bike this
time. I am happy to provide more details if needed. You guys are doing an
awesome job with your website!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.5</a> Recovered: 2/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46784/large_016.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
'Someone found my bike at a flea market in Oakland, checked Bike Index, saw that it was stolen, and called me!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Fuji Touring</a> Recovered: 2/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46778/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This bike was neither registred in the Bike Index
nor reported as stolen, but we helped an SPD detective ID the bike during an investigastion and confirm it
was stolen via details that lead to the shop that sold it.
This paid out: according to the detective - 'We ended up arresting 8 people in connection to this investigation. A stolen
bicycle lead to lots of guys (...redacted...) burglaries, car
prowling, id theft, possession of stolen property, heroin/meth
possession, stolen vehicle and trafficking in stolen property.'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Giant defy</a> Recovered: 2/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46776/large_018.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"I think I might bought your bike plz call me" - owner confirmed it was a match. Bike's home.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2000 Fuji Cross</a> Recovered: 2/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46783/large_019.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
'Gresham Bike ran the serial number when a sketchy customer brought in the bike. When they told him it was stolen, he
ran out of the store. I do have the bike back in my possession with a different wheel set and pedals on it but at least I have it back!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Bottecchia Sprint CF 67</a> Recovered: 2/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46777/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
'Bike recovered from a Craigslist ad + Scottsdale PD! I printed
out the component list and serial number from this site and took it to
the seller. When I got on to test ride I rode away a few feet and
locked the front wheel to the frame. I showed her the print out and
she complied. She asked that we call the police to be sure I wasn't
scamming her.'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2016 Mission Bicycles 62 cm Sutro</a> Recovered: 2/22/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46780/large_021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
'Hello - The Seattle Police Department listed this bicycle on our twitter- <a href="https://twitter.com/getyourbikeback">@getyourbikeback</a> ... '
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> Stolen 2013 Volagi Liscio2</a> Recovered: 2/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46781/large_022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This amazing Metrofiets was spotted for sale on Craigslist,
and the owner and friends ran out and met Portland Police to ID and recover it.
It had been defaced and repainted, likely an attempt to avoid detection.
I'm leaving out some details at the owner's request, but the bike is back home. :)
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Metrofiets Cargo Bike</a> Recovered: 2/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46782/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
'Bought from a flea market in Napa, and when the purchaser googled the model when he got home up popped this Bike Index entry. Thanks M. for being an honest man; thanks Bike Index for putting us together!'
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2000 Cannondale XS800</a> Recovered: 2/27/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/46779/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Stolen from a garage on Jan 28th, this bike popped up for sale on Craigslist exactly one month later, and one of our prolific spotters quickly found it and alerted the owner. Later: "We just picked up the bike after it was recovered by Beaverton PD. After the guy didn't show up for
our initial meeting he suggested another spot. Must have been a slow night in Beaverton cause they rolled on him with about 5 cars. We cannot thank you enough for your help. Having two strangers on our side has really blown us away."
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2000 Cannondale XS800</a> Recovered: 2/27/2016</div>
</article>
<p>… and that’s February 2016. the summer months are kicking back in and we expect an uptick in registrations and recoveries.</p>
2016-01-29T17:08:58-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-january-2016-recoveriesBike Index's January 2016 recoveries!2016-01-29T17:08:58-06:00Bryan Hance<p>The cold weather has finally put a dent in the bike theft numbers, but this month’s wrap-up is all about <em>quality</em>, not quantity.</p>
<p>Here are our January 2016 stolen bike recovery stories, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>A gorgeous Rivendell Rambouillet, recovered in CA</li>
<li>An equally gorgeous Ebisu All-Rounder, recovered in FL</li>
<li>A whole lot of good folks reuniting stolen bikes with their owners</li>
<li>A couple of actual arrests, for a change</li>
<li>Portland Police rockin' a great recovery photo</li>
</ul>
<p>… and many, many more. Read on:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45029/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Thank you to Officer Fowler of the Seattle Police Department East Precinct for recovering my bike days after it was stolen!
Great eagle eyes! Thanks to Bike Index he was able to confirm his suspicion that the bike was stolen and was able to
reunite me with my bike! I am a fan of this site and Officer Fowler!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Cannondale Scalpel 3</a> Recovered: 1/2/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45030/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Listed as found on my local Nextdoor, contacted the lister, and we found this bike had been stolen 2 years ago. Still in great shape, though!
Owner: "I must say, that is one of the most genuine smiles I've made in a photo in awhile... So, Thank you and the Bike Index team! I've got some great touring memories with that bike."
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Novara Randonee </a> Recovered: 1/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45031/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Flagged by a Bike Index user for sale on Craigslist - "The seller is apparently a known thief/fence in the Seattle/Lynnwood/Auburn area.
He was arrested by the Auburn police who set up and undercover buy after I saw the listing on Craigslist. I'm hoping he is prosecuted."
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 custom carbon FM286</a> Recovered: 1/4/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45027/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
After making a police report ... I turned to social media for their help! I posted pictures of my stolen bike and within two days someone saw my
bike being sold for $800 on OfferupNow.com. After (redacted) the public then texted him repeatedly advising him to return the stolen bike back and somehow,
people managed to change his mind and the next day he had a change of heart and decided to return the bike and my good friend Ronnie Toth from
LeaderBikesUsA was able to pick up my bike without any conflicts and without the cops being called. Lives were changed and hearts were touched. Haha
- photo via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thriveaccordinglytoth/">thriveaccordinglytoth</a> on IG
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Aerofix Track Bike</a> Recovered: 1/5/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45032/large_rev.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I got a call from <a href="http://revolverbikes.com/">Revolver Bikes</a> in Portland.
They had the bike in for service and checked the serial number on Bike Index. They gave me a call promptly to confirm. Thanks guys!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Trek 1600 </a> Recovered: 1/6/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45026/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Purchased from sketch guy in SF, owner located later: "I think I have your bike. I saw it at Civic Center and convinced the guy to sell it to me for $90 (he was asking $150). "
- awesome photo via the equally awesome <a href="http://www.pikore.com/m/1157711011307861672_596166036">@cheledelia</a> on IG
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Trek 1600 </a> Recovered: 1/7/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45021/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Hello! I bought your bike from someone off Craigslist this summer and found this Bike Index entry when I googled the serial number.
I am returning it to the police and they should be in contact with you soon. I am happy you will get your bike back!
(photo via @ <a href="https://twitter.com/shegeekshow">shegeekshow</a> )
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Cannondale Synapse Sora 7 Compact</a> Recovered: 1/8/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45014/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
A kind soul bought my bikes from someone who obviously wasn't the owner, then posted an online ad for two stolen bikes.
Another really nice person saw them, checked them on the Bike Index, and emailed me. The kindness of strangers!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Specialized AWOL x Poler</a> Recovered: 1/9/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45012/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
The Portland Police found the bike!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Novara Randonee</a> Recovered: 1/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45033/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bryan at Bike Index alerted me to a guy that might have my bike - he left a msg. on Craigslist,
saying that he had bought the bike from a guy ... but then discovered that it had been stolen. I emailed him at Craigslist,
providing my contact information. He returned the bike, anonymously, by boxing it and leaving it at Mike's Bikes in Los Gatos,
with written instructions for for Mike's to call me. I picked up the bike in Los Gatos - 3mths after it was stolen in
Oakland. Glad to have the bike back and very appreciative of this man's honesty in returning a bike that he had bought in error.
Hats off to him!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2004 Rivendell Bicycle Works Rambouillet </a> Recovered: 1/11/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45015/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was recovered Recovered by Portland Police!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Trek 1.5</a> Recovered: 1/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45020/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A big thank you to Montlake Terrace PD & who looked it up on Bike Index (ed:after stopping a suspect with it) and called me right away.
Thank you Bike Index!! (Photo via <a href="https://twitter.com/MLorenaGonzalez/status/687714519884238848">MLorenaGonzalez</a>)</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Bianchi Sempre</a> Recovered: 1/14/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45023/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I found your bike!!! It was left near a covered dumpster at my apartment in Beaverton.
I took it thinking I just found a real gem of a bike, but lo and behold it was stolen
Thank goodness for Bike Index! Photo via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAkkkgPGYKK/?taken-by=seancpdx">@seancpdx</a></i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Trek Portland</a> Recovered: 1/15/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45010/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thanks to an incredibly wonderful lady named Ashley who checked this registry when she saw a Yuba for sale too cheaply,
and the Portland police department, we found the bike being sold on OfferUpNow.com. We met him with the police, and got it back.
The seller had a warrant and was arrested.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Yuba Mundo</a> Recovered: 1/18/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45009/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>My cycling buddy of 20 years was at the intersection of 2nd & Pike one hour ago waiting to cross;
up pulled a gal on MY BIKE. He recognized it immediately, knew it was stolen, said "hey, that is not your bike, that is a stolen bike".
He took it from her and took it home where I will go get it later. She claims she had no idea it was stolen.
They took gauze and wrapped it over my name painted on my bike and the Davidson logo. Miracles happen.
So extra awesome that it was my friend who was the hero!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1999 Davidson</a> Recovered: 1/19/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45013/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland Police</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1996 Gary Fisher Wahoo</a> Recovered: 1/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45025/large_017.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>(removed) called me this morning after he found my bikes photo on Bike Index -
he works at a downtown Seattle hotel that ends up with quite a few stolen bikes in the lost and found.
He thought mine looked likely stolen so he took the time to try to find me. The Seattle police
website pointed him to this site. Thanks!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Fuji Roubaix</a> Recovered: 1/21/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45024/large_018.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Englewood PD recovered it - a little scratch on the fork but that's it!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 salsa fargo</a> Recovered: 1/23/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45016/large_019.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>ID'd as being sold on Offerupnow.com shortly after the theft, and the owner
arranged a meet after alerting local police. "Met with the seller outside a university library
after alerting both the police and campus security. After talking with him and confirming
that it was my bike the cops walked up. Good thing, because he and a friend that came with him both
had knives on them." One person was arrested.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Bianchi Pista</a> Recovered: 1/24/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45028/large_020.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Mechanics at Huckleberry bike shop in SF found the serial number on the bike index and got in touch.
Thank you Bryan & Bike Index! Brian, I spoke to the store and am headed over now! Thank you so much for your work, I'm so so grateful.
The guys at Huckleberry are tuning it up for me :) I couldn't be happier to see that flat tire and missing brake pads.
The malefactor had brought it in to the shop to get them to remove the locking skewers, so +1 for Pinheads!!
Thanks again for your site and your work - I'll tell everyone I know to register with you guys!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Surly LHT</a> Recovered: 1/25/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45022/large_021.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It was purchased at the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop by a very nice man who quickly realized that the
Bontrager saddle they had replaced my Brooks with didn't seem to fit the rest of the bike. He found me
through Bike Index, and reunited me with my lovely bicycle! (photo via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBANprpmgC3/?taken-by=jurassicsnark">@jurassicsnark</a>)
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2008 Ebisu All-Rounder</a> Recovered: 1/26/2016</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/45011/large_022.jpg" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
King Co Surplus ID'd this bike as stolen using Bike Index after it was left on a metro bus.
(A huge thank you to King County Surplus folks as they are new users of the Bike Index!)
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Trek 7.4 FX </a> Recovered: 1/27/2016</div>
</article>
<p>And that’s it. On to February!</p>
2016-01-10T16:26:16-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-welcomes-our-newest-partner---stolen-bikes-nolaBike Index welcomes our newest partner - Stolen Bikes NOLA!2016-01-10T16:26:16-06:00Bryan Hance<p>The Bike Index is happy to announce our newest partner - Stolen Bikes NOLA!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stolenbikesnola.org/">Stolen Bikes NOLA</a> - a nonprofit organization committed to bike protection in beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana - is the latest in a growing list of partners using Bike Index to combat bike theft. As part of their partnership, Stolen Bikes Nola will use the Bike Index to register and protect bikes for the cyclists of New Orleans.</p>
<p>“With a population over 350,000, New Orleans is host to around 10 million tourists per year. Its no surprise with these numbers that a substantial percentage of the local population uses bicycles as their primary mode of transportation,” said Tom Schneider of Stolen Bikes Nola. “Bikes here are not just entertainment or exercise, they are part of survival formula for the service and entertainment industry.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/43645/large_SBNOLA003.JPG" alt="" />
Over 250 existing Bike Index partners - cities, universities, police departments, cycling organizations, and bike shops - already use Bike Index’s data to protect bikes across the U.S. With over 63,000 bikes on file and over 2,700 stolen bike recoveries, Bike Index is the largest and most successful bike registration system in the country.</p>
<p>According to Bryan Hance of the Bike Index, the two organizations share a lot of common history.</p>
<p>“Much like the Bike Index, Stolen Bikes NOLA has been successful in using social media and uniting local resources to fight bike theft,” says Hance. “We’re excited to team up with Stolen Bikes NOLA because they’re making a lot of progress, very fast - they’re really pushing back against bike thieves in their city. We’re excited to help Stolen Bikes NOLA because we have seen the benefits when a community starts using Bike Index – more bikes get protected, more stolen bikes get found, and more bike thieves get arrested.”</p>
<p>Stolen Bikes NOLA - which grew from a Facebook group into a nonprofit effort with high profile recoveries - has emerged as a hub for the cycling community’s anti-theft efforts. Their members coordinate stolen bike sightings, bike thief tracking, bike recoveries, and are working to coordinate efforts with local law enforcement and bike shops. Bike Index brings free registration and search to this mix, along with the brand new <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesnola">@stolenbikesnola</a> twitter feed - and Bike Index’s long history of combating the online sale of stolen bikes.</p>
<p>According to Schneider, New Orleans is experiencing a spike in bike theft, and limited police resources.</p>
<p>“Right now, bike shops in New Orleans are required to spend time accommodating a bicycle registration system that simply doesn’t work. And NOPD estimates their force has a shortage of over 700 officers - so I feel like the community can step in and help clean up the bike theft problem,” he said.</p>
<p>Bike Index also notes that Stolen Bikes NOLA is responsible for one of the more fantastic headlines of 2015 - the much-forwarded “<a href="http://www.bountyhunteredu.org/2015/05/ex-bounty-hunter-uses-skills-to-help-capture-bike-thief-in-wig-disguise/">Ex-Bounty Hunter Uses Skills to Help Capture Bike Thief in Wig Disguise</a>”</p>
<p><strong>About Stolen Bikes Nola</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.stolenbikesnola.org/">Stolen Bikes NOLA</a> is an organization committed to the recovery of stolen bikes in New Orleans, LA. The Stolen Bikes NOLA members also try to provide a replacement bikes to bike theft victims, and are committed to working with local government, NOPD, neighborhood organizations, residents, schools & colleges to protect bikes in and around ‘The Big Easy’. Contact <strong>stolenbikesnola@gmail.com</strong> for more information.</p>
<p><strong>About Bike Index</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> - the largest open source, community driven bike registry in the world - works with hundreds of partners in cities, universities, police departments, cycling organizations, and bike shops to combat bike theft. By combining free bike registration, stolen bike listings, and an advanced stolen bike search engine, Bike Index has registered over 63,000 bikes and recovered over 2,700 stolen bikes. Bike Index’s <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news">stolen bike recovery stories</a> are a popular monthly read for thousands of bike theft victims and cyclists. Contact <strong>bryan@Bike Index.org</strong> for more information.</p>
2015-12-31T12:08:52-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-2015-recoveriesBike Index's December 2015 recoveries2015-12-31T12:08:52-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Know what feels great? Getting people’s stolen bikes back just before the holidays!</p>
<p>Normally the cold winter weather means a general downturn in bike thefts (and thus, recoveries) - but honestly we’re still as busy as ever here at the Bike Index.</p>
<p>So: without further ado - here are our December stolen bike recovery stories, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>A continuing avalanche of recoveries by Portland Police & Seattle's King County Sheriff's officers</li>
<li>We help recover a beautiful stolen Rivendell - and an equally beautiful Soma</li>
<li>A stunningly large amount of bikes returned with no serial numbers on file</li>
<li>A bike that literally had the owner's name welded into the frame - but it wasn't until Bike Index got involved that it was recovered</li>
</ul>
<p>… and many, many more.</p>
<p>Here’s how Bike Index’s 25 December recoveries went down:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42766/large_001.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The Clackamas County Oregon Sheriff's office recovered my bike ...after questioning a suspicious person on how they obtained the bike they were riding. <b>The deputy searched the Bike Index</b> and discovered I was the owner.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Trek District</a> Recovered: 12/1/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42767/large_002.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Heroic King County Sheriff's Deputies got my stolen Rivendell back!
You have no idea. The feeling of relief literally brought me to tears and made me laugh. I can't remember the last time anything made me feel that way. This bike is my most valuable & loved possession, one of a kind, irreplaceable bike, it's worth more than the car I never drive. I was reviewing surveillance footage when I got your message. I was out of town all Thanksgiving week so I've been watching the surveillance video, trying to get any lead. It was depressing, to watch the footage, not seeing anything useful, until receiving your message. <b>This is amazing, I love everyone now. Thank you so much!!</b>
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Rivendell Bicycle Works Bleriot </a> Recovered: 12/1/2015</div>
Thanks to the KCSO 'bees' (their officer's nicknames, as they wear distinctive yellow and black jackets) who tweet at <a href="https://twitter.com/kcsobees">@kcsobees</a> - I've lost count how many bikes they've returned through us at this point. Keep up the good work! :)
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42768/large_003.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I was contacted by someone who had "purchased" the bike from a market place - they contacted me after finding the Serial Number online through the flyers that I put up on this site. With the help of the police we were able to recover my bike after arranging a time to meet with the seller. It all went very smoothly, no one was hurt, and we got our bike back! It is now back at home - safe, dry, and loved!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 SCOTT CR1 20 </a> Recovered: 12/2/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42769/large_004.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The stolen bike had been abandoned and found. The person who found it contacted me through this site to set up returning it.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Felt f90</a> Recovered: 12/3/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42770/large_005.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone on Bike Index found it for sale on OfferUpNow.com. I ended up buying it, since the police department wouldn't help me without having the serial number, regardless of pictures and registration info on this site.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">LeMond Racing Cycles Etape </a> Recovered: 12/3/2015</div>
As annoying as this buyback was, it was the owner's call, and they really wanted it back. We continue to monitor this seller and cross-reference their bikes against our listings. We'll get them - next time.
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42771/large_006.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found in a downtown homeless encampment by the Portland Police Bureau, and reunited with the owner via Bike Index.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Ezip trailz</a> Recovered: 12/5/2015</div>
Another case of a bike being ID'd and returned via the Bike Index even before the owner had a chance to mark it stolen! Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/675080198522564608">@ppbbiketheft</a> for this one and all the hard work you guys have put into fighting bike theft during 2015!
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42772/large_007.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone called after seeing it in their yard a few blocks from my house. They checked the Bike Index and called me!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 1980 Nishiki Japanese </a> Recovered: 12/7/2015</div>
Bike Index notes this bike was returned even without a serial on file ...
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42773/large_008.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This was, in fact, my bike-now safely back home two years later!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2013 Vanmoof 5.7</a> Recovered: 12/8/2015</div>
Bike Index notes this bike also was returned even without a serial on file ...
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42774/large_009.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>So happy to get my bike back. It was gone for two months; I would love to know the journey it took from SF Mission to Oakland!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2005 Land Shark Custom</a> Recovered: 12/8/2015</div>
This bike was spotted and ID'd by our friends at Archer Bicycle in Oakland, CA. Follow them on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ArcherBicycle/">@archerbicycle</a>. Also: Yet another bike returned without a serial on file ... see a pattern here? :O
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42775/large_010.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It has been returned! Since I live out of town my buddy went to pick it up. Thanks for your help with finding my bike!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2011 Marin Bikes Fairfax</a> Recovered: 12/9/2015</div>
Bike was found and ID'd by the folks at Seattle Bike Nuts - thanks!
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42780/large_011.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It's a good day :D Thank you so much for your help!!!!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Trek Domane</a> Recovered: 12/9/2015</div>
We spotted this one for sale on OfferupNow.com, and engaged the Portland Police Bureau's <a href="http://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> officers to do
a meet-up and an ensuing sting. They posted this photo once the bike was returned, noting "<i>... acquired after @Bike Index tipped us off that it was being sold on @offerup. Owner almost in tears.</i>"
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42781/large_012.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by King Co. Sheriff's officers via the Bike Index.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 KHS Bicycles Urban Extreme</a> Recovered: 12/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42783/large_013.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Neighborhood hero bought it back from thief and posted it on Facebook, and it was id'd there. </i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Fyxation Pixel</a> Recovered: 12/13/2015</div>
... yet another bike recovered through Bike Index without a serial or photo on file!
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42784/large_014.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Friend saw another riding it, checked the bike index listing for the picture. A few miles down the trail he saw me. We confronted him and he gave it up. Following the conversation on instagram, he told me he checked the picture on bike index while he was casing the bike to make sure it was mine, FWIW :)</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 Sizemore CX</a> Recovered: 12/14/2015</div>
FWIW: the guy who nabbed this one back <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_Sux5qSgQ0/">posted on Instagram</a> "<i>my 3rd stolen bike recovery. Maybe time to go pro and get my own show on A&E just like Dog? #suckitbikethieves</i>"
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42785/large_015.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another bike found by the Portland Police Bureau and ID'd via the Bike Index. The owner took this great photo when she was reunited with the bike.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Kona Dew Drop </a> Recovered: 12/17/2015</div>
Bike Index notes that we absolutely love this photo.
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42786/large_016.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Big thanks to the officers who helped me get it back, my
friends who kept my spirits up and even hooked me up with a temp bike to ride, the
folks in the shop for everything and to the awesomeness that is... BIKE INDEX!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Novara Buzz</a> Recovered: 12/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42787/large_018.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Amazing!!!! Great folks in the North Portland area noticed a person with a nice bike that didn't look like theirs. Posted the information on the St. John's facebook page, and another amazing person keyed me in on the posting. 2 hours later Portland police have my bike!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Soma San Marcos</a> Recovered: 12/18/2015</div>
We were actually chasing this one for a while - someone spotted it a week earlier about 10 miles away, and we sent some people after it over Twitter, but he escaped. So I'm glad this one finally came back. And yes, this one was also recovered without a serial on file... but fortunately a bike this good looking couldn't stay stolen for too long.
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42788/large_019.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone who saw it for sale on Craiglist, checked (the listings) and lo and behold! </i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen 2008 Trek Allant Women's </a> Recovered: 12/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42789/large_020.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone bought this bike from King County Seattle Surplus auctions, took it home, and found it listed in the Bike Index.
We got them in touch with the owner, who was elated.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 R+E Cycles Custom</a> Recovered: 12/21/2015</div>
There's a long backstory here on this one - mainly that King County Seattle Surplus wasn't using Bike Index, so they unknowingly
sold this amazing bike to an unsuspecting buyer. We're working with them now to correct this. (It's also worth noting this bike literally had the owner's name welded on the frame, and that too was missed (!).)
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42790/large_022.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another PPB recovery, ID'd via the Bike Index - bike was stolen in 2013.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen 2009 Trek 7100 </a> Recovered: 12/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42792/large_023.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Much like the above bike: Another PPB recovery, ID'd via the Bike Index - and this bike was stolen in 2013, too.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen 2012 Surly CrossCheck </a> Recovered: 12/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42793/large_024.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another King Co. Sheriff's Office recovery - ID'd via the Bike Index</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> Stolen 2015 Norco Bikes Indie4</a> Recovered: 12/24/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42794/large_025.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Yes, I did get the back back! Amazing. It was a bit of a challenge to prove to police it was my bike, but that was my fault.
I never wrote the serial number down, so lucky I had photos for pedals and also a reception for a set of wheels that were different from the originals.
The bike recovery system is wonderful and so much thanks to everyone!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Jamis Dakar 650b Pro</a> Recovered: 12/28/2015</div>
YABREWOAS! (yet another bike recovered - even without a serial)
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42880/large_090.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Lt. Schultz from the UW Police Department located the bike in a Seattle pawn shop - Lt. Schultz used Bike Index to help find my bike. If you haven't registered your bikes, freaking do it!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Cannondale Scalpel 3</a> Recovered: 12/31/2015</div>
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/3yxoik/lt_schultz_of_the_uw_police_department_recovered/">The owner posted this Reddit thread with some more info</a>. (Yes - yet another bike recovered without a serial!)
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/42881/large_091.JPG" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It was in the back of a stolen truck that was found by the police and returned to the owner. The owner looked the bike up in Bike Index and contacted me. The owner and his wife rock! <b>Bike Index rocks!</b></i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2005 Niner SIR 9</a> Recovered: 12/31/2015</div>
Aer you sick of me telling you how many bikes we helped recover without a serial yet? Because this bike was recovered, even without a serial.
