locolobo13 

Last month my bike was stolen. It was locked. Just a cable and master lock. I was only in the store for a minute. Got a chocolate milk and right back out. My bike was gone. OK enough excuses. I know, <sigh>.

I figured I would never see it again. Then about a week and a half ago she showed up in Craigslist. At first I wasn't sure. But the seat was custom. And the magnet for the computer was in exactly the same place on the same spoke.

My bike is a Trek 7.1FX Hybrid. I bought her in 2010 and have a lot of pictures. Including pix of the serial number and decal on the underside. I printed some of these out. The more I looked at the ad and at my pix the more I felt like it was my bike.

I called the police a week ago and they wrote down the info. The officer who came out called the number in the ad and asked if they could read off the serial number. The person on the other end said they weren't home at that time. The officer said she would turn over the info to detectives.

After not hearing from the police over the last week I got to thinking. While my bike is important to me, to them this is a might be stolen bike. If I wanted her back I would have to meet with the person and ID the bike myself.

So this morning I called the number and set up a meet. It was my bike. You know how you see little scars that you couldn't describe but that are familiar to you? It was her but I needed the SN.

He looked like a high school or college aged kid. When I asked if I could test ride her he got a suspicious look and said no but he would show me she shifted good. So he flipped her over himself and demonstrated the shifting. While he did I read the SN. The decal was gone but the stamped SN was still on the bottom.

I told him I needed to think about it and would call back a little later. Then I called the police and set up another meet.

The bike is in the shop now. The kid had changed the rear wheel and tire for the worse. And the brakes barely worked. Not sure what he did. The clamp for the light is still there but not the light. Anyways I'm happy now.

TrekCommuter

Wow! Glad everything worked out! Crazy that your bike was stolen that quickly.

e0richt

so, no details about getting the bike back? did you meet the kid with the cops in tow?

Mark Stone

Congratulations on getting her back!! I agree with e0richt - Let's hear the rest of the story!

peterw_diy

Congrats. Glad it worked out OK.

"The officer who came out called the number in the ad and asked if they could read off the serial number."

How often do thieves/fences fall for that? ISTM that could backfire by scaring the criminal into parting out the bike & tossing the frame.

e0richt

or just make up another serial number, transpose digits, add a letter etc...

locolobo13 

Actually, the last time I saw the kid he was already in the police car. When I called the non emergency police number to tell them I had IDed the bike the operator told me what they wanted before hand. She said the problem was they had to handle emergencies first, then calls like mine. So what she suggested was setting up another meet, then calling the police 10 min before the time. And meeting the police about 2 blocks away. She said there was no guarantee that way but it was more likely they could get there in 10 min and they wouldn't want to wait around too long either.

Funny enuff, the 'hood where we met is where I grew up myself. So I picked a spot where I could see the kid when he approached the store yet probably not be seen. I got his mom and she said he would call back later. So I sat there and waited about an hour. Fortunately I picked a shady spot.

When he called back he said he would be at the same store in about 15 min. So I waited 5 and called the police back. In another 5 min I saw the kid ride by. There was another guy on a bike that seemed to be with him. The police arrived in another 10 min and I was getting antsy by then. I handed the officer copies of the ad, and pix of my bike, including the one showing the serial number and indented SN. They told me to wait there and drove to the store.

About 5 min later the police call me and say to go to the store. The kid was in custody and they gave me my bike back. That was all there was. I took her to the bike shop and left the bike there for repairs, new seat and rear tire.

Now I've got a spare bike for days when 1 is in the shop. I've been thinking about getting a Mtn bike that would be suitable for commuting at the same time. So the Monday after losing my hybrid I picked up a Trek 3700 at my LBS. I still haven't tested out the 3700 on any trails. But that is coming.

MikeRides

Wow that was one helluva story. I'm surprised the thief didn't recognize you from riding the bike, unless he wasn't the one who stole it?? I'm sure he was probably watching you as you locked the bike up and walked into the store, I'd find it hard to believe he was just walking by while you were in the store since you claimed not to be away from the bike very long.

Regardless, glad you got it back!

walrus1

Congratulations! And good call on getting the cops involved and not going Rambo on your own.

vol

Great! Only thing is during those delays someone else could have bought the bike.
The kid didn't claim he had bought it from someone else?

locolobo13 

That's very possible. I don't know what he told the cops, but he told me he had the bike for 5 yrs.

bombardier

Great story, must feel incredible to have it back in your hands, even if it does feel a little 'dirtier'!