Chr0m0ly 

My favorite ride was taken, please keep an eye out for an '84 trek 610, clear vinal bar wrap, brown leather saddle.

L134 

My 720 was stolen a few years ago and I posted here. A forum member suggested I list it on bikeindex.org. I did and some 15 months later someone called me and said he thought he had my bike. He did, I reclaimed it stripped of almost everything but I was happy to get the frame back. I never expected to see it again. The silver lining was it gave me an excuse to buy a new bike and now I have both.

I should add, listing the serial number was key to recovery. I hope you have that.

tricky 

Very sorry to hear that @Chr0m0ly

What @L134 said. List it on www.bikeindex.org. I have been able to contact 3 owners of bikes through there when the bikes ended up on OfferUp or c-list. 2 were for sure recovered, and the 3rd is pending.

3speedslow

Adding my condolences. Hope for a speedy and complete recovery. How hard was it for the scum to acquire it?

malcala622

That's a huge bummer...hope you recover the bike.

stardognine

Yeah, plus hope you nail the thief, in some manner. Not for revenge, mind you, but just to teach them a valuable life lesson. 😁😉

Hudson308 

Noooooo.....

Chr0m0ly 

I'm not even angry, just sad. And no, I don't have the serial number, it's probably just gone.
I have a bunch of bikes, nicer, more collectable bikes, but this one just clicked for me. It was responsive but not twitchy, just like, a very happy medium between a cushy touring bike and a stiff racebike. An all day kind of bike.
And all original, beautiful condition.

Ugh.

It was in the garage, with several more expensive bikes. The lock is super stiff and I had broken the key off in it yesterday. To prevent another broken key I've been turning it almost all the way, and stopping before the "click". That's when it broke the key yesterday.

I must have been careless pulling the key and unlocked it, because when I went down this evening to ride that bike to class, the door was unlocked and it was gone.

Like I said, there were other bikes that were passed over, I'm very lucky they only snagged the one.

I just got back inside from moving the nicer ones into the basement storage. The few less desirable bikes are all locked together now, and the garage is double checked.

It's my own carelessness. I should have double checked that door. I'm going to miss that 610.

bikemig 

That sucks. Yeah I have a 1984 Trek 610 and it is a heck of a nice riding bike.

iab

Uh, no. It isn't.

I'm sorry some d bag stole your stuff, but in absolutely no way are you to blame.

What creeps me about thieves isn't so much the stuff they took but the invasion of privacy. I don't want some a hole on my property.

Chr0m0ly 

You're right, but I also could have been more diligent. And yeah the invasion part is the worst. I missed my anthropology class tonight because I didn't feel comfortable leaving my things where they were.
Even now, the bikes are secured, but I have parts and tools out there I'll have to find new homes for.

...Ah shoot, now I'm going to grab a duffle and haul those parts and tools up too.

deux jambes

Grrrrr....

Can’t stand bike thieves! We’ve got more than a lot of ‘em here in Eugene too. Though fortunately the local police operate stings by using what they call “bait bikes.” It doesn’t solve the problem, but it does get a few of the culprits off the street for a little while. Hopefully it deters them from repeat offending.

Anyhow, sorry to hear the news about your favorite bike. I know the feeling. I had a 510 once and it rode beautifully, just as you described your 610. And I also had a favorite bike stolen before.

Here’s hoping your Trek makes its way back to you, and whether it does or not, you find a new favorite among your herd in the mean time

samkl 

Damn, sorry to hear. I'll keep an eye out.

Sedgemop 

Did you post you bike here: https://chicago.stolenbike.org ? They occasionally get good results.

Chr0m0ly 

Thank you, I've filled out a report with them.
Is it worth letting the police know, if I do not know the serial number?

thinktubes 

Yes.

If it gets dumped, you might get lucky if your local "beaters" are on the square.

Chicago Al 

Yes, it could be, IF the bike turns up somewhere, as proof that the bike is yours.