</article>
<p>Whew!</p>
<p>And that’s it for 2015! A huge thank you to all the partners, shops, friends, Twitter-folks, and every single person out there who helped us return so, so, so many bikes this year.</p>
<p>Onward to 2016!</p>
2015-12-01T10:27:05-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-november-stolen-bike-recoveriesBike Index's November stolen bike recoveries2015-12-01T10:27:05-06:00Bryan Hance
<p>It has definitely been another busy month here at the Bike Index! We helped 44 bikes get back to their owners in November, and there are some crazy stories in here, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>A bike stolen in San Francisco is located 1900 miles away - in Guadalajara Mexico</li>
<li>We help recover our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/pedalpt">@pedalpt</a>'s stolen Viva Kilo</li>
<li>I run out and creatively repossess a stolen bike- One I personally registered this summer during <a href="portlandoregon.gov">Portland's Sunday Parkways</a></li>
<li>We help recover a bike stolen from a cross country rider who made it all the way to Portland from the east coast, only to get his bike stolen</li>
<li>An huge number of bikes being recovered by Portland Police and King Co. Sheriffs officers in Seattle. Law enforcement + Bike Index = win</li>
<li>A unique Mikkelsen is repo'd from a thief by King Co. Sheriffs in Seattle, and ID'd via the Bike Index</li>
</ul>
<p>… and many, many, many more.</p>
<p>So: Here’s how Bike Index’s 44 November’s stolen bike recoveries went down:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40980/large_001.JPG" alt="2009 Specialized Tricross sport" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Thanks to a tip to Portland Police, my bike was located during a search of a suspicious person. The bike has been "modified" (all the accessories were removed, tires changed and the frame painted a bit). Having the serial # was the key to ID'ing it...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Specialized Tricross sport: 11/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40986/large_002.JPG" alt="2008 Fuji Track" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police, ID'd in the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2008 Fuji Track: 11/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40985/large_003.JPG" alt="2008 KHS Bicycles Urban Express" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police, ID'd in the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2008 KHS Bicycles Urban Express: 11/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40984/large_004.JPG" alt="1996 GT Bicycles Avalanche" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police, ID'd in the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1996 GT Bicycles Avalanche: 11/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40987/large_005.JPG" alt="2015 Salsa Fargo" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This was a special recovery for us - This bike was one of several bikes stolen from cross-country riders in Portland this summer in a mini-epidemic of soul-crushing thefts. This was the third or fourth high profile bike theft from cross-country cycle tourists in Portland - it was a pretty low point. Fast forward to November 2015, when one of our spotters found it for sale on Ebay. We got in touch with the seller - who we recognized as a local bike rebuilder and someone who has helped out the Bike Index in the past - and when he realized it was the same bike he shipped it back to the owner ASAP.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Salsa Fargo: 11/03/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
Local news station KATU covered this amazing recovery in <a href="http://www.katu.com/news/local/Stolen-touring-bike-recovered-months-after-theft-345314692.html">Stolen touring bike recovered months after theft</a>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40990/large_006.JPG" alt="2011 Velorbis" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bryan from Bike Index sent me a note along with a link to Craigslist. Then he pointed me to the right
people to speak to from the police from the city where my bike was on sale. After we spoke to the local police about the case,
they picked it up from the seller and confirmed the bike was mine.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 Velorbis: 11/04/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This is the fifth or sixth bike we’ve helped recover from the same suspect Craigslist seller. He continues to sell many, many bikes - and we continue to monitor his sales, because it’s not like Craigslist is going to do anything about this guy…</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40991/large_007.JPG" alt="Trek Madone 4.7" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
There's a whole lot about this particular bike recovery I need to omit, because the Seattle police assisted with this one and
an arrest was made - and it's not entirely done yet, however the victim confirms: "The King County Prosecutor's Office has filed criminal charges in the case in which I am a victim." Seller was a longtime suspect Craigslist seller more or less known to everyone as involved in stolen bike sales.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Trek Madone 4.7 : 11/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40992/large_008.JPG" alt="Stolen 2005 Bianchi Vigorelli " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by SFPD Tenderloin and ID'd via the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen 2005 Bianchi Vigorelli : 11/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40993/large_009.JPG" alt="Unknown Trek " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd via the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Unknown Trek : 11/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40994/large_010.JPG" alt="2011 Specialized Spec Roubaix Elite SL2 Apex Setin Carb/Gloss " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
(Portland Police) contacted me after they arrested a drug dealer that had my bike...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 Specialized Spec Roubaix Elite SL2 Apex Setin Carb/Gloss : 11/06/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40996/large_011.JPG" alt="2014 SCOTT Subspeed" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd via the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 SCOTT Subspeed: 11/07/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40997/large_012.JPG" alt="1989 Fuji Arcadia L" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd via the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 1989 Fuji Arcadia L: 11/08/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40998/large_013.JPG" alt="Specialized Globe" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd via the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Specialized Globe: 11/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41032/large_015.JPG" alt="2009 Kona Dew Drop" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd in the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Kona Dew Drop: 11/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41001/large_016.JPG" alt="2013 Fuji Sportif 1.1 C" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone saw it being ghost ridden and tweeted at me. I was able to find it locked to a
street sign and called the police to cut the lock and get my bike back.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Fuji Sportif 1.1 C: 11/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41000/large_017.JPG" alt="2012 Specialized Tricross Elite" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was found for sale on offerupnow.com, the seller was contacted by the owner, who provided proof of ownership, and the
seller then returned the bike. Having clear evidence of the serial and a police report were key.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Specialized Tricross Elite: 11/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41002/large_018.JPG" alt="1991 Bianchi Eros" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone bought it at a bike shop, checked the Bike Index and then saw it was stolen and returned it to me.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1991 Bianchi Eros: 11/13/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40999/large_014.JPG" alt="2010 Trek 1.2 WSD" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This was also a special recovery: this bike was one of two stolen in a nearby burglary - and it was I bike I had personally registered at one of Portland's Sunday Parkways earlier in the year. Fast forward to November 15th, when a nearby spotter found it stashed in the bushes in a nearby apartment complex. I ran over and, ah, repossessed the bike and delivered it to the owner, and got this great before/after photo :) Their remarks: "I am happy to have my bike home! Knowing other people out there are thoughtful and helpful like you goes a long way in restoring distrust that creeps in when a theft like this happens. Thank you!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Trek 1.2 WSD: 11/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41003/large_019.JPG" alt="Felt track bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This is another one that's still in process with Seattle PD, so there's not much I can share here - however this bike was part of a 5-bike heist worth close to $40k. We spotted one of them for sale on Offerupnow.com and alerted the owner via twitter, who engaged police, who performed a sting. Again, this is ongoing, but two of the bikes were recovered. Hopefully more are coming back shortly.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Felt track bike: 11/13/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Some unnamed individuals who were critical in helping hook this up shall remain anonymous here. But they remain hugely appreciated. Seattle biker unity = strong.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41004/large_020.JPG" alt="Schwinn Sierra" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd in the Bike Index
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Schwinn Sierra: 11/14/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41005/large_021.JPG" alt="Viva Kilo" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This stolen bike recovery story comes from our friend and supporter Kevin Schmidt - MSPT, CMP, Cert. BikePT / Physical Therapist, Bike Fitting Specialist at pedalpt.com - and all around awesome guy and a huge supporter of our work here at Bike Index. Some of you may recognize Kevin from his free-coffee-on-Clinton events, which he invited us to many, many times to help us spread the word. I had a blast hanging out with the @pedalpt folks at these events all summer, so, needless to say we’re super excited we helped Kevin get his stolen bike back!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Viva Kilo: 11/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
We took Kevin's own writeup on this recovery and posted it here: <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindexorg-returns-pedalpts-viva-kilo">Bike Index.org returns @pedalpt's Viva Kilo!</a>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41006/large_022.JPG" alt="2014 Cannondale Quick 4" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
My bike was stolen back in September, then someone sent me a link to a bike (ed: for sale, on offerupnow.com) that looked exactly like mine. I arranged to buy it. I met with police, who instructed me how to go about the purchase. They intercepted the purchase as soon as it started, and I got my bike back!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Cannondale Quick 4: 11/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41007/large_023.JPG" alt="Surly Disc Trucker" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Here's a crazy story: this bike was stolen in San Francisco, and then bought from online marketplace 'segundamano.mx' - 'second hand' -- over 1900 miles away in Guadalajara Mexico! The owner confirmed the bike was a match, but the sheer costs and logistics of getting it back made doing so impossible. In the end, they bequeathed the bike to its new owner and the bike was de-listed from the Bike Index.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Surly Disc Trucker: 11/17/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This is not the first cross-border bike recovery here at Bike Index, but it’s the first one in a while.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41008/large_024.JPG" alt="2012 Trek Rumblefish" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Somebody saw this Bike Index post and then saw the bike and called the police and the bike was recovered.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Trek Rumblefish: 11/18/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41010/large_25.JPG" alt="Giant Anthem" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This Giant Anthem was stolen off a MAX train in Portland OR, and listed for sale online a few days later. The lister was a local
pawn shop, so we advised the owner how to go about retrieving his bike using his police report, photos, etc. In the end the bike was returned.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Giant Anthem: 11/18/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41011/large_026.JPG" alt="Giant Anthem" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A woman took this bicycle for a test ride (from an online seller) and checked here (on Bike Index) first. She didn't buy the bike, but took a photo of the seller's license plate. The police then went to the seller's house and reclaimed the bike!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Specialized Dolce Compact : 11/19/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This bike was stolen over two years ago. That’s the power of the Bike Index - you never know when they’re coming back….</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41012/large_027.JPG" alt="Novara Randonee " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Recovered by Portland Police and ID'd in the Bike Index.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Novara Randonee : 11/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41013/large_028.JPG" alt="2000 Jamis Nova Roadbike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
It was purchased by a used bike reseller, who looked up the serial number on Bike Index.org, where it was listed as stolen, found my phone number, called me and told me to come get my bike, no charge! I was pleasantly flabbergasted.... Thanks for doing the right thing! The bike was mostly in good shape, 1 year later, with a few missing lights and fenders, but the bones were still good! Thanks, bike index!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2000 Jamis Nova Roadbike: 11/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41014/large_029.JPG" alt="2015 Specialized 3-speed Daily" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was one of two stolen in an apartment burglary in the Pearl District in Portland OR. Two days later, someone found it stashed under weird circumstances and got in touch. From the owner: "(individual) found the bike 20 miles from where it was stolen, emailed into this website, confirmed the serial number and I met up with him. Thank you for hosting this incredible service Bike Index! "
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Specialized 3-speed Daily: 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41015/large_030.JPG" alt="2013 Volagi Viaje" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Not to be over exuberant or anything, but I'm ecstatic. A guy named (redacted) called last night, said he was working with the police and he was almost certain this was my bike. I took the bus down to the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct this afternoon, and lo and behold, there it was. Almost 2 months later. Thank you so much, Bike Index.org and (redacted)!!!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Volagi Viaje: 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>(redacted) is a local bike-recovery ninja who has been mentioned here before - he continues to single-handedly put an enormous dent in the local stolen bike population around Seattle.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41016/large_031.JPG" alt="2015 FRAMED mini-sota " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen. Listed in the Bike Index. Spotted on Craigslist a few days later by a Bike Index spotter - we sent them our "I found my stolen bike for sale online" playbook and they were able to get police involved and get the bike back.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 FRAMED mini-sota : 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41017/large_032.JPG" alt="2015 FRAMED mini-sota " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"Bike thieves are terrible people. They cut off my car rack and took the twice-locked bike with it." Five days later, officers with King County Sheriff's office spotted this in the wild and pulled it back after identifying it from the Bike Index listing.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 FRAMED mini-sota : 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41018/large_033.JPG" alt="Mikkelsen " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
My Mikkelsen was stolen from my condo bike cage ... they cut through the fence and then cut the lock and rode off with the Mikkelsen and someone else's bicycle. The theives also broke into 4 cars in the condo garage and stole various personal items. The theives gave my bike to a well known substance abuse offender on the street and the King County Deputy spotted him ... The person had an outstanding warrant so the bike was put into evidence storage and Deputy Nix started looking for the owner, and hit your website. So all the stars just seem to line up on this one. A very dilligent and thoughtful Depty Nix (on-bike patrol officer) and his awareness of the street life and custom bicycle makes that just didn't add up. Kudos to the Bike Index website and to Deputy Nix!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Mikkelsen : 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41019/large_034.JPG" alt="LeMond Racing Cycles Zurich " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another Nix score! "Deputy Nix found it (the person ran off and left) and matched it in the Bike Index. Wahoooo! Back on two wheels! "
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">LeMond Racing Cycles Zurich: 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/63261">Who finds stolen bikes? Bike Index finds stolen bikes</a> .</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41021/large_035.JPG" alt="2014 Volagi Viaje" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
I immediately registered it on Bike Index, filed a police report, and set up an IFTT alert for my bike on Craigslist. It was posted the day after it was stolen, taken down, then posted again a week later at a much lower price. My girlfriend was able to get the seller to respond to a request to buy, she met him and purchased the bike back for $200. I used the link on Bike Index to warn local bike shops that the thief was attempting to sell it locally, so after a week or so of not being able to move it locally, he was forced to sell it online at a very reduced price.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Volagi Viaje: 11/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This seller is now on our watchlist.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41022/large_036.JPG" alt="2004 LeMond Racing Cycles True Temper OX" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another recovery by the King Co. Sheriff team: "Thanks to Bike Index and the King County guys, I got my bike back! AMAZING! THANK YOU!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2004 LeMond Racing Cycles True Temper OX : 11/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41023/large_037.JPG" alt="1975 Windsor Super Carrera" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another recovery by the King Co. Sheriff team - they were really on a tear this week. :)
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 1975 Windsor Super Carrera : 11/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41026/large_038.JPG" alt="2009 Novara ponderosa" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"Portland police recovered it and emailed me through the Bike Index"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 Novara ponderosa: 11/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41027/large_039.JPG" alt="2015 Trek 7.2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"Someone saw my bike posted as 'found' on nextdoor - they recognized it from Bike Index, and came here to message me! I am so grateful!!!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek 7.2: 11/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41029/large_041.JPG" alt="2010 Norco Bikes Indie Hybrid" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This is still in process, i.e. we're arranging the recovery, but here's the gist: "Hello! Recently I purchased a bike second hand, and when I got home I ran the serial numbers and saw the many postings asking for your bike to be returned. I can't believe it's been since 2013, because the stickers are still present on your bicycle.. I would love to set up a time to speak on this further with you and arrange a meeting to return it to you.. I look forward to your reply!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Norco Bikes Indie Hybrid: 11/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41030/large_042.JPG" alt=" 2011 Schwinn Roadster Trike " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Another double recovery - "Someone in our NextDoor neighborhood online community went to the homeless camps and got the bikes back, called & returned both of them to me. Trike is in good rideable condition. The Quickie Mach II wheelchair handcycle is not rideable -- the handles were removed and one was jammed through a gear, one of the quick release axles is missing. I never thought I would see them again, so the man who retrieved my bikes is to be commended for his help!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2011 Schwinn Roadster Trike : 11/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41031/large_043.JPG" alt="2015 Lapierre Zesty 327" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Stolen from a shop, and then: "... found the bike for sale near the shop on offerupnow.com. Made contact with the guy, overbid everybody and met up with him Saturday morning with the boys in blue. We now have our bike, and (the seller) from offerup has a brand new set of silver bracelets for Christmas!"
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Lapierre Zesty 327: 11/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
The shop noted in their tweet about this theft: "<a href="https://twitter.com/AlpineHut/status/667801205956046848">Be on the lookout! The wonderful person who stole this owes us a window</a>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/41034/large_044.JPG" alt="2012 Salsa" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"Still working on this one with Law enforcement - but I did recover my other bike through a pawn shop, Craigslist and the help of Bike Index."
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Salsa: 11/30/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
And that's a wrap! Personally I'm hoping the cold weather puts a dent in next month's stolen bikes, but stay tuned to find out ...
</article>
2015-11-17T11:56:02-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-returns-pedalpts-viva-kilo-scoreBike Index returns @pedalpt's Viva Kilo! Score!2015-11-17T11:56:02-06:00Bryan Hance<p>This stolen bike recovery story comes from our friend and supporter <a href="http://pedalpt.com">Kevin Schmidt</a> - MSPT, CMP, Cert. BikePT / Physical Therapist, Bike Fitting Specialist at <a href="http://pedalpt.com">pedalpt.com</a> - and all around awesome guy and a huge supporter of our work here at Bike Index.</p>
<p>Some of you may recognize Kevin from his free-coffee-on-Clinton events, which he invited us to many, many times to help us spread the word. I had a blast hanging out with the <a href="http://pedalpt.com">@pedalpt</a> folks at these events all summer, so, needless to say we’re super excited we helped Kevin get his stolen bike back! Here’s the whole story:</p>
<p><i>On Wednesday, 11/10 at noon, I got a phone call I never thought I’d be receiving. My precious Viva Kilo - which was stolen in July of 2014 - had been found, and the very bike that started everything over here at Pedal PT was finally coming home. Elated, I retuned the gentleman’s call, and spoke to ‘Wes’ about the circumstances and how he came to acquire the bike. From our conversation, it sounds like he had purchased my bike from a neighborhood riffraff kid named “June-Bug” for $80 over a year ago, acknowledging that he new the bike was likely stolen. My bike then assumedly sat idle for a year at his place off of 82nd Ave and Clatsop. </i></p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/40361/large_viva001.JPG" alt="@pedalpt's Viva Kilo" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Never thought I'd see this old Viva ever again since stolen on 7/3/14..NOW RETURNED thanks to Bike Index! - <a href="http://twitter.com/pedalpt">@pedalpt</a></i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">@pedalpt's Viva Kilo</a> Recovered: 11/10/2015</div>
</article>
<p><i>Wes said he recently had some work done on another bike over at <a href="http://backpedalcycleworks.blogspot.com/">BackPedal CycleWorks</a> on SE 72nd and Harold, and spoke to Dave about the Viva, and it’s likelihood of being stolen. Dave looked for it on Bike Index.com, found my post from July 2014, and got Wes my phone number to call me with the great news. I called Dave, just to be sure, who confirmed Wes’ story. Later that evening, I drove to meet Wes at his place, the adrenaline pumping in anticipation.</i></p>
<p><i>When I arrived, there was no mistaking that this was indeed my bike. The Viva Kilo had been stripped of saddle (Brooks B67s) and seat post, and the headlight/rear reflector had also been removed. Some mild rust spots on wheels/spokes. A random old saddle, and a jerry-rigged seat clamp had been installed (see pic). However, to my surprise, the roller brakes and NEXUS internal geared hub all were in absolutely perfect working order, and the custom fenders and front/back racks, brass bell, and leather handgrips were also left unaltered. No (new) dents, dings or scratches. Wow. I lovingly brought the bike home in my car, and unfortunately had to immediately get to PDX to catch a plane to Orlando for a conference. Yesterday, I finally got a chance to take it all in, clean and polish her up, tighten bolts, and get her closer to getting back to it’s ‘pre-stolen’ status. I seriously can’t believe my Viva is back home! </i></p>
<p><i>With that said, I am SO eternally grateful and thankful to everyone who made this recovery possible. My situation is likely not too extreme, but it took some very heads-up thinking from Dave, and of course without Bryan and the Bike Index.org site, my bike would have likely never been returned. So, my advice: To ANYONE who values their bike, no matter if it’s worth $50 or $5K, <b>take the time now to register your bike on Bike Index.org</b>. It’s 100% free, it takes less than 5minutes, and IT WORKS! Take it from me, getting your stolen bike back is possible, and I’m living proof that the Bike Index system works!” </i></p>
<p>Just another awesome bike recovery I wanted to share. I’m due to take a victory lap with Kevin sometime soon, so perhaps I’ll add some more victory photos later.</p>
2015-11-08T20:09:39-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-october-2015-bike-recovery-storiesBike Index's October 2015 bike recovery stories2015-11-08T20:09:39-06:00Bryan Hance<p>October was very busy here at the Bike Index! We clocked 35 recoveries, and some of them were right up there with the most interesting bikes we have seen so far - such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>The stolen-bike-recovery ninja in Seattle finds a stolen Cervelo (and the victim's other belongings) before the victim even knew he was robbed</li>
<li>More cases of bike shops ID'ing and pulling stolen bikes that show up on their workbench</li>
<li>An ebay seller who completely parted out a stolen bike to avoid detection - but was still caught</li>
<li>Several satisfying recoveries from a Seattle Police detective</li>
</ul>
<p>Here’s how October’s recoveries went:</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39700/large_001.JPG" alt="Iron Horse Bicycles Victory" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone contacted me through this site. I went by and picked it up.
A bit worse for wear, but cheaper than buying a new bike. Reunited, and it feels so good.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Iron Horse Bicycles Victory Recovered: 10/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39690/large_002.JPG" alt="1981 Trek Elance 700" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Portland Police Bureau recovered it, saw it on here, and contacted me
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1981 Trek Elance 700 Recovered: 10/04/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39694/large_003.JPG" alt="2015 Surly Big Dummy" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone saw my post here, spotted my bike locked up, and notified the local PD for recovery.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Surly Big Dummy Recovered: 10/06/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39698/large_004.JPG" alt="2001 Bianchi Brava" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone was approached by the thief, who was selling the bike, and got suspicious. So my angel bought the bike and then checked Craigslist for "stolen ads" for a few days until a friend told him about Bike Index, where he found me! My saddle and wheels were intact, just some minor accessories missing, and our upstanding citizen even fixed my derailleur!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2001 Bianchi Brava Recovered: 10/08/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39699/large_005.JPG" alt="Stolen Firenze GL5000" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Hi! I found this bike dumped outside of my workplace today. Matches the description.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen Firenze GL5000 Recovered: 10/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39696/large_006.JPG" alt="1993 Trek 1420" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Seattle PD recovered bike and used info I provided in its theft report to contact me. Bike was missing rear rack, front brake, fenders and bottle brackets but came back with an extra tail-light which I didn't have.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1993 Trek 1420 Recovered: 10/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39693/large_007.JPG" alt="Stolen 2015 Norco Bikes" />
Recovered by Portland Police Bureau - "Unfortunately, it doesn't look much like it did when it was stolen... :("
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen 2015 Norco Bikes Recovered: 10/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39691/large_008.JPG" alt="Trek 3500 13 Titanite/Fastback" />
Recovered by Bike Gallery Clackamas
<div class="blockquote-cite">Trek 3500 13 Titanite/Fastback Recovered: 10/11/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39697/large_009.JPG" alt="2013 HP Velotechnik Scorpion fs 26" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Hello, I have some good news for you, I had some guy leave the scorpion as collateral while he test road my bike. Needless to say the guy never came back and I went to mark my bike on the Bike Index as stolen - and I saw your bike right there on the main page. I can't say I was that surprised after I got ripped off for mine that his collateral was stolen!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 HP Velotechnik Scorpion fs 26 Recovered: 10/11/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39695/large_010.JPG" alt="2014 Vanmoof S Series" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Found listed on Craigslist. The people selling it say they bought it from someone else. I have their information. I decided not to press charges.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Vanmoof S Series Recovered: 10/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39692/large_011.JPG" alt="2015 Felt z100s" />
I worked with a Bike Index member and tracked the bike up for sale on offerupnow.com With his help we set up a meet and had the thieves come over to sell the bike. He helped me confirm the serial number on the bike during the interaction with thieves. The thief was told the bike is stolen and was given the option to simply walk away without the bike.
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Felt z100 Recovered: 10/12/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Credit on this goes to the ninja-like user in Seattle—who has essentially become Seattle’s Bike Recovery Batman.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Greetings, I just bought a kona honky tonk, red with mismatched parts looking a little worse for wear. It appears that this used to be your stead. I don't know the protocol for returning stolen goods, but if you still want the frame, that's what's left. I'd already tossed the junk it was connected to in order to make way for some big dreams. I'm sorry your bike was stolen!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Kona Honky Tonk Recovered: 10/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39732/large_012.JPG" alt="2004 Specialized Roubaix Elite" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
I dropped your bike off at the Issaquah Police Dept.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2004 Specialized Roubaix Elite Recovered: 10/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39734/large_013.JPG" alt="2015 Trek Marlin 6 13.5" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Officer Scott of the Portland police recovered it, but Bike Index was instrumental!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek Marlin 6 13.5 Recovered: 10/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39735/large_014.JPG" alt="2015 Novara Big Buzz" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
An awesome dude bought it on 3rd ave in Seattle for 1/3 of its value. He looked it up in the Bike Index and gave me a call!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Novara Big Buzz Recovered: 10/16/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39736/large_015.JPG" alt="2015 Novara Big Buzz" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Portland Police Bureau recovered this bike, owner alerted through the Bike Index.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Novara Big Buzz Recovered: 10/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39741/large_155.JPG" alt="2015 Specialized Crossroads sport step-through" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A man who said he bought it for his girlfriend brought it in to Huckleberry Bikes, and they ran the serial number. When he found out it was stolen, he told them to keep it and they called me. Yay!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Specialized Crossroads sport step-through Recovered: 10/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39737/large_016.JPG" alt=" 2009 Kona Honky Tonk " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This one was an interesting recovery - someone spotted it for sale on a Seattle street, thought it was sketchy, so they checked its serial number. It matched a stolen bike listing we had on file (from 2012!) so the cops and the owner were called, and the bike was freed.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2009 Kona Honky Tonk Recovered: 10/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39738/large_017.JPG" alt="Kona Sutra" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bryan, just to let you know I've just been reunited with my bike. Such a happy feeling. I don't think I would've been able to without you so my deepest thanks to you and the Bike Index... you guys have a great system and its saved my life! Me and my friend are cycling to San Diego from Portland and this bike was an integral part of that.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Kona Sutra Recovered: 10/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39739/large_018.JPG" alt="2015 Norco Bikes Indie 3 Forma" />
This bike was stolen, then spotted, then spotted again, and the owner chased it down with the help of some sharp-eyed PDX riders and police. The story's so long an involved <a href="http://www.islandoaksmedia.com/blog/recovering-my-stolen-bike">they wrote a blogpost about their experiences</a>.
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Norco Bikes Indie 3 Forma Recovered: 10/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39733/large_019.JPG" alt="2013 Jamis Bosanova" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Thanks to Bike Index! This morning I got a text message from our hero, "Pardon me, I know it's late, but I think I found your bike." It was recovered from the Safeway at 122nd and Glisan. A customer at the store gave it to the security guard, who obviously thought that was suspicious. He brought it home, vigilantly and heroically checked the Bike Index, saw it was stolen, then texted me. So, the moral of the story is if you don't have your bike registered with the Bike Index, DO IT NOW. It doesn't have to be stolen to register!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Jamis Bosanova Recovered: 10/20/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39740/large_020.JPG" alt="2014 Santa Cruz Bronson Aluminum" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Astoria's Bikes and Beyond recovered this bike for me. Someone brought it in for service and they suspected it of being stolen. They did some research, found me, contacted me, dealt with the police, and even arranged to have it delivered back to Portland. Such great people.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Santa Cruz Bronson Aluminum Recovered: 10/20/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39747/large_021.JPG" alt="2014 SCOTT 760" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
UW police found it at local transient camp
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 SCOTT 760 Recovered: 10/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39744/large_022.JPG" alt="1989 Fuji Arcadia L " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A young lad recognized it from social media and approached the youths that had it, told them it was his and took it back home - contacted via the info I listed here.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1989 Fuji Arcadia L Recovered: 10/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39746/large_023.JPG" alt="2011 Diamondback podium 6" />
Portland Police Bureau recovered this bike, contacted the owner through Bike Index.org
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 Diamondback podium 6 Recovered: 10/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39748/large_024.JPG" alt="2012 Cervelo Team Ultegra Di2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The owner was working in (redacted) - he didn't even realize his house had been burglarized. I sent him the profile and he confirmed that not only was that his bike, but they had his wife's shoes, jackets, perfume, etc.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Cervelo Team Ultegra Di2 Recovered: 10/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This recovery - while not technically ours - is too crazy not to share: the Seattle-area spotter and all around Bike Recovery Ninja found this bike for sale on Offerupnow.com and knew it was a crooked sale. He set up a meet, set up an elaborate ruse to buy himself time, and tracked down the owner (via the shop that sold it) and positively ID’d the bike.</p>
<p>Long story short: cops called, sellers busted, bike returned, other stolen items recovered – and another notch was added to this Seattle-area ninja’s bike recovery record.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39750/large_025.JPG" alt="2013 SCOTT Foil 40" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A couple of very solid guys at Portland's Chris King Components spotted this bike in a chop shop and seized it. Bike saved, owner happy!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 SCOTT Foil 40 Recovered: 10/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39753/large_026.JPG" alt="2013 Cannondale Caad10 Women's 5 105" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
An SPD detective found this bike in a house he was serving a warrant on, ran it through us - natch, there was a hit, and we got in touch with the owner.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Cannondale Caad10 Women's 5 105 Recovered: 10/24/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39765/large_RIDLEY.JPG" alt="2012 Ridley X-Fire " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Just picked it up! Aside from some hairline scratches on the seatpost from when they lowered it, it's good as new - Thanks again! Officers Riley and Scott from the Portland Police found it in less than 24 hours! Unbelievable.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Ridley X-Fire Recovered: 10/26/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Portland Police Bureau found and returned this bike through Bike Index less than a day after it was taken in a car smash-and-grab, the owner wrote us afterward.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39754/large_028.JPG" alt="Stolen Dahon Speed D7" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The police recovered our bike about a week after it was stolen (a known criminal was riding it, so they were suspicious). The officer made it very very clear that we likely wouldn't have gotten it back if we hadn't entered it into this database and made it so easy to determine stolen. So grateful for this service!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Stolen Dahon Speed D7 Recovered: 10/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39749/large_029.JPG" alt="2013 Trek 7.4FX" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Hey I have your bike in my shop currently for repair, please call ... (later) Portland police now have the bike.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Trek 7.4FX Recovered: 10/28/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Another case of someone bringing a stolen bike into a shop.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39751/large_030.JPG" alt="2010 Specialized Ruby Comp Triple" />
Another interesting Seattle PD recovery: this bike thief was caught on camera (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbHz4Aw4xk0">youtube link!</a>) taking this Specialized Ruby Comp. Weeks later, we're speaking to an SPD detective (who was on his 3rd or 4th bike thief arrest in three days) when he runs across the thief, and the bike, and makes an arrest. Pretty phenomenal.
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Specialized Ruby Comp Triple Recovered: 10/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39745/large_031.JPG" alt="Jamis Bosa Nova" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
I spotted my frame and assorted parts on eBay, notified Bike Index, and they got ahold of a Detective at the SPD .... The detective recovered my frame and the majority of my other parts in a record breaking 24 hrs after I spotted the bike. If I had not been registered with Bike Index I would have had the connections that allowed for my bike to be recovered before it was sold. Thank you to all involved in getting my bike back to me!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Jamis Bosa Nova Recovered: 10/28/2015</div>
</article>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> this bike was covered in Seattle station Q13FOX’s coverage -
<a href="http://q13fox.com/2015/10/27/bike-tracking-website-viewers-help-get-stolen-bicycles-back-to-rightful-owners">Bike-tracking website, viewers help get stolen bicycles back to rightful owners</a></p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39757/large_032.jpg" alt="2015 Specialized Vita" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
The police emailed me saying they have my bike! I don't know who recovered it ... but you have my eternal gratitude! the original pedals were switched out (probably sold off) and some glow-stickers and gold marker decorations were added to it... but all in all, it's in pretty good shape, still has the original seat and handlebars. I'm just glad my baby's back home safe.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Specialized Vita Recovered: 10/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
And that's a wrap!
</article>
2015-11-08T16:13:19-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindexs-september-bike-recoveriesOur September 2015 bike recoveries 2015-11-08T16:13:19-06:00Bryan Hance<p>September was a busy month here at the Bike Index - we recovered 34 bikes - 32 of which are detailed here.</p>
<p>So, yes - this writeup’s a little overdue - we were busy hustling to help get all these bikes back to their owners.</p>
<p>A couple highlights from September:</p>
<ul>
<li>A stolen bike leads to an arrest - and hundreds of other stolen items</li>
<li>A stolen bike is returned thanks to its DEATH TO BIKE THIEVES! sticker</li>
<li>An online community spots a gorgeous stolen Rivendell for sale online - which is then recovered</li>
<li>Portland Police are returning a significant number of bikes through Bike Index - eleven PPB recoveries in September</li>
</ul>
<p>Sadly, less than half of the recoveries listed here made a donation to the Bike Index, so we could still use your help and support to keep our efforts running - please see <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/want-to-support-the-bike-index-heres-how">this article</a> for how you can help support us in our fight against bike theft :)</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39654/large_002.JPG" alt="2011 GT Bicycles avalanche" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Finally got the bike out of the PPB property room - thanks for all you guys for having this service!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 GT Bicycles avalanche </a> Recovered: 09/02/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The bike was dumped a block and a half from where it was stolen, likely because it had no pedals on it. The residents of the house where it was dumped found the serial number here, and called me.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">LeMond Racing Cycles tourmalet </a> Recovered: 09/02/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39659/large_004.JPG" alt="2006 Gary Fisher Utopia" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>An apartment manager noticed a dodgy resident using it so he looked up the serial, which brought up this site - Bike Index.
