Classic & Vintage - bike stolen how do i cope ?

My bike was stolen off my brothers porch on Saturday night,lost my wallet and my phone too, I was inside for 10 mins and the a holes grabbed it, it was my trek 7500 multi track, I loved that bike, only owned it for a few weeks :notamused: I called the police and insurance, insurance won't cover it, so now I'm out of luck

I feel so mad, I don't even care about the phone or wallet,

Just want my damn bike back

Simple, you've now got an excuse to get another bike.

So sorry to read about this! GRRR! Damn thieves. Hope you get lucky and the police have a lead on local punks.

Watch your CL for similar bikes to yours, a thief will often place an ad for a bike and then respond saying "That one is sold but I do have another one like it..."

Pawn shops too.

Reflect on the things you didn't like about it, and look forward to getting a better one next time around. (Works for girlfriends, too. ;))

buy 2 more

A pox on their house. And may their yarbles shrivel and fall off. Etc.

These days, nice bikes are like ingots of gold when you leave it unattended for any short amount of time outside almost anywhere. Especially when you leave them unlocked, which I think you did, you just provided the thief with his getaway ride....how can any crook resist such temptation.

Take it as hard lesson learned........never ever leave your bike (wallet and phone too) outside unlocked or unatended anywhere.

Chombi

Is there a bicycle workshop in your town that "recycles" bikes? They won't get yours back, but you might be able build up a decent replacement with donated parts and some sweat equity.

Gordo, Sorry about your stolen bike. What a complete drag. Good luck recovering it.

I've been seriously considering getting a micro-chip tracking device for my bikes, such as offered by SNAGG: http://www.snagg.com/. They sell packs of 5 micro-chips (free registration) for $99.

Not only will you increase the chance of getting your bike back, but you may help to catch some bike thieves. I think that one of the reasons police are reluctant to help with stolen bikes is that they know they are unlikely recover the stolen bike. However, these devices (at least the SNAGG device) provides info directly to police. If they have coordinates of where your stolen goods are, there's a much better chance the police will help.

If you are fortunate to live in Hackney County, UK, the local law enforcement there started a program offering free bicycle micro-chips: http://www.hackney.gov.uk/safer-communities-safety-in-your-community-bike-chipping.htm

Any one have any experience with such a device on a bike? I know forum mod Sui Blue Wind is thankful for the chip in Mitzi. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/725785-If-you-love-me-microchip-me)

Sorry to hear it Gordo. A complete bummer, man.

The cows are out of the barn on this one, but for any bike that commutes/ does the hops, Gaucho777 has an intriguing suggestion there for the future.

Sorry to hear about your bike Gordo.

The SNAGG chip idea seems interesting. Do these act as locators, or do they have to be scanned? Sounds like the latter...

Bummer.

May it be a warning to the rest of us.

Find another bike, and hope you can get yours back as well. Until either event happens,

http://i.qkme.me/358296.jpg

I hate hearing someone's bike has been stolen. General society seems to view them as these throw-away, unimportant things. For most of us here, they definitely are not.

Sorry to hear about your bike Gordo.

The SNAGG chip idea seems interesting. Do these act as locators, or do they have to be scanned? Sounds like the latter...

Good question. After further reading, I see that it must be scanned. From their website:


"Is SNAGG a traceable or GPS type system?
No. SNAGG uses the time proven technology of unalterable code technology that has been responsible for the return of thousands of pets in the past few years. GPS requires significant battery power to keep a signal. While Snagg stays on the forefront of this technology, it has not evolved to be concealable as a theft recovery system in devices that do not have a built in power source. The continuous cost of data and batteries make Snagg a more effective solution.

Who Has Scanners? Who Needs Them?
The Snagg system relies on the power of the World Wide Web to connect owners with their priceless possessions. When an item is reported stolen, Snagg begins scanning their partner databases for these stolen items based on serial number, model number or other information. We even provide pictures to positively identify your product to pawnshops worldwide. When your item is flagged stolen, a report goes to necessary authorities including all information. The report includes instructions for obtaining a scanner if one is not readily available. Usually police use one of 400,000 standard pet scanners already available nationwide to prove the identity of the owner and return your asset."

I honestly don't know much about these technologies. Surely there must other options are out there for "locators" even if they are not explicitly made for the purpose of tracking bicycles. Something for further research...

My bike was stolen off my brothers porch on Saturday night


I loved that bike

...but not enough to lock it up?


Just want my damn bike back

You'll get over it, champ.

Gordo, out of curiosity, what's the type on your avatar say? It's too small to be legible.

That's a cool idea, that RFID chip. Now... how to make it work like Lojack, but keep it small like the snagg device?
From the ad I take it keeping the chip powered up to send an RF signal is the big hurdle to overcome.

Any NASA, MIT or JPL riders out in C & V land? There has to be a solution... :eek:

With the sky-high cost of modern bikes these days, I'm surprised Specialized, Trek, etc, haven't started offering the option of a tracking chip in their high-end bikes. The chip could be embedded into a CF frame, powered by the Di2 system, and then supported by the manufacturer. Heck, they could probably get away with charging an additional yearly fee for the service. Maybe it's on the horizon.

This has me thinking about setting up bait bikes with tracking systems. Buttholes steal the bikes and then authorities bust in, potentially taking down a bike theft ring. Would make for entertaining television.