I don't know if it's still the case, but the 'Swap A Rama' flea market on the S side was apparently quite a fencing ground for bikes and other stolen items. There was a small group of vigilantes who were going down there with a list of recently stolen bikes from the registry. If they spotted a bike they were sure was stolen, they'd go over as if to buy it then simply grab and hold it while one person went to get security for the event. The sellers would typically argue but then quickly pack up and leave. Sellers were described as sketchy types, in a ratty van with a bunch of random bikes, which they knew nothing about when asked.

This was all discussed several years ago on the local cycling site chainlink.org. Might be worth your while to check out. Not a very active site lately, unfortunately.

BTW: thinktubes and Chr0m0ly...we are neighbors, at least Chr0m0ly is, probably within a 10 min ride. There's a small group of us vintage fans who get together for Sunday rides, parts swaps, etc. Drop me a line!

76SLT 

Montanna Charlie's flea market on Joliet road has a couple sellers with hundreds of bikes. Most look like they've been there a while covered with tarps. Looks a little sketchy.

crank_addict

If you can't provide a serial number - NO!

Don't even waste your time with them. They've got other things on their mind and to them, every bike is a $79 Huffy from Walmart.

Take the matter to the suggestions above, and carry a big stick.

Ps. From experience, I had my 1980 Colnago Super and Kestrel CS-x mtb stolen from my own warehouse. I'm 100% sure it was an inside job but couldn't prove it. Both were locked to a car roof rack high up in my pallet racking, 3rd tier.

When I notified the police (Lake County IL sheriff), a donut overdosed came in and took a report - me providing accurate description plus serial numbers. He wasn't really paying attention and not writing much of what I described. I then told him the values and he snidely replied no bike has that value or aluding I wasn't truthful. As if I'm making an insurance claim and my warehouse wasn't breached!

Not the first time either with useless cops that don't give a ratz azz about cyclist safety or theft. Ask me another time about the cop drifting into the paved shoulder and near miss.

Slightspeed

Sorry for your loss. In 5th grade my red Raynal English Racer 3 speed was taken from a locked bike rack. I was heartbroken. My first real bike. A few days later, cops brought it back, but the top bar book bag was missing. Sure wish I still had the bike. On a recent UK trip I saw this sign in York (I think) regarding bait bikes. Good for them!

USAZorro

Sounds like someone who has been observing your routine, and possibly living close to you. Maybe go for walks at around the time of day you have entered or exited your garage with bikes, and see if you notice someone who's observing others.

Ballenxj

Sorry to hear this. I suppose I had better get busy recording my serial numbers.

due ruote 

I would also check with thrift stores and pawn shops in the area. Places someone gathering drug money could unload it without any online presence.

thinktubes 

Sadly, this may be true.

I used to live up the street from a musician, who would always be taking guitars and amps in and out of the house in broad daylight. Sure enough, he got broken into.

Personally, I wait until dark to move instruments or electronics in or out of the house. Not really practical for bikes, however.

Hope the Trek turns up - we've all been there.

63rickert

Lots of shops/mechanics check chicagostolenbike.org daily. There is a whole subculture where large points are scored for recovering a stolen bike and a bike like yours is high on the totem pole. Also totally identifiable to a bike person with or without a serial. Identifiable? That bike has a searchlight on it 24/7.

When the wife's '67 Falcon was stolen a few years back Ron's Nearly New already had the photo posted on the wall when I went to talk to him. Three of four shop rats spoken to were already aware. When given a list of parts on the bike some needed a briefing on what a few of the prehistoric parts were, all said if a single part appeared for sale the bike would come back. Talk to these guys, give them a picture as good as posted above.

If your bike appears on the street in Chicago you get it back. If buried in a basement, garage, dumpster, or sent to the relatives in Arkansas you won't see it. Correction, if tossed in a dumpster the scrap metal scavengers will take it to Ron.

Go talk to the bike shops. Even if you never see the bike again talking to the shops will do you good.

The Falcon did not come back. Very few of these bikes go to Swaparama, very few go to ebay. None go to Mr.Big who loads containers of hot bikes to Timbuktu. If your bike is out in the sun you can get it. If it was buried alive it is gone.