He contacted me about it and I went around to pick it up. Thanks!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2006 Gary Fisher Utopia</a> Recovered: 09/03/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39656/large_005.JPG" alt="Specialized Spec Roubaix Elite SL2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found for sale online, recovered by Portland Police Bureau</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Specialized Spec Roubaix Elite SL2</a> Recovered: 09/04/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39655/large_006.JPG" alt="Raleigh M80" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>An officer from SPD North Precinct saw the description on your site and just happened to spot my bike a short time later. Less than 12 hours after it was stolen. Yes, yes you helped!!!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Raleigh M80</a> Recovered: 09/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39657/large_007.JPG" alt="Diamondback Voyager 2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Posted online, bought by unsuspecting buyer, frame returned to owner via Bike Index</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Diamondback Voyager 2</a> Recovered: 09/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39661/large_VILANO.JPG" alt="Bianchi Vilano" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by SPD - 'delivered to owner thanks to Bike Index'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Bianchi Vilano</a> Recovered: 09/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39658/large_009.JPG" alt="2007 Raleigh XXIX" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I'm glad I registered my bicycle with Bike Index - the officer went straight there when he saw my "Death to Bike Thieves" sticker that I got after my Raleigh was stolen the first time. I covered it on Instagram! <a href="https://instagram.com/p/7dOKZom186/ ">Please feel free to share my story</a>!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Raleigh XXIX</a> Recovered: 09/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39653/large_010.JPG" alt="2012 Cannondale Synapse 5" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>SFPD recovered it from some drug addicts who were preparing it for sale. Thanks, Bike Index for publicizing the theft!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Cannondale Synapse 5</a> Recovered: 09/11/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39651/large_011.JPG" alt="Rivendell Bicycle Works Saluki" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This gorgeous Rivendell was spotted for sale online (Ebay, natch) by a number of riders and online spotters who instantly recognized
it from its Bike Index listing. <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rbw-owners-bunch">The 'RBW Owners Bunch' group in particular were all over it</a> - I received a half dozen emails from their members within about 15 minutes. The owner was able to engage police and get the bike recovered from the pawn shop that had listed it for sale.
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Rivendell Bicycle Works Saluki</a> Recovered: 09/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39669/large_012.JPG" alt="2015 WorkCycles Opa Dutch Style" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40"><i>
A random stranger found the bike abandoned in a park a few miles away from where it had been stolen. He was able to identify it
as mine from the picture I posted on Bike Index. Thank you!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 WorkCycles Opa Dutch Style</a> Recovered: 09/12/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39663/large_013.JPG" alt=" 2011 Fuji Cross 3.0 " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40"><i>
Bike Index emailed me about a Craigslist ad matching my stolen bike and I set up a meet with the person. I met (the seller) and ... verified the serial number. I told him when and how I lost the bike, showed him the police report, and produced my ID. He took pictures of both ... and called the police - understandably, since he said he bought it off a pawn shop for $600. We spoke to an officer who said that since this is a friendly encounter and he wasn't there, he could not recommend just giving me the bike. 'Unless I could produce a receipt and then the best course of action is to do this at the police station.' I didn't have my receipt, but I bought it from Performance Bike in Lincoln Park, so I just called them and they verified that I bought this bike there and emailed me the screenshot of the record. The seller was satisfied and gave me my bike back.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2011 Fuji Cross 3.0 </a> Recovered: 09/13/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39668/large_014.JPG" alt="2009 Trek 520 " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>FOUND THANKS TO YOU GUYS!!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2009 Trek 520</a> Recovered: 09/14/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39670/large_015.JPG" alt="2007 WorkCycles Umafiets " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I got a call from someone who found it outside their place of business. It was a different location that I remember locking it. It had only the rear wheel lock locked... The chain lock was sitting in the panniers. It's possible someone tried to walk away with it then reconsidered.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 WorkCycles Umafiets</a> Recovered: 09/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39664/large_016.JPG" alt="2014 SCOTT Subspeed " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered by Portland Police Bureau officers, details unknown.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 SCOTT Subspeed</a> Recovered: 09/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39671/large_017.JPG" alt="Gary Fisher Triton SO " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another bike recovered by Portland Police Bureau officers.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Gary Fisher Triton SO</a> Recovered: 09/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39667/large_018.JPG" alt="2013 Trek 1.2 H2 " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>... aaaand yet another bike recovered by Portland Police Bureau officers.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Trek 1.2 H2</a> Recovered: 09/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39666/large_019.JPG" alt="2014 Novara Buzz" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A neighbor found it listed here and then emailed me.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Novara Buzz</a> Recovered: 09/18/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39665/large_020.JPG" alt="Bianchi Eros" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I have it! It was saved by a neighbor on NW northrup it was just on the ground unlocked - the thief must have gotten spooked.
THANKS SO MUCH for having this site. Without it I am certain I would not have my bike back. Thanks again You do good things!</i>
-- Bike Index notes this bike was found with no photo or serial number, which is rare.
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Bianchi Eros</a> Recovered: 09/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39683/large_021.JPG" alt="Trek" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police recovery, even without a serial number. Notice a trend here?</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Trek</a> Recovered: 09/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39676/large_022.JPG" alt="2014 Salsa Fargo 2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"I have your bike and it's safe. I bought it off a guy in front of the Madrona Grocery Outlet for $150 ...
Was hoping it was legit, but the price was too good to be true, so I have been searching the
web to see if it was stolen. Checked the serial number and it's definitely your bike. Nice bike
by the way."</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Salsa Fargo 2</a> Recovered: 09/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39673/large_023.JPG" alt="2012 Haro Flightline One" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A King County Sheriff's Officer spotted 2 people walking with my bike in downtown Seattle! She recognized it from my recent listing on Bike Index.org so she confronted the couple and confiscated my bike from them.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Haro Flightline One</a> Recovered: 09/23/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39682/large_024.JPG" alt="Empella Bonfire" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Reported by someone who noticed a homeless person with it,
checked Bike Index & gave me a call. We reported to the police a bunch of
stolen bikes & parts in the same area as my bike was recovered: just south of Goodwill on Dearborn.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Empella Bonfire</a> Recovered: 09/26/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39679/large_025.JPG" alt="Appolo sport 10" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Recovered via social media, the fact that I had photos, the distinguishing salmon colored back break pads,
and pure luck! I am so happy, and can't thank everyone enough. Such an amazing support system for those with stolen bikes!
Sending good vibes to those still searching.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Appolo sport 10</a> Recovered: 09/27/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39681/large_026.JPG" alt="Kuota Kharma" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Likley the most epic Bike Index recovery yet: On September 28th, after *nine months* of chasing this bike, this Kuota Kharma was recovered in a robbery bust by Portland Police. This was stolen back in February - taken in a home break-in. One of our spotters discovered it for sale (on Offerupnow.com) this summer, and the owner engaged Portland Police for months to track it down. PPB eventually raided the sellers home and two storage units, recovering over 300 stolen items and making an arrest. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152978492285904.1073741872.65391820903&type=3">The amount of seized goods was so large, Portland Police posted the items to their Facebook page to aid in identification</a>.
This arrest was covered in several places, including
<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/10/20/guest-article-stolen-bike-took-nine-months-recover-166194">BikePortland.org</a>,
<a href="http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=6712">Portland Police</a>,
<a href="http://www.katu.com/news/local/Burglary-suspect-arrested-Portland-police-want-to-return-stolen-property-338347862.html">KATU</a>, and others.
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Kuota Kharma</a> Recovered: 09/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39674/large_027.JPG" alt="2014 Trek FX 7.2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another recovery by Portland Police Bureau.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Trek FX 7.2</a> Recovered: 09/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39677/large_030.JPG" alt="Custom blender bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone spotted this very, ah, oddly configured cargobike stashed behind their apartment building and got in touch.
Even though it wasn't listed in the Bike Index, I rode over on my lunch break and quickly ID'd it as a <a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14698747174_6a69836551.jpg">cargobike/blender combination</a> build from <a href="http://tomscargobikes.com/tomscargobikes.com/Home.html">Toms Cargo Bikes</a> in Portland OR.
BikePortland.org got in touch with the owner and found that someone had stolen it from a homeless youth outreach program run by 'Outside In' - a non-profit based in downtown Portland. That's pretty low - and needless to say, we had the person who found it slap a couple of locks on it until it was recovered. BikePortland covered this in "<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/10/01/community-helps-recover-cargo-bike-used-in-homeless-youth-outreach-program-164052">Community helps recover stolen cargo bike used in homeless youth outreach program</a>".
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Custom blender bike</a> Recovered: 09/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police Bureau recovery!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Cannondale System 6</a> Recovered: 09/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39678/large_031.JPG" alt="2007 Cannondale System 6" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police Bureau recovery!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Cannondale System 6</a> Recovered: 09/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39680/large_032.JPG" alt="2004 Trek 3700" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Another Portland Police Bureau recovery!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2004 Trek 3700</a> Recovered: 09/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/39675/large_033.JPG" alt="2013 Specialized Vita" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"IT WAS OUR BIIIIIIIKKKKKEEEE!!!!! Officer Scott is DA BOMB DIGGITY!!!!" - Yes, this another Portland Police Bureau recovery!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Specialized Vita</a> Recovered: 09/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>And that’s a wrap!</p>
2015-10-10T19:18:20-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-welcomes-a-new-partner---cyclingutahcomBike Index welcomes a new partner - CyclingUtah.com!2015-10-10T19:18:20-05:00Bryan Hance<p><a href="http://bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> welcomes our newest partner - <a href="http://CyclingUtah.com">CyclingUtah.com</a>!</p>
<p><a href="http://CyclingUtah.com">CyclingUtah.com</a> - the source for road and mountain biking info in Utah and the Intermountain West - has teamed up with <a href="http://bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> to provide free bike registration, stolen bike listings, and bike theft prevention tips to CyclingUtah readers.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/37376/large_cu_002.JPG" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://CyclingUtah.com">CyclingUtah</a> has been publishing bike event calendars, club information, links, a shop directory, and stories for ever twelve years, and its publication reaches over 35k readers in 7 states every month. Adding advanced tools and resources to combat bike thefts in Utah is part and parcel of the site’s mission, said Dave Iltis, CyclingUtah editor.</p>
<p>“Bike thefts in Utah are a real problem,” Iltis said. “We see bike theft reports daily, so we’re excited about connecting our through Bike Index to help get bikes registered - and we’re even more excited to start recovering people’s stolen bikes.”</p>
<p><a href="http://bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> - the largest open source, community driven registry of bikes in the US - works with <a href="https://bikeindex.org/where">hundreds of partners</a> like bike shops, law enforcement, universities and individual riders to combat bike theft. By combining free bike registration, stolen bike listings, and an advanced stolen bike search engine, Bike Index has registered over 58,000 bikes and recovered over 2,600 stolen bikes. The Bike Index <a href="http://bikeindex.org/news">stolen bike recovery stories</a> are a popular monthly read for thousands of bike theft victims.</p>
<p>“We’ve seen the amazing things that happen when you give a community of riders our registration and search tools,” said Bryan Hance, co-founder of Bike Index.org. “More bikes get protected, more stolen bikes get found, and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/heres-a-recent-nine-month-epic-bike-recovery-story">more bike thieves get arrested</a>. It’s really that simple - just give the community the tools to do so, and they’ll go to great lengths to keep each other’s bikes safe.”</p>
<p>In addition to CyclingUtah, Bike Index also works with <a href="http://bikeindex.org/where">many regional partners</a> such as <a href="http://bikeportland.org">Bike Portland</a>, <a href="http://seattlebikeblog.com">Seattle Bike Blog</a>, <a href="http://webikeeugene.org">We Bike Eugene</a>, <a href="http://bicycletucson.com">Bicycle Tucson</a>, <a href="http://bikingtoronto.com">Biking Toronto</a>, <a href="http://gobikebuffalo.org">Go Bike Buffalo</a>, <a href="http://indycog.org">IndyCog</a>, <a href="http://www.bikecleveland.org/">Bike Cleveland</a>.</p>
2015-10-04T11:55:01-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/heres-a-recent-nine-month-epic-bike-recovery-storyHere's an epic nine month bike recovery story ...2015-10-04T11:55:01-05:00Bryan Hance<h2 id="the-theft">The theft</h2>
<p>Just over nine months ago, someone broke into Kyle Gunsul’s house and stole his bike.</p>
<p>They did a good job, too - Portland locals may remember Kyle’s post to the local racing listserv detailing his burglary:</p>
<p>“<em>… (the burglar) removed the porch light, broke a locked gate, came through a window, busted down two security cameras and busted through another gate. They ONLY took the bike. They were feet away from my living room with computer and stereos but they knew what they were coming for. Was definitely cased.</em>”</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/36820/large_001.JPG" alt="burglary" /></p>
<p>Adding insult to injury, “I had just gotten it back after having a couple hundred dollars of work done to it,” Kyle said, “… and I kept thinking of what bad timing that was.”</p>
<p>In addition to registering with Bike Index, Kyle got the word out - photos of his stolen <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/44187">Kuota Kharma</a> made the rounds on Nextdoor, Twitter, Facebook,
and the usual local bike email lists. After that, though, Kyle’s bike did what most stolen bikes do - it disappeared.</p>
<p>Until July.</p>
<h2 id="the-spotter">The spotter</h2>
<p>There are some unsung heros most people don’t know about: people who spot stolen bikes for sale online using <a href="http://stolen.bikeindex.org">Bike Index’s stolen bike listings</a>. These people spot stolen bikes, alert the owners through Bike Index, and then we work with the victims on the chase and recovery.</p>
<p>These ‘spotters’ are a varied group: Some buy and sell for themselves and simply don’t want to buy stolen bikes. Some are bike theft victims just keeping an eye out for the community. Others just know how to spot a sketchy sale - my inbox overflows with emails that begin “There’s no way this is legit - can you guys look into this?”</p>
<p>These people constantly pull needles out of haystacks - many of which we’ve chronicled in <a href="http://bikeindex.org/news">our blog</a>. Their ability to cross reference thousands of stolen bikes against the thousands of listings they see online is a testament to the power of ‘<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_search_engine">the human search engine</a>’.</p>
<p>Some are extremely adept at this - the spotter who found Kyle’s Kuota has ID’d and helped returned over a <strong>dozen bikes</strong> through Bike Index. He’s the same spotter who just <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg/status/649457924276899841?lang=en">ID’d two stolen Terns</a> that Portland Police helped return last Wednesday. He’s got the knack for it.</p>
<p>As someone who’s been chasing bike thieves for ten years, I’m always interested in what motivates people to do work like this.</p>
<p>“I’ve had several bikes stolen from me, two of them from Portland from my backyard so I’m motivated by the mix of emotions I felt when those were stolen from me,” he says. “The righting of a wrong, trying to fix the injustice of having someone stealing things that doesn’t belong to them. The feeling of loss when you lose something that you depend on more than you realize. The audacity of people to steal things and then try to make money off them in an online community forum. Seeing too many bikes on the road that are more likely stolen that not.”</p>
<p>“I don’t consider myself a crime fighter at heart, just someone who’s trying to right a few wrongs that shouldn’t be happening in an ideal world. Really ugly stories of thieves stealing from kids or old people get me extremely motivated to help out.”</p>
<h2 id="the-spot">The spot</h2>
<p>On July 13th, this spotter flagged a bike sale on Offerup.com. In looking through the sellers items - power tools, watches, clothes - the black carbon fiber bike for sale stood out. It was Kyle’s Kuota, natch - propped against the wall of a storage unit.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/36823/large_KUOTA_002.JPG" /></p>
<p>Chasing stolen bikes online is hard. The sellers stay anonymous, there’s a huge number of outlets for them to sell, and there’s little support for victims … I could go on. Every day I deal with people who find their stolen goods for sale online, and it’s tiring. The burden is completely and totally on the victim in situations like this, so I’ll jst summarize by saying this: chasing your own stolen bike online <strong>sucks</strong>.</p>
<p>We sent Kyle the standard “I just found my stolen bike for sale online” instructions: Call the police, now. Get a fake email and burner phone number. Start monitoring the seller. They’re on our watchlist now, so we’ll see if they add more bikes, but call whatever police department you filed your burglary with. Specifically mention the bike was taken in a home burglary.</p>
<h2 id="the-chase">The chase</h2>
<p>At this point, most victims are stuck unless they can get police to help. Kyle had the right combination, though: a burglary, a unique and well documented bike, up for resale in the same city as the theft. All these details meant Kyle had a better chance of getting police to look into the listing.</p>
<p>Kyle called Portland Police, who sent an officer out. Soon after that, Kyle heard from burglary detectives, who took it up from there.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/36822/large_KUOTA_001.JPG" /></p>
<p>And then … months passed. Justice, as they say, grinds slow. Every few weeks, Kyle and I would touch base - We were both watching the seller’s items come and go, both hoping the bike’s ad stayed online.</p>
<p>“I had the ad as one of the tabs in my browser,” Kyle said, “I’d refresh it every day to see if it disappeared. As the weeks went by, everyone I told about it said I should just set up a buy and take it back before it gets sold. But I held out confidence that the police were working on it.”</p>
<p>And they were. Without getting into the details (the criminal case is just now wending its way to court now) the seller was evasive. At one point, the ad for Kyle’s bike disappeared completely.</p>
<p>Weeks later, though, the <strong>very same spotter who found Kyle’s bike the first time</strong> flagged a totally different seller with Kyle’s Kuota for sale. They were even using the same photograph.</p>
<p>The chase resumed.</p>
<h2 id="the-recovery">The recovery</h2>
<p>One week ago, Kyle emailed with a flurry of new activity from police. And on Monday, a voicemail: “…I’ve got some good news
for you.” Police had recovered his bike after serving a warrant.</p>
<p>Kyle texted me a photo (shown here) when he picked it up from the police warehouse - and it came back more or less as it was stolen: “It’s in great shape”, Kyle says of his recovered Kuota, “I don’t even think they rode it.”</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/36824/large_RECOVERED.JPG" /></p>
<p>As I emailed Kyle over the next few days, details trickled out from Kyle and one of the detectives about what they found - mainly, many, many stolen items, several of which they had specifically linked to other related crimes the police correlated while looking into Kyle’s burglary.</p>
<p>Five more bikes were found, three of which (at time of publication) had been reported as stolen. The detective I spoke to told me they have linked him to eight other burglaries so far - and they aren’t even done cataloging everything they seized yet.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the man police arrested has <strong>a lot</strong> of previous arrests: Burglary 1. Burglary 2. Methamphetamine possession. Felon in possession of a weapon. Possession of burglary tools. Parole violations. Theft by receiving. You get the idea.</p>
<p>So, sadly, Kyle’s not done with this experience yet - there’s a jury appearance in his future. But knowing that a simple stolen bike chase snowballed into something much larger - something that is likely going to remove a serial burglar from polite society for a couple of years - it seems worth it.</p>
<p>As for me, though … there’s a dozen similar stolen bikes sitting in my inbox right now. A theft. An online seller with sketchy listings who has the bike. Someone who’s dying to get their bike back, but isn’t getting any help with it. And so on. So we’re still at it. But we’ll happily scratch Kyle’s off the list.</p>
<h2 id="fin">Fin</h2>
<p>There’s been a lot of talk in Portland about how we can help fight bike theft. Kyle’s story, to me, is a blueprint for how this works: the community can handle registration and vigilance, Bike Index provides tools and tech, and police provide the enforcement. But it’s all fledgling. We need ten times more effort.</p>
<p>I asked Kyle what he thinks the bike community can to do help the problem:</p>
<p>“As a community we need to assist ‘investigators’ (cops, Bike Index, and other bikers) as much as possible. Register your bike. Take out your phone and shoot photos of your bike,” he said. “Take a photo of the serial number. Take a photo of scratches or any unique details. Get some new accessories? Take more photos … they can be incredibly helpful in getting your bike back.”</p>
<p>I asked Kyle about the long drawn out process of watching the police chase his bike.</p>
<p>“I think the police are doing the best with what they have. Again ‘the people’ decide how much power the police will have in our democracy and how well funded we want them to be. I think we get what we pay for. The officer that responded to the report you sent me about it being for sale online came by during two shootings in the same day. His radio did not stop with updates - and here I was worried about my bike.”</p>
<p>Lastly, I asked Kyle about the thieves actions - i.e., listing such a unique bike for sale only months after it was stolen.</p>
<p>“If you remember when I first posted about it being stolen I didn’t want to post it on Bike Index because I was positive any self-respecting person that went through the trouble of breaking into a house to steal it would surely monitor Bike Index to see if it’s safe to be sold online,” he said. “I watched the sites myself for a while trying it find it before finally posting it (on Bike Index). That was foolish. These guys are no criminal masterminds.”</p>
<p>Couldn’t have said it better myself.</p>
<p>We’ll continue to watch the criminal case as it plays out over the next several months, to learn more about the fate of the arrested individual.</p>
<p>For now, though, I’m just hoping I’ll run into Kyle on his Kuota on the road - perhaps we can take a victory lap together.</p>
2015-09-08T14:26:46-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-months-stolen-bike-recoveries---august-2015Our August 2015 stolen bike recovery stories2015-09-08T14:26:46-05:00Bryan Hance<p>It has been another busy month here at the Bike Index.</p>
<p>This roundup covers 27 of our August 2015 recoveries - including:</p>
<ul>
<li>More bike shops who are vigilant about finding stolen bikes</li>
<li>More recoveries from Seattle, Portland, and now <strong>Issaquah</strong> police</li>
<li>Stolen bike ID's and recoveries from our longtime online 'spotters', who are amazing</li>
<li>The usual crop of "found my stolen bike being sold online" stories</li>
<li>A bike that was stolen, recovered, and then stolen again - only to be recovered (again) in a sting.</li>
<li> An increasing number of stolen bike stings leading to <strong>arrests</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Be sure to check out our previous roundups from
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-months-recoveries---july-edition">July</a>,
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-edition">May 18th</a>,
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">June 1st</a>,
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-14th-edition">June 14th</a>, and
<a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-29th-edition">June 29th</a>.</p>
<p>Lastly, we could still use your help and support to keep the Bike Index running - please
see <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/want-to-support-the-bike-index-heres-how">this article</a> for how you can help us in our fight against
bike theft :)</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34403/large_001.JPG" alt="Falcon Europa" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I tweeted the details to <strong>Bike Index Seattle</strong> hoping someone might spot it and they suggested that I search for it on <strong>OfferUp.com</strong>.
Indeed, a search of "falcon bike" showed mine was listed for sale. I called police, then met with the seller who surrendered the bike once I proved that it indeed was my own. I hope my efforts helped law enforcement move one step closer to shutting down one of the likely
many Seattle rings like this. No one deserves to have their property stolen.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Falcon Europa</a> Recovered: 08/01/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34404/large_002.JPG" alt="2015 Trek 7.2 FX disc" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>This stolen bike was ID'd and recovered by Clackamas Bike Gallery thanks to its Bike Index listing.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek 7.2 FX disc</a> Recovered: 08/03/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34405/large_003.JPG" alt="2010 Trek 2.3" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Seattle police recovered the bike via its Bike Index listing.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Trek 2.3</a> Recovered: 08/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34408/large_005.JPG" alt="Thorn Raven" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was purchased by an unsuspecting rider ('off the street'), and was then identified as
stolen from its Bike Index listing. Bike was returned to the owner. 'Amazing! Thanks so much for your great public service. I’m spreading the word to all my friends about Bike Index, especially those who don’t follow the Portland biking community.'</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Thorn Raven</a> Recovered: 08/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34409/large_006.JPG" alt="2012 Cannondale Synapse 7" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A sharp eye'd Bike Index user spotted this stolen Cannondale for sale on <strong>Craigslist</strong>.
The owner was able to get police involved and do an undercover sting -
"The police showed up undercover to the Craigslist meet and found it was indeed my bike!
It looks like the thief locked it up for a year before trying to sell-no not much use on it.
The seller said he bought the bike from someone in the Hollywood area for $100. He said he figured it was stolen - so he was charged with Theft 1, which is a felony is Oregon. I can't thank you enough for your help!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Cannondale Synapse 7</a> Recovered: 08/05/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34413/large_007.JPG" alt=" 2015 Specialized Enduro Elite 650b" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The Portland police recovered my Specialized just the other day because of your site. Thanks again!!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2015 Specialized Enduro Elite 650b
</a> Recovered: 08/06/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34414/large_008.JPG" alt="2013 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc Compact" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
After being stolen the first time, the bike was sold twice
before finding a loving home. About one week later, the bike was stolen from that guy,
appearing slightly thereafter on <strong>Offerup.com</strong>. A good Samaritan
checked on Bike Index and got in touch with us once he found out it was stolen. We set up
a sting and retrieved the bike from the second thief - but weren't able to stall him long
enough for the SPD to arrive. Thanks, Bike Index!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc Compact </a> Recovered: 08/08/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34418/large_012.JPG" alt="Cannondale Synapse" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I have the bike back now! (redacted) was awesome, a nice guy and was great meeting up
with me to deliver the bike. The bike its self has seen much better days and I wish
it could talk because I am sure it has some stories to tell.
You guys do a great service and for myself and my girlfriend (it's her bike) and
I want to say thanks.</strong>
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Aug 9th
Cannondale Synapse</a> Recovered: 08/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34415/large_009.JPG" alt="2015 Giant Stance" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone (via Bike Index) texted me a picture of the thug on my stolen bike and gave me the location.
I rode by and found the guys with my bike - called 911 an officer showed up 5 mins later. We went around the
block and the officer recovered my bike. Guessing nothing will happen to the guy because he says he traded some weed for it... so I'm guessing my bike has seen some interesting things in the last 7 days. It is in bad shape but I have it back! Thanks again.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Giant Stance</a> Recovered: 08/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34416/large_010.JPG" alt="2015 Raleigh Revenio" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
I followed your tips - reporting it to the
police, notifying Bike Index - and I researched where stolen bikes are sold in Chicago. I learned that
Ashland Swap-O-Rama is the place to go. Sure enough, I hit the "hot-bikes" alley in the back.
I saw my bike, asked the guy the price and said I needed to go to the ATM. I flagged down an officer ... after that - it's history. Four squad cars came, I
provided all of my documentation and the suspect was arrested. I go to court in a couple of weeks. <strong>Thanks for all you do. I've never had a bike stolen and your site was invaluable.</strong>
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Raleigh Revenio</a> Recovered: 08/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34417/large_011.JPG" alt="2012 Novara Portal Mtn Bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Issaquah PD had recovered the bike within hours after it was stolen.
They reached out to us after seeing the tweets from Bike Index and
also via the police complaint we filed. Many thanks!</strong>
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Novara Portal Mtn Bike</a> Recovered: 08/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34422/large_013.JPG" alt="1981 Trek Elance 700" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike was recovered then ID'd by Portland Police via the Bike Index.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">1981 Trek Elance 700</a> Recovered: 08/14/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34423/large_014.JPG" alt=" 2013 Cannondale Synapse 6 " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
"Bike Index + good samaritan + Police = <strong>arrested thief</strong>!"
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2013 Cannondale Synapse 6 </a> Recovered: 08/16/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34424/large_015.JPG" alt="2013 Specialized Dolce" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike was stolen, then found for sale on <strong>Offerup.com</strong> by a longtime Bike Index user and all around awesome individual who has been mentioned in these posts many times before. Bike was then repossessed the bike and returned it to the owner.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2013 Specialized Dolce</a> Recovered: 08/16/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34425/large_016.JPG" alt="2015 Giant Defy 1" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was bought 'on the street' for $20 - the buyer (suspecting it was likely stolen) found the bike's Bike Index listing and contacted the owner and returned the bike.</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Giant Defy 1</a> Recovered: 08/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34426/large_017.JPG" alt="2007 Trek 5000 WSD" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was stolen, and located shortly thereafter for sale on <strong>Offerup.com</strong>.
The owners were able to engage police, and the bike was recovered by Renton PD in a sting operation
a day later. Owners: "We want to thank BI for the lead!"</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2007 Trek 5000 WSD</a> Recovered: 08/18/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34427/large_018.JPG" alt="2010 Gunnar Sport" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thank you, Bike Index! A Bike Index user had seen my green Gunnar, twice, in (redacted) over the week and had called police both times. The police did nothing despite his clear description of the bike ... However, last night I went to (redacted) myself and found some guys trying to sell my bike. I went into a nearby pharmacy and coincidentally, a police officer entered the store while I was calling 911. Accompanied by the officer, I found the guys with my bike and took it back from them. ... It isn't safe to ride right now, and the frame and saddle are a bit scratched, but overall I'm very happy to have my Gunnar back!</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2010 Gunnar Sport</a> Recovered: 08/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34428/large_019.JPG" alt="2015 Linus" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone was trying to sell it to a local barber shop and the motorcycle shop in the back purchased it for $150.
But then they found me online through Bike Index!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Linus</a> Recovered: 08/20/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34429/large_020.JPG" alt="2014 Raleigh Misceo 2.0" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Bike was recovered by Portland Police and ID'd via its Bike Index listing.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2014 Raleigh Misceo 2.0 </a> Recovered: 08/20/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34430/large_021.JPG" alt=" 2008 Cervélo Soloist SL " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stolen Cervelo was found for sale on <strong>Offerup.com</strong> by a sharp-eye'd Bike Index user and another absolutely amazing individual who has been mentioned in these posts before.
The owner was contacted and they handled recovery on their own: "Well guys I got my baby back after two years!!!
Could not be more happy ... called the thief, met him and took it back in a McDonald's parking lot. THANK YOU!"
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"> 2008 Cervélo Soloist SL </a> Recovered: 08/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34431/large_022.JPG" alt="2015 Trek FX 7.2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thank you, Bike Index!! My bike was seized by the police during an arrest and they used this site to locate me and get my bike back - all within 24 hours! Huge relief to have it back home - I totally gave it up to the bike theft gods. </i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Trek FX 7.2</a> Recovered: 08/26/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34432/large_023.JPG" alt="2009 SCOTT Speedster S40 " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
This stolen bike was ID'd as being for sale on <strong>govdeals.com</strong> - which is where
the Portland Police auction off unclaimed property.
The owner says:"This bike meant so much to me! I did my first Century on it, and had ridden it hundreds of miles!
