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Specialized HQ Museum Robbed

Old 12-17-20, 01:24 AM
  #1  
2cam16
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Specialized HQ Museum Robbed

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/12/spec...or-bike-theft/

Happened over the weekend but just saw it on our local news. I saw most,if not all those bikes when I visited last year. Darn lowlives.
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Old 12-17-20, 02:01 AM
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You'd have to figure that most of those bikes are so unique and well known as to be unsellable. So what would the motive be for stealing them? Unless some private collector just lusted after them and will keep them hidden away in some private bike room he visits now and then. I guess you could change saddles and handlebar tape and disguise them, but that would change what they are. From the linked story I'm guessing they're going to catch the perpetrators. I hope they get the bikes back unscathed.
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Old 12-17-20, 04:11 AM
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Yeah it seems an odd one. From the seeming increase of bike theft it seems like a logical step to steal batches of bikes from the manufacturer to sell as new in box, but it seems they stole a few of the staffs bikes as well as a handful of unique ones that'll be pretty conspicuous to sell.

I suspect they didn't realise that they'd be unsellable and they'll be dumped somewhere, which is going to be a tragic damage to the museums history.
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Old 12-17-20, 06:57 AM
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Wow, just saw this post after a spin on my brand-new-to-me pristine vintage Stumpjumper. I bought it out of the back of a van at a great price!
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Old 12-17-20, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by 2cam16
Darn lowlives.
Not just darned lowlives. But clearly they have to be some "in the know" cycling hobby people on top of that. Making it worse.
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Old 12-17-20, 09:05 AM
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I don't want to implicate any specific ***cough-Lance--cough*** riders, but I do recall OJ got pretty irate about sports memorabilia.
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Old 12-17-20, 11:40 AM
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Would be very hard to sell complete bikes due to them being distinctive and the theft being widely known so if they did it for the money, they probably plan to strip and sell as parts. Very sad. Odd that their museum did not have a better security system.
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Old 12-17-20, 01:29 PM
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That sucks. Some neat bikes over there at HQ from what I understand and have seen in pictures and such. Hopefully they find the bikes before they get stripped. I can't imagine them getting sold as completes.
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Old 12-17-20, 07:05 PM
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I hope this makes Mike Sinyard think at least a little about making bikes that are harder to steal. This whole bike stealing thing has gone on long enough. I’ve had 3 bikes stolen in my life. Each one has really been a punch in the gut. Come on Mike, instead of fiddling with the colorway try thinking about security. Thanks.
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Old 12-17-20, 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
I hope this makes Mike Sinyard think at least a little about making bikes that are harder to steal. This whole bike stealing thing has gone on long enough. I’ve had 3 bikes stolen in my life. Each one has really been a punch in the gut. Come on Mike, instead of fiddling with the colorway try thinking about security. Thanks.
We're going off-topic, but I've gotta ask: how can Specialized make bikes harder to steal? Ideas? I'm not trying to start something...I just am not aware of any such tech, but that doesn't mean it's not out there.
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Old 12-17-20, 08:17 PM
  #11  
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Inside job.
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Old 12-17-20, 08:40 PM
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That’s why I brought up this topic. Bike stealing has always been left to the victim. The police have just shrugged it off. And the robbers have been let run free. There have been some half hearted attempts like web sites and bike registrations but nothing serious. I understand that in the old west horse thieves got hung. Since to a cowboy his horse was his life that made sense. I am not saying we should hang bike thieves but at least treat this crime as equal to car theft. I am sick of it.
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Old 12-18-20, 12:44 AM
  #13  
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Specialized HQ Bike Theft

Edit: This was another thread I started which the mods merged here which is why the link is reposted here.

The Big S was hit by a daylight robbery (https://cyclingtips.com/2020/12/spec...or-bike-theft/).

Bikes taken include:
  • Peter Sagan’s Paris-Roubaix winning S-Works Roubaix
  • Peter Sagan’s custom-painted S-Works Venge, ridden at the 2019 Tour de France
  • A yellow S-Works Tarmac ridden by Fabian Cancellara while in the maillot jaune at the 2010 Tour de France
  • The S-Works Shiv ridden by Tony Martin to Olympic silver in London
  • The S-Works Epic ridden by Jaroslav Kulhavy to Olympic gold in London
  • An S-Works Tarmac ridden by multiple world triathlon champion and Rio gold medallist, Gwen Jorgensen
  • Ned Overend’s national championship-winning S-Works Fatboy

    I would say to be in the lookout for them, but they're just stupidly recognizable and I suspect there's some weird Specialized collector out there building a personal collection of the rarest bikes possible. Erik Nohlin, the Specialized designer who worked on the AWOL, designed the Sequoia and has done a whole lot of other design work at Specialized, including an amazing customized Diverge, had a stash of personal bikes stolen as well, and they were just as noticeable. Maybe the same people/person? It would be virtually impossible to resell any of his bikes, or the ones stolen from the HQ, because anyone who would buy them for their actual value would also be aware of their rarity and would start asking questions, if not Googling.

    It's really strange to say the least.

Last edited by PDKL45; 12-18-20 at 09:20 AM.
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Old 12-18-20, 01:58 AM
  #14  
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$25,000 reward for info leading to recovery? I'm surprised Spesh isn't going a bit higher on the reward, considering the value of those bikes to their brand image. I say this is a longtime rider of Specialized frames.

