ax0n

My Red Diamondback Outlook was stolen sometime today, right in front of my apartment.

It's a cheapo bike I snagged off craigslist, but it's my primary mode of transportation, and I'd kind of like it back.

1999 Diamondback Outlook - Red
Weinmann ZAC19 Wheels
Forte Slick City ST Tires
White bottle cage
Clipless pedals with the test platforms still on them (for tennis shoes)
Giant(tm) Fenders
Blackburn cargo rack
Lots of reflective tape

It's unmistakably set up as a hybridized commuter bike (I called her "Hybridzilla", and she's pretty hard to miss. I'd imagine all my accessories (DiNotte headlight, etc) are long gone, but the bike will probably be around somewhere. If you see a red Diamondback Outlook around (especially if it's set up anything like I described above), let me know. I've attached a photo.

All my other bikes are down and out in need of repair, so the sooner I find her, the better off I'll be.

For those who want to laugh and poke: no it wasn't locked. I left it outside to dry off, as it had some mud on it. I live in a second story apartment, though, so it's likely a resident of my building or someone a resident knows.

DavidLee

Dude that sucks horribly, I hope you get it back. There is a special place in hell for bike thieves. That looks like a solid bike that served you well, let us know if you get it back.

Schlenkerb

Where do you live?

EDIT: Nevermind I see Lenexa, KS.

seenoweevil

That sux man, looks like you had it set up well for your commute, too. Hope you get some leads from neighbors.

ironhorse3

If you have the serial #, call the local police department in case they confiscate some property and need to identify the owner. Your bike shop will have that. In addition, you can do a post-hoc registration with some of the national bicycle registries on line for $1 to $5. Still, you probably won't get it back. I'm still looking at passing cycles trying to spot my stolen one, too.

ax0n

yeah, I don't have the SN and I don't know the originating bike shop, but I'm guessing it was bought at a Dick's Sporting Goods or something, as they're the only place that was selling Diamondback in town around 1999 (the vintage of this bike) - I scored it for $50 on Craigslist in original condition. There's about $200 worth of upgrades that got stolen with it.

Not expecting to get it back, and more steamed that I left it unlocked than anything.

Thanks, guys.

huhenio

check the local drug users

ax0n

That narrows it down to about 85% of the local population.

uke

Aw, that sucks. I always bring mine in with me, but I live on the first floor, so it's much easier.

ax0n

It was right next to my front door on the second story breezeway, so I'm pretty sure it was someone familiar with this building. If not someone who lives here, someone who was visiting. I was letting some mud dry off before I dragged the bike inside.

pgoat

Sorry to hear this.

My wife had her bike - which I had just bought her, with a lock - stolen from her living room. She wasn't using the lock, figuring, who is going to ome in the house and take it (there were glass sliding doors, unlocked, and people occasionally cut through the yard).

The morale - get a lock and use it ... all the time

San Rensho 

Check the pawn shops. I always check them out anyway for bikes, so you may actually find something to replace it.

MrRamonG

The fact that you didn't lock it doesn't mean that it is your fault it got stolen. That is rediculous. The lack of a lock isn't an invitation for people to come and take your $h!t. Why can't people earn thier own $h!t.

pgoat

NOt his fault, not an invitation, but it happens. It happens even with a lock. Just don't take for granted 'it's safe for five minutes' is all I am saying. I've read about lots of studies that show many if not most bike thefts happens right out of people's driveways and garages, in broad daylight.

fwiw We were pretty sure my wife's was taken by a GF of someone living in the house. My wife's roommate left about $150 in cash on the coffee table one day and it disappeared around the same time.

pgoat

to the OP -
https://www.stolenbicycleregistry.com/

maybe this might help? Especially if you have a serial number - you have all the other info and photo so that's a good start.

Good luck - it can't hurt to try and get it back.

ax0n

I've put it in a few other registries, not that one... yet.

I realize it's not my FAULT it got stolen but I work in the information security biz and have a fascination with locks, surveillance and physical security as well -- *I SHOULD KNOW BETTER*

I live a block from city hall and the police department. I'm on a second story apartment and it was in a breezeway. I'm in one of the most difficult-to-access buildings in the complex as well, from the perspective of our curvy parking lot structure. Most of this leads me to believe it's one of the shady people in my apartment complex, specifically in my building. There really aren't too many of them, but they do exist.

pgoat

I'm sure you're probably right.

It really sucks that we have to be so vigilant - as your story shows, even in a setting where you'd feel pretty damn safe it can happen in a matter of minutes. Bikes are just a prime theft magnet - resellable goods and getaway vehicle, all in one nice shiny package.

I just hope if there is a hell, there is an especially excruciating and heinous division for bike thieves.

bdinger

Whoa, horrible to hear man! I've been on-and-off following your journeys and this is a big bummer. Hopefully you find it, and the cretin who did it ends up two blocks away where he belongs.

As a sidenote, good to see the twelve back. Here's hoping it holds up for you.

Sidenote 2: I'm the *worst* person about locking my bike up. This is a huge reminder that I need to change that asafp.

JMRobertson

I bike by the county lockup for abandoned bikes on my daily commute. There's well over 200 bikes there. I would bet that most counties have a similar rust factory. Thing is, if they recover your bike, they don't think it's worth their time trying to figure out who owns it, unless it's clearly one of these $5000 racing bikes. Go to your local police/sheriff and see if they have a bike lockup. Yours is likely in there somewhere.

gronk40

It is a hard neighborhood if you have to lock up your bike in your house.

Damn!

Big M

When I started commuting this May, I started on my brother's DB Outlook...knobbies and all. It's held up remarkably well for a 10 year old bike that never got any maintenance whatsoever. A little heavy up the hills, but still a very pleasant utility bike.

Good luck getting it back. Failing that, I hope your replacement comes easy and cheap.

pgoat

yeah, and this was 16 years ago, in a very laid back suburban community, where people still keep their front doors open to this day (maybe not at night anymore - but contrast this to NY City, where ground floor apts have iron gates over all doors and windows....talk about depressing. We have no AC in our bedroom window cause we have a locked gate over the fire escape....)). So even there, it's risky to let your guard down.

I was just out for lunch on 6th ave. and some dude on a decent ($750ish) fixie pulls onto the sidewalk, leans his bike against the door of a deli, hangs his helmet on the handlebars, and goes in. No lock. That's crazy....

Big M

Sounds like that was a freak incident, though. A roommates money disappeared too, could've been an inside job. That's not something you can really prepare for other than keeping your door locked.

My aunt/uncle in Massachusetts used to keep their front door unlocked overnight. I lived in a bad neighborhood on Long Island, and my parents would talk about how things must be so much nicer up there in Mass.

Well, fast forward about 15 years...I'm talking to my Massachusetts cousins about this open-door thing they used to do, and they tell me, "Oh, God, don't get me started. We used to yell at our parents all the time about that! One time I locked the door after my parents went to bed, and I ended up seeing a prowler playing with the door knob in the middle of the night."

So, basically, it's never a good idea to leave the door open. And all this time my parents thought the grass was greener on the other side.

tornado60

Have you tried theystolemybike.com? It will come up in a google search. It didn't get me anything, but thats not a surprise. I lost it about a ten minute bike ride from a local scrapper. The sites free though. That's helpful when comming up with funds to replace a stolen bike. Hope your baby returns to you. Unlikely as it is it does happen. You might try posting a wanted add. If this jerk is trying to make money on your bike and sees a want ad for it they might just bite. I'd avoid a home phone or any address info though. You don't want them to figure out they're selling to their victim.