Thanks so much for letting me know - So much sentimental value w/ that bike.
I cannot thank you enough!!!! It was my bike!! It was stolen from a burglary at my
home in 2011, and police raided a house in 2013 and found my bike along with hundreds
of others. <strong>They accidentally left a digit off when writing the serial number down, so
I was never notified.</strong> I have to do some major repairs, and the thieves dented the
frame, but it will ride again!!! I'm so happy!!! Thanks again so much!!"
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2009 SCOTT Speedster S40 </a> Recovered: 08/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Bike Index notes that Portland PD and GovDeals.com are pretty thorough when it
comes to checking serials on the goods they are auctioning off, but mistakes do occasionally happen.
We’re just happy to reunite this owner with their bike, which has a lot of sentimental value.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34433/large_024.JPG" alt="2015 Pure Fix Juliet" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
You guys rock! I was told by a used bike shop when calling around to register
with Bike Index. And then local police checked the Bike Index after arresting a junky
with a warrant who had my bike so <strong>I recovered it within 13 hours of it being
stolen</strong>! Thank you guys so so much I love you!!! And I'll be telling all my
friends to register with you!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Pure Fix Juliet</a> Recovered: 08/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34434/large_025.JPG" alt="2015 Novara Buzz Grey 2015" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Another bike that was bought 'on the street' and then ID'd as being stolen
and reconnected with its owner via Bike Index.org.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2015 Novara Buzz Grey 2015</a> Recovered: 08/24/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34435/large_026.JPG" alt="2011 Mission Bicycles" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone had purchased this bike and brought it into Huckleberry Bicycles - who recognized it from its Bike Index.org stolen bike listing and called me in. I was able to recover the bicycle - which was gifted to me from my wife <strong>as a wedding present</strong>.
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2011 Mission Bicycles</a> Recovered: 08/31/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/34436/large_027.JPG" alt="2012 Specialized Ruby" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>
Someone purchased it and then googled the serial number, and found the Bike Index listing for my bike and contacted me!
Amazing! It worked! Thanks for the great help!
</i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">2012 Specialized Ruby</a> Recovered: 08/31/2015</div>
</article>
<div class="clearfix"></div>
2015-08-03T18:01:51-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-months-recoveries---july-editionThis month's stolen bike recoveries - July 2015 mega-update!2015-08-03T18:01:51-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Whew! It’s been a busy month here at the Bike Index, so we’re a little behind on our regular stolen bike recovery stories.</p>
<p>In this roundup, we cover 21 of last month’s recovered bikes, including</p>
<ul>
<li>One of the owners from last month's stolen bike recoveries paid the karma forward by recovering a bike on her own</li>
<li>A stolen bikes sting leads to even more stolen bikes found in a warehouse in Seattle</li>
<li>More stolen bikes pop up at a problematic San Francisco bike shop</li>
<li>The usual crop of "found my stolen bike for sale online" recoveries</li>
<li>A pawn shop nabs a stolen Raleigh in Seattle - which gets us a nice TV mention from KOMO news</li>
<li>A drunk thief 'belligerently' throwing a bike into a garden</li>
</ul>
<p>Be sure to check out our previous roundups from <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-edition">May 18th</a>, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">June 1st</a>, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-14th-edition">June 14th</a>, and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-29th-edition">June 29th</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks for supporting the Bike Index, everybody :)</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30343/large_001.JPG" alt="2015 Transition Bikes Scout" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>It was spotted by two great people who thought it looked out of place
with the guy who had it. They confronted him, called the police, checked the serial number,
matched it to my post on Bike Index and called me. I showed up and
the cops matched it with my police report. *One of the people who spotted it actually had her bike
found a little while back because of Bike Index.org!* My turn to pay it forward now! </i>
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/49465">2015 Transition Bikes Scout</a> Recovered: 07/01/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Yep, you read that right - Zanna, whose bike was found in this <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">amazing recovery in June</a> - paid it forward by helping recover this stolen Transition Scout. Thanks Zanna! We love watching the community keep an eye out for each other!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30344/large_002.JPG" alt="Mercier Kilo TT" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This Portland bike theft victim had three bikes taken in a backyard break-in. Fast forward to a couple weeks later, when one of our pawn shop users ID'd and seized this Mercier - even without a serial number!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/50212">Mercier Kilo TT</a> Recovered: 07/14/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30346/large_003.JPG" alt="2008 Redline Conquest Pro" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Police found it with a bike thief ring. Bike Index was first to notify me - nice work!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/41255">2008 Redline Conquest Pro</a> Recovered: 07/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30347/large_004.JPG" alt="2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc
" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone bought it at a flea market, looked up the VIN number, called me and returned the bike! Bike Index was familiar to the person as they had just had their bike stolen - so thanks Bike Index, you worked!!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47324">2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc</a> Recovered: 07/09/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30348/large_005.JPG" alt="2009 SCOTT Sub 30" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Bike was for sale at Spoke & Hub on Columbus Ave in North Beach (in San Francisco) a few blocks from where it was stolen.
Another stolen bike was present which was learned due to it's registration on Bike Index. </i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/39895">2009 SCOTT Sub 30</a> Recovered: 07/15/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This is the same shop mentioned in our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">June 1st roundup</a>, when multiple stolen bikes were ID’d and recovered there. Their <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/spoke-and-hub-san-francisco">Yelp page</a> continues to chronicle the number of people who find their stolen bikes for sale there.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30349/large_006.JPG" alt="2009 Specialized Globe Vienna 3 Disc" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone found my bike, identified it on Bike Index.org and contacted me</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/49464">2009 Specialized Globe Vienna 3 Disc</a> Recovered: 07/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30350/large_007.JPG" alt="2014 Jamis Ventura Sport" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The guy posted it on Craigslist - with the serial number no less. I met the guy and police were there as I got my bike back.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/51710">2014 Jamis Ventura Sport</a> Recovered: 07/20/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This bike belongs to KATU reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/ReedKATU">Reed Andrews</a> - who then aired <a href="http://www.katu.com/news/local/Reports-of-bike-theft-on-the-rise-police-say-thats-a-good-thing-portland-bicycle-318046161.html">this news coverage on Portland’s Bike theft problem</a>. Yes, that’s me being interviewed in there. Police later arrested the thief after <a href="https://twitter.com/ReedKATU/status/623981367135592448">reviewing surveillance footage of the theft</a>.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30352/large_009.JPG" alt="2014 Trek 1.2" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Portland Police recovered my bike and contacted me because my bike was registered with Bike Index.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/50031">2014 Trek 1.2</a> Recovered: 07/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30353/large_010.JPG" alt="2013 Trek 8.3 DS" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
An apartment manager found this stolen bike, ID'd it on the Bike Index, and got in touch with the owner.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47668">2013 Trek 8.3 DS</a> Recovered: 07/21/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30354/large_011.JPG" alt="2003 Cannondale F600 SL" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The police took my bike from a known thief. They saw he had a blue Cannondale, so they searched Bike Index and found an exact match. Thank you!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/51832">2003 Cannondale F600 SL</a> Recovered: 07/23/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This was another bike ID’d and recovered by King County Sheriff’s Officer <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveO15">@fiveo15</a>, who tweets regularly about their department’s <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveO15/status/624372317133541380">stolen bike recoveries</a>.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30356/large_012.JPG" alt="2014 Salsa Vaya 3" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Thank you so much to our neighborhood bike finder! :) He noticed it while out getting lunch and called the cops as soon as he saw the Bike Index tweet. Some time later and a heavy duty tool to get the new U-Lock off and I have my bike again!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52130">2014 Salsa Vaya 3</a> Recovered: 07/24/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30357/large_013.JPG" alt="2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A Bike Index user found my bike for sale on OfferUpNow and alerted me. I contacted the seller ... and he had me meet at the public storage building at Mercer and Fairview. I was able to have SPD detectives bring me along with them, and they ended up making a big arrest. A crime ring leader who had assault charges and other felonies was the one who had the storage space with many other stolen bikes. The police were able to find my bike in the storage unit and return it to me.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/51878">2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc</a> Recovered: 07/24/2015</div>
</article>
<p>FWIW: We’re glad SPD finally got involved, as we have been watching this seller’s bikes for months.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30359/large_014.JPG" alt="2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Found bike on Craigslist through alert I had set up - I set up meeting with guy, he said he bought it outside of a pawn shop on Aurora for $60. Gladly gave it back with no problems once I showed him it was my bike.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/49790">2014 Kona Dew Plus</a> Recovered: 07/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30360/large_016.JPG" alt="2014 Cannondale Quick 2 SL" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Someone saw my bike on the Bike Index, and on CL, and then at the local chop shop and then contacted the police. The police detained the bike thieves and I got my bike back. I got it back 1 day after it was stolen!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/51820">2014 Cannondale Quick 2 SL</a> Recovered: 07/25/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30361/large_017.JPG" alt="Specialized Allez 24" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i> The thief was belligerently drunk and threw this bike into someone's garden. The person who found it knew to look on the Bike Index and saw it listed! Thanks Bike Index--You guys rock!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52298">Specialized Allez 24</a> Recovered: 07/26/2015</div>
</article>
<p>The Bike Index notes that this is our first reported case of drunken bike-throwing.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30443/large_020.JPG" alt="2010 Specialized Allez Elite Compact" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>I received an email from a Bike Index user pointing me to a Craigslist ad posting for a bike that was a close match to mine. Although I was out of town, some friends of mine coordinated with the Seattle Police to meet the seller and check out the bike. Upon matching the serial number, they informed the seller that the bike was stolen, and he apologized for trying to sell stolen property and surrendered the bike.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/42545">2010 Specialized Allez Elite Compact</a> Recovered: 07/28/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/30445/large_023.JPG" alt="2015 Kona Esatto DDL" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>The bike was sold through OfferUp, purchased by a graduate student at UW. He thought the transaction was sketchy, so he looked the serial number up on Bike Index. But the serial number was difficult to read (cables run across it), so he mistyped it and my bike didn't pop-up. After much outreach by myself, my friends, and Bike Index's Bryan & Seth to the CEO and staff at OfferUp, OfferUp made it a high priority. OfferUp contacted the likely buyer to notify him that the bike might be stolen. He looked it up again on Bike Index and there it was. So he immediately emailed and called me
(using my contact info on Bike Index). I happened to be in a coffee shop less than a block away from his graduate student housing. I walked over and got my bike. Bike Index is amazing, and so are all my friends who helped me get my bike!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52272">2015 Kona Esatto DDL</a> Recovered: 07/28/2015</div>
</article>
<p>The owner of this bike <a href="https://twitter.com/BrockRides/status/617474779809906688">tweeted</a> heavily about the <a href="https://twitter.com/BrockRides/status/619723170187087872">loss of this bike</a> because it was stolen just before the year’s <a href="http://www.cascade.org/rides-major-rides/group-health-stp-presented-alaska-airlines">Seattle To Portland</a> ride. Luckily, he sourced a loaner bike and completed the ride anyway.</p>
<p>Adding even more awesomeness to the mix, the owner then singlehandedly funded a new $1000 bike for the unsuspecting buyer so he could still get a bike - read more in “<a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2015/08/03/community-unites-to-buy-honest-stolen-bike-buyer-an-even-better-ride/">Community unites to buy honest stolen bike buyer an even better ride</a>” or watch this <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/New-website-helping-owners-recover-their-stolen-bikes-319785971.html">news story</a> from KOMO.</p>
<p>We’re extremely glad Brock has this bike back, and we thank OfferUp for their assistance in chasing down this stolen bike.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/31149/large_nnn01.JPG" alt="Cannondale Caad8 6 Tiagra" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>A kind person contacted me about his friend acquiring the bike for cheap off of the street, and we met up for me to recover the bike once he was confident that I was the owner. I am truly grateful that there are helpful, honest people in this world that help each other out.</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/49503">2013 Cannondale Caad8 6 Tiagra</a> Recovered: 07/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/31151/large_nnn003.JPG" alt="2013 Masi CX Comp" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Sergeant Cindy West (King County Sheriff) saw a dude with my bike near 3rd and Stewart (downtown Seattle) in an alcove. She approached him and said that the bike was stolen. He was not happy, saying that he bought it off of Craigslist for $500 -- was going to use as a messenger bike. West called me on the spot and told me to meet nearby to pick up my bike. Pedals had been switched out, a rack added, and minor wear -- no complaints! West told me that she and her team check Bike Index quite often (at least daily) and have been able to find 10 bikes in the last week using the site. #Bike Indexftw</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52596">2013 Masi CX Comp</a> Recovered: 07/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Another fantastic recovery from <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveO15/">@fiveO15</a> - which is quickly followed by another one!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/31150/large_nnn002.JPG" alt="2012 Surly Troll" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>"Happy Owner #9 and the 8th bike we have recovered thanks to Bike Index!"</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/30977">2012 Surly Troll</a> Recovered: 07/29/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/31153/large_KOMO.JPG" alt="2012 Raleigh Furley" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
<i>Capitol Loans pawn shop found the bike on Bike Index and called me! I'm so grateful that this website exists!!!!</i>
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52272">2012 Raleigh Furley</a> Recovered: 07/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This was the third or fourth bike recovered in Seattle in about two days, which caught the attention of <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/New-website-helping-owners-recover-their-stolen-bikes-319785971.html">KOMO News Seattle</a> - who then gave us some fantastic coverage in “<a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/New-website-helping-owners-recover-their-stolen-bikes-319785971.html">New website helping owners recover their stolen bikes</a>” which covered both this Raleigh Furley and Brock’s Kona Esatto, listed above.</p>
<p>Thanks, KOMO news!</p>
2015-06-29T14:18:03-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-29th-editionThis week's recoveries (June 29th edition) 2015-06-29T14:18:03-05:00Bryan Hance<p>We announce most of our stolen bike recoveries on <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Twitter</a>, but it’s hard to get the full story in 140 characters. Instead, we recap these recoveries here to show how stolen bikes we help recover make it home.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out our previous roundups from <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">June 1st</a>, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-edition">May 18th</a>, and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-14th-edition">June 14th</a>.</p>
<p>In this roundup: 11 recovered bikes, mostly from the usual suspects - Craigslist and OfferUp - but also some great recoveries by local shops and neighbors.</p>
<p>The amount of email we’re getting from Bike Index users who cross-check online bike ads with out stolen bike listings is amazing! The bike community is finally standing up and putting a stop to this problem, and it works! Read on:</p>
<hr />
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27772/large_001_trek.JPG" alt="2014 Trek 7.1 FX" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
After Bike Index posted the notice on social media, I shared the post on my Facebook and a bunch
of friends reposted it. Someone ended up seeing it and connecting with my son. They checked the
serial number and it was a match. If it wasn't for my son telling me about Bike Index we
would have never found the bike!
</strong></blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/32283">2014 Trek 7.1 FX</a> Recovered: 06/15/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27775/large_002_giantseek.JPG" alt="Giant Seek" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone found my bike , suspected it was stolen and then looked up the serial number on Bike Index and voila! It's back.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46219">2013 Giant Seek 2</a> Recovered: 06/17/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear"><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27781/large_098_AUGER.JPG" alt="2014 Foundry Cycles Auger" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Someone was selling my nice bike for too little on Craigslist, and a guy searching for bikes thought it was a bit funny. He looked up the bike on Bike Index and figured out it was stolen. We went down together and managed to convince the people selling the bike that it was stolen. They gave it back without too much trouble!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/42708">2014 Foundry Cycles Auger</a> Recovered: 06/18/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27774/large_004_novara_divino.JPG" alt="2013 Novara Divano" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
This bike was sold through Craigslist - the purchaser felt there were some red flags, but the serial number didn't come up in the stolen bike registry, so he bought it. It turns out he was looking at the wrong serial number. When he tried the *actual* serial number, my information popped up, and he called me and then we confirmed it is my bike.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47514">2013 Novara Divano</a> Recovered: 06/19/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27780/large_099_Sebikes.JPG" alt="2015 SE Bikes Draft" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
In case the police have not contacted you, already.... YOUR BIKE WAS RECOVERED by one of the owners of Taylor Court Grocery!
They reported it to the police. As of Friday, they had your bike at the store.
They showed me the bike - as I had a bike stolen recently, too - and asked if I could help. Sorry it took so long but from your description--your bike ABSOLUTELY HAS been recovered! Yay!!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/48482">2015 SE Bikes Draft</a> Recovered: 06/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Note that this bike was recovered even without a serial number on file.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27773/large_007_raleightamland.JPG" alt="2015 Raleigh Tamland 1" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
One of the guys at Western Bikeworks gave me a call when he and his coworkers saw my bike locked up close to their shop. There were a few suspicious things that he'd noticed, so he looked on-line, found my registration here, and gave me a call. Thank you to him and Bike Index.org!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/44571">2015 Raleigh Tamland 1 </a> Recovered: 06/21/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This is the fourth or fifth stolen bike the crew at <a href="https://www.westernbikeworks.com/">Western Bikeworks</a> have recovered, so a HUGE shout out to them for keeping their eyes open.</p>
<p>Also, this was yet another bike recovered without a serial number on file!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27778/large_008_klein.JPG" alt="2003 Klein Bikes Q Carbon Team" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
I got a call from the Portland Police that they were contacted by a bike shop at (redacted). He said that someone had brought it in to have some repairs done and the shop did a Bike Index search and saw it was stolen. They contacted the Police who notified and returned it to me yesterday afternoon. So, your site worked great for me - thank you so much!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/38246">2003 Klein Bikes Q Carbon Team</a> Recovered: 06/22/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27777/large_009_FRAMED.JPG" alt="FRAMED twenty9er" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Three months ago my bike was stolen from our "secure" garage. I put it up on the Bike Index and filed a police report but I assumed I would never see it again. Earlier this week I received a call from King County Sheriff Transit Division saying that, based on my description on Bike Index, they recovered my bike. I didn't have the serial number, but it is a very unique bike. I met the deputies in south Seattle and sure enough, *they had my bike*. A different seat, few extra scratches and a flat tire, but other then that in good shape. Someone had been riding it when they questioned her and they recovered it.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/41931">FRAMED twenty9er</a> Recovered: 06/25/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Again: note this bike was recovered even without a serial number on file.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27779/large_010_cannondale.JPG" alt="Cannondale Synapse alloy 7" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
"A foot patrol police officer found it under a bridge ..."
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/49120">Cannondale synapse alloy 7</a> Recovered: 06/26/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This bike was ID’d and recovered by our friends at Portland Police, who <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/614468735215075328">tweeted</a> about this bike’s <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/614430969953583104">recovery</a>. Like they say, “<em>Buying a #stolenbike is a crime. The $10 price tag and U-lock is a clue.</em>”</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/66825">Portland Bike Theft Task Force</a> officers tweet their work over at <a href="http://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a> - and are worth a follow.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27776/large_011_trekpoerland.JPG" alt="Stolen 2007 Trek Portland" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Once I confirmed that the bike was the same, I said "Here is the deal, this bike has been reported stolen and can be found on the Bike
Index. You aren't going be leaving with this bike and you have two options: you can wait for the cops to get here and tell them your story, or you can slink away." He left. I took the bike to a local shop.
This is the 7th bike I've recovered in the same manner. Only one bike did the cops actually respond to...
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47774">Stolen 2007 Trek Portland</a> Recovered: 06/28/2015</div>
</article>
<p>In case you missed that, not only did this amazing Seattleite chase down this stolen Trek Portland when it showed up for sale on <a href="https://offerupnow.com/item/detail/26310381/trek-road-bike">OfferUp</a>, but it turns out he’s the guy behind a number of Seattle-area bike recovery reports we’ve been getting lately.</p>
<p>Seattle, you all collectively owe this man nine million beers. Make it so.</p>
<p>For example, see the next story …</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/27870/large_2006_niner_air9.JPG" alt="Stolen 2006 Niner Air Nine" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike located on Offerup, seller confronted, bike returned.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46072">Stolen 2006 Niner Air Nine</a> Recovered: 06/28/2015</div>
</article>
<p>I’m purposely leaving out some details out about how this bike was recovered, but I’ll just say that the same gentleman listed in the above recovery also found this bike listed for sale - on <a href="https://offerupnow.com/item/detail/23952269/2013-niner-carbon-forks-duel-disc-brakes-frame-weighs-3-12-pounds">Offerup</a> - and confronted the seller.</p>
<p>The bike was returned. Sadly, the seller is still active on <a href="https://offerupnow.com/p/50478/">OfferUp</a>.</p>
<p>Lastly, we got a nice shout out from <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/culture/advocacy/five-things-do-get-your-stolen-bike-back?cid=socBG_20150627_48247096&adbid=614599652764090368&adbpl=tw&adbpr=17900130">@bicyclingmag</a> in “<a href="">Five Things to Do to Get Your Stolen Bike Back</a>” - thanks for helping spread the word <a href="http://twitter.com/caitlingiddings">@caitlingiddings</a> !</p>
<p>That’s it for this week. Keep them coming, and keep an eye on your bikes, folks :)</p>
2015-06-15T18:50:16-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-14th-editionThis week's recoveries (June 14th edition)2015-06-15T18:50:16-05:00Bryan Hance<p><em>We announce most of our recoveries on <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Twitter</a>, but it’s hard to get the full story in 140 characters so we recap our stolen bike recoveries here roughly once a week. Check out our previous roundups from <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-edition">June 1st</a>, and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-edition">May 18th</a>.</em></p>
<p>12 recovered bikes in this edition: <strong>lots</strong> of flea market recoveries, more OfferUp, and a bike recovered from a frozen lake.</p>
<hr />
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26925/large_29er.JPG" alt="2012 Giant Anthem X 29er" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Hi, I have your bike. I knew it was too good to be true. Recovered close to your location. Probably stolen for a couple of joy rides then dumped - I found it <strong>half submerged in a partially frozen lake</strong>.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/32283">2012 Giant Anthem X 29er</a> Recovered: 06/08/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This Giant Anthem X 29er was stolen in a home break-in, only to show up months later. The recovery email continued, “I actually reported it to the police and they said they had no record of it. Even though there was a police report. It seems they didn’t want to be bothered. Anyway, it’s nice it’s in great condition and getting back to the rightful owners. - I know the feeling, my bike was stolen too. ugh. Wish I had my bike registered here and that I knew the serial number.”</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26927/large_offerup.JPG" alt="1998 Specialized Rockhopper Comp" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Miracles do happen. I have 2 people to thank 1) Bryan and Bike Index.org and 2) NYPD 66th pct. detective squad.
I found this <a href="https://offerupnow.com/p/2671038/">scumbag loser thief on OfferUp</a> - I built a good relationship with my local PD and they went and arrested him. The internet is an amazing tool esp. with people on social media (good and bad)...in this case the criminal left all his info on social media (OfferUp, FB, etc) so it was easy to find him.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47606">1998 Specialized Rockhopper Comp</a> Recovered: 06/09/2015</div>
</article>
<p>I got in touch with this bike theft victim because he had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V9oEIqv1lM&feature=youtu.be">surveillance video of his thief</a>. Note the thief’s urban camouflage: he’s wearing an ID badge and carrying a lineman’s phone (like a utility worker) which helped him access the area where this bike was taken.</p>
<p>In the course of emailing with this victim, I recommended that he monitor Craigslist and <strong>OfferUp</strong>.</p>
<p>Fast forward two days later when I received an email with the above quote!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26924/large_crosscheck.JPG" alt="2011 Surly Cross Check " />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Apparently a guy showed up with it (and a story to match), and he was looking to get credit on a trade in. (The shop) saw my info on Bike Index, confiscated the bike, and called me up to let me know!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/31399">2011 Surly Cross Check </a> Recovered: 06/07/2015</div>
</article>
<p>A good Samaritan bike shop owner - <a href="http://sprockettsrecycledbicycles.com/">Sprocketts </a> in Seattle - confiscated it from someone looking to trade,
and he returned it to me based on the match with Bike Index. Hooray for awesome bike shops!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26926/large_tricross.JPG" alt="2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Someone bought it at a flea market, looked up the serial number in the Bike Index, called me and returned the bike! <strong>The Bike Index was familiar to the person as they had just had their bike stolen</strong> - so thanks Bike Index, you worked!!!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/32283">2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc</a> Recovered: 06/09/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Yet another flea market recovery, but this time it was a recent bike theft victim who helped out!</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26922/large_karatemonkey.JPG" alt="Recovered Surly Karat Monkey" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">I recovered my Karate Monkey a few hours ago from a seller who was selling a Cross Check and a Canondale. He got arrested - and the two bikes were taken into police storage.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/22636">Surly Karate Monkey</a> Recovered: 06/07/2015</div>
</article>
<p>This Surly Karate Monkey was stolen in Seattle, and the owner was advised to check the usual places stolen bikes show up online - Craigslist and Offerup. Sure enough, the bike was <strong>posted on Craigslist</strong> shortly after, and the owner got the police engaged, and a “bike sting” ensued.</p>
<p>The owner then logged into the Bike Index to alert several other Cross Check and Cannondale theft victims in his area :)</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26923/large_garyfisher.JPG" alt="recovered gary fisher" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">An Individual bought the bike from Goodwill - and then they checked the serial number at Bike Index and found it was stolen. :( They returned the bike to Goodwill and called Portland Police, who then retrieved and returned it to me.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/38998">1999 Gary Fisher Big Sur</a> Recovered: 06/05/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Not exactly a flea market but this is the first bike I can recall coming from Goodwill.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26928/large_TARMAC.JPG" alt="2014 Specialized Tarmac SL4 Elite 105" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/35517">2014 Specialized Tarmac SL4 Elite 105</a> Recovered: 06/09/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Tipster: “Hello! Probably a long shot, but I saw a bike that fits this description at the SJ Flea Market today for “dos mil ciento.” ($200)
… this one had yellow tires and the seller was in the process of changing out the black bar tape for yellow tape. I couldn’t get close enough to see the serial #, but he told some people it was not for sale.”</p>
<p>The owner responded: “Thanks for the heads up! I went down to the San Jose flea market and found the bike as you described. The serial number had been removed – beats me how they managed to do it. <strong>It was clearly my bike despite alterations:</strong> different tires, yellow tape they put on the handle bars, and all the accessories removed. I went to talk to the cops, who went in to interview the seller. He pleaded ignorance/innocence (ha, despite having “paid $500 to a stranger for the bike at another - Capitol market, without a receipt, and no serial numbers”). Anyway, he apparently had no previous run-ins with the cops at the market, and agreed to return the bike of his own accord. So, amazingly, I have the bike back now! Thanks to your good eye, and the help from SJPD.”</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26930/large_redline.JPG" alt="Stolen 2010 Redline Conquest Sport" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Holy crap! You guys just made my week!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/19576">Stolen 2010 Redline Conquest Sport</a> Recovered: 06/09/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Tipster: “Hey there. I’ve recovered your bike. I’m the manager down at (<em>PDX local bike shop</em>). One of my customers brought in a bike for repair … he <strong>bought it on Craigslist</strong>. I could quickly see the tell-tale signs of a stolen bike - it’s not in very good shape but it could be fixed back up.”</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26931/large_raleigh.JPG" alt="2011 Raleigh Port Townsend" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Someone bought it at a flea market, checked the serial, found out it was stolen, and then tracked me down through The Bike Index. They got it back to me :) </blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/22974">2011 Raleigh Port Townsend</a> Recovered: 06/11/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26932/large_gianni.JPG" alt="1991 Gianni Motta Personal 2001R Brevettato" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/35179">1991 Gianni Motta Personal 2001R Brevettato</a> Recovered: 06/11/2015</div>
</article>
<p>“My bike was retrieved from a local flea market and then reunited with me due to this listing on the bike! Such joy to have this bike returned! It’s got very high sentimental value, being a gift from and formerly ridden by my step father.</p>
<p>The thieves removed and (likely) sold separately the wheel-set, saddle, and original Scott R.C.O. aero bars. They also removed the two (irreplaceable & sentimental) shop stickers from the shop my step-dad bought the bike from (early 90s) … but seriously, that frame is itself a serial number. <strong>The man who retrieved it for me was the second person to contact me from that listing on Bike Index.</strong> The first was a few months ago, from a guy who’d seen it for sale from someone at the Coliseum flea market. They were asking $400. He inquired about it, then was able to describe it to me as it is now: cheap replacement parts, but otherwise in good condition. Then the second person to contact me found it at the Laney Flea Market. He decided to buy it, in spite of it being far too big for him, because it seemed so nice. He says that was about 1-2 months ago, in which time he was able to find my listing of it on Bike Index and reach out to me. “</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26933/large_sirrus.JPG" alt="2015 Specialized Sirrus" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Thanks this website, someone called and said they found it ditched in their yard about 15 blocks away. Thank you. </blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47063">2015 Specialized Sirrus</a> Recovered: 06/13/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26934/large_bianchi.JPG" alt="Bianchi Roadbike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">My son's stolen bike is now recovered, through the Bike Index. A good citizen saw it abandoned, checked the listings and got in touch. It had been damaged, but a quick trip to City Bikes and a couple hours of work, and now my son has his bike back for the summer.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/47826">Bianchi roadbike</a> Recovered: 06/14/2015</div>
</article>
2015-06-03T20:46:53-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-june-1st-editionThis week's recoveries (June 1st edition) 2015-06-03T20:46:53-05:00Bryan Hance<p>I’m happy to say that our semi-weekly recovered-bikes roundup is late because we were busy RECOVERING SO MANY FREAKING BIKES.</p>
<p>Just to recap, we also announce our recoveries on <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Twitter</a>, but it isn’t possible to get the full story in 140 characters. And the 16 recoveries here have some great stories - a bike returned on the victim’s birthday, a recovery via Instagram and a bike theft victim catching a shop selling multiple stolen bikes.</p>
<hr />
<article>
<blockquote>
Bike theft hero spots stranger’s ride, returns it during victim’s costumed birthday bike ride
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/39285/">2014 All City Macho man disc</a> Recovered: 05/19/2015</div>
</article>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26085/large_SEA_macho_man.JPG" alt="recovered bike" /></p>
<p>Absolutely nothing I can write will top <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2015/05/19/bike-theft-hero-spots-strangers-ride-returns-it-during-victims-costumed-birthday-bike-ride/">Seattle Bike Blog’s coverage</a>, which details how amazing people can be when it comes to recovering stolen bikes.</p>
<p>This story made my week - a total stranger recognized this bike from our <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikessea">Seattle stolen Twitter</a>, recovered it and returned it to the victim - who just happened to be on a bike ride celebrating her birthday. We sent Alex (the hero) a Bike Index shirt for being so amazing.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26086/large_STUMPJUMPER.JPG" alt="Specialized recovered 5-20-2015" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/22636">Specialized Stumpjumper</a> Recovered: 05/18/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Score one for the Portland Police! This Stumpjumper was another recovery from the officers with Portland’s <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/66825">Bike Theft Task Force</a> with a pretty straightforward ID through the Bike Index (right after we’d published our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-edition">last recovery roundup</a>).</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26087/large_SPECIALIZED_B.JPG" alt="Specialized recovered 5-22-2015" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Thanks so much - you guys helped save my baby!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/45428">2013 Specialized Allez Elite Mid-Compact</a> Recovered: 05/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Immediately after the bike listed above came though, PPB Ofc. David Bryant recovered this Specialized Allez and <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/601768981402292224">tweeted about it</a>. (Photo is via: <a href="https://twitter.com/ppbbiketheft">@ppbbiketheft</a>). Correction: score TWO bikes for the Portland Police!</p>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26093/large_BROWNLHT.JPG" alt="Surly LHT" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">The police found my bike and connected it with me because I registered my serial number with your site. Thanks for your good service! My bike was scratched, missing a rack and water bottle holder, and had the cleats and seat changed out -- but, it is back. And I am grateful.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/45269">2009 Surly Long Haul Trucker</a> Recovered: 05/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Ok, so they’re on a roll: that’s THREE bikes for Portland Police and <a href="https://twitter.com/PPBBikeTheft/status/601768981402292224">@ppbbiketheft</a>, who’re setting a new bike-recovery record for a week.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26089/large_GEORGIE.JPG" alt="Specialized recovered 5-22-2015" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Thanks for helping out to get my bike back in such a prompt manner - it’s surreal how fast it worked!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">INSTAGRAM Recovery: 05/22/2015</div>
</article>
<p>We often repost photos of stolen bikes on the <a href="https://instagram.com/bikeindex/">Bike Index Instagram Feed</a>—which is exactly what we did with georgie_boy_est_1976’s stolen bike post. He didn’t even post the make, model, size or other info - he just sent the photo and a plea for help after it was stolen out of his house.</p>
<p>Long story short: days later, one of our followers recognized this bike when it showed up in a local shop and alerted the owner. You can see his <a href="https://instagram.com/p/2_TvrQO49I/">follow up post here</a>.</p>
<p>This was a pretty amazing recovery, because the bike was never even registered on the Bike Index <strong>note</strong>: <strong>we strongly recommend actually registering your bike, this is the only time this has happened</strong>.</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26088/large_tallnoe.JPG" alt="2009 Cannondale CAAD7 recovered 5-26-2015" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
King County Sheriff Sergeant Cindi West spotted the bike after looking at Bike Index, a dude on 3rd and Pike had it. When asked, he said that it was his bike, and he'd had it for several months. Cindi knew this was incorrect and took the bike.
