Bike Index's December 2018 recoveries!

Ah, December.

Sweet, sweet, short December. Finally, a month where things calm down and we can take a well-earned breather.

Let's close this year out with a small, easy batch of recoveries:

  • There's a whole lot of Rad Power bikes being stolen in Seattle lately... riders, beware
  • We had a wonderful recovery for a friend-of-a-friend's sweet vintage Peugeot here in Portland
  • December also had a bump in the number of bikes being founds in Seattle-area pawn shops
  • "This (recovery) is almost like a Christmas present to me now!"

Before we get started: Recall that Bike Index is a 501(c)(3) non profit. We love catching thieves and finding stolen bikes - but we could always use a little help. Especially as we end this year!

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.

We would love it if you could donate to the Bike Index. Please help us keep these recoveries coming by donating here -- tax deductible, too! We would appreciate it hugely if you did.

Now - onto the December recoveries!

"Surly Straggler - spotted by a good citizen who looked it up on Bike Index! " 2014 Surly Straggler - recovered: December 1, 2018 "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. " Later, from the owner: "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!" Soma Wolverine - recovered: December 1, 2018 This bike wasn't 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. He even reached out to the manufacturer, 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 "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 ..." 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. 2018 Rad Power Bikes Rad Rover - NOT RECOVERED: December 4th, 2018 "The local police found it ... (no other details were provided) ... " 2017 Trek Farley 9.6 - recovered: December 5, 2018 "Recovered by Edmonton Police Service ... (no other details were provided)" 2018 Giant Talon 3 Black/Blue - recovered: December 5, 2018 Editor's note: another wonderful recovery of a bike that belongs to a friend of a friend here in Portland. "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!!" 1975 Peugeot - recovered: December 6, 2018 "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..." 2013 Giant Anthem X 29er - recovered: December 6, 2018 "Hey. I think we have your bike. Me and Dean from Stolen Bikes Nola have it ... " 2016 Electra - recovered: December 7, 2018 "Bike Index users found the seller on Craiglist. Thank you so much!" 2013 Bridgestone Crossfire junior - recovered: December 1, 2018 "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..." 2013 Kona rove - recovered: December 12, 2018 "Someone saw this bike and posted on the West Seattle Blog..." 2018 Rad Power Bikes Radwagon cargo bike (rear storage) - recovered: December 13, 2018 "Police picked up the bike and then identified me through the Bike Index registration! I then collected my bike from the local police unit. " 2017 Kona Lanai - recovered: December 1, 2018 "Someone looked at Bike Index and returned the bike to me... " 2012 Cielo Sportif - recovered: December 16, 2018 "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." 2004 K2 Mach 1.0 - recovered: December 18, 2018 "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 ..." 2007 Trek Portland - recovered: December 22, 2018 Recovered by a Seattle PD officer. "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 stolen in Melbourne, Australia a few years ago, 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 ..." 2011 Giant Reign 1 - recovered: December 23, 2018 "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 .." Later, from the owner: "Thank you! It was my bike and it’s recovered now!" Specialized Allez A1 Elite - recovered: December 25, 2018

And that, my friends, is a wrap. I'm ready to close this year out like you wouldn't believe.

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. For every one of you out there who helped us get through this year, we send you my sincerest thank-yous. There are too many of you to mention! But I thank you all.

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.

I'll see you all in 2019 !


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-december-2018-recoveries?locale=en