Recovery stories
Every one of these bikes found its way home.
Behind each photo is a rider who thought it was gone for good, and someone who cared enough to check. A shop mechanic. A police officer. A stranger who remembered an alert. This is what a free, open registry makes possible, and it's kept free by people like you.
- bikes registered, free
- 1.8M+
- stolen bikes recovered
- 18,587
- value returned to owners
- $39M+
- partner shops, police departments, and cities
- 1,800+
In their own words
Every story here is shared by the person who got their bike back.
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Somebody took it to a guy who works on bikes locally. He checked the registry and found that it was reported stolen. He called me and informed me. I went to pick it up. He did not ask for anything in return, but I gave him $40 for checking the registry and contacting me.
Erik Recovered 2026-10-10T08:00:00-0500 translated from English
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Several members here pointed me towards an OfferUp listing in our area that matched my description. Followed up with local law enforcement and scheduled a meeting with the seller as the prospective buyer and completed a successful peaceful transfer.
Ian Recovered 2026-10-09T14:00:00-0500 translated from English
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Police found the thief's riding it around.Caught them and gave the bike back to me .
Gage Recovered 2026-10-08T19:00:00-0500 translated from English
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Police officer recover the bike from the homeless person 3 years after the theft and was able to identify it thanks to the info I placed on the website. I am grateful!
Lydia Recovered 2026-10-07T11:00:00-0500 translated from English
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BVT Bike Recovery group!
Julia Recovered 2026-10-07T08:00:00-0500 translated from English
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Someone reached out after finding the bike, not far from where it was stolen, 2 months later. He had located me after searching the bike on Bike Index. So grateful! 🙏🏻
Kimberly Recovered 2026-10-07T04:00:00-0500 translated from English
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A person that bought the bike in May decided to check the Serial number before selling it this fall, he contacted me through the platform and returned the bike to me!
Michael Recovered 2026-10-06T18:00:00-0500 translated from English
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Good Samaritan was offered to purchase on Facebook - looked at Bike Index and saw that it was stolen. GS set up a sting with the Edmonton Police Services which resulted in an arrest and numerous charges.
David Recovered 2026-10-05T02:00:00-0500 translated from English
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The cops found it and contacted me through Bike Index!
Recovered 2026-10-04T15:00:00-0500 translated from English
Somewhere tonight, a bike is being stolen. Help it come home.
Bike Index doesn't charge riders, sell data, or run ads. Every recovery on this page was powered by donors who keep registration, search, and stolen alerts free for everyone.
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What membership includes501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 81-4296194. Tax-deductible in the US. Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 81-4296194. Your donation is tax-deductible in the US. Cancel a monthly gift any time.
Every story here started with a registration.
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