Folding Bikes - Walter's Fixed Gear Tikit Stolen...=-(

Walter's fixed gear Tikit was stolen in Eugene, OR. You can read about the theft here and get details about the bike (http://bikefridaywalter.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/my-tikit-stolen/). It's very unique so it should be easy to spot. If you come across his bike online please let Walter know via his blog or call him at Bike Friday.

Seems like a really dumb idea to steal such a distinctive bike in a small college town. I hope the bike is recovered soon.

Hmmm...I wonder how easily one could fold and trolley around a Brompton with one of these custom racks:


I know vik has strapped some rather huge loads to his tikit, but you can't take it all inside like this:


However, given how easily I've found a folded Brompton can tip over, even while unloaded, I don't expect this to be as much of a solution as the pictures might suggest. Anyone care to comment on just how well a Brompton could perform as a handtruck/trolley?

Hmmm...I wonder how easily one could fold and trolley around a Brompton with one of these custom racks:


I know vik has strapped some rather huge loads to his tikit, but you can't take it all inside like this:


However, given how easily I've found a folded Brompton can tip over, even while unloaded, I don't expect this to be as much of a solution as the pictures might suggest. Anyone care to comment on just how well a Brompton could perform as a handtruck/trolley?

Umm, this is a thread about a stolen Bike Friday Tikit!! This has absolutely nothing to do with Bromptons!! :twitchy:

Anyway, I'm sorry his bike was stolen. As someone who is a recent victim of bike theft, I know it's a horrible feeling, so I completely empathize. (Although I used a lock which was clipped by the thief!) If I see a Tikit as described online I'll definitely raise the call.

BTW, always carry a lock and use it properly. Even though locks can be broken, it at least slows down the thief giving you a chance to get back to your bike in time. NEVER LEAVE YOUR BIKE UNLOCKED AND UNATTENDED FOR ANY REASON or deal with the consequences. :(

Umm, this is a thread about a stolen Bike Friday Tikit!! This has absolutely nothing to do with Bromptons!! :twitchy:

Anyway, I'm sorry his bike was stolen. As someone who is a recent victim of bike theft, I know it's a horrible feeling, so I completely empathize. (Although I used a lock which was clipped by the thief!) If I see a Tikit as described online I'll definitely raise the call.

BTW, always carry a lock and use it properly. Even though locks can be broken, it at least slows down the thief giving you a chance to get back to your bike in time. NEVER LEAVE YOUR BIKE UNLOCKED AND UNATTENDED FOR ANY REASON or deal with the consequences. :(

The reason the bike was stolen was because he had a large load on an attached trailer and, thus, didn't take it inside with him. This is endemic of folders in general because if you're running errands, as Walter was, you might literally find yourself with more than you can handle and the folding feature you thought "replaces ten pounds of lock" (as Bike Friday founder Alan Scholz described the tikit) suddenly doesn't.

So I'm wondering if there's any solution to this problem and, in particular, to what extent a modified Brompton might address the issue. I'm sorry for Walter's loss and if I see the mofo riding past me I'll be sure to jam a stick in his spokes, but I also think that discussing the root of the problem is a worthwhile exercise.

I haven't found Walter's bike, but I have seen his shoes!

(I normally wear them on my cruiser, not on my BF.)

If the perpetrator rides that tikit around Eugene, or tries to unload it on Ebay or Craigslist, he will most likely get noticed very quickly. Sort of like stealing Lance's TT bike or a great work of art - you will have to keep it out of sight for a loooooong time before you can unload it. Not the normal thieves M.O. as they typically want quick cash.

Hope it surfaces up soon.

I always carry a large cable lock (snaps into a receptacle on my seat post) if we plan to leave our BF's unattended, out of our view. Normally we stay right with them. The reason I have a relatively inexpensive "cruiser" is for going to our local Von's Mrket (where I lock it up) and it's not as highly visible, or as tempting, as my bright Green NWT.

Walter's Tikit was recovered...no details yet....:thumb:

Walter's Tikit was recovered...no details yet....:thumb:

Excellent! Please fill us in on the details when they become available. :)

No details yet?

Are Walter and the "authorities" still negotiating for it's release? Was it found in a "chop shop" in little powder coated pieces? (Hope not.)

Inquiring minds want to know.

