Abandoned(?) bike and locating owner

1

I live in the Uptown area of Chicago and decided to take action on a bike that seems to have been abandoned. A 1972 Schwinn Collegiate has been locked to my apartment’s fence for about 6 months (coinciding with a lot of move-outs) and surprisingly the owner left the key in the u-bar. We have bike storage areas, so it seems odd that it would be left there. Even more surprising, the bike has remained undisturbed during that time except by property maintence workers who mulch the area. Over the 6 months in the elements, I’ve watched the tires go flat and the bike collect dust and grime.

I came across this site and looked up the serial number found on the body. There’s a listing of the bike with photos showing it in better condition. Unfortunately, the listing does not have any contact info for the owner. How might I try to get in touch with the owner to see if (1) they abandoned the bike or (2) they simply forgot they left the key in the u-lock for 6 months?

2

I think that the bike profile won’t show you the Owner’s contact email/phone number unless that bike is listed as “Stolen.” Best bet is to email Bike Index directly instead to pass along that info?

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3

Thanks for the suggestion. I reached out directly to the web admins after I posted this and was still unable to find any contact info. After contacting property management for my building and multiple tenants, it is assumed that the bike was abandoned since no one claimed ownership.

4

Sound like too me they didn’t want the bike anymore and didn’t have the time Iraola e to deal with it. Might solve the key being left with the bike. They figure someone will grab it. They may have forgotten about the registration.