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46352">2009 Cannondale CAAD7</a> Recovered: 05/26/2015</div>
</article>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/tallnoe">@tallnoe</a> had her Cannondale CAAD7 stolen from outside the Palladian Hotel in Seattle, where it should have been safe under the watch of the valet service. The Palladian, to their credit, actually jumped into action and started to pull their security video, but in the meantime we helped get the word out.</p>
<p>Fortunately, just a few days later Officer Cindy West with King County Sheriff’s Office recognized the bike ‘out in the wild’, seized it, and was able to match it from it’s Bike Index listing - even without a serial number on file.</p>
<p>The photo you see here is of <a href="https://twitter.com/tallnoe/status/603663973892796416">Sgt. West returning the bike</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/tallnoe">@tallnoe</a> who, needless to say, was pretty amazed.</p>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26136/large_trek.png" alt="2014 Trek 7.4 FX" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">A neighbor found it a block away and found me through the Bike Index. The bike was stripped, but frame and major components were intact. Bike is getting put back together now. Thank you for your help!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/33499">2014 Trek 7.4 FX</a> Recovered: 05/26/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Super easy, basic recovery. Just what we do ;)</p>
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26108/large_2009trek520.JPG" alt="2009 Trek 520" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/14519">2009 Trek 520</a> Recovered: 05/27/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Another unfortunate case where a buyer finds out the bike they just bought is stolen. After the buyer saw a local TV news story on bike theft that mentioned the Bike Index, they ran the serial on the bike they’d just purchased and realized it was stolen.</p>
<p>Far too many people buy stolen bikes without knowing it and are duped into supporting a black market that is universally hated.</p>
<p>This bike is back with its owner, though, so we’re happy!</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26137/large_71fx_navy.jpg" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
Bike was spotted in the wild, owner had it back within the hour!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/45975/">2011 Trek 7.1 FX</a> Recovered: 05/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>A sharp-eyed Bike Index user spotted this bike on the street in downtown PDX, identified it by its serial, and got in touch with the owner. The owner rushed to the location and had it back within the hour.</p>
<p>The email read like this: <em>Hello - this bike is located just right of the entrance to the public parking garage between SW Yamhill and Taylor on 15th Ave. I contacted the police as I don’t have the means to hold onto the bike until someone can get it. If you come and it’s not there, contact the Portland police.</em></p>
<p>Quite remarkable. It’s fantastic that Portland’s riders are keeping an eye out for each other.</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26110/large_REDLINE.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
A wonderful good Samaritan bought my bike for $80 from a homeless person, and checked your site to find that it was stolen and contacted me! I'm so relieved, and so grateful to my neighbor and to Bike Index!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46495/">2013 Redline Metro Classic</a> Recovered: 05/29/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Good Samaritan buys sketchy bike, gets it back to the owner. I wish this happened less - i.e. the buying of known stolen bikes but fortuanately it wasn’t too pricey this time.</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26096/large_DRGOOD.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">My bike was found! Thanks to (redacted), who followed the thief and went back to retrieve the ditched bike, and spent the time and effort to get the bike back to its owner. Thanks Bryan with Bike Index for helping him track me down as well. This is amazing. I feel so incredibly lucky. I'd not heard of Bike Index.org before today, but I recommend everyone register their bike, take some photos and register your serial number to make it easier when this happens.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46856">Kona Dr. Good</a> Recovered: 05/30/2015</div>
</article>
<p><strong>Bike Index + NextDoor + another good Samaritan = win!</strong></p>
<p>This bike theft victim showed up in my Nextdoor feed. From her post: <em>I forgot that I left my bike leaning against the back corner of my house. I had left it out for an intended repair and accidentally left it out over night. Of course, it was gone in the morning.</em></p>
<p>By the time I read her post, someone pointed her towards the Bike Index – which was lucky, because another neighbor was already systematically trying to ID the bike he’d just reclaimed from a local thief.</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26111/large_RODRIGUEZ.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">
King County Sheriff's Office comes through again!
</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46802">2014 Rodriguez Category 2</a> Recovered: 06/01/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Remember Sgt. Cindy West with the Kings County Sheriff’s office from a few recoveries ago? On June 1st, some of her deputies recovered this <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46802">absolute stunner of a ride</a> - a distinct purple and orange 2014 Rodriguez Category 2.</p>
<p>I didn’t get the full story on this one yet, but I have to say I love the recovery photos that Cindy is posting - under her aptly named <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveO15/">@Five-0</a> Twitter account. She’s worth following, and I look forward to seeing more bikes coming back via the King County Sheriff’s crew!</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26112/large_ALBANY.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/46802"> 2015 Sirrus Sport</a> Recovered: 06/01/2015</div>
</article>
<p><strong>A bike theft victim finds her bike for sale at a local shop. But wait! There’s more!</strong></p>
<p>This bike theft victim had a thief climb her balcony to steal her bike - pretty unsettling. When she signed up with Bike Index, we advised her to monitor the usual places - Craigslist, Ebay, OfferUp, and so on - as part of the standard post-theft checklist.</p>
<p>When the bike popped up days later it was listed for sale at a local bike shop. Even worse, the victim noted that the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/spoke-and-hub-san-francisco">Yelp</a> reviews of the shop point out the shop’s reputation as a seller of stolen bikes.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the victim couldn’t get SFPD to help out. Determined to get her bike back—she dropped in, and confirmed the serial number. The staff was pretty defensive but the victim got their bike back after a new threat to call in the police.</p>
<p>So - is this the end of the story? Hardly.</p>
<p>The victim alerted us to the other bikes this shop had listed—including one for a Cannondale System Six that was Indexed. We tipped the owner off and he was able to get SFPD involved.</p>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26114/large_SYSTEMSIX.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">I went in for a test ride, rode around back to where the cops were, showed them my bike, compared the photo and serial and showed them that the numbers matched. After verifying the numbers with the police, the shop owner begrudgingly handed over the bike. I'm exceedingly happy to whoever you got a tip from. I cannot thank them enough. That shop has a litany of <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/spoke-and-hub-san-francisco">angry Yelp comments</a> with nearly the same story.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/39609">Cannondale System 6</a> Recovered: 06/02/2015</div>
</article>
<article>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/26455/large_TWONIE.JPG" alt="recovered bike" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">PDX community spots a stolen cargo bike in the wild, so the chase is on - Twitter organizes a crew to go find it</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="http://bikeindex.org/bikes/45600">Electra Townie</a> Recovered: 05/21/2015</div>
</article>
<p>Yikes - I totally forgot about this one!</p>
<p>Sarah’s Electra Townie was <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikespdx/status/599360561105739776">stolen on May 15th</a>.
On May 21st, <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahcarrato">@sarahcarrato</a> spotted it downtown, and reached out for help over Twitter.</p>
<p>I hopped on my bike and headed to where it was sighted, and the local PDX Twitter crew were also on it - specifically
<a href="https://twitter.com/sarahcarrato">@kyouell</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/NeighborKelly">@neighborkelly</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/rawwwr">@rawwwr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/vanlue">@vanlue</a> - who were pinging everybody in Portland’s awesome cargo bike community to come help.</p>
<p>While I was twenty blocks off the mark, <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahcarrato">@sarahcarrato</a> finally spotted it in a local park and put out another call for help. A couple of the folks on the hunt beat me there (argh!) and recovered the bike from the ‘traveler’ types sleeping next to it.</p>
<p>Here’s the victory shot - <a href="https://twitter.com/KYouell/status/601594959372767232">happy owner @sarahgilbert with her recovered bike!</a></p>
<div class="padded-clear"></div>
<hr />
<p>And that, folks, concludes this week’s recovered bikes round-up, thanks for reading! I can’t wait to bring you more of these stories.</p>
2015-05-18T13:01:56-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-weeks-recoveries-may-18th-editionThis week's recoveries (May 18th edition)2015-05-18T13:01:56-05:00Bryan Hance<p>Everybody loves a good recovered-bike story—and we’re always happy to share ours with you here.</p>
<p>As most of you know, we usually announce our recoveries on <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Twitter</a>, but it’s not always possible to get the full story in 140 characters. This week’s crop of eight recovered bikes involves the usual crop of Craigslist recoveries, but expands with the new kid on the block - OfferUp.</p>
<hr />
<article class="padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24962/large_001_kona_jake.JPG" alt="picture of the recovered Kona Jake" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Someone saw a Craigslist ad and then my info on this website and let me know! I contacted the craigslist poster and got it back!</blockquote><div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/39285/">2013 Kona Jake</a> Recovered: 05/07/2015</div>
</article>
<p>A brief aside: almost every day we hear from an honest person who has bought a bike on Craigslist, only to find out it’s stolen. This is so common that it is almost boring, but the frequency of this scenario only underscores Craigslist’s role as a huge conduit for stolen bikes.</p>
<p>Craigslist has no way to block or ban bad sellers. “Flagging” doesn’t work. Most of the stolen bike sellers we recover bikes from are still selling stolen bikes, right now, and making a tidy profit at the same time.</p>
<article class="clearfix padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/25022/large_IMG_1545.JPG" alt="picture of the recovered Specialized Langster" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">(Bike was stolen in Seattle) ... then posted on OfferUp in Portland (OR). An awesome person who acquired it there searched the serial number because it felt suspicious and called me promptly, thanks to Bike Index.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/43339/">2015 Specialized LANGSTER SF</a> Recovered: 05/07/2015</div>
Note that this bike was stolen in Seattle, WA (under crazy circumstances not detailed here) and sold online in Portland on the Craigslist-esque and fairly new service <a href="http://offerupnow.com">Offerup</a>. This bike was stolen and moved almost 200 miles before being fenced in another state, making it a little more advanced of a theft.
</article>
<p>Sadly, OfferUp is quickly becoming the go-to place to look for stolen bikes. We’ve tracked stolen bikes on OfferUp in Portland, Seattle, New York, California - and the list is only growing.</p>
<p>At first I hoped OfferUp would distinguish themselves by actually helping bike theft victims. After all, their “<a href="https://help.offerupnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/202360079-Law-Enforcement-Resources">Law Enforcement Resources</a>”, looked promising. Unlike Craigslist, at least this FAQ makes it look like OfferUp will assist police in tracking down people selling stolen goods. Promising, right?</p>
<p>Sadly, here’s what actually happens:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>A bike theft victim finds their stolen bike on Offerup - or someone buys a bike on Offerup, checks the serial, and finds it is stolen.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The victim usually engages police for assistance. A bike is recovered (or simply handed over by the buyer).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The victim sends OfferUp a support request to the effect of “Buyer selling stolen goods: This person sold my stolen bike, please shut their account down.”</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>OfferUp answers with “Have your officer email (our fraud team) so that we may further assist them in their investigation.”</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The police never follow up with OfferUp. Most cops don’t even know OfferUp is. None of them have time to sit down and engage OfferUp customer support.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Shortly after this, we see the same seller of stolen bikes post more bikes for sale.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>This whole situation sucks.</p>
<p>We’ve emailed OfferUp and asked them to add Bike Index to their FAQ for buying a bike. They already have a similar FAQ for <a href="https://help.offerupnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/202359259-Stolen-Phone-Purchase">buying cellphones</a>, so we were hoping they’d point to the Bike Index for bikes. However, we got the brush-off. Perhaps they’ll revisit this policy sometime, but I’m not optimistic. In the meantime, we’ll just keep chasing stolen bikes we find listed there.</p>
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<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24963/large_003_inglis.JPG" alt="Inglis custom cargo bike recovered 5-8-2015" />
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/11383">Inglis custom cargo bike</a> Recovered: 05/08/2015</div>
Someone came across this bike over a year after it was stolen - frame only, and fairly banged up according to the emails. They looked up the serial on Bike Index and found out it was stolen.
Although it came back banged up, stripped, and worse for wear, the owner is "... happy to have at least the frame back - it's one of a kind."
</article>
<article class="clearfix padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24998/large_large_YUBA.JPG" alt="Recovered Yuba" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">The woman who bought it claims to have gotten it at an outdoor sale at NE 122nd and Sandy. She checked Bike Index and got in touch!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/40416">Orange Yuba Mundo</a> Recovered: 05/17/2015</div>
This Yuba Mundo was stolen back in February, and was one of many cargo bikes stolen recently here in Portland, OR. It seems the thieves are realizing the bigger the bike, the heftier the resale profit. We're happy to get a lead on where they're going.
</article>
<article class="clearfix padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24988/large_trek_83ds.jpg" alt="2015 Trek 8.3 recovered 5-8-2015" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">Thief tried to sell it at Bookman's Sports Exchange on Speedway (in Tucson, AZ). The store staff looked it up on Bike Index, called the police and recovered the bike. Awesome!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/44921/">2015 Trek 8.3 DS</a> Recovered: 05/08/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded-clear">
<blockquote> An honest individual purchased it on Craigslist and then notified me after finding the serial number listed as stolen on Bike Index.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/35298">2005 IRO Cycles Mark V Pro</a> Recovered: 05/10/2015</div>
</article>
<article class="padded">
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/44880">2013 SCOTT Speedster 50</a> Recovered: 05/14/2015</div>
Officer Fort with the Portland Police / Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team encountered this bike and contacted the owner to come get it from the PPB property room.
Portland's new Bike Theft Task Force - which we're a member of - is doing a great job educating officers in all of Portland's precincts on how to ID and recover stolen bikes. :)
</article>
<article class="clearfix padded-clear">
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24965/large_007_trek3700.JPG" alt="Recovered 2009 Trek 3700" />
<blockquote class="beside-float-40">A man found my bike in an alleyway, looked up the serial number online, found my stolen bike listing on Bike Index.org and called me to tell me that he would like to return my bike. In 24 hours I had my bike back with only some minor damage!</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite"><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/40416">2009 Trek 3700</a> Recovered: 05/16/2015</div>
</article>
<hr class="padded" />
<p><strong>I’m looking forward to bringing you more of these recovery stories in the future. Until then, keep your bikes safe, folks :)</strong></p>
<p><em>And yes, this period of recoveries spans slightly longer than a week. Sorry!</em></p>
2015-05-05T14:30:30-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/mapping-bike-thefts-at-mapbikewiseorgMapping bike thefts at map.bikewise.org2015-05-05T14:30:30-05:00Seth Herr<p>We have a lot of open data. Maybe not <a href="https://data.cityofchicago.org/">Chicago quantities</a>, but we’ve been the largest and most widely used stolen bike reporting service for years (which is why we recover stolen bikes!).</p>
<p>Getting our bike theft data onto a map is difficult—difficult enough that until now we just threw up our hands and hoped someone else would do it.</p>
<p>But <a href="http://lyzidiamond.com/about/">Lyzi Diamond</a> says maps are cool and that we should use them, so it’s map time.</p>
<p><a href="http://map.bikewise.org"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/24075/large_bike_thefts_map.png" alt="Example display of stolen bikes map - screenshot of map.bikewise.org" /></a></p>
<p>We wanted our map of thefts to be more than a pretty picture, to provide useful data visualization—with searching, browsing through time and links to the reports on Bike Index.</p>
<p><a href="http://map.bikewise.org">map.bikewise.org</a> shows the 100 most recent thefts for the area you are viewing. It updates with new results every time you move the map, which has the neat effect of filling in more thefts as you zoom in.</p>
<p>You can search theft and bike data with the search bar—but searching doesn’t move you to matching results. If you search and don’t see anything, try zooming out.</p>
<p>The markers are colored according to the when the theft happened, the legend explains what the colors mean and you can click on time periods in the legend to to filter by them.</p>
<p>If you want to see more results, click on <span class="less-strong">show 500 (slower)</span> underneath the search bar. Clear all the markers with the <span class="less-strong">clear map</span> link if you get overwhelmed.</p>
<hr class="padded" />
<h2 id="the-making-of">The making of</h2>
<p>I’d never used <a href="https://mapbox.com">Mapbox</a> or <a href="http://leafletjs.com/">leaflet.js</a> before. They’re both powerful, awesome tools and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to get to know them better.</p>
<p>Loading all the theft markers (> 28k) can overwhelm a browser/computer/internet, so I needed to dynamically load new points from the Bikewise API into the map as you moved around. This doesn’t quite fit with the normal use case, so I had to come up with my own way of getting it done.</p>
<p>The easiest way I could think of to get the location every time the map changes was with the <a href="https://github.com/mlevans/leaflet-hash">leaflet-hash</a> plugin, which updates the URL with the location or zoom every time it changes. Also, it’s cool and useful in its own right because it makes it possible to share the map location with a link (there still isn’t a way to share the parameters that you set from the legend though).</p>
<p>I can say that without the Mapbox <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox.js/example/v1.0.0/geojson-marker-from-url/">examples</a>, <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/guides/">tutorials</a> and <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox.js/api/v2.1.9/">documentation</a>, this map would be radically less interesting. They provided a great source not just for learning how to do things, but for inspiration and figuring out what was possible. I also owe a lot of thanks to their great support team, particularly <a href="https://twitter.com/lyzidiamond">Lyzi Diamond</a>, who was incredibly patient with my bumbling questions.</p>
<hr />
<p>And, of course, this code is all open source. You can find the mapping code at <a href="https://github.com/sethherr/bike_thefts_map">github.com/sethherr/bike_thefts_map</a>.</p>
2015-04-23T13:08:29-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-welcomes-our-newest-partners-webikeeugene-bikecleveland-bikBike Index welcomes our newest partners: WeBikeEugene, BikeCleveland, BikingToronto, and BikingInLA!2015-04-23T13:08:29-05:00Bryan Hance<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/22418/large_bikinginLA.JPG" alt="" />
The Bike Index would like to welcome our newest bike registration partners - <a href="http://www.webikeeugene.org">webikeeugene.org</a>, <a href="http://bikecleveland.org">bikecleveland.org</a>, <a href="http://bikingtoronto.com">bikingtoronto.com</a>, and <a href="http://bikinginla.com">bikinginla.com</a>!</p>
<p>All four of these awesomely local bike-centric blogs are now running the Bike Index WordPress plugin, which enables blogs to run local bike registries and better serve their local riders.</p>
<p>This amazing plugin lets any Wordpress blogs offer things like free bike registration, hyper-local <em>stolen</em> bike registration, and hyper-local – and searchable stolen bike listings. The blogs get to keep the traffic and give their users easy-to-use tools to register bikes (and search for stolen bikes) - while letting us handle the heavy lifting on the backend.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/22419/large_webikeeugene.JPG" alt="" /></p>
<p>These newest partners join our rapidly growing roster of partners such as <a href="http://bikeportland.org">bikeportland.org</a>, <a href="http://gobikebuffalo.org">gobikebuffalo.org</a>, <a href="http://seattlebikeblog.com">seattlebikeblog.com</a>, <a href="http://tucsonvelo.org">tucsonvelo.org</a>, and <a href="http://indycog.org">indycog.org</a>.</p>
<p>Many years ago, this plugin began with <a href="http://bikeportland.org">bikeportland.org</a>, where we learned how amazing it is to combine local bike blogs with our powerful stolen bike listings. And it works!</p>
<p>Since its inception in 2009, <a href="http://bikeportland.org">bikeportland.org</a> has registered over 5,000 stolen bikes alone - and the <a href="http://bikeportland.org">bikeportland.org</a> stolen bike <a href="http://bikeportland.org/stolenbikes">listings</a> have become a fixture with many local shops. This has lead to some truly <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2013/06/28/bike-shop-heroes-recover-two-stolen-bikes-89154">amazing</a> <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2013/08/21/two-stolen-bike-recovery-stories-because-we-cant-get-enough-of-them-92651">recoveries</a>.