Last edited by Badger6; 12-21-20 at 02:31 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 12-18-20, 07:53 AM
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It could have been done by some thieves who knew there would be expensive bikes there, but don't have a clue about their historic value? I hope the thieves get caught and the bikes recoverd undamaged.
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Old 12-18-20, 08:21 AM
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Yeah, I'm thinking this was a contract theft for a collector who never plans on letting anyone see them.
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Old 12-18-20, 08:28 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Gconan
It could have been done by some thieves who knew there would be expensive bikes there, but don't have a clue about their historic value? I hope the thieves get caught and the bikes recoverd undamaged.
I think that's most likely it. Thieves who are experienced in thievery but not bikes, beyond knowing that Specialized make some expensive bikes. Why would they steal museum pieces that'll be impossible to shift?

If it was me, I'd have been stealing the easier to sell and harder to identify lower end production bikes. I'm sure I could sell a new Rockhopper for $100 without any questions, but a pedigreed race bike or a prototype?

Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
That’s why I brought up this topic. Bike stealing has always been left to the victim. The police have just shrugged it off. And the robbers have been let run free. There have been some half hearted attempts like web sites and bike registrations but nothing serious. I understand that in the old west horse thieves got hung. Since to a cowboy his horse was his life that made sense. I am not saying we should hang bike thieves but at least treat this crime as equal to car theft. I am sick of it.
I'm kind of surprised the higher end ones don't have something, like an integral lock like an e-bike, built-in tracker or some kind of identification system that's impossible to remove.
A locking headset (as in you can't steer without unlocking it) would be a much bigger deterrent than any external lock because it's not just a case of cutting it off. Even if you drill it out you'd need to replace it or sell it with an obviously busted lock.

I've got a utility trailer that's registered with the manufacturer and they claim they can identify it even if parts have been changed and all of the plates removed, so I'm assuming there's a code embedded somewhere in the frame.
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Old 12-18-20, 09:44 AM
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Don't care if it's some kid's bike from Walmart, or these highly valued Specialized bikes, thieves are lower than whale sh*t!
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Old 12-18-20, 10:53 AM
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Originally Posted by PDKL45
Edit: This was another thread I started which the mods merged here which is why the link is reposted here.

The Big S was hit by a daylight robbery (https://cyclingtips.com/2020/12/spec...or-bike-theft/).

Bikes taken include:
  • Peter Sagan’s Paris-Roubaix winning S-Works Roubaix
  • Peter Sagan’s custom-painted S-Works Venge, ridden at the 2019 Tour de France
  • A yellow S-Works Tarmac ridden by Fabian Cancellara while in the maillot jaune at the 2010 Tour de France
  • The S-Works Shiv ridden by Tony Martin to Olympic silver in London
  • The S-Works Epic ridden by Jaroslav Kulhavy to Olympic gold in London
  • An S-Works Tarmac ridden by multiple world triathlon champion and Rio gold medallist, Gwen Jorgensen
  • Ned Overend’s national championship-winning S-Works Fatboy

    I would say to be in the lookout for them, but they're just stupidly recognizable and I suspect there's some weird Specialized collector out there building a personal collection of the rarest bikes possible. Erik Nohlin, the Specialized designer who worked on the AWOL, designed the Sequoia and has done a whole lot of other design work at Specialized, including an amazing customized Diverge, had a stash of personal bikes stolen as well, and they were just as noticeable. Maybe the same people/person? It would be virtually impossible to resell any of his bikes, or the ones stolen from the HQ, because anyone who would buy them for their actual value would also be aware of their rarity and would start asking questions, if not Googling.

    It's really strange to say the least.
All great riders and/or wins.. that I'd say had little to nothing to do with the bike itself. They're not like F1 race cars, where the engine is part of the machine.
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Old 12-18-20, 03:32 PM
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I'd be looking at disgruntled current or former employees.
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Old 12-18-20, 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Wileyrat
I'd be looking at disgruntled current or former employees.
It was some Trek employees. "they make an aero bike but the logo isn't as huge but they keep winning?" "we must study them!"
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Old 12-18-20, 05:44 PM
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Specialized HQ Museum Robbed

Yeah I suspect these bikes will be found. Can't sell them to cyclist. Correct?
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Old 12-18-20, 06:17 PM
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Originally Posted by vacyclist68
Yeah I suspect these bikes will be found. Can't sell them to cyclist. Correct?
Unless these thieves were absolutely clueless about what they were stealing, they likely already have a buyer. Not everything that's stolen is destined for the open market - what do you think happens to the unique and easily-identified works of art that are stolen from art museums?
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Old 12-18-20, 07:45 PM
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I'd guess, some teenagers wanting to break into a building.
I wonder if the bikes from American Flyers were in there.
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Old 12-18-20, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
I hope this makes Mike Sinyard think at least a little about making bikes that are harder to steal. This whole bike stealing thing has gone on long enough. I’ve had 3 bikes stolen in my life. Each one has really been a punch in the gut. Come on Mike, instead of fiddling with the colorway try thinking about security. Thanks.
Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
That’s why I brought up this topic. Bike stealing has always been left to the victim. The police have just shrugged it off. And the robbers have been let run free. There have been some half hearted attempts like web sites and bike registrations but nothing serious. I understand that in the old west horse thieves got hung. Since to a cowboy his horse was his life that made sense. I am not saying we should hang bike thieves but at least treat this crime as equal to car theft. I am sick of it.
Okay. But what is Mike Sinyard supposed to do about it?
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