This article focuses on the Oregon specific details of Bike Index's ConstruBikes data and analysis.
If this is the first thing you are reading of this matter, stop - go read these two links first, then come back here:
Article 1: WIRED article
Article 2: ConstruBikes - the 10,000 ft view
In short: during our time spent monitoring ConstruBikes, we saw that seller switch his inventory to new supply locations: California, Oregon, and Colorado.
When ConstruBikes switched to Oregon, it started with bikes in southern Oregon - Eugene, Bend, etc. Later this panned out to Portland and Hood River bikes. Several of these bikes were posted with clear OR identifiers on them, like stickers from OR bike shops. We also confirmed these as matches with the victims, when possible. I
The data and specifics here are posted for Oregon and Portland-area theft victims, investigators, media, etc. We hope it helps illuminate the size and scope of the problem.
1: Lynskey, victim confirms 100% match https://bikeindex.org/bikes/930120 - 2: Giant Trance X - sticker on frame https://bikeindex.org/bikes/1239642 3: One from a PDX apartment burglay: https://bikeindex.org/bikes/930120 4: One from a Sellwood Cycles break in: https://bikeindex.org/bikes/1239642 -
In late September 2022 ConstruBikes posted a large amount of new bikes in one go, ~17 bikes, as if a new shipment had been delivered. Total combined value on these bikes was ~$44,000 USD
These are some of those bikes, and here's a 700mb zipfile of these bike photos, if you'd prefer that instead.
One in particular that caught my eye was this 2022 Giant Trance X Advanced Pro 29 2 stolen from a break-in at Sellwood Cycles, confirmed by SC. It was originally posted to the ConstruBikes page with the Sellwood Cycles sticker clearly showing
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This bike was then re-posted a day later with the sticker removed - as if the poster realized they had included a detail that betrayed the bike's origin. Too bad, fucker, we already screencapped it.
Another one is this 2017 Lynskey Cooper CX posted to the ConstruBikes page almost 8 months after it was stolen. After conferring with the victim, I realized we had some mutual friends here in Portland. So this one hit closer to home.
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This investigation took a large amount of time and resources. This was a 4 year effort involving countless unpaid hours of work, collaboration, and analysis. You can support Bike Index investigator Bryan Hance directly, via Venmo, at @bhance - and/or you can support Bike Index by clicking here and donating.
-Bike Index
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://bikeindex.org/news/construbike-oregon-focus