Hello there! Yes, this update's a little late, but as usual we've been pretty busy here at the Bike Index.
So, without further delay: Here's all the bikes that Bike Index helped recover in February 2017 :)
In this edition, we have ...
- 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 ...
- "I had (this bike) for 30 years, so it is a sentimental thing for me"
- A gratifying stolen bike liberation video on Twitter
- We have helped recover yet another stolen bike whose owner never even reported stolen
Real quick though - Did you know Bike Index is now a 501(c)(3) non profit? It has been long in the coming, but we're super excited about our new status.
With that in mind - please donate to the Bike Index! We could always use your help to keep these recoveries and stories coming. We run this via donations from awesome folks like yourself, and we could always use some help! You can donate (tax deductible!) here -- and we would appreciate it hugely if you did.
Now - onto the bikes!
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 escorted off the premises by the police. It was awesome. 2014 Panda Road Bike Frame - recovered: 2/1/2017 Bike Index contacted me after seeing my stolen bike on westseattleblog.com. 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! 2015 Diamondback Devine - recovered: 2/1/2017 A person bought it on the street in trade for a laptop ... This person saw it on bikeindex.org and contacted me. 2008 Seven Cycles Axiom- recovered: 2/1/2017 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 Harborview security cut through the thief's lock. 2016 Raleigh Merit Elite - recovered: 2/3/2017 I found it listed on ((redacted)), contacted the seller as an interested buyer, test rode it around the corner and took it back. 2007 Trek Pilot 5 - recovered: 2/5/2017 Found by Stolen Bikes Nola - recovered w/o a serial on file Golden Cycles - recovered: 2/5/2017 How the bike was recovered: Portland Police and Bike Index! Surly - recovered: 2/7/2017 Greetings! I am one of the owners of a cafe bike shop in the Central District called Peloton. 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... 2006 Trek 1200 - recovered: 2/8/2017 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. Your site is amazing!! 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! 2013 Specialized Venge S-works - recovered: 2/8/2017 Recovered by Portland Police Bike Theft Task force, contacted via Bike Index Giant Revel 3- recovered: 2/8/2017 Bike Index notes - get this - we helped recover a bike the owner didn't report as stolen because they thought it would be found. Portland Police Bike Theft Task force found it, then matched it via serial number: "Thank you so much! That actually is my bike! I never reported it stolen because I wasn't hopeful it would be tracked down." 2015 Dawes Cycles SST - recovered: 2/8/2017 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 ... 1984 Benotto Mexican - recovered: 2/9/2017 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 -- I had it for 30 years, so it is a sentimental thing for me. Thanks A - and thanks Bike Index! 1983 Peugeot PBN - recovered: 2/10/2017 Another Clackamas Sheriff's recovery: "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." 2015 Cannondale Bad Boy - recovered: 2/10/2017 Another Clackamas Co Sheriff's recovery - details are light but hooray another Surly comes home! Surly 1x1 - recovered: 2/10/2017 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. 2010 Kona Dew Deluxe- recovered: 2/10/2017 Another Portland Bike Theft Task Force recovery: "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: https://youtu.be/wpBPGC0JgVo 2015 Giant Revel 3 - recovered: 2/12/2017 Another Portland Police BTTF recovery: "Police recovered it from the person who stole it. " 2012 Norco Bikes Indie 3 - recovered: 2/12/2017 This one isn't a recovery 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: "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. I am in awe that Bike Index was able to pick up & match the ad to my bike. 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." 2013 Surly Long Haul Trucker - NOT RECOVERED Another Portland BTTF recovery: "Hello, Just wanted to make sure that you knew your bike was in our property room!" Trek 3700 disc- 02/13/2017 Another KCSO recovery: "Hi this is Deputy Lim with King County Sheriff's Office. I have recovered your bike ...." Giant - recovered 02/13/2017 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 ... 2007 Lemond Reno - recovered 02/14/2017 Yet another Clackamas Sheriff's recovery: "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..." 2007 Lemond Reno - recovered 02/16/2017 A Bike Index member found it for sale on an add on Offerup and snagged it for me. Score! 2014 Kona Process 134 DL- recovered 02/18/2017 Amazing! Spotted by someone on the Burke Gilman outside an encampment tent. In safe hands - thank you, (redacted)!! 2012 Rodriguez Shiftless 725 1S- recovered 02/20/2017 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 ... 2011 Specialized Dolce Elite Compact - recovered 02/21/2017 Bike Index user spotted it for sale online, and then: "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!" 2011 Masi Strada Speciale - recovered 02/21/2017 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." 2014 Cervélo S3- recovered 02/21/2017 "A good Samaritan notified me he bought the bike on the Offer Up app. He then looked it up on Bike Index and contacted me - and the bike was returned." 2013 Felt Road Bike recovered 02/27/2017... 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.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://bikeindex.org/news/bike-indexs-february-2017-recoveries?locale=en