<img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/23015/large_bikingtoronto_small.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Thanks to partners and friends like these, the Bike Index has recovered, registered, and protected over 40,000 bikes thanks to these partners, and we look forward to rolling out more in the future. Onward!</p>
<p>Before I go though … would you like to run this code, too? If you run your own bike blog - or perhaps know someone who does - and you’re interested in running this code too, please drop us a line at <a href="mailto:contact@Bike Index.org">contact at Bike Index.org</a></p>
2015-04-06T00:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/how-not-to-buy-a-stolen-bike-onlineHow NOT to buy a stolen bike online2015-04-06T00:00:00-05:00Bryan Hance<p>One of the most common things I deal with here at the Bike Index is the wildly problematic area of online bike sales.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/22421/large_HNTBS.JPG" alt="" /></p>
<p>Every day I field situations like:</p>
<p>1) A bike theft victim has found their stolen bike for sale online, and needs help and advice on how to get it back.</p>
<p>2) A buyer is looking at a specific bike for sale online, and wants tips to making sure the bike they are looking at isn’t stolen.</p>
<p>3) Someone bought a bike from a seller online, took it home, and ran its serial on Bike Index – only to <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikesus/status/584097015807762432">discover it was stolen</a>.</p>
<p>While this gets a little tiring, the good news is this: We’ve built up a pretty good playbook when it comes to advising people on these situations. And so many people asked us for these tips that we wanted to codify them into something awesome. So we did :)</p>
<p><img class="post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/22424/large_HNTBS2.JPG" alt="" /></p>
<p>I’ve been working with Aubree Holliman, a Portland-based graphic designer and proprietor of <a href="http://www.ahha-creative.com/">Ah-Ha Creative</a> to bring you this a new Bike Index field guide: <em>How Not To Buy a Stolen Bike in Four Easy Steps</em></p>
<p>This guide codifies our advice, and shows you some easy steps such as:</p>
<p>1) <em>Check the ad</em> - how to spot red flags in online ads</p>
<p>2) <em>Check the seller</em> - how to vet a seller before meeting up</p>
<p>3) <em>Check the serial</em> - how to check a bike’s serial - before you buy - to see if it is stolen</p>
<p>4) <em>Check the bike</em> - how to spot red flags that often signal a bike is stolen</p>
<p>This easy to follow, simplified guide is our new go-to when people ask us for advice, and we hope you’ll share it far and wide.</p>
<p>Thanks to Aubree for her amazing work, and be sure to check out <a href="http://www.ahha-creative.com/">Ah-Ha Creative</a>!</p>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/how_not_to_buy_stolen">Here’s our new guide, in glorious PDF format</a>, and thanks for reading!</p>
<p><a target="_new" href="https://bikeindex.org/how_not_to_buy_stolen"><img width="183" height="254" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/22432/large_HTB_tiny.JPG" alt="" /></a></p>
2015-03-22T22:51:45-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/heres-how-our-last-weeks-worth-of-bikes-got-recoveredHere's how our last week's worth of bikes got recovered2015-03-22T22:51:45-05:00Bryan Hance<p>We usually announce bike recoveries on Twitter, but it’s not always possible to get the full story when you’re limited to 140 characters. We’ve also found that <em>so much more</em> behind these stories comes out after we’ve had a chance to talk to the owners and the bikers, shops, and police who were involved in getting them back.</p>
<p>So: This is the story of how the Bike Index helped recover the last six stolen bikes. :)</p>
<p>Two quick points, though, before the stories begin:</p>
<h3 id="bikers-are-awesome">Bikers are awesome:</h3>
<p>There are a <em>lot</em> of people on the lookout for stolen bikes, and they’re willing to go to amazing lengths to get bikes back to their owners. It never ceases to amaze me how strong the biking community is against theft. We’re getting bike reports and inquiries from all over, every day, many of which are quickly turning into fast recoveries. Keep it up!</p>
<h3 id="summers-going-to-be-fantastic-as-far-as-recovering-bikes-is-concerned">Summer’s going to be fantastic, as far as recovering bikes is concerned:</h3>
<p>The warmer it gets, the more bikes get stolen - but this year we are as ready as we’ve ever been to fight back against bike theft. With the ever-growing list of <a href="https://bikeindex.org/where">shops, partners, and blogs using the Bike Index</a> and through promising developments like the new <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/02/26/story-behind-new-portland-police-bicycle-theft-task-force-135042">Portland Police Bike Theft Task force</a> - which we are a member of - this is really shaping up to be a killer year for bike recoveries.</p>
<p>And now, onto the stories - I’ve removed some personal details, but most of these are verbatim from email:</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/39552">DeBernardi Track Bike</a>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/21602/large_001_denardi.jpg" /></p>
<p>Recovered: 03/21/2015 - “ … was recovered by my friend [redacted] while working for [redacted] Courier; some street/ junkie type folk were hiding it under a tarp in The Mission but not very well. Initially he thought it was a bike belonging to a fellow messenger, but after recovery he found it was not. I also texted [redacted] who owns the bike; [redacted] was married yesterday and is now honeymooning today so hopefully they can come retrieve the bike later. Cool site! We ran a ‘recoverd track bike’ ad on Craigslist with no luck, so this website was a good resource.”</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/40683/">2014 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc</a>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/21603/large_002_specialized.jpg" />
Recovered: 03/20/2015 - “A super awesome person noticed that someone with a poorly fitting bike that left it unlocked and unattended at Ballard Pool. After checking Bike Index.org, she confirmed that it matched the description, serial and pedals of my bike, and notified pool staff. The police were called in, who then took my bike for safekeeping. Thanks Bike Index! I wouldn’t have gotten my bike back without you! You guys rock!”</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/40096/">2012 Redline Metro Classic</a>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/21605/large_003_redlinemetro.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" /><br />
Recovered: 03/19/2015 - “My bike was stolen from a condo parking garage in Feb, the rack was cut and the U-lock slid off. About a week and half later I saw a 60cm Redline Metro Classic posted on Craigslist, with a stock photo of the bike in a different color” <em>(BikeIndex: At this point the owner detailed their long, drawn out attempt to chase this Craigslist seller down. Craigslist, you are still a goddamn mess, an enabler of bike thieves, and you are nothing but a huge disservice to theft victims everywhere. Get your **** together please. -Bryan)</em> I began to notice on your twitter timeline many people pointing out to you and SPD that this lister had many underpriced bikes with a high turnover each day. I continued to monitor CL, but never saw anything again and figured I had missed my chance. (Later) I received a call from SPD stating my bike was one of many recovered (Bikeindex: <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-Police-Seize-Dozens-of-Bikes-296955521.html?tab=video&c=y">in this police sting</a>) the SN matched the police report. I went to claim it, it was missing the wheels and seat with the U lock still locked to the frame.”</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/41050/">2014 Trek CrossRip Elite</a>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/21604/large_004_trek_crossrip.jpg" />
Recovered: 03/17/2015 - “It was stolen Friday the 13th (how unlucky) and then … I got a message about it through Bike Index with the guy’s number saying he had it. I called immediately and asked for a picture as well, and sure enough, he had my bike. He said it was just stashed by some trees in his yard and he had the mind to look on this website. He was such a nice guy and brought it to me at the bike shop. Honestly if it weren’t for this website I probably wouldn’t have ever seen my bike again.So thank you for making this website and helping turn around one of the worst things that has ever happened to me. She’s in the shop receiving some TLC and he wouldn’t even accept a reward and was just happy to be able to reunite me with my bike. :)”</p>
<p><a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/41039">2002 Klein Bikes Quantum Race</a>
<img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/21606/large_005_klein.jpg" alt="ENTER YOUR TEXT HERE" />
Recovered: 03/17/2015 - “Someone saw a chronic bike thief riding it and called the police. PPB Officer Scott found it locked at [redacted] He waited until the “owner” returned and asked if it was his. (This was someone different than the thief). [Bike Index: some redacted backstory here. Long story short, PPB = awesome.] The officer then called me and I relayed some details to prove it was mine. He brought it to me and then left to go arrest the two guys involved in the theft. I’m so thrilled and feeling so lucky to have it back undamaged. The good guys win!”</p>
<p>Bike: <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/40996">2010 Bianchi Imola</a></p>
<p>Recovered: 03/18/2015 - “Thanks again for your huge help with my bike theft. Absolutely it was your lead with Bike Index that helped with finding my wheels … the cop saw my post on Bike Index.org and being an Ironman-in-training it resonated with him since he did one… he said he saw a dude riding around on a Turquoise Bianchi right after looking through the missing bike listings, and the guy insisted he had just bought it for $20. Knowing bikes, the officer yanked the bike off of him :) Thank you hugely !!!!”</p>
<p>And that, folks, is how it’s done :) I look forward to posting a lot more of these in the future.</p>
<p>-bhance</p>
2015-01-27T02:22:40-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bikeindex-and-spinlister-join-forces-to-get-bike-theft-victims-back-onBike Index and Spinlister join forces to get bike theft victims back on bikes!2015-01-27T02:22:40-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Today we are happy to announce an absolutely stellar partnership:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/18828/large_twologos3.jpg" alt="Bike Index and Spinlister" /></p>
<p>Bike Index has partnered with peer-to-peer bike rental powerhouse <b>Spinlister</b>!</p>
<p>By joining forces, we can help bike theft victims get back on a bike when they need it the most - immediately after a theft.</p>
<p>This combination is some serious chocolate-and-peanut-butter level of awesomeness: Bike Index has tons of people who find themselves without bikes. Spinlister has legions of local bike renters and fellow cyclists ready to lend their rides. Working together, we can get riders back on the road quickly, locally, and most importantly, on the cheap.</p>
<p><em>Starting today, any Portland Oregon users listing stolen bikes with the Bike Index will receive a $30 credit towards their first day of rental on Spinlister.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://spinlister.com" target="_blank"><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/19100/large_SL_small.jpg" alt="spinlister.com" /></a></p>
<p>And - seriously - have you seen what you can get for $30 (and under) on Spinlister? It’s crazy - you can get <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/1260-bike-one-of-a-kind-portland-or">tallbikes</a>! <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/2392-bike-one-of-a-kind-portland-or">Many many</a> <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/2297-bike-one-of-a-kind-tokyo-meguro">tallbikes</a>! <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/7246-bike-cargo-portland-or">Dutch bikes</a>! <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/6956-bike-folding-portland-or">Teeny little Dahons</a>! <a href="https://www.spinlister.com/rides/1172-bike-road-portland-or">Sexy old school Masis</a>! The list is impressive, to say the least.</p>
<p>Yes, we hope to expand this out to other cities soon. No, we can’t tell you where. (Yet.)</p>
<p>So: a huge shout out to our newest partner Spinlister. We look forward to this stellar new way of helping out bike theft victims get back on a bike, and doing so in a way that it supports Spinlister’s awesome system of local Portland peer-to-peer bike lenders.</p>
<p>Onward!</p>
<p>-The Bike Index crew</p>
2015-01-11T19:24:22-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/want-to-support-the-bike-index-heres-howWant to support the Bike Index? Here's how:2015-01-11T19:24:22-06:00Bryan Hance<p>Want to help support the Bike Index? Good - we could use your help! :)</p>
<p>Here are several ways you can help in our fight against bike thieves:</p>
<h3 id="option-1-you-can-donate-online">Option 1: You can donate online</h3>
<p>We’d always appreciate a donation, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/support_the_index">which you can make by clicking here</a>.</p>
<p>Your donations go right back into the fight - be it to help offset our hosting fees, helping to get the word out to more shops, users, and police—or just funding more coffee for our late night coding binges. Any amount helps, and we always appreciate it hugely.</p>
<h3 id="option-2-you-can-buy-a-sticker">Option 2: You can buy a sticker</h3>
<p>Perhaps you’d like a tangible memento of your donation to the Bike Index? You should buy a sticker!</p>
<p>By and far the single most popular sticker I’ve ever created is the “<strong>Death To Bike Thieves</strong>” sticker, but there’s also the popular “I want my #@%!ing bike back” – both of which you can purchase at the bottom of <a href="https://stolen.bikeindex.org/">stolen.bikeindex.org</a>. I also do bulk orders, if you’d like more than 10 of these stickers - they’ve been <em>extremely</em> popular with bike shops of late, so large orders are welcome.</p>
<h3 id="option-3-short-on-cash-help-us-spread-the-word">Option 3: Short on cash? Help us spread the word!</h3>
<p><strong>The more people know about and use the Bike Index, the better it works</strong>. If you can’t support the Bike Index directly, you can <strong>always</strong> help us out by spreading the Bike Index name far and wide.</p>
<p>If you want to help us out in a ‘non-monetary’ sort of way, it would be great if you:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tell friends about the Bike Index</li>
<li>Tell local bike shops about the Bike Index</li>
<li>Register your bikes, your friends bikes, and ALL THE BIKES on the Bike Index</li>
<li>Follow us on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/bikeindex">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/bikeindex/">Instagram</a> or just like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a></li>
</ul>
<p>No matter *how* you choose to support the Bike Index, we always appreciate it hugely. We couldn’t do this without you. Thanks all :)</p>
<p>- The Bike Index team</p>
2014-12-24T17:21:41-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/this-is-how-it-works---the-story-of-two-recent-stolen-bike-recoveriesThis is how it works: the story of two recent stolen bike recoveries2014-12-24T17:21:41-06:00Bryan Hance<p>We don’t write up every single bike recovery we get here at Bike Index, but there are two recent ones that really sum up how the community, bike theft victims, the Bike Index, and local police are working together to recover stolen bikes. I wanted to share them here:</p>
<p><strong>Recovered bike #1: JK’s Felt Z80, Portland OR, December 15th</strong></p>
<p>JK had his Felt Z80 stolen from downtown Portland a couple of months ago - thieves made quick work of his cable lock, unfortunately, which he was only using temporarily because he didn’t have a U-lock. JK registered with Bike Index, and one month ago I spotted it being ridden downtown, recognized it from <a href="https://stolen.bikeindex.org/bikes/33095">his listing</a>, and took a few quick surreptitious photos.</p>
<p>I got in touch with JK , and we quickly headed back to where I spotted it, but it had already moved on. We exchanged contact info, got in touch with a couple of PPB and Portland Parks & Rec officers, gave them the information on the bike, and parted ways.</p>
<p>Fast forward to December 15th, when JK got a heads-up from PPB—his bike had been recovered! And not only that, but it had been recovered by one of the officers who had attended the <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2014/12/11/bike-theft-summit-recap-big-collective-step-forward-115131">Portland Bike Theft Summit</a> only days before. So we were pretty happy to hear about this - JK’s email was pretty funny, too, since his ride came back with some … ah, added accessories:</p>
<article><blockquote>So, I got the bike back. The frame is pretty beat up cosmetically, but that's not a big deal. Whoever had the bike swapped out all of the components, removed the gear shifts and the front brake, and even switched the water bottle holder with another one. Go figure. And how about those hot pink pedals? I might keep them on once I rebuild the rest of the bike.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">JK</div></article>
<p><img class="post-image padded" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/17737/large_001_redacted.JPG" alt="Recovered bike" /></p>
<p><strong>Recovered bike #2: JM’s Giant Trance, Portland OR, December 23rd</strong></p>
<p>JM had his <a href="https://bikeindex.org//bikes/9830/">Giant Trance</a> stolen from downtown Portland in March of 2013. He’d locked it up properly, even took the seat with him, but thieves nabbed it anyway. Yesterday morning, a sharp-eyed Bike Index user flagged it and got in contact with us when he found it up for sale and it looked sketchy. Turns out, his instincts were right.</p>
<p>We got in touch with JM, and by that night, a sting had been set up, the seller was arrested by local police, and JM had his ride back. I’m purposefully leaving out some crazier subparts of this story here, but long story short, JM had a pretty interesting day and he now has his Giant Trance XL back.</p>
<p><img class="margined post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/17738/large_002_redacted.JPG" alt="recovery2" /></p>
<p>In my mind, both of these stories demonstrate how the process is coming together here in Portland when it comes to fighting bike theft, and how it is a combination of players that get stolen bikes back. Specifically:</p>
<ul>
<li>The community is GREAT at flagging stolen bikes - both in real life and online</li>
<li>The Bike Index plays a crucial part in making this information available, quickly, to people who are finding these bikes, and then making it possible to get in touch with the rightful owners</li>
<li>The owners themselves are motivated and driven to get their rides back, and often have to jump through crazy logistical hoops very fast in order to get help chasing their stolen bikes down</li>
<li>And lastly, local police have to get involved to get the rides back safely and to deal with the people who have them</li>
</ul>
<p>All in all, it’s coming together very nicely. This combination of community, Bike Index, bike theft victims and police working together to tackle the problem works - and we look forward to rolling this model out all across the country.</p>
2014-12-07T17:52:06-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/lightspeed-retail--bikeindex--winLightspeed Retail + Bike Index = win2014-12-07T17:52:06-06:00Seth Herr<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16958/large_lightspeed_logo.png" alt="Lightspeed logo" /></p>
<p>Here at Bike Index, providing fast, simple, and free bike registration is the core of what we do because we know it’s a huge part of keeping bikes safe. We work closely with bike shops to provide their customers with registration that’s free, simple, and effective because we know most bicycle owners don’t bother to register their bikes on their own.</p>
<p>This is why we’re proud to announce Lightspeed Retail now recommends our integration. The Bike Index is one of Lightspeed’s <em>Great tools for bicycle retailers</em> <a href="http://lightspeedpos.com/retail/addons/">on their add-on page</a>. When integrated with Lightspeed Retail, our tool allows shops to automatically register the bikes they sell.</p>
<p><span class="less-strong">To learn more about Lightspeed Retail and the services they offer bike stores, check out their <a href="http://www.lightspeedpos.com/retail/retail-software/bike-shop-software/" target="_blank">bike shop page</a>.</span></p>
<p>We’re committed to partnering with as many bike shops as we can and making bike registration as easy as possible. Activating integration between Lightspeed Retail and Bike Index is simple and takes just a few clicks of the mouse.</p>
<p><strong>You can watch a video of the process and get step-by-step instructions by visiting <a href="https://bikeindex.org/lightspeed_integration">our information page for retailers</a>.</strong></p>
<article><blockquote>I started the Bike Index because I wanted to register bikes for my customers at the shop where I worked — with this integration, we're finally able to give shops a way to register bikes without any hassle.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Seth Herr, Bike Index co-founder</div></article>
<hr class="padded" />
<p>If you’re interested in technical details behind this integration—we’ve provided automatic registration integration with Lightspeed <a href="https://bikeindex.org/news/automated-registration-for-bike-shops">since May</a>, but prior to now, this integration was difficult to set up and wasn’t easy for shops (or us) to use. We worked with Lightspeed as they updated core aspects of how external services connect with them. We now use their new OAuth interface for authentication and we revamped the process for bike shops to make it much easier to sign up.</p>
2014-12-05T11:49:10-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-meets-trackr-a-review-ensuesBike Index evaluates TrackR - with an eye towards tracking bikes2014-12-05T11:49:10-06:00Bryan Hance<p>I’ve been excited about evaluating the <a href="http://thetrackr.com">TrackR</a> for a long time, and here’s why:</p>
<p>One: the TrackR has always looked like an exciting and interesting addition to the toolkit against bike theft. It’s small, fairly cheap, and looks like a nifty ‘lightweight’ tracker.</p>
<p>Two: I’m a huge nerd, and I cannot resist playing with new tools that look like they can be used to track bikes :)</p>
<p>If you haven’t heard of the <a href="http://thetrackr.com">TrackR</a>, it is “… a small, coin-sized device that easily attaches to your valuable items. With the TrackR app, (you can) locate any lost or misplaced item in seconds … using TrackR’s Distance Indicator or via Crowd GPS.” (via <a href="https://stickr.thetrackr.com" target="_blank">stickr.thetrackr.com</a>)</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16951/large_trackr.jpg" alt="TrackR" /></p>
<p>I bought my TrackR in summer of 2014, which is right about the same time TrackR started aggressively advertising itself as a stolen bike tracking solution. They also released a video (below) in which they plant a TrackR on a bike, let it get stolen, and then track it down and recover it days later.</p>
<article><iframe width="100%" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LIMe8cvidGg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p>Certain things about this video certainly raised some eyebrows, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the TrackR’s potential for stolen bike tracking.</p>
<p><strong>Potential TrackR Technical advantages:</strong></p>
<p>Unlike GPS trackers - which are power hungry, large, and hard to conceal - the TrackR’s roughly quarter-sized case boasts an advertised battery life of 8-9 months and an advertised range of “about 100 feet”.</p>
<p>The TrackR uses Low Power Bluetooth, and offloads the ‘heavy lifting’ - position reporting, sensing, etc. - to the owner’s phone. This allows the TrackR hardware to be smaller, lightweight and energy efficient, while presenting some interesting potential via what TrackR calls “Crowd GPS”.</p>
<p>With “Crowd GPS”, TrackR has done something I’ve been waiting for a long time to see - they have built a distributed ‘sensor network’ using all of their customer’s phones. They call this “Crowd GPS” - in that every TrackR user’s iPhone is aware of the Trackrs around it, and will report their positions back to TrackR.</p>
<p>So, just to be clear: if your TrackR-enabled device goes missing, as soon as someone else running the TrackR app passes within range and picks up its location, it will pop up on the radar and report its location. This way, every TrackR user can act as a ‘sensor’ for everybody else’s TrackRs.</p>
<p>The potential here is amazing, as it un-tethers the need for the device to be close to the owner’s device in order to get located. There are no published numbers on the amount of people running the TrackR app, but you can imagine what potential coverage “Crowd GPS” could achieve if they can boost their numbers to a certain level of participation.</p>
<p>This is the sort of technology that nerds like me dreaming about at night, so I’m happy to see someone roll it out in a consumer-grade product. So, in my book, TrackR is doing exciting things and moving in amazing directions with the “Crowd GPS” network.</p>
<p>But enough nerdery. Let’s move onto the testing:</p>
<p>All my tests were run with a “Stickr TrackR” model, purchased for $24.95 from TrackR’s online store. I ran four tests:</p>
<p>Phase 1: Basic ‘open air’ tests - testing the TrackR’s range</p>
<p>Phase 2: Hiding the TrackR inside a bike frame</p>
<p>Phase 3: Hiding the TrackR under a bike seat</p>
<p>Phase 4: A “crowd GPS” test</p>
<p>A quick disclaimer: No, I’m not an RF engineer, nor are these the most rigorous tests in the world. They are all fairly basic simple tests that I banged out in a few afternoons, but I think they are a decent representation of my experience with the TrackR so far. Yes, there are many variables to consider - signal obstruction, interference, even the metal of the frame I’m testing with here (steel, for what it’s worth) but I’ll leave those to other testers out there.</p>
<p>For now, I just wanted to get a general sense of how the TrackR performs “in the wild”. If your experience differs, feel free to throw it in the comments, esp. with respect to the total distance you have achieved with your TrackR.</p>
<p><strong>Phase 1:”Open air” distance tests</strong></p>
<p>In my “Open air” tests, I placed my TrackR on the ground and then tried successive 15, 30, and 42-45 foot ‘sound the alarm’ tests. The goal was to test the signal range.</p>
<p>The results? I was only ever able to get about ~42 feet of working distance out of my TrackR.</p>
<p>In the video below: At 27 and 36 feet, the TrackR works fine - again, just sitting on the ground. At 42 feet, though, I’m unable to connect. Thinking that I might have been getting some signal loss because of its location (on the ground) I then the TrackR to some string and suspended it about 3 feet off the ground, about at hip level. I was then able to get 42 feet out of it, but that was the max.</p>
<article><iframe width="100%" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IPGLfDuNq_A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p>Anything past 42 or 43 feet, though, failed. This range falls well short of the “about 100” advertised by TrackR – but it still presents amazing potential as a tracking device. If every phone running the TrackR app within 45 feet of my bike can still ‘see’ my TrackR, I’m still pretty happy.</p>
<p>So - in short - while I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t get the total advertised distance out of my TrackR - a 42 foot detection range still has a lot of potential. If you have performed similar tests and received better range, let me know below, please.</p>
<p><strong>Phase 2: “Hide the TrackR inside a bike frame”</strong></p>
<p>My second test involved hiding the TrackR inside of a bike frame. I was particularly interested in this scenario because most bike thieves will chop a bike soon after stealing it, so having a TrackR hidden in the frame would provide all kinds of potential advantages for post-theft, ‘post-chop’ tracking.</p>
<p>In this test, I taped my TrackR to some string and lowered it inside a bike frame. I then attempted to connect to the TrackR to track it. Long story short - it doesn’t work at all. In all of my tests, the moment you drop a TrackR down a bike tube, it ceases to communicate with the app and this renders the TrackR untrackable.</p>
<p>Honestly, this is not too surprising: low power bluetooth is just that - low power - and it shouldn’t be surprising that a low power signal can’t penetrate metal. While the optimist in me was REALLY hoping to at least get a foot or two of detection distance out of my TrackR, to my disappointment, I did not. Ah well …</p>
<article><iframe width="100%" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H5WfeTVeCZ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p><strong>Phase 3: “Tape the TrackR under the seat”</strong></p>
<p>In phase three, I hid the TrackR under my bike seat - I just taped it there with electrical tape - and ran the same distance tests from Phase 1, testing the “sound the alarm” function at 15, 30, and 42 feet.</p>
<article><iframe width="100%" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mdZ-alerFyM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p>Happily, the TrackR still performed well when taped under the seat at the ~42 foot range. I consider this a success! Not only was there is likely some added interference with the placement underneath the seat, but again - I still think 42 feet of sensing distance has a lot of potential.</p>
<p>With this on my mind, I then spent a good half hour trying to find other sneaky locations on my bike to hide my TrackR. The most promising - as a sort of fake endcap to my handlebars - didn’t work because the TrackR was <em>just</em> a couple millimeters too wide. Still, though, with some more time I’m sure I could come up with pretty ingenious places to hide the TrackR.</p>
<p><strong>Phase 4: Testing ‘Crowd GPS’</strong></p>
<p>In this test, the goal was to test how useful the Crowd GPS is, by leaving my bike outside to see if and when the ‘Crowd GPS’ would flag its location. I taped the TrackR underneath my seat and parked my bike in a relatively high traffic area of downtown Portland - on a workday - and checked my TrackR app every hour to see if and when it had been located.</p>
<p>The results? The bike sat outside from 8am to 5pm, and sadly it never popped up on the radar. Every time I checked, it hadn’t been located by any other TrackR users. Yes, this was only a one day test, but it was still a little disappointing. But I still have hope: the more TrackRs get shipped out, the more people will run the app, and the better the network will get. I plan to test this out a few more times in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Two quick thoughts on this:</strong></p>
<p>1) I wish TrackR would publish some sort of stats on the TrackR ‘crowd gps’ network - i.e. how many TrackR apps are live out there, looking for other TrackR’s, how many crowd sensor hits are happening, etc.</p>
<p>EDIT: <a href="http://thetrackr.com">@thetrackr</a> pointed out on <a href="https://twitter.com/CGherb/status/540927169786953729">Twitter</a> that they do publish some of the Crowd GPS view here: <a href="http://www.thetrackr.com/#crowdgps">http://www.thetrackr.com/#crowdgps</a></p>
<p>2) Hey, TrackR - free idea here - gamify the tracking a little bit! Give TrackR app users some reason to leave the app running in the background by awarding ‘most TrackR’s seen this week’ or something like that. Or hide TrackR’s out in the wild that, when sensed, result in a giveaway, etc. Give people a reason to run the app all the time, basically.</p>
<p><strong>Final verdict:</strong></p>
<p>All in all, for ~$25 the TrackR presents some very interesting potential for bike tracking/sensing. There are so many scenarios where having a TrackR hidden on or in a bike would be a huge advantage, for example:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>meeting a Craigslist seller who you believe is selling your stolen bike</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>spotting the bike on the street, weeks later, but altered to avoid detection (This is a daily occurrence here in Portland)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>having to find or ID your bike in a warehouse full of recovered bikes</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>… and so on. There’s a lot of potential there - maybe not all the potential I wanted, but, hey - it’s the first year the TrackR is on the market, and I’m excited to see where the TrackR goes and what advancements they can make to the device in their future versions.</p>
<p>In the meantime … Want one? See Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KJLMLFW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KJLMLFW&linkCode=as2&tag=maydaymystery&linkId=ITXPLZGUGQGMOM5G">StickR TrackR</a> - $24.95 right now.</p>
<p>Please let me know about your own experiences with the TrackR in the comments below, and thanks for reading. :)</p>
2014-11-26T10:19:59-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bikereg-an-android-app-for-the-bike-indexBikeReg: an Android app for the Bike Index2014-11-26T10:19:59-06:00Darren<h2 class="blog-subhead">Guest Post by Darren Whanger, BikeReg creator</h2>
<p>The Bike Index now can be accessed via an Android app!</p>
<p>Tyee Software has created a mobile app for phone and tablet usage named BikeReg, which allows for searching the Index via serial number, manufacturer, or general text searching. The application also gives users the ability to register new bikes on the Bike Index. The interface is a real time interface, which means that uploads of new bikes into the registry are available immediately.</p>
<article><iframe width="100%" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VLsLwQFoLe4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p>A few BikeReg screenshots:</p>
<p><img class="post-image-padded" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16556/large_article_screenshots.png" alt="BikeReg screenshots" /></p>
<p>Another cool feature of the open Bike Index API is the ability to deliver data on stolen bikes for a particular locale. Here you can see the BikeReg app is able to combine this data together with Google Maps in order to display “Stolen bikes in my area”:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16824/large_BIKEREGMAP.png" alt="BikeReg map" /></p>
<p>BikeReg makes use of the Bike Index’s open RESTful API (<a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation">read the documentation</a>) that delivers JSON, which makes integration of bike data into an application relatively straight forward.</p>
<p>BikeReg utilizes a number of technologies in the application: AngularJS, the Ionic Framework, Sass, JSON, Cordova Plugins, and uses JavaScript as the language to tie it all together. For those new to these technologies, here is a little more info and a breakdown of each technology:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>AngularJS is a fantastic and sleek MVC framework for the application—it works great in a mobile app setting. If you ever have used other MVC frameworks, you will be right at home with AngularJS.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Ionic Framework is a cross-platform mobile app framework which provides for the native aspects of interfacing with either the Android or iOS platforms.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Sass is used to customize and manage the stylesheet customizations specific to the application–very cool tool.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>JSON objects are both consumed and produced by the application and serve as the payload mechanism between the front end of BikeReg and the Bike Index back end. JSON is just a great and simple way to exchange data and is very efficient when working over low bandwidth data networks. Of course, it works fantastic when a device is connected via wifi as well.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Cordova plugins are native platform components which interface with hardware devices like cameras, bar-code scanners, file system, and geo-location, etc. Most Cordova plug-ins are specific to the platform so there will be no way around it, you will need to debug these parts of the application on the device itself.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The big thing with putting together a mobile application is how you debug it. Because the BikeReg application is pulling/pushing data from across the web, it is important for the application to gracefully handle varying connectivity situations. For simulating and debugging these scenarios, Google Chrome provides a great and powerful emulation tool which helps to speed development:</p>
<p><img class="post-image-padded" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16555/large_bikereg_debugging.png" alt="Bike reg debugging" /></p>
<p>This tool allows for a variety of mobile devices to be emulated and their screen sizes to be tried out.</p>
