Finding stolen bikes

proto
proto Posts: 1,483
edited September 2014 in Road general
Burgled last night and bikes taken. Want them back.

Best to keep a low profile and hope they turn up on ebay or gumtree, or go viral with a Facebook and forum search campaign? Worried that the latter will scare them off and the bikes will disappear forever. Thoughts?

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    As well as ebay/gumtree give the details to your local bike shops - thieves are stupid enough to try and flog them locally. They'll try and pass them on quickly to unsuspecting buyers who then wheel them into a shop looking for advice.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    Thanks Monty.

    Details here:
    http://findmybikeosborne.tumblr.com/
  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    Whatever you do don't hold your breath about getting them back. I've had 7 2 wheeled things go missing, and not a single one has turned up again. Sadly 90% of the cases are like this.

    Best of luck in the hunt, hopefully you will be one of the ones who gets reunited.
    My London Road
  • bad_moose
    bad_moose Posts: 49
    You can set up notifications for items which fall under specified criteria on eBay. When my Felt went missing I did it, and I got emails giving me a full list of every Felt bike that went up for sale every day. Unfortunately I didn't get it back in the end (absolutely no trace of it anywhere) but there was always a chance that it could have ended up there. Good luck, hope you get your ride back. :(
  • Walls82
    Walls82 Posts: 126
    I had my bike stolen in 2012 and was lucky enough to recover it:

    It was quite time intensive but I basically checked gumtree Ebay everyday for two weeks.

    It eventually turned up on Ebay I contacted the seller arranged to meetup at Fulham station called the police and had them shopped they raided the guys flat and recovered about 3k worth of bikes unfortunatly only one had been registered by the owner and got returned ( A lapierre downhill bike).

    Apparently the bike changed hands about 3 times before it got to the Ebay seller so not enough evidence to arrest not helped by me not registering the bike either...

    Anyway keep trawling Ebay and gumtree! Also think of ways that you can prove the bike is yours if you do find a likely candidate (I had some minor modifications which I had proof of purchase for and I remembered the mileage on my cycle computer).

    Good Luck!
  • shipley
    shipley Posts: 549
    I have no pearls of wisdom to offer...just my condolences. Having met you once, I know how you look after them.

    Horrible thing to happen...I hope you get them back soon, and in good order
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,831
    Agree with the trawling Ebay and Gumtree comments. I got my bike back after spotting it on Ebay. I'd gone through the insurance and got a replacement by the time it appeared 6 weeks later. I told the insurance company and they didn't know what to do so I wound up keeping it. But the staff were very happy that I'd got it back, said they'd never heard such a thing.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    Monty Dog wrote:
    As well as ebay/gumtree give the details to your local bike shops - thieves are stupid enough to try and flog them locally. They'll try and pass them on quickly to unsuspecting buyers who then wheel them into a shop looking for advice.

    Might also be worthwhile doing the same with the Cash Converters type places as well - although I'm not sure what checks they put in place for bikes.

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