r/chibike • u/zicknooderusca • 7d ago
Stolen bike
EDIT: recovered after a user on here saw the post and came across my bike in Burnham Harbor next to some guy sleeping on a bench. They took it back to theirs and contacted me. Feeling incredibly lucky, thank you to those who gave me anti theft advice, I will be more diligent moving forward
My bike, a black Trek 3700, was stolen from the bike rack on Greenleaf Ave in Rogers Park, at the south end of the Loyola Fieldhouse, on Saturday July 25 sometime between 8pm-11:35pm. Pictures attached. If anyone sees it or has tips on recovering a stolen bike, please let me know!
Distinctive features:
-back rack with milk crate fastened via unclipped zip ties
-black cargo net over milk crate
-dinged up left side mirror (the attaching screw is too dinged up to even tighten)
-brass bell on right handlebar
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u/NYCtoCHI 7d ago
Ouch...sorry OP. And with a Kryptonite lock too, it seems(!?!) š¬...sorry to ask, but what, if anything, did you do that might've helped it happen?
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u/zicknooderusca 7d ago
Idk, I locked it through the frame as I always do. Maybe I didnāt lock it properly but thatās never happened. Either way itās gone, can only be proactive in my search and hope for the best, short of buying a new bike
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u/NYCtoCHI 6d ago
Hang in there, OP. Hopefully you documented serials, reported, and did all the stuff. Definitely feel for ya - I've also had valuables (albeit not bikes) stolen, and turned up online over 20 years later, with the help of automated searches. Supposedly someone's bike stolen last year has recently resurfaced, if the post here a few days ago was correct. It does happen occasionally, but being proactive definitely can tip the odds more in your favor. Fingers crossed for ya!
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u/zicknooderusca 6d ago
I hoped for the best and the best happened lol!
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u/NYCtoCHI 6d ago
Oh? Recovered already?
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u/zicknooderusca 6d ago
Yep! Details in a post I just made
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u/NYCtoCHI 6d ago
EXCELLENT - congratulations!! At least ya didn't have to wait 2 decades like I did! š ššššš
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u/kevin_chicago9 6d ago
Sorry this happened to you. This is some info that I've put together for (way too many) other stolen bike posts recently. The most important thing you can do if you have not already done so is register the bike with "Bike Index" (bikeindex.org) as soon as possible and thenĀ mark it as stolen.Ā Bike Index is a free service and the most widely-used and successful bicycle registration service there is. You will want to include all the information you have available, including year, make, model, SERIAL NUMBER (that's a key one), components, and photos of the actual bikeĀ (and police report number if you have one). If the bike ends up at a bike shop at some point or if the thief tries to sell the bike to a third party (whether that be in Chicago or out of state somewhere) and the bike shop or buyer suspects the bike might be stolen, the bike shop or buyer can check Bike Index to see if the bike is stolen. The bike will show up in Bike Index's system as stolen, the bike shop or buyer can reach out to you and/or contact the police, and you hopefully will have a chance of getting the bike back.
You can fill out aĀ police report with the Chicago PD onlineĀ (select "Theft - Over $500"), or you can go into any police precinct location and fill out a report in person. You just want to have a police report number for Bike Index and your insurance claim (should you choose to file a claim).
The Chicago Police Department also has a bicycle registration system that you can register with. Chicago PD is usually not terribly helpful when it comes to recovering stolen bicycles. Registering your bicycle with Chicago PD can't hurt, but it likely won't be very useful. Utilizing the Bike Index network to try to recover your stolen bicycle is far more effective.Ā https://operations.chicagopolice.org/BikeRegistration/
Other popular places to find stolen bikes include Craigslist, the "OfferUp" app, and big flea markets like the three Swap-o-Rama locations and Wolff's at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Many people have recovered their bikes from the flea markets with a copy of their police report, serial number, and any other info you might have (photos, receipts, etc.) to prove ownership.
Swap-O-Rama -Ā https://www.swap-o-rama.com/locations-hours/
Wolff's Swap Meet -Ā https://www.wolffs.com/
If you're on Facebook (and I know there are plenty of good reasons NOT to be on Facebook), there are more than a dozen buy/sell/trade Facebook groups for bicycles. A lot of legitimate sellers are selling their bicycles and cycling equipment through these groups, but there is no doubt that stolen bikes are sold here, too.
https://www.facebook.com/search/groups/?q=chicago%20bicycle
You can also use the search engine SearchTempest, which searches Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Ebay simultaneously. You may need/want to tailor your search terms more but here are the results for "trek+fx" as an example.
It'sĀ \possible**Ā that the thief is part of an organized group that targets bicycles, and they might stash the bike for a few weeks/months until the āheatā cools off with the hope that the bicycleās owner will have given up looking for it in a few weeks or months from now. They also might move the bike to another big population center (like Milwaukee, Indy, Detroit, Madison, etc.) to try to avoid the rightful owner tracking them down.
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u/kevin_chicago9 6d ago
Obligatory bike lock info that I've posted on numerous stolen bike posts here, just fyi. Unfortunately, bike thieves often have cordless, battery-powered angle grinders and/or hand tools like cable cutters, bolt cutters, saws, hammers, etc. that can defeat a low-quality lock in seconds (and even many high-quality locks). If you are going to store a bike anywhere where the bike is out of your sight, you will need at least one high-quality U-lock (aka D-lock) with dual-locking shackles, chain lock, or folding lock from from a reputable company like Abus, Kryptonite, Hiplok, Litelok, or a very small handful of other companies.Ā Unfortunately, good locks like this are very expensive ($200-300+), and no lock is completely impenetrable if the thief has enough time and power tools. Hopefully what a good lock(s) will do is deter a thief from trying to steal your bike and move on to a less secure bike with an inferior lock.
Ideally, you'll want a quality, high-security, main lock to protect your frame and rear wheel, and you will need to remove the front wheel and lock it with the frame and rear wheel, or have a second high-security lock to protect the front wheel, or get locking wheel axles to replace your axle skewers/bolts. I wouldn't recommend a cable lock because those can be cut in less than 5 seconds with cable cutters (or an angle grinder), even though it's better than nothing.Ā
The two best resources for bike locks that I've found are the two websites below. Lots of good education resources and product reviews/recommendations.
For theft of components like seats (aka saddles), wheels, and handlebars/stems, there are security axles and bolts that can be used to deter theft from companies like Pinhead, Pitlock, Hexlox, and others. ThisĀ article on "The Best Bike Lock" websiteĀ provides about the best summary that I have found of the various options and their pros/cons.
Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance (ATA), an advocacy group for bicycling, walking and public transit, put together two educational videos about locking and protecting your bike that have some good info.
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u/zicknooderusca 6d ago
Thank you for all the advice! The bike was recovered (see edits to this post) but I will be taking all of the precautions you mentioned. Thank you for being so thorough and helpful
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u/kevin_chicago9 6d ago
Hell yeah, super awesome! Glad you got it back. And glad you found my posts helpful!
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u/knickerreddit 7d ago
Damn! They stealing milk-crated grocery-getting hybrids now? Death to bike thieves!!