I'm sure Walter will post details on his blog (http://bikefridaywalter.wordpress.com/) when he has a second. I'm stoked he got his bike back....:thumb:

he got it back?

he got it back?


Walter's Tikit was recovered...no details yet....:thumb:

Yup...:thumb:

I'm sure Walter will post details on his blog (http://bikefridaywalter.wordpress.com/) when he has a second. I'm stoked he got his bike back....:thumb:

Any information about the recovery?

Kam

No details yet?

Was it found in a "chop shop" in little powder coated pieces? (Hope not.)

Inquiring minds want to know.

Chop! is innocent! It wasn't me! I don't even know Eugene! :roflmao2:

that's great....

Chop! is innocent! It wasn't me! I don't even know Eugene! :roflmao2:

Chop,

You'd likely like Eugene: College town (Univ of Oregon) and hippie haven, too. (In some ways it has never left the late 60's.) It was also a regular stop on the Grateful Dead concert schedule. (Figured you could identify with that.)

Now that Walter's tikit has been returned, we seem to have lost Walter!.....or at least Walter's story of how and where it was found.

Chop,

You'd likely like Eugene: College town (Univ of Oregon) and hippie haven, too. (In some ways it has never left the late 60's.) It was also a regular stop on the Grateful Dead concert schedule. (Figured you could identify with that.)

Now that Walter's tikit has been returned, we seem to have lost Walter!.....or at least Walter's story of how and where it was found.

Sounds great, right up my old hippy street! LOL!

Very happy for Walter, wish I'd had the same luck with the *%$"&@"* who stole my Rohloff Birdy Red special from Dublin! :mad: (always thought I'd get it back one day, still keep my eyes peeled each time I'm in Dublin but after years of searching......ZILCH! :notamused:

Walter got his Tikit back - story is here (http://bikefridaywalter.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/my-tikits-transformation/)...:thumb:

Good the bike was recovered but I'm sitting here asking myself why the police weren't called when the lady was first spotted and detained? Big mistake in my opinion.

John

I am so pleased that the man had his Bike Friday "returned" if that is a good word to describe it. I will myself not to be so critical of his methods to return his bike. If he was anywhere else-especially down here in LA, he would have literally got a knife in his gut for being so trusting. Or dead. I hope he learn not to be so....nice (apparently not). Maybe the laws for harboring stolen items is different in Oregon. But in California (a neighboring state), this type of behavior constitutes a felony. She would be sitting in jail here.

I'm surprised a woman would steal a bicycle. I suspect 95% of all bikes are stolen by men or boys. Maybe close to 99%! Strange.

Amazing story - something like you'd expect to hear on COPS. Whoever stole and/or de-identified the bike had no idea just how unique it is.

Paul's kids definitely have sharp-eyes for Bike Fridays.

Walter (& Vik), thanks for sharing the story - yes, we did want to know the outcome.

...and a LOCK of some kind is mandatory, even on a junker these days. Here at the beach, even the totally rusted bikes are locked-up at the market.

Lou

ADD: If the authorities don't have time for stolen car reports, they surely aren't going to get very excited about a stolen bicycle or even someone possessing one. Unfortunately.

Good the bike was recovered but I'm sitting here asking myself why the police weren't called when the lady was first spotted and detained? Big mistake in my opinion.

+1

Big mistake not calling the cops once the bike (and lady) were stopped. Now that bike theft duo (the lady and her husband) are free to steal again!! :rolleyes:

NEXT TIME CALL THE COPS IMMEDIATELY UPON STOPPING OR EVEN SPOTTING YOUR STOLEN BIKE!

You'll definitely get your bike back AND get these scumbags off the streets so they can't steal more bikes! :rolleyes:

It sounds to me like the husband was the person who stole the bike and when the wife got home and told the story of what all happened they probably dumped the direct evidence in the form of accessories. Its too bad he didn't get all of that stuff back, sounds like close to $300 worth of accessories to me.

Sadly I don't think the cops would have done much if anything, especially in my city I am afraid. I still can't believe he didn't get the lady's name, address, phone number etc and follow her back to her house and reclaim his property. Although I imagine in the excitement of the recovery clear headed thinking was probably a challenge, I know it would be for me.

Happy to hear he got his bike back.