<p>One important item when working with the Bike Index API or any API for that matter, is to start small. As in, get a simple portion of the API working, build the foundation, and then build out the rest of the API access from there—kind of like building a pyramid, layer upon layer. One of the things that is important when making a call to a RESTful API is making sure that the API call is asynchronous. Promises are perfect for this task:</p>
<p><img class="post-image-padded" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16554/large_getBikes_codeshot.png" alt="Promises in bikereg app" /></p>
<p>Promises are JS objects where data will be deposited after a successful call, in this case, to a web API. The usage of Promises helps to keep the front end UI responsive and independent of the call being made across the web. Consumption of returned data via JSON.parse() provides a quick way to package up returned data into objects which can be iterated upon and easily consumable by other areas of the application. Passing objects around from the backend service layer to the controller where it can be actioned upon helps to insulate the application from specific backend detail and complexities.</p>
<p>BikeReg is a natural extension of Bike Index to the mobile platform and makes the Bike Index accessible from just about anywhere. The Bike Index RESTful API makes it considerably easier for a developer to build out an application. With these technologies and about 4-6 weeks you too can develop your mobile application or you can download BikeReg from the Google Play Store. BikeReg can be found by following the android link below.</p>
<p><span class="blog-pad"></span></p>
<p><a href="https://play.google.com/store/search?q=bikereg" target="_blank"><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/16553/large_google_play.png" alt="Google Play icon" /></a></p>
<p><em>BikeReg costs $1.99 - proceeds from the app go to Tyee software, NOT the Bike Index</em></p>
<p><span class="blog-pad"></span></p>
<p><em>Follow Darren at <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DarrenWhanger/">@darrenwhanger</a></em></p>
2014-11-03T11:46:50-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/thanks-to-seattle-bike-blog-for-becoming-our-newest-stolen-registratioThanks to Seattle Bike Blog - our newest stolen registration partner!2014-11-03T11:46:50-06:00Bryan Hance<p>The Bike Index sends a huge shout-out to <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> for becoming our newest partner in the fight against bike thieves!</p>
<p>Starting today, <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> is running our popular Stolen Bikes plugin, which lets <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> readers register their bikes with the Bike Index and easily search stolen bike listings from the Seattle Area.</p>
<p><a href="http://seattlebikeblog.com" target="_blank"><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/15845/large_sbb2.JPG" alt="Seattle Bike Blog screenshot" /></a></p>
<p>This move adds <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> to the growing number of excellent regional blogs helping to combat bike theft in their area, including <a href="http://bikeportland.org">BikePortland.org</a>, <a href="http://bicycletucson.com">BicycleTucson.com</a>, <a href="http://indycog.org">IndyCog.org</a> … and a few others still yet to be announced ;)</p>
<p>Tom Fucoloro has been writing and maintaining <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> since 2010, and today he’s the go-to guy for excellent coverage on biking and transport-related topics in the Seattle area. Tom’s passion for storytelling is evident in
stories such as <a href="http://http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2014/10/07/one-of-too-many">One Too Many</a> which covers Seattle rider Brandon Blake’s recovery from his 2013 bike accident and resulting coma.</p>
<p>Tom’s a tight writer with passion for both the stories he covers and the people
in the Seattle bike community, and it shows. We’re beyond happy to help Tom and his readers out with our stolen bike listings.</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-right-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/15850/large_tom2.jpg" alt="Tom Fucoloro" /></p>
<p>Little known fact: Tom has a very personal stake in the bike theft problem - back in 2012 Tom helped recover his friend’s stolen bike from a Craigslist thief - and he almost got shanked with a screwdriver in the process. See: <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/02/12/how-i-got-my-friends-stolen-bike-back">How I got my friend’s stolen bike back</a> for the whole crazy story.</p>
<p>We’re happy to help Tom - and all Seattle riders - by tying <a href="http://SeattleBikeBlog.com">SeattleBikeBlog.com</a> into the Bike Index. :)</p>
<p>Thanks again Tom - and here’s to recovering more stolen bikes!</p>
<p>-Bike Index</p>
2014-10-14T15:59:41-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-recoveriesBike Index recoveries2014-10-14T15:59:41-05:00Nate Silver<p>Over 2,123 stolen bikes recovered, and counting.</p>
<p>We think that’s pretty impressive and proof that Bike Index is doing exactly what we set out to do.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Stopping thieves.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Reuniting people with their bikes.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Saving the world.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<article><blockquote>This registration is amazing.</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">James E., bike recovered 9/15/14</div>
</article>
<p>So how is it, exactly, that we’ve recovered so many bikes? Is there a secret?</p>
<p>The more and more we read recovery stories - and as we sift through the thank you notes that end up in our inbox every day - it’s clear that Bike Index is only one piece of the puzzle. The other piece is you (it’s not a very big puzzle).</p>
<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/15033/large_recovery_image.jpeg" alt="Eva with her recovered bike" /></p>
<p>As much as we do to securely store your registration - and we do a lot - we will always rely on your help. Bike mechanics, concerned cyclists, police officers, online-deal-seekers, people with brains and hearts - you are all an integral part of what makes Bike Index works, and what leads to successful recoveries and a happier world.</p>
<p>We are continually struck by the different avenues through which people are finding bikes, searching for serial numbers, contacting owners, and recovering bikes. It’s not just bike shops and police departments. It’s not just buyers on craigslist and Ebay. It’s not just good samaritans acting on behavior they perceive as sketchy. It’s all of the above.</p>
<p>Just take a look through some of the stories folks have shared with us in recent weeks:</p>
<article><blockquote>A <strong>craigslist</strong> buyer checked for my bike on this site. <strong>Police</strong> recovered the bike and arrested the thief. Thanks Bike Index.org</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Gus E.</div>
</article>
<article><blockquote>The <strong>police</strong> found it outside someone else's house and searched the bike index by the serial number. My bike came up with the case number to reference and they were able to confirm it was mine.The officer said the bike index is a valuable tool for them to use</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Jon A.</div>
</article>
<article><blockquote>Someone found my bike on <strong>Ebay</strong>, almost two years after the bike was stolen, and e-mailed me through this database</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">James C.</div>
</article>
<article><blockquote>A <strong>good samaritan</strong> found my bike abandoned by a tree near my neighborhood and ran my bike's serial number on this website</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Eva L.</div>
</article>
<article><blockquote>A local <strong>bike shop</strong> that I alerted of my stolen bike got a hold of me when someone took my bike in</blockquote>
<div class="blockquote-cite">Jini L.</div>
</article>
<p>You can’t make this stuff up.</p>
<p>Keep fighting the good fight, keep those eyes open, and keep using the Bike Index to save the world.</p>
2014-06-13T16:07:38-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/providing-the-largest-and-most-effective-bicycle-registry---everProviding the largest and most effective bicycle registry - ever2014-06-13T16:07:38-05:00Seth Herr<p>We’re incredibly excited to announce that we have merged with StolenBicycleRegistry.com!</p>
<p>We’ve combined the most sophisticated, user-friendly bicycle registry and the longest running and most successful stolen bicycle recovery service — creating the largest and most effective bike registry in the galaxy.</p>
<p><a href="https://stolen.bikeindex.org"><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/2315/large_new-SBR-homepage.png" alt="New SBR homepage" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>We made the Bike Index because there was no universal, easily usable bike registration service. Registering a bike was so frustrating that no one bothered with it. The Bike Index changed that for the better - by automating registration for <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/automated-registration-for-bike-shops">bike shops</a> and <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/heritage-bicycles-are-now-automatically-registered">manufacturers</a>, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/default-bike-data-now-automatically-included">filling in default bike data</a>, and providing <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/pdf-registration-certificates">printable registration PDFs</a>. We’re incredibly happy that along the way third party contributors have made projects like <a href="https://twitter.com/isitstolen">@isitstolen</a>, a Twitter bot that <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/search-the-bike-index-using-isitstolen-on-twitter">checks serial numbers</a>, and a <a href="https://github.com/purcebr/bike-index-listings">WordPress plugin</a> to list stolen bikes. We can’t wait to see what comes next.</p>
<p>Bryan Hance (founder of SBR) supported the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together">Bike Index Kickstarter</a>, sheltered the Bike Index <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/we-made-it-all-the-way-to-oregon-and-back-without-">on our visit to Portland</a> while faithfully still doing what he’s been doing for the past decade and a half - recovering stolen bikes. So far the SBR has recovered more than 2,000 bikes, nowadays more than 10 bikes a week. Over the years the SBR has partnered with many, many different people to provide an easy, fast way to list and search for stolen bikes.</p>
<p>Stolen Bike Registry and Bike Index are a combination whose sum is greater than its parts. SBR hasn’t disappeared - and Bryan hasn’t stopped recovering bikes (<a href="https://medium.com/@stolenbikessfo/stolenbicycleregistry-just-merged-with-Bike Index-org-102ffa548821">read his announcement about merging</a>). We’ve just made it even easier for him to keep doing what he does best. This makes the Bike Index what we dreamed it would be — not only the best place to register your bike, but the best bet for recovery if it ever is stolen.</p>
<p>Why do we do this? Because we love bikes! We’re still an <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index">open source project</a>, we still zealously protect your privacy and we do not - and never will - sell your information.</p>
<p>Help us out, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">register your bike</a> if you haven’t already, and spread the word.</p>
2014-05-22T11:52:38-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/search-the-bike-index-using-isitstolen-on-twitterSearch the Bike Index using @IsItStolen on Twitter2014-05-22T11:52:38-05:00Andrew<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/2122/medium_twitter-screenshot-cropped.png" alt="A Twitter response from @IsItStolen" /></p>
<p>I made a Twitter bot! That’s right, if you tweet bike serial numbers <a href="https://twitter.com/IsItStolen/with_replies">@IsItStolen</a>, it will respond to you with a short description of bikes matching that serial number on the Bike Index along with their stolen status.</p>
<p>When Bike Index asked me to write a Twitter bot, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into. I’ve always been a believer in open-source software, but I had never contributed any code to a project let alone <a href="https://github.com/adherr/IsItStolen">created my own</a>. As you may know, the Bike Index itself is open source, and you can star us on <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bike_index">GitHub</a>, fork, and add funtionality to your heart’s content. Submit a pull request, and we’ll add your features to the site! Luckily, the internet is an awesome place that is full of resources for people who want to learn what all of this means.</p>
<p>Since the Bike Index is written in the <a href="https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/">Ruby programming language</a> we decided I should also use Ruby to create the bot. My development required me to learn three things: Ruby, the Twitter API (application programing interface. The way that computers can talk to Twitter instead of going to the home page), and the Bike Index.org API. There are a ton of Ruby <a href="https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/">tutorials</a>, <a href="http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/">books</a>, and <a href="http://www.ruby-doc.org/core-2.1.2/">reference guides</a> online, so I started there. Also, you rarely go wrong with google results pointing to <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/">StackOverflow</a>.</p>
<p>A great thing about Ruby is that there are lots of open-source libraries (called gems in the cutesy language of Ruby) available to extend the language to make it quick and easy to perform common tasks. It just so happens that querying the Twitter API is something a lot of people want to do in Ruby, so there is a gem that makes it a snap. There’s no gem for the Bike Index (yet! but you could make one…) so for my application I used another couple of gems that make it easy to grab web pages (like the pages from <a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation/api_v1">the Bike Index API</a>) and access the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Json">JSON</a> results they provide in my program. I rolled it all up together and I’m now sending real live tweets.</p>
<article><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/lobsterless">@lobsterless</a> Blue Jamis Allegro Comp Disc **STOLEN** <a href="https://t.co/CxBsmXSAmu">https://t.co/CxBsmXSAmu</a> <a href="http://t.co/GBW3IJdNmc">pic.twitter.com/GBW3IJdNmc</a></p>— IsItStolen (@IsItStolen) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsItStolen/statuses/469513254474371072">May 22, 2014</a></blockquote></article>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Using the Bike Index.org API you have access to the entire database of bikes. You can perform a general search, access specific serial numbers, look up manufacturer information, add and edit bikes. Everything you can do on the web interface can be done through the API. So go ahead, write a form to embed bike data into your website, or a custom app to register bikes for your organization.</p>
2014-03-28T18:15:32-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/default-bike-data-now-automatically-includedDefault bike data, now automatically included2014-03-28T18:15:32-05:00Seth Herr<p>The Bike Index now adds the original components and a stock photo of your bike when you register it.</p>
<p>In addition to being an excellent resource to research and compare bikes, <a href="http://bikebook.io">BikeBook.io</a> (an awesome service <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/introducing-bikebookio">we just built</a>) also provides a way to programmatically get default information about bikes.</p>
<p>This gives the Bike Index a way to automatically fill in information about your bike when you register it.</p>
<p>Providing default information about bikes is exciting not only because it’s slick, but it also makes registration something you don’t have to worry about. Filling in the default information about your bike makes your registration higher quality and more useful - and now requires no effort from you!</p>
<p>So what does the new process look like?</p>
<p>When entering a bike, the Index suggests model names as you type.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1723/large_model-name-type-ahead.png" alt="Type ahead model name suggestions makes everything easy" /></p>
<p>If you select one of the suggested model names, the bike is listed on BikeBook — so the Index instantly and automatically fills in the data we have about the bike. Even the registration email includes the stock photo.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1720/large_stock-photo-included-in-the-welcome-email.png" alt="Stock photo - included in the email, because badass" /></p>
<p>And the bike has all the components listed.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1727/large_Hells-yeah-default-bike-information.png" alt="All the components and a stock photo" /></p>
<p>But obviously, this is just a starting point. We’d love for you to add photos of your trusty steed and information about how you’ve made it a unique little snowflake.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1725/large_unique_snowflake.jpg" alt="Unique snowflake bike" /></p>
<p>So go ahead, <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/new">Register your bike</a> now if you haven’t already!</p>
2014-03-21T17:35:06-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/introducing-bikebookioIntroducing BikeBook.io2014-03-21T17:35:06-05:00Seth Herr<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://github.com/bikeindex/bikebook/blob/master/public/icon.png?raw=true" />
The Bike Index would like to introduce <a href="http://bikebook.io">BikeBook.io</a> — a service that makes it easy to compare models of bikes between manufacturers and from different years. BikeBook.io is the place to go to find information about the parts and values of bikes.</p>
<p>The Bike Index is the best way to save and share information about bikes — but without a way to research what a bike originally came with, there isn’t a way to see the cool additions you (or a person you’re buying a bike from) has made. We fixed that.</p>
<p>Now there’s a mobile accessible, simple, powerful (and <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bikebook">open source</a>) way to find information about bikes.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1622/large_The-Book.png" alt="Using BikeBook.io" /></p>
<p>Right now BikeBook.io has 11,000 bikes and frames, and the list continues to grow.</p>
<p>BikeBook.io also has an open API, so programmers can access the data through their own services (read how on <a href="https://github.com/bikeindex/bikebook">GitHub</a>).</p>
<p>Go forth and compare bikes!</p>
2014-02-02T18:40:37-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/heritage-bicycles-are-now-automatically-registeredHeritage bicycles are now automatically registered2014-02-02T18:40:37-06:00Seth Herr<p><a href="http://www.heritagebicycles.com/">Heritage</a> is a manufacturer that makes bicycles which are fashionable, functional, and comfortable — and now every bike they make is automatically registered with the Bike Index as soon as it’s sold.</p>
<p>Heritage is the perfect manufacturer to have as the Bike Index’s first partner. They make their bikes here in Chicago and their store is also a cozy coffee shop.</p>
<article><div class="alert alert-info">
<p>The API version described in this post is deprecated, and our current API is better in every way. Check out our current API documenation at <a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation">bikeindex.org/documentation</a>.</p>
</div></article>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1365/large_heritage-bicycles-general-store.jpg" alt="Heritage General Store, image curtesy of Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/coolest-small-businesses-in-chicago-2013-8?op=1" /></p>
<p>The primary goal of the Bike Index is to provide registration that just works — that you don’t have to worry about, or even think about if you don’t want to.</p>
<p>Registering bikes the moment they’re sold is fantastic and hassle-free, since all the information required is already on the vendor’s computer. While there are millions of existing bikes that need to be registered, we can easily automate the process so every new bike is registered accurately from here on out (this doesn’t mean we don’t want your current bike on the Index).</p>
<p>Below is a description of how we use <a href="https://developers.google.com/apps-script/">Google Apps Script</a> to make an HTTPS request to add the new bike to the Index through our API. If that doesn’t seem interesting or makes no sense:</p>
<p><strong>TL;DR</strong> <em>technology is awesome, we’re making bike registration really, really easy!</em></p>
<hr />
<p>Heritage uses a Google Form to record every custom bike they build. The Google Form puts the entries into a spreadsheet that looks something like this:</p>
<article>
<div class="heritage-table">
<table class="table table-bordered table-striped">
<thead><tr>
<th>Timestamp</th><th>Name</th><th>Ticket #</th><th>Email</th><th>Bicycle Type</th><th>Size</th><th>Gears</th><th>Crank</th><th>Brakes</th><th>Saddle Type</th><th>What Type of Chain Guard?</th><th>Fenders?</th><th>Frame Color</th><th>Fork Color</th><th>Fender Color</th><th>Chain Guard Color</th><th>Handle Bar Type</th><th>Grips</th><th>Front Rack?</th><th>Back Rack?</th><th>Notes? Etc...</th><th>Back Rack</th><th>Tire Color </th><th>Coaster Brake or Freewheel</th><th>Custom Wheel Build?</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody><tr>
<td>2/1/2014 9:34:00</td><td>Awesomenew Heritageowner</td><td>999999</td><td>info@heritagebicycles.com</td><td>Goblin</td><td>Medium</td><td>2-Speed Kick Back</td><td>FSA Giomondi CHROME</td><td>CB rear, Drum front</td><td>Orgin8 plush - Black</td><td>Basic VO</td><td>None</td><td>Black</td><td>Black</td><td>N/A</td><td>White</td><td>VO Left Banke</td><td>Sunlite Rubber</td><td>N/A</td><td>Wald Woody</td><td>Thermalite Pedals<br />Schwalbe Road Cruiser - gum/blk</td><td>CHROME/Wood</td><td>Blk/Gum</td><td>Coaster Brake</td><td>Yes</td>
</tr></tbody>
</table>
</div>
</article>
<p>The Bike Index has an open API that makes it possible to take the information submitted into the Google form and automatically register the bike on the Bike Index.</p>
<p>Google Apps script provides a URL fetch service called <a href="https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/url-fetch/url-fetch-app">UrlFetchApp</a>. Since we have a RESTfull API, we can post the bike to our API endpoint and pass the parameters in.</p>
<article><div class="alert alert-info">
<p>Gotcha #1: Google Apps UrlFetchApp doesn't allow nested objects, so you have to serialize the objects and then parse them on your own server.</p>
</div></article>
<p>Here is the google apps script that posts the values that are submitted via the form to the Bike Index. If it errors, it sends us an email.</p>
<article class="code">
<div class="code-label">Google apps script for Heritage</div>
<pre class="pre-scrollable">
function onFormSubmit(e) {
try {
var bike = {
"owner_email": e.namedValues['Email'].toString(),
"frame_model": e.namedValues['Bicycle Type'].toString(),
"frame_size": e.namedValues['Size'].toString(),
"frame_size_unit": "ordinal",
"color": e.namedValues['Frame Color'].toString(),
"description": e.namedValues['Notes? Etc...'].toString(),
"rear_wheel_bsd": "622",
"rear_tire_narrow": true,
"serial_number": "absent",
"manufacturer": "Heritage"
};
var components = [
{
"component_type": "crankset",
"description": e.namedValues['Crank'].toString(),
},
{
"component_type": "seat",
"description": e.namedValues['Saddle Type'].toString(),
},
{
"component_type": "handlebars",
"description": e.namedValues['Handle Bar Type'].toString(),
},
];
var data = {
"organization_slug": "heritage",
"access_token": "HERITAGE'S ACCESS TOKEN",
"bike": JSON.stringify(bike),
"components": JSON.stringify(components),
};
var options = {
"method" : "post",
"payload" : data
}
var result = UrlFetchApp.fetch("https://bikeindex.org/api/v1/bikes", options);
}
catch (e) {
MailApp.sendEmail("contact@Bike Index.org", "Heritage loader error report", e.message);
}
}
</pre>
</article>
<p>This is added to the Google Docs Spreadsheet that receives the form results by going to <code>Script Manager</code> (in the <code>Tools</code> menu of the spreadsheet) and creating a new script.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1362/large_Google_Apps_Script_editor.png" alt="Google Apps Script editor screenshot" /></p>
<article><div class="alert alert-info">
<p>Gotcha #2: The script will not work if you create a script from the Google Form. You have to go to the Script manager from the Google Spreadsheet that receives the form's responses.</p>
</div></article>
<p>To get this to trigger on form submit, go to <code>Current Project's Triggers</code> under the <code>Resources</code> menu in Google’s Script editor and set <code>events</code> to <code>From Spreadsheet</code>, <code>On Form Submit</code>. This trigger needs to be removed and re-added every time the script is edited.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1361/large_Google_Apps_triggers.png" alt="Setting Google Apps Script triggers screenshot" /></p>
<p>And voila! Google Apps now posts to our API every time a bike is submitted through the form and the bike is registered automatically with no extra steps. The new bike owner is sent an email, on the top of which we add Heritage’s logo and an intro, and they can log in and edit their bike.</p>
<p><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1363/large_Heritage-email.png" alt="Email sent to new Heritage bike owners by the Bike Index" /></p>
<p>Registering every new Heritage is incredibly exciting, both because we really like their company and because it prepares us for future integrations.</p>
<p>Want to read more? Check out our <a href="https://bikeindex.org/documentation">API Documentation</a>.</p>
<style>.heritage-table{overflow:scroll}.heritage-table td{min-width:110px}.heritage-table .small-cell{min-width:40px}</style>
2013-12-30T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-official-registry-of-st-louisBike Index, official registry of St. Louis2013-12-30T00:00:00-06:00Seth Herr<p>We created the Bike Index to provide a useable national bike registry. We started by connecting with biking communities — and their enthusiasm has been amazing. The encouragement we received during <a href="https://bikeindex.org/blogs/we-made-it-all-the-way-to-oregon-and-back-without-">our West Coast Tour</a> strengthened our commitment to improving the Index; bike shops and communities everywhere were excited about having an easy, national bicycle registration system. With the support of bike shops and bike communities behind us, our next step is to start providing local governments and law enforcement agencies with the ability to use the Bike Index to return the lost and stolen bicycles they encounter.</p>
<p>This is why we are proud to announce that St. Louis is the first city to use the Bike Index as their official registry. We look forward to this exceptional opportunity to provide the St. Louis police department, city government, and citizens with a voluntary bike registration system that really works.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1060/large_Fox.jpg" alt="Bicycle registration in St. Louis" /></p>
<p>St. Louis is a perfect first partner for the Bike Index. Mayor Slay and the City of St. Louis have a solid record of backing innovative projects and have been making great strides in creating a more bike-friendly city. St. Louis is one of the ten fastest growing cities for bike commuting in the US, and is in the midst of a rapid expansion of bikes on the road (not to mention its current climate feels tropical compared to our Chicago winter). By using St. Louis as a model, we can refine the tools we’ve created at the Bike Index to help police fight bike theft and return stolen bikes.</p>
<p>The fine leaders at <a href="http://trailnet.org/">Trailnet</a> (St. Louis’ bicycling, walking and public transit advocacy group) have made the process of connecting with the city as smooth as a finely-tuned bicycle. Since St. Louis has never had a working bike registration system, the Bike Index is particularly eager to provide the city with our services. Partnering with St. Louis will help us improve the Bike Index and pave the way for connecting to many more cities down the road.</p>
<p>We’re also pleased to announce that we’re working with a number of additional cities to offer official, police supported Bike Index registration. We’ve been hard at work developing the tools and necessary integrations, so that everyone can have bike registration that works.</p>
<p>Let’s all stop bike theft together!</p>
2013-12-24T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/pdf-registration-certificatesPDF registration certificates2013-12-24T00:00:00-06:00Seth Herr<p>The Bike Index now has PDFs for every registered bike!</p>
<p><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bikeindex/Heritage+Chief.pdf"><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1054/large_Heritage-Chief.png" alt="Sample registration PDF" /></a></p>
<p>Since one of the biggest reasons for registering bikes is to have a verified record of ownership, we’re excited to offer a way to download and/or print a document with your bike’s record.</p>
<p>You can download your bike’s document on your home screen by clicking <em>Printable registration</em>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1038/large_Your-bikes.png" alt="Link on your home page" /></p>
<p>Registration certificates are also great for people with stolen bikes - the PDF displays information about the crime and your phone number, so you can put up wanted posters all over town.</p>
<p><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bikeindex/Registration_1230_1013.pdf"><img class="post-image-bordered" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1053/large_Registration_1230_1013.jpg" alt="Sample stolen registration" /></a></p>
2013-12-16T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-holiday-contest-alertBike Index holiday contest alert!2013-12-16T00:00:00-06:00Erin<p><strong>Contest alert!</strong></p>
<p>In the spirit of making the remaining “shopping days” before Christmas a little less stressful for you guys, we’re kicking off a holiday contest today.</p>
<p>To enter, all you have to do is share a link to your registered bike on the <a href="bikeindex.org">Bike Index</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a> or <a href="twitter.com/bikeindex">Twitter</a> with the hashtag #DoRightByYourBike. Make sure to tag us too (<a href="twitter.com/bikeindex">@Bike Index</a>) so we can find your entry!</p>
<p>Everyone who registers their bike will receive some awesome Bike Index stickers in the mail (so everyone wins!) and one lucky person will win a snazzy blue Bike Index t-shirt in a random drawing the day after Christmas.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1003/large_photo__6_.JPG" alt="Bike Index shirt and stickers" /></p>
<p>It’s super easy for folks who have already registered bikes with us: just share the link to your bike on social media, and bam, you’re done, we send you stickers and enter your name in the shirt raffle. If your bike isn’t on the Index yet, register it at Bike Index.org and upload a photo. It only takes a few minutes, tops. Tweet or send us an email at
<a href="mailto:contact@Bike Index.org?subject=Holiday%20contest">contact@Bike Index.org</a> if you have any questions about the process.</p>
<p>A sample tweet or Facebook post would look something like this:
“I just registered my bike on the <a href="">@Bike Index</a>! Check out my [Erin’s] ride here: <a href="https://www.bikeindex.org/bikes/562">https://www.bikeindex.org/bikes/562</a> #DoRightByYourBike”</p>
<p>You can only enter once, but if you post about multiple bikes we’ll be sure to send you some extra stickers. Promise.</p>
<p>So get to work! Start posting, registering, and uploading those photos. Deadline is Christmas Day at midnight CST.</p>
2013-12-04T02:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/we-made-it-all-the-way-to-oregon-and-back-without-We made it all the way to Oregon and back without one dysentery scare2013-12-04T02:00:00-06:00Erin<p>It can be hard out there on the trail, but it’s significantly easier with 21st century amenities.</p>
<p>We completed our West Coast tour last week with a 31-hour drive from Portland back to Chicago, making it through snow and an unfortunate flat tire situation that stranded us in Minneapolis for half a day. Coming home turned out to be as much of an adventure as the trip itself. We’re definitely happy to be back and it’s been great to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and friends after two weeks away.</p>
<p>In the week we’ve been home we’ve had a lot of time to reflect about how the tour went and what we’ve accomplished.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/962/large_Updated-map.png" alt="Map of shops partnered with Bike Index" />
<strong>Shops currently partnered with the Bike Index</strong></p>
<p>Thanks to the overwhelming support we received for our <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together">Kickstarter campaign</a>, we were able to visit bike shops in six cities (Omaha, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland), walk them through the bike registration process and get valuable feedback about how they need the Bike Index to work for them.</p>
<p>Even better, about halfway through the trip, a steady stream of bike shops and advocacy organizations began asking us how they could register bikes on the Bike Index after hearing about our bike registration system that works.</p>
<p>This trip made the Bike Index a truly national bike registration; it was a resounding success.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/963/large_combined-shops.jpg" alt="bike shop collage" /></p>
<p>But our trip was about more than just visiting shops. Enabling individual shops to use the Bike Index to register customers’ bikes was undeniably one of the biggest parts of our trip—but we visited other places too, such as the <a href="http://www.bikedenver.org/advocacy/bike-congress/">Denver Bike Congress</a>, a bi-monthly gathering of local stakeholders in the city’s bicycling and transportation community, and <a href="http://sfbikeexpo.com/">San Francisco’s Bike Expo</a>, where we helped out with the bike valet and registered bikes coming in and out of the event.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/965/large_large_Bike_Congress.jpg" alt="Bike Congress Denver" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/968/large_large_Bike_Valet_Bike_Expo.jpg" alt="SF Expo Bike Valet" /></p>
<p>Also in San Francisco, we met up with our friend and fellow bike-theft warrior <a href="https://twitter.com/plattyjo">Jenny Oh Hatfield</a> to talk about her latest efforts to recover stolen bikes around San Francisco. She does an incredible job of publicizing stolen bikes on social media and recently she’s been working on <a href="http://www.plattyjo.com/survey-stolen-bicycles-sales-at-laney-college/">improving</a> how the Laney College flea market sells used bikes.</p>
<p>In Seattle, we met with Tom, the founder of <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/">Seattle Bike Blog</a>, and had a great talk with him about our trip and our future plans. And in Portland, we hosted a party for the Bike Index at <a href="http://www.lumberyardmtb.com/">The Lumberyard</a> indoor mountain bike park, where Erin got a chance to try out mountain biking for the first time:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/971/large_erin_mtb.jpg" alt="Erin MTB" /></p>
<p>The Lumberyard invited us back to hang out at their Helltrack race event the next day, giving us a chance to register bikes and hang out with some awesome riders, like Specialized Women’s Mountain Bike Ambassador <a href="https://twitter.com/jen_bardsley">Jen Bardsley</a>:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/972/large_large_lumberyard_race.JPG" alt="Lumberyard Helltrack race Jen Bardsley" /></p>
<p><strong>Many, many, many thanks</strong></p>
<p>We were extremely lucky to have friends, and friends of friends offer us their homes, hospitality, directions, and other advice while in their cities.</p>
<p>Many thanks to the Slattery family, who offered us their couch and spare room at their home in Denver for a couple days, our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/Marccaz">Marc</a> who hosted us in Los Angeles, and Ollie and his roommates for giving us space to sleep in San Francisco. In Portland, we stayed with our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/stolenbikereg">Bryan Hance</a>, founder of <a href="http://stolenbicycleregistry.com/">StolenBicycleRegistry.com</a>. Considering he’s responsible for the most widespread bike registry system in the country, having Bryan in our corner since the very beginning has been amazing.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/967/large_large_super_selfie.jpg" alt="Super selfie with Bryan Hance" /></p>