Tracking systems do you no good. Someone I know (and who posts here) was broken into and had their iPad (I think... some electronic gadget anyway) stolen. They could track the location of the iPad but the police didn't follow up or go after it. Bait stings will only work if the police are on board.

it says warning bike may not perform as expected without front wheel

Re: SNAGG... This is the same tech people use to microchip their pets. It's a passive RF responder that only sends a signal when scanned. This requires police to find said bike and scan it, or scrupulous purchasers to do so. It cannot be tracked via GPS or the like, and really would only be effective if the bike was being re-sold through official channels who are using this tech.
Although intriguing (I might consider getting these for my guitars since instruments are usually sold via pawn shops, who may use such tech) I suspect it's not very useful if the bike is sold via CL, eBay or the back of a truck. :(

One thought just occurred to me - if the stolen phone is a smart-phone like a BlackBerry or iPhone you may be able to track it's GPS location and find the thief. Might be a long shot though.

Curious as to why your insurance won't cover it? Or your brother's insurance?

What about dropping a battery down your seat post and using the bottle cage bolts to essential hold it in place by applying pressure to hold it against the opposite side of the seat tube? I mean some custom builders sometime use the seat tube to hide the battery pack for the Dura Ace Di2 setups. Just an idea.

Curious as to why your insurance won't cover it? Or your brother's insurance?

Probably not worth enough, compared to the deductible. I have to have a loss of a few thousand before my homeowner's insurance deductible is met.

One thought just occurred to me - if the stolen phone is a smart-phone like a BlackBerry or iPhone you may be able to track it's GPS location and find the thief. Might be a long shot though.

Chances are it will point to an apartment complex in a crappy part of town. Then what?

What about dropping a battery down your seat post and using the bottle cage bolts to essential hold it in place by applying pressure to hold it against the opposite side of the seat tube? I mean some custom builders sometime use the seat tube to hide the battery pack for the Dura Ace Di2 setups. Just an idea.
Huh? Why?

Chances are it will point to an apartment complex in a crappy part of town. Then what?
That's a good point, cause I don't think the LEOs have enough time on their hands to root out stolen bicycles for citizens in ratty, scary tenements that might have much more dangerous criminals in it than bike thieves. In most cases around the country, once a bike is stolen, you pretty much have to write it off for good and move on.......unless you see a guy riding it on the street, but then are you up to what might happen next?? Even the most ordinary looking guy can be dangerous to approach if he has a knife, gun or any kind of weapon on him.

Chombi

Don't some of the better locks come with insurance?

I recently bought a Kryptonite U-lock and the same model with insurance was $20 more, IIRC.

Huh? Why?
To power a miniature GPS tracker unit.

my deductible wasnt met, i was close tho...also my brothers insurance only covers his property..
if anybody has an old trek multitrack layin around, pm me maybe we can work out a deal.. thanks

To power a miniature GPS tracker unit.

Ah. Thanks for connecting the dots.

this will help me forget,, went down to the coop today and found this little beauty262389262390

this will help me forget,, went down to the coop today and found this little beauty262389262390

its either a 02 or 03 trek 7200 multitrack.. a litte small but works

Hey guys, I just saw the discussion and wanted to chime in. I would love to get some feedback and answer any questions you may have. So sorry to hear of your loss, I hope Snagg can do more to help.

Snagg chips act as the identification device to prove ownership to get your valuables back. The system works a couple different ways. First, if police recover known stolen items, the Snagg reporting system will allow police to idetify and scan your item to return it. This also works with second hand stores and pawn shops. These stores are required by law to report every item they buy so they can be monitored for suspicious activity. Our system relies on the power of the world wide web to identify these items thousands of miles away and allow police to scan and return the asset. While many pawn shops love Snagg and actively promote it by scanning every item they buy, our systems are in place to recover items through *questionable* stores as well. We are working with our other partners to work with ebay and craigslist, but this process isn't fast and nothing will ever be 100% perfect. We are contantly improving our systems and currently give police one of the most powerful tools out there. Police love it because it is a technology they already know and use. Our 35% recovery rate far exceeds current industry standards.

We are doing research on the GPS market right now. I should say, we are always doing R & D with this market. My question to you guys is this....our Snagg chips are very economical at $25/chip. GPS is much more expensive and requires battery maintenence and potentially ongoing fees. Units are currently available in the $500 range with a $10-20 monthly fee, giving you a 30 day battery life. The technology is just starting to get small enough and the battery is getting longer. What requirements would you guys require? i.e Batery Life, Cost, etc. I have a few specific specs in mind, but I would love your opinions.

Cheers to snagg for joining and getting in on the discussion :thumb:

For me there is the cost:benefit analysis including the less than 50% chance that the bike would be recovered. I wonder how many pawn shops would really scan everything. Certainly seasoned thieves would know which pawn shops to patronize. Before committing I would need to check with my local PD to see if the technology could be utilized.

Anyway, I am thinking about 1 for my Ridley Helium (most expensive bike), but it hangs in my house and is never left when taken outside. But, the 5 pack makes the most sense as my other bikes, although they rest in the garage, would be equally missed (just wouldn't be as hard on the wallet).

Lastly, a significant concern would be the longterm. How long will this technology be utilized? I know RFID is ubiquitous, but from a hacker perspective it is very easy to game/manipulate, etc. However, I think it is many step above registering the serial # with local PD and is a fairly inexpensive insurance policy. Speaking of, perhaps the specific bikes could be registered with Snagg for insurance valuation purposes?

Sorry for the typing out loud rambling.

my deductible wasnt met, i was close tho...also my brothers insurance only covers his property..
if anybody has an old trek multitrack layin around, pm me maybe we can work out a deal.. thanks

I thought you just sold or traded the bike to your brother and were delivering it to him. ;)

Sorry about the loss. If you had an Android phone you might still be able to sign up for something like the Android Mobile Security app which has a Find My Phone feature that you can supposedly activate from another phone or via the web. What you do with those coordinates is up to you. Most people cut their losses, make some adjustments in their life to guard against future thefts, and go on living. Other people become Bronson and buy some hardware and adjust other's lifestyles. Some choices have consequences.

Thieves suck.