This month's stolen bike recoveries - July 2015 mega-update!

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.

In this roundup, we cover 21 of last month's recovered bikes, including

  • One of the owners from last month's stolen bike recoveries paid the karma forward by recovering a bike on her own
  • A stolen bikes sting leads to even more stolen bikes found in a warehouse in Seattle
  • More stolen bikes pop up at a problematic San Francisco bike shop
  • The usual crop of "found my stolen bike for sale online" recoveries
  • A pawn shop nabs a stolen Raleigh in Seattle - which gets us a nice TV mention from KOMO news
  • A drunk thief 'belligerently' throwing a bike into a garden

Be sure to check out our previous roundups from May 18th, June 1st, June 14th, and June 29th.

Thanks for supporting the Bike Index, everybody :)

2015 Transition Bikes Scout
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! </strong>
2015 Transition Bikes Scout Recovered: 07/01/2015

Yep, you read that right - Zanna, whose bike was found in this amazing recovery in June - paid it forward by helping recover this stolen Transition Scout. Thanks Zanna! We love watching the community keep an eye out for each other!

Mercier Kilo TT
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!
Mercier Kilo TT Recovered: 07/14/2015
2008 Redline Conquest Pro
Police found it with a bike thief ring. Bike Index was first to notify me - nice work!
2008 Redline Conquest Pro Recovered: 07/15/2015
2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc
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!!!
2013 Specialized Tricross Sport Disc Recovered: 07/09/2015
2009 SCOTT Sub 30
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.
2009 SCOTT Sub 30 Recovered: 07/15/2015

This is the same shop mentioned in our June 1st roundup, when multiple stolen bikes were ID'd and recovered there. Their Yelp page continues to chronicle the number of people who find their stolen bikes for sale there.

2014 Jamis Ventura Sport
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.
2014 Jamis Ventura Sport Recovered: 07/20/2015

This bike belongs to KATU reporter Reed Andrews - who then aired this news coverage on Portland's Bike theft problem. Yes, that's me being interviewed in there. Police later arrested the thief after reviewing surveillance footage of the theft.

2014 Trek 1.2
Portland Police recovered my bike and contacted me because my bike was registered with Bike Index.
2014 Trek 1.2 Recovered: 07/21/2015
2013 Trek 8.3 DS
An apartment manager found this stolen bike, ID'd it on the Bike Index, and got in touch with the owner.
2013 Trek 8.3 DS Recovered: 07/21/2015
2003 Cannondale F600 SL
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!
2003 Cannondale F600 SL Recovered: 07/23/2015

This was another bike ID'd and recovered by King County Sheriff's Officer @fiveo15, who tweets regularly about their department's stolen bike recoveries.

2014 Salsa Vaya 3
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!
2014 Salsa Vaya 3 Recovered: 07/24/2015
2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc
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.
2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc Recovered: 07/24/2015

FWIW: We're glad SPD finally got involved, as we have been watching this seller's bikes for months.

2011 Specialized Tricross Elite Disc
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.
2014 Kona Dew Plus Recovered: 07/25/2015
2014 Cannondale Quick 2 SL
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!
2014 Cannondale Quick 2 SL Recovered: 07/25/2015
Specialized Allez 24
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!
Specialized Allez 24 Recovered: 07/26/2015

The Bike Index notes that this is our first reported case of drunken bike-throwing.

2010 Specialized Allez Elite Compact
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.
2010 Specialized Allez Elite Compact Recovered: 07/28/2015
2015 Kona Esatto DDL
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!
2015 Kona Esatto DDL Recovered: 07/28/2015

The owner of this bike tweeted heavily about the loss of this bike because it was stolen just before the year's Seattle To Portland ride. Luckily, he sourced a loaner bike and completed the ride anyway.

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 "Community unites to buy honest stolen bike buyer an even better ride" or watch this news story from KOMO.

We're extremely glad Brock has this bike back, and we thank OfferUp for their assistance in chasing down this stolen bike.

Cannondale Caad8 6 Tiagra
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.
2013 Cannondale Caad8 6 Tiagra Recovered: 07/29/2015
2013 Masi CX Comp
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
2013 Masi CX Comp Recovered: 07/29/2015

Another fantastic recovery from @fiveO15 - which is quickly followed by another one!

2012 Surly Troll
"Happy Owner #9 and the 8th bike we have recovered thanks to Bike Index!"
2012 Surly Troll Recovered: 07/29/2015
2012 Raleigh Furley
Capitol Loans pawn shop found the bike on Bike Index and called me! I'm so grateful that this website exists!!!!
2012 Raleigh Furley Recovered: 07/29/2015

This was the third or fourth bike recovered in Seattle in about two days, which caught the attention of KOMO News Seattle - who then gave us some fantastic coverage in "New website helping owners recover their stolen bikes" which covered both this Raleigh Furley and Brock's Kona Esatto, listed above.

Thanks, KOMO news!