<p><strong>Other trip highlights</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>The <a href="http://www.denverbicyclecafe.com/">Denver Bicycle Cafe</a>, part-cafe, part-bicycle shop, and a great place to play Clue with our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/Zachary_Kent">Zach Kent</a>, who works with Denver’s bike sharing program.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Riding on the Los Angeles River Trail and up to the top of Radio Hill, with a beautiful view that made all the wheezing and sweating on the way up totally worth it.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Hanging out with <a href="http://flyingpigeon-la.com/">Flying Pigeon L.A.</a> owner Josef and his 5-year-old daughter Valentina, who showed us the <a href="https://bikeindex.org/bikes/1195">WorkCycles cargo bike</a> that is not only the way her dad gets her to school, but was once featured on the Ricki Lake show.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Meeting the incredibly friendly and enthusiastic guys at Seattle’s <a href="http://familycyclery.com/">G&O Family Cyclery</a>, Davey Oil and Tyler Gillies (self-described “best friends” and business partners). We had a great time hanging out with them at their shop, talking about the Index and cargo bikes.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Biking around in Portland’s incredible bike lanes and over its amazing bridges:</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/964/large_erin_bikes.jpg" alt="Erin bikes Portland bridge" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/966/large_large_seth_bikes.JPG" alt="Seth bikes Portland bridge" /></p>
<p><strong>So, in conclusion…</strong></p>
<p>We did everything we came to the West Coast to do: we signed up a bunch of bike shops, turned Internet friends into real life friends, successfully navigated the hills and altitudes of Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland by bike, and successfully (until Minneapolis, anyway) drove ourselves and our three bikes more than 4,000 miles to the West Coast and back.</p>
<p>We are so grateful to everyone who gave us a place to crash and a chance to talk their ear off about everything we’re doing – and of course, to our Kickstarter backers, who made all of the above possible. Because of your help and support, the Bike Index is not only improving and growing every day, but is now a national bike registry that is being used in some of the country’s biggest biking cities.</p>
2013-11-27T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/we-did-it-updates-from-the-second-half-of-our-westWe did it!2013-11-27T00:00:00-06:00Erin<p>Updates from the second half of our West Coast promotional tour.</p>
<p>We’re finally home from our two-week West Coast promotional tour. Somehow we made it through the 31-hour drive, the snow, and an unfortunate flat tire situation that stranded us in Minneapolis for half a day—it was definitely an adventure.</p>
<p>And it was definitely worth it. In our last blog update, we were still in San Francisco, the city we spent the most time in during our trip. Before we took off, we met up with our friend and fellow bike-theft warrior <a href="https://twitter.com/plattyjo">Jenny Oh Hatfield</a> to talk about her latest efforts to recover stolen bikes around San Francisco. She does an incredible job of publicizing stolen bikes on social media and recently she’s been working on improving how the Laney College flea market sells used bikes.</p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/4095-check-this-out-if-your-bikes-been-stolen">this article</a> about how Jenny and Officer Matt Friedman of the San Francisco Police Department are fighting bike theft in the Bay Area.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/889/large_Leaving_SF.JPG" alt="Leaving SF" /></p>
<p>Seattle was our next stop, for a quick but incredibly productive day. We met with Tom, the founder of <a href="seattlebikeblog.com">Seattle Bike Blog</a>, and had a great talk with him about our trip and our future plans. We also signed up awesome Seattle shops like <a href="http://familycyclery.com/">G&O Family Cyclery</a>.</p>
<p>G&O is a brand new, family-focused cargo bike shop just opened by Tyler Gillies and Davey Oil. They’re incredibly enthusiastic, friendly guys, and we had a great time hanging out with them at their shop, talking about the Index and cargo bikes.</p>
<p>Shops that sell cargo bikes (like G&O and <a href="http://flyingpigeon-la.com/">Flying Pigeon L.A.</a>) are very excited about the Bike Index because their customers make an investment in a vehicle for transportation that they often lock up outside and depend on—and their customers need a way to protect.</p>
<p>After Seattle we went back to Portland! We stayed with our friend Bryan Hance, founder of <a href="StolenBikeRegistry.com">StolenBikeRegistry.com</a>, who has been fantastically supportive of the Bike Index since the very beginning. He was an amazing host. Not only did he offer his home, his washer and dryer, and favorite places to eat in Portland, he gave us a few of his favorite cycling-related books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bikenomics-An-Introduction-Bicycle-Economy-ebook/dp/B007FKB27I">Bikenomics by Elly Blue</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joyride-Pedaling-Toward-Healthier-Planet/dp/0615384110">Joyride by Mia Birk</a>. We’re really excited to see the new version of StolenBikeRegistry.com and work on integrating with it.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/893/large_super_selfie.jpg" alt="Super Selfie" /></p>
<p>While in Portland, we visited a lot of bike shops, signing up <a href="http://www.hollywoodcycling.net/">Hollywood Cycling</a> and indoor mountain bike park <a href="http://www.lumberyardmtb.com/">The Lumberyard</a> to use the Bike Index. The Lumberyard also hosted a party for the Bike Index, where Erin got a chance to try out mountain biking for the first time.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/892/large_erin_mtb.jpg" alt="Erin MTB" /></p>
<p>The Lumberyard invited us back to hang out at their Helltrack race event Saturday, where we registered more bikes and hung out with some awesome riders, like Specialized Women’s Mountain Bike Ambassador <a href="https://twitter.com/jen_bardsley">Jen Bardsley</a>:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/906/large_lumberyard_race.JPG" alt="Helltrack" /></p>
<p>We spent our last night in Portland biking around in the city’s incredible bike lanes and over its amazing bridges, and checking out the famous <a href="http://www.powells.com/">Powell’s Books</a>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/907/large_erin_bikes.jpg" alt="Erin bikes" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/908/large_seth_bikes.JPG" alt="Seth bikes" /></p>
<p>We could have spent a lot more time in Portland—the city does boast more than 80 bike shops, after all. But 2 weeks after we started out on this trip, we had to head home. We couldn’t be happier with the results of our trip: we signed up bike shops in six cities, turned Internet friends into real life friends, successfully navigated the hills and altitudes of Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland by bike, and successfully (until Minneapolis, anyway) drove ourselves and our three bikes more than 4,000 miles to the West Coast and back.</p>
<p>Thank you so much to everyone who gave us a place to crash and a chance to talk their ear off about everything we’re doing. Because of all of your help and support, every day the Bike Index is adding more bikes and becoming a stronger national bike registry. Let’s keep going!</p>
2013-11-16T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/like-johnny-appleseed-but-for-bikes-updates-from-tLike Johnny Appleseed, but for bikes2013-11-16T00:00:00-06:00Erin<p>Updates from the first week of our West Coast promotional tour.</p>
<p>It’s hard to believe, but it’s officially been a week since we left Chicago for our big West Coast road trip. Since then, we’ve driven over 2,000 miles, biked in a variety of temperatures and altitudes, visited four cities—and set up the Bike Index in shops in all of them. We’ve also taken a lot of pictures, tweeted and Facebooked our little, road-weary hearts out, and eaten a lot of clementines.</p>
<p>But our trip is more than just car snacks and the sights we’ve seen. If you’ve checked out our Kickstarter campaign, you know that the reason we’re driving like madmen all over the country is because we want to expand our national bike registry to as many U.S. cities as possible this winter—specifically the country’s biggest biking cities.</p>
<p>We knew we couldn’t do that successfully unless we actually visited shops in person, getting them as excited about the Bike Index as we are. You can do a lot with the internet, but it’s no substitute for actually showing up. So we’re showing up and so far it’s working out great. We’re like the Johnny Appleseed of bike registration.</p>
<p>Check out some of the shops where we’ve successfully “planted seeds” so far: <a href="http://www.greenstreetcycles.com/">Greenstreet Cycles</a> in downtown Omaha, <a href="http://www.estellebicycles.com/">Estelle Bicycles</a> and <a href="http://velosoul.com/">Velosoul Cyclery</a> in Denver, <a href="http://www.elmaestrobicycles.com/">El Maestro Bicycle Shop</a> and <a href="http://flyingpigeon-la.com/">Flying Pigeon L.A.</a> in Los Angeles, and <a href="http://www.huckleberrybicycles.com/">Huckleberry Bicycles</a> in San Francisco.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/780/large_manny_maestro.jpg" alt="El Maestro Bike Shop" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/781/large_1397511_614545788601938_403926346_o.jpg" alt="Flying Pigeon Bike Shop" /></p>
<p>Our trip has been about more than just visiting shops, though. Enabling individual shops to use the Bike Index to register customers’ bikes is undeniably one of the biggest parts of our trip—but we’ve been going other places too, like the <a href="http://www.bikedenver.org/advocacy/bike-congress/">Denver Bike Congress</a>, a bi-monthly gathering of local stakeholders in the city’s bicycling and transportation community, and this past Saturday’s <a href="http://sfbikeexpo.com">San Francisco’s Bike Expo</a>, where we helped out with the bike valet and registered some of the bikes coming in and out of the event.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/783/large_Bike_Congress.jpg" alt="Bike Congress!" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/782/large_Bike_Valet_Bike_Expo.jpg" alt="Bike Valet at the SF Bike Expo" /></p>
<p>We’ve been pretty lucky during the first half of the trip: not once have we been forced to sleep in our car. We’re so grateful to the Slattery family, who let us crash at their home in Denver for a couple days, our friend Marc who hosted us in Los Angeles, and Ollie and his roommates for giving us space to sleep in San Francisco. Many thanks to all of you for your unlimited hospitality, advice, and giving us directions to the free parking and best burrito places in your cities.</p>
<p><strong>Other trip highlights</strong>:</p>
<article><ul>
<li><p>[The Denver Bicycle Cafe](denverbicyclecafe.com), part-cafe, part-bicycle shop, and a great place to play Clue with our friend [Zach Kent](https://twitter.com/zachary_kent), who works with Denver's bike sharing program.</p></li>
<li><p>Denver's Cherry Creek Trail, especially the section where pedestrians and cyclists have their own paths.</p></li>
<li><p>Riding on the Los Angeles River Trail and up to the top of Radio Hill, with a view so beautiful that it made all the wheezing and sweating on the way up totally worth it.</p></li>
<li><p>Hanging out with Flying Pigeon L.A. owner Josef and his 5-year-old daughter Valentina, who showed us the cargo-bike (now registered on the Bike Index!) that not only is her transportation to school, but was once featured on the Ricki Lake show.</p></li>
<li><p>Biking on all of San Francisco's fantastic bike lanes and down all of the city's rollercoaster hills.</p></li>
</ul></article>
<p><strong>Still to come</strong></p>
<p>Today we’ll be spending some more time in San Francisco before we leave for the next leg of our trip: Seattle, where we will meet more awesome people, visit bike shops, and hopefully continue to avoid sleeping in our car. Until next blog!</p>
<p>The Bike Index Team</p>
2013-11-08T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/updates-on-kickstarter-rewards-madison-trip-and-otUpdates on Kickstarter rewards, Madison trip, and other exciting news!2013-11-08T00:00:00-06:00Erin<p>Happy (belated) November! Things have been moving really fast since our last blog post and we have a lot to share with you. It’s all fun, but let’s start with the most fun stuff for you guys—the rewards!</p>
<p><strong>Kickstarter reward updates</strong></p>
<p>We’re getting ready to mail out the “Registered” stickers to those of you who donated $5-25 and to our pals who pledged $60 for a lifetime of free bike registrations. We should have those in the mailbox in the next few days.</p>
<p>We also received the shipment of our totally rad pedal straps from Holdfast, and we’re so happy with them. We think all of you pedal strap-receivers will be too.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/661/large_2013-11-01_13.02.10-2.jpg" alt="holdfast straps" /></p>
<p>The spokecards with QR codes linking to your bike on the Index, which are looking snazzy, are also ready to be sent out:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/660/large_Spokecard.jpg" alt="spokecards" /></p>
<p>We’ve ordered the t-shirts, which will be printed by the wonderful team at <a href="http://www.replicachicago.com/">Replica Chicago</a>. They’ve been extremely attentive and super quick with their responses to our many emails asking about brands, sizes, and colors. The shirts we ordered are a little different than the ones pictured on our Kickstarter page, but don’t worry, they are still super cool. Once the shirts are ready, we’ll post some photos of us modeling them just so you can get the full effect before we ship them out ASAP!</p>
<p><strong>We went to Madison!</strong></p>
<p>Our Twitter and Facebook followers probably already know this, but for those that don’t keep up with us on social media (and if you don’t, make our day! Follow us!): We took a quick trip to Madison, Wisconsin this week! We drove up on Tuesday, spent two days riding bikes, visiting bike shops, and eating great food, and came back to Chicago Wednesday night.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/662/large_IMG_0347.JPG" alt="Seth getting the bikes ready to ride around Madison" />
Seth getting the bikes ready to ride around in Madison.</p>
<p>We looked at our Madison trip as a smaller, preliminary visit to get ready for our BIG West Coast expansion road trip. (More on that in a minute.) We wanted to see what it would be like for us to talk to shops in another town unfamiliar with the Bike Index and get them as excited about our registry as we are.</p>
<p>And it worked! We’re happy to announce the Bike Index is now in three Madison shops: <a href="http://revolutioncycles.net">Revolution Cycles</a>, <a href="http://www.machineryrowbicycles.com">Machinery Row Bicycles</a>, and <a href="http://cronometro.com/">Cronometro</a>. We really love and admire Madison’s bicycling community and bike-friendly infrastructure, so it means a lot to us to be in shops there.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/663/large_Jeff_copy.jpg" alt="Jeff, owner of Revolution Cycles in Madison" />
Jeff, owner of Revolution Cycles in Madison.</p>
<p>We want to thank all of the staff at those three shops – Jeff from Revolution, Lucas from Machinery Row, and Scott from Cronometro – for sharing their time and enthusiasm with us. We also want to thank our friend Mike for letting us crash at his place and taking us to the super great German restaurant <a href="http://essen-haus.com/">Essen Haus</a>. In a perfect world, every restaurant would feature enthusiastic accordion players and beer that you can drink out of a giant boot.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/664/large_IMG_0385.jpg" alt="Mike and a boot of beer" />
Our friend Mike and a boot of beer.</p>
<p><strong>West Coast, here we come</strong></p>
<p>One of the biggest goals of our Kickstarter campaign was to raise money to dramatically expand the Bike Index by bringing it to other U.S. cities. We love Chicago and we love being Chicago-based. It’s a fantastic city for startups, and we’ve received some great attention and love from Chicago shops and press.</p>
<p>But in order to succeed as a national registry, we need to establish ourselves in the other big bike cities across the country. Your support is making that possible. In the next few days the Bike Index team will leave for a pretty serious road trip to visit five West Coast cities in two weeks: Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and Portland, OR. There will surely be a lot of driving, a lot of late nights, a lot of car bagels and trail mix. But it will also be an extremely rewarding adventure, and we’re excited to make new connections, explore new shops, and make new friends.</p>
<p>We’re doing this because we know our physical presence in these cities is important—not only to register more bikes, but to show manufacturers, local governments, and police departments that the Bike Index is something people all over the U.S. are excited about and believe in.</p>
<p>So make sure you follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/BikeIndex">Twitter</a>, and like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bikeindex">Facebook</a>, to see what we’re up to—and if you live in any of the cities we’ll be hitting in our West Coast trip, make sure you give us a shout so we can hang out!</p>
2013-11-04T00:00:00-06:00https://bikeindex.org/news/dorightbyyourbikecontest-winners#DoRightByYourBikeContest winners!2013-11-04T00:00:00-06:00Erin<p>A few weeks ago we announced our #DoRightByYourBike photo contest, asking
our followers to submit photos of themselves treating their bikes right. We got some great submissions and we’re excited to announce the winners!</p>
<p>Drumroll, please…</p>
<p>FIRST PLACE: “Keep Your Bike Lubricated,” by <a href="https://twitter.com/ambrdawnb">Amber</a>, who has been one of our most enthusiastic supporters from the very start. She was actually the inspiration for this contest—she was so excited about our #DoRightByYourBike series that she asked us if she could make her own.</p>
<p>SECOND PLACE: “Bike Bubble Bath,” by <a href="https://twitter.com/firefly_sarah">Sarah</a>. Nothing says dedication like putting on a swimsuit and successfully maneuvering your fixed gear into a bathtub meant for humans.</p>
<p>Thanks so much to everyone who submitted and got excited about taking photos of themselves doing silly things with their bike. We’ll be reaching out to you soon to send you prizes!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/645/large_compilation1.jpg" alt="Contest photo submissions" /></p>
2013-10-17T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/visit-from-copenhagenVisit from Copenhagen2013-10-17T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p><a href="http://markthyrring.com/">Mark Thyrring</a> contacted us through Twitter because he was excited about the Bike Index Kickstarter and was visiting Chicago.</p>
<p>He’s a photographer and videographer from Copenhagen (which he will tell you is bike heaven). He liked the Bike Index so much that he contacted the police and a few shops in Copenhagen to try to get them to integrate the Index there!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/527/large_mark-thyrring.JPG" alt="Mark and the Bean" /></p>
<p>So we loaned him a bike to ride around and see Chicago for the week that he was here. He tried (and enjoyed) Chicago style pizza and said our bike infrastructure was great, particularly the protected lanes on Milwaukee which he said reminded him of Copenhagen.</p>
<p>He also enjoyed biking on the Lake Shore path and around Millenium Park and made this video about his visit.</p>
<article><iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_QeylxQWkzM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></article>
<p>Thanks, Mark, we’ll see you when we visit Copenhagen!</p>
2013-10-12T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/we-made-our-kickstarter-goalWe made our Kickstarter goal!2013-10-12T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p>We are humbled and unbelievably thankful for our backers’ contributions and support!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together" target="blank">Our Kickstarter project</a> was amazing. From people in other countries demanding we provide service outside the US, to conversations with governments and other biking applications about integrating with the Bike Index - this campaign and the publicity we’ve received has been stunning.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who supported the Kickstarter, your support made the Bike Index possible. We’ll turn it into a powerful tool to stop bike theft, together!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/450/large_kickstarter-update-2.jpg" alt="Do right by your bike!" /></p>
2013-10-01T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/new-month-brings-a-lot-of-exciting-new-things-for-the-indexNew month brings a lot of exciting new things for the Index!2013-10-01T02:00:00-05:00Erin<p>It’s October! That means the weather is getting (slightly) cooler, the temporary Halloween storefronts are opening, everyone’s ditching their flip-flops for actual shoes, and almost everything is pumpkin-flavored. Fall!</p>
<p>It also means we only have 10 DAYS TO GO before we hit our Kickstarter deadline to reach our funding goal!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1123/large_Standing_at_attention.jpg" alt="The Bike Index Standing at attention at Chicago's Cross Cup" /></p>
<p>It’s hard to believe we started this thing 19 days ago, but a lot has changed since then. We have 159 backers who have pledged a whopping $11,490 to help us fight bike theft with our ever-growing bike registry.</p>
<p>We’re adding more and more bikes to the Index every day, at the lakefront trail and events like Andersonville Made Fest and this past Sunday’s <a href="http://chicrosscup.com/">Chicago Cross Cup</a>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1125/large_Seyamack_cross.jpg" alt="Seyamack racing at the Chicago cross cup" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1124/large_Cross_Jumping.jpg" alt="Cross Barrier jumping at the Chicago Cross cup" /></p>
<p>On Sunday, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/">Kickstarter</a> picked us to be the project of the day, which is a pretty big deal. Obviously, we’re excited about our project, but it’s great to know other people think it’s as cool as we do. Thanks, Kickstarter!</p>
<p>And this week we’ve already signed up four new Chicago bike shops - <a href="http://comradecycles.com/">Comrade Cycles</a>, <a href="http://www.upgradecycle.com/">Upgrade Cycle Works</a>, <a href="http://www.bluecitycycles.com/">Blue City Cycles</a> and <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1040920/Irvs%20Site/Irvs/Home.html">Irv’s Bike Shop</a>!</p>
<p>We’ve also received some excellent press lately – local and national! - thanks to the <a href="http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com/2013/09/26/otl-episode-363-il-politician-term-limits-a-marathon-pre-game-the-bike-index-could-save-your-bicycle/">Outside the Loop radio show</a>, <a href="http://chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/20/bike-index-sets-out-to-create-universal-registry-to-fight-bike-theft/">Streetsblog Chicago</a>, <a href="http://siliconbeachclearly.com/fund-bike-index/">Silicon Beach Clearly</a>, and <a href="http://www.fastcoexist.com/3018161/fund-this/thieves-beware-there-is-now-a-national-registry-of-stolen-bikes">Fast Company’s Co.exist blog</a>.</p>
<p>It’s obvious from the $11,490 we’ve already raised that the Bike Index is something people need and want on a local and national level, and we want to keep making it better – with your help! Help us reach our funding goal and deadline by donating, sharing the Kickstarter page, tweeting and talking us up as much as you can in the next ten days! We can’t do it without you.</p>
<p>Happy October! Let’s get this thing FUNDED!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1126/large_riding_home_with_the_trailer_and_sign.jpg" alt="Seth riding home with the Bike Index sign and his Surly trailer" /></p>
2013-09-26T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/the-bike-index-hits-the-airwavesBike Index hits the airwaves2013-09-26T02:00:00-05:00Alex<p><img class="post-image post-image-float-40" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1122/large_mikestephen01-1.jpg" alt="Mike Stephen, Outside the Loop host" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com">Outside the Loop</a> featured the Bike Index on their radio show today!</p>
<p>Mike Stephen talked with Bike Index founder Seth Herr on the 363rd episode of the award-winning “almost above ground” radio show. <a href="http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com/2013/09/26/otl-episode-363-il-politician-term-limits-a-marathon-pre-game-the-bike-index-could-save-your-bicycle/">Go here to view the show and listen to the podcast</a>, the Bike Index segment starts at 21:20.</p>
<p>In the interview, Seth discusses <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together">our Kickstarter</a>, why registration is important, and our successful efforts to collaborate with other bike services like <a href="http://spinlister.com">Spinlister</a>.</p>
<p>Mike Stephen loves Chicago as much as we love bikes. He started Outside the Loop to cover stories about the ‘nooks and crannies’ that make Chicago awesome—and are often ignored by mainstream media.</p>
<p>We suggest you listen to the whole show, which includes an old clip from a call to a random pay phone (from the show’s prankster days), information from the Illinois Policy Institute about the push to enact term limits for IL politicians, and a chat with a famous Chicago Marathoner who is running the Berlin Marathon this weekend.</p>
<p>Thanks again to Outside the Loop for helping to spread the word about the Bike Index!</p>
2013-09-20T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/happy-friday-everybodyHappy Friday, everybody!2013-09-20T02:00:00-05:00Erin<p>Hey guys, it’s Friday! Happy Friday. It’s been exactly a week (and a few hours) since we launched our Kickstarter campaign to raise $50,000 in 29 days to fund Bike Index. We’ve already raised $9,048 with the help of 73 backers. Thanks, backers! We love you all, and we can’t wait to send you some awesome bike swag to thank you for your support.</p>
<p>It’s hard to believe that we only have 21 days to go, but we’re not slowing down anytime soon. If you’ve already backed The Bike Index, thank you, but don’t stop there! Tell your friends! Tell your friends’ friends! Friends of family! Random bikers you see outside the bar tonight or tomorrow night! We really need as much word of mouth as we can get to make this thing succeed. And if you haven’t backed The Index yet, what are you waiting for? Have you checked out our list of everything we’ll be sending out to our supporters? Shirts! Vegan cookies! Lifetime free bike registrations! And that’s not all, folks: check out the full list of pledge prizes on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together?ref=card">The Bike Index Kickstarter page</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, we’re getting pumped for the weekend. Tomorrow we’ll be hanging out with friends at the first-ever <a href="http://www.andersonvilledevcorp.org/component/content/article/71.html">Andersonville City Made Fest</a>. If you’re in the area, come by, get your bike registered, and hang out!</p>
<p>And Sunday kicks off this year’s Car Free Week in the Chicago area. The Active Transportation Alliance and the Regional Transportation Authority sponsor Car Free Week, and the theme is “Don’t Sit In Traffic – Join The Movement!” That’s a pretty convincing theme if you ask us. You can log your car-free trips on <a href="https://www.drivelesslivemore.com/public/home.aspx">Drive Less Live More</a> to win sweet prizes in exchange for keeping track of the miles you bike, run, walk, jog, dance, whatever! This week.</p>
<p>So pledge to donate to our Kickstarter this week, if you can, or at least pledge to ditch your car for a few days in support of Car Free Week 2013! If you do both, you’re 100% guaranteed to win some sort of prize. Can’t beat those odds.</p>
2013-09-13T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/our-kickstarter-launched-boom-lets-get-this-thing-startedOur Kickstarter launched! Boom! Let's get this thing started!2013-09-13T02:00:00-05:00Erin<p>Today might be Friday the 13th, but The Bike Index team is feeling pretty lucky today! As of this afternoon, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1073266317/the-bike-index-lets-stop-bike-theft-together">The Bike Index Kickstarter</a> campaign has officially launched, and we’re already at $5,671 of our $50,000 goal on our first day! That’s so fantastic, y’all. We’re 10 percent funded! Thanks so much to our current 14 backers –you are amazing and we really appreciate your support.</p>
<p>And to everyone who hasn’t donated yet—you still have 28 days left to show your support for a comprehensive bike registry that’s fighting bike theft. With your help, we can eventually bring to bike shops and cyclists in the ten biggest biking cities in the U.S. We can’t do it without you!</p>
<p>Right now we’re typing away at our respective computers at the awesome <a href="http://coworkchicago.com/">NextSpace Coop</a> in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. They’ve been extremely welcoming, have great bike storage, and it’s been a really cool, relaxed working environment. Thanks for letting us take over one of your conference rooms for the day, NextSpace!</p>
<p>So if you haven’t yet, check out our Kickstarter page and make sure to share, share, share the link on social media! 28 days to go!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1127/large_Bike_Index_Kickstarter_Launch.jpg" alt="Bike Index launches Kickstarter" /></p>
2013-07-22T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/registering-bikes-at-pitchforkRegistering bikes at Pitchfork2013-07-22T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p>This past weekend was <a href="http://pitchforkmusicfestival.com">Pitchfork Music festival</a>, the first large event where the Bike Index registered bikes.</p>
<p>Our team greeted people as they locked up their bikes, explained the benefits of registration and (armed with only smartphones and smiles) were able to Index bikes in around 90 seconds. <strong>We registered 300 bikes over the weekend</strong>!</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1130/large_Sunday.JPG" alt="Bike Index group photo, Sunday at Pitchfork 2013 (Seth spilled water all over himself)" /></p>
<p>Too many people to count thanked us for registering bikes— one fellow spontaneously gave us free tickets to Pitchfork because he was so excited about it.</p>
<p>It started out rough though. Friday was so windy that the tent we’d been loaned crumpled.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1131/large_Tent.JPG" alt="Bike Index breaking down the tent at Pitchfork Festival, 2013" /></p>
<p>We disposed of the tent and endured the heat without shade. But even then, everyone who volunteered to help was fantastically positive.</p>
<p>The following days were hot and dirty, but not unbearably so— plus we received a new, stronger tent. Everyone had fun.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1129/large_Saturday.jpg" alt="Registering bikes Saturday at Pitchfork Festival" /></p>
<p>Unfortunately, all things must end.</p>
<p>We biked home on Sunday evening, with our small table and our sign tied to the bike trailer, tired but satisfied.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1128/large_Ride-Home.JPG" alt="Bike Index riding home from registering bikes at Pitchfork Festival, 2013" /></p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for helping out, especially <a href="http://smartbikeparts.com">Smart Bike Parts</a> (for letting us set up beside them), and Pitchfork Festival (for providing water and bike parking space and giving us a second go with a tent).</p>
2013-07-12T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-index-shirtsBike Index Shirts!2013-07-12T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p>We solved a critical problem facing the Bike Index yesterday:</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1133/large_shirts_drying.jpg" alt="New Bike Index shirts drying" /></p>
<p>Our lack of Bike Index clothing! The back of the shirt has the web address.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1134/large_shirt_back.jpg" alt="Back of the shirt and a little bit of the screen printing press in the background" /></p>
<p>The front has the Bike Index logo.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1135/large_womens_front.jpg" alt="Sally showing off the Bike Index women's shirt" /></p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1132/large_mad_max.jpg" alt="Max modeling his Bike Index shirt" /></p>
<p>We’re going to be out adding bikes to the Index all over Chicago this coming week.</p>
<p>We’re going to make more soon, tell us if you’re interested in having one to wear around!</p>
2013-06-17T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/privacy-on-the-bike-indexPrivacy on Bike Index2013-06-17T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p>Bike Index wants to be the best place to save and share your bike on the internet. For us, prioritizing user privacy and being transparent in our policies is a required part of that.</p>
<p>First, our goals:</p>
<article>
- Protect our user's privacy and anonymity.
- Publicly display all the bikes on the Index, but maintain the privacy of bike owners.
- Make all sharing opt-in and offer users complete control over what they share and with whom they share it.
- Give stolen bike owners the ability to publish information about their bikes, and provide reliable, quick contact information to people looking at stolen bikes.
- Continue improving the Bike Index, make it easy to use and fun to browse while simultaneously protecting everyone's privacy.
</article>
<p>With the recent discussion about privacy brought on by <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/06/google-facebook-apple-deny-participation-in-nsa-prism-program/">revelations about PRISM</a>, it seemed like a good time to clarify the Bike Index’s intentions.</p>
<p>We have re-written <sup><a class="footnote-ref" href="#fn-version-history">1</a></sup> our <a href="https://www.bikeindex.org/privacy">privacy policy</a> and our <a href="https://www.bikeindex.org/terms">terms and conditions</a> in an effort to better connect them with our goals—However, most people don’t read terms and conditions. So we had to come up with a better way of describing our intentions.</p>
<p>Terms of Service; Didn’t Read <a href="http://tosdr.org/index.html">(TOSDR)</a> is an online resource that rates and labels website terms and privacy policies. We submitted our site to TOSDR, but they haven’t evaluated it yet, so here is a review of our policies:</p>
<article class="terms-evaluation">
<p><span class="badge badge-success"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-up"></i></span>You don't grant any copyright license to Bike Index</p>
<p><span class="badge badge-success"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-up"></i></span> You can sign up with a pseudonym</p>
<p><span class="badge badge-warning"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-down"></i></span> Changes can happen any time, sometimes without notice</p>
<p><span class="badge badge-success"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-up"></i></span> We are transparent in complying with law enforcement requests.</p>
<p><span class="badge badge-warning"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-down"></i></span> Your account can be suspended and your data deleted any time for any reason</p>
<p><span class="badge badge-success"><i class="icon-white icon-thumbs-up"></i></span> Your personal information is used for limited purposes</p>
</article>
<div class="footnotes">
<ol>
<li id="fn-version-history">Both our privacy policy and our terms of service are stored on github. <a href="https://github.com/sethherr/bike_index_terms">Check them out there</a> to read through the revision history.</li>
</ol>
</div>
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2013-06-05T02:00:00-05:00https://bikeindex.org/news/illustrationsIllustrations2013-06-05T02:00:00-05:00Seth Herr<p>We wanted to do something cute, since it’s the internet, but didn’t want to seem too cute, since we are anti-bike-theft-warriors.</p>
<p>We decided on lances and shields and medieval era imagery.</p>
<p>Medieval weapons are cute—so long as you don’t spend too much time thinking about torture, the lack of sanitation, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theon_Greyjoy#Theon_Greyjoy">Theon Greyjoy</a>.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1136/large_sketch.jpg" alt="Sketch of some medieval things. Inspiration for Bike Index illustrations" /></p>
<p>… The fact that we enjoy fantasy novels might have played a part in the decision on a medieval theme.</p>
<p><img class="post-image" src="https://files.bikeindex.org/uploads/Pu/1137/large_beer-and-bag.jpg" alt="PBR, a bike bag and drawings" /></p>
<p>The illustrations are by <a href="http://mikeo.net">Mike Oleon</a>, who is a member of the <a href="https://www.bikeindex.org/about">Bike Index team</a>, an illustrator, a puppeteer, and an all-around great chap.</p>