SF Bay Area: Keep an eye out for stolen bikes please - Page 3

zmalwo · #31 08-28-2019, 02:37 PM

Also there are usually one or two moots on ebay for a specific model at a time so unless this guy plans to use the moots for himself for the rest of his life he will have to sell it sometime.

buddybikes · #32 08-28-2019, 02:47 PM

Unfort - probably heading over to Asia

jmontague · #33 08-28-2019, 02:53 PM

I had a beautiful Campi-equipped Ron Cooper stolen from my bedroom in Mill Valley way back in 1972. I entered my first race after acquiring the bike and it was stolen the following day. Broke my heart! Thieves used to steal “on consignment” by going to races, finding a bike that met their criteria, following you home and casing your place. Sadly, some things never change.

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joosttx · #34 08-28-2019, 02:53 PM

A buddy of mine had his Time VXRS stolen out of his garage in SF. They broke into his garage too.

denapista · #35 08-28-2019, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duende

Bummer...

Regarding thieves casing you... it’s almost like when you get home with anything expensive... you have to keep an eye out for who’s around. Not just bicycles.

With the opioid and speed epidemic... it’s worse than ever

I've considered SF my 2nd home since early 2000's and I've heard so many stories of garage thefts... People in that city get cased and you'll never suspect it because you ride alongside so many cyclists... Would you ever suspect the guy riding behind you in a bike lane is actually following you home? It sounds like you got cased somehow. Either working in your garage with things in plain view, tailed or a friend of a friend saw your stash. Even selling parts to a buyer and having them swing by your place could lead to a scenario of exposing your goods.

If you can get CSI on the situation, I would walk my area and look for any apartment or store that has a camera. In this day and age, there's a camera on every corner recording.

Look up user: plattyjo on instagram. I think she does a stolen bike recovery things for SF with great success. She's a good friend and cycling advocate for SF.

zmalwo · #36 08-28-2019, 02:56 PM

everyone one in bay area should put a gps chip in seat tube from now on, or in headtube whichever is easier to change the battery.

Heisenberg · #37 08-28-2019, 03:01 PM

the hard part about theft in SF is that recovery can be really difficult. there's a pile of stolen bikes sitting in front of my office in an encampment. literal pile. they're being chopped into parts, traded for heroin/fentanyl to be resold or shepherded out of town.

the cops know they're stolen.
i know they're stolen.

but the city faces so many issues around poverty, addiction, crime, policing, and management that busting these "chop shops" falls low on the priority list. hell, the police here rarely bother with stolen vehicles and home burglary recovery.

the problem is many, many layers deep, and almost everyone is at fault. if you want to find your bikes, you'll likely need to find them yourself. with a bunch of friends.

i don't even own a city/bar beater because i know leaving it locked anywhere for any stretch of time will result in it vanishing, even if it's a relative pile of junk. it's just not worth the effort.

ibis · #38 08-28-2019, 06:35 PM

This sucks grnrcr. It might be worth a trip to some of the pawn shops close by to poke around and see what they have. We found several stolen bikes in Salt Lake City this way. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out.

scoobydrew · #39 08-28-2019, 11:27 PM

I'll be on the look out here. The Moots and Colnago definitely stand out.

Matthew · #40 08-28-2019, 11:59 PM

Wow this sucks. Sounds like this problem is out of control in that area. People can really be pieces of s#!+. I've got a Colnago and a Moots mtb in my garage right now. Maybe I need to start bringing them in after every ride. Best of luck in your recovery efforts. Hopefully the good folks on the forum in that area can help.

buddybikes · #41 08-29-2019, 05:12 AM

Any recommendations for a good padlock for shed?

OtayBW · #42 08-29-2019, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grnrcr

Thank you everyone. In addition to the bikes, the small parts they grabbed clearly tells me they are cyclists and not just some kid looking to make a quick buck. This part really bums me out.

My first thought as well after seeing your pics and w/o even reading your posts. A real fcuking shame all around....

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

My solution: I moved my bike(s) out of my partner's house in the East Bay hills from the garage. It is now in my apartment. Up four flights of stairs. Locked in a closet. Locked inside of the closet to a 75 lb medicine ball rack.

Really? Housed in an apt., up 4 flights of stairs, inside a closet, and you still feel like you need to lock it? No disrespect, but whatever the advantages might be, I would personally find it difficult to live in a place like that.

srcarter · #43 08-29-2019, 10:39 AM

A friend had his replacement bikes stolen a few months after an initial theft. Be sure to improve security before replacing the bikes as the thieves may target you again.

Will keep an eye out in the East Bay, but don't expect that a recovery is all that likely.

XXtwindad · #44 08-29-2019, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtayBW

My first thought as well after seeing your pics and w/o even reading your posts. A real fcuking shame all around....

Really? Housed in an apt., up 4 flights of stairs, inside a closet, and you still feel like you need to lock it? No disrespect, but whatever the advantages might be, I would personally find it difficult to live in a place like that.

No offense taken, but it's actually much more complex. My long-time partner and I recently separated. I live in the Bay Area, which is astronomically expensive. A family friend offered me a very nice 1BD at a very reasonable rate in a good neighborhood not too far from my partner and my girls. I jumped on it. For all I know, my neighbors might be a collection of Mother Teresas. I don't know, and I frankly don't care. I'm going to take every precaution I can.

I'll say this as well: one of the least safe places for a bike in the Bay Area is in a garage - unless it's locked securely. And even then. As another poster mentioned, the Bay Area has a number of pressing issues (and there was a thread on this as well) not the least of which is income inequality. There is a flood of tech money in the Bay, with lots of expensive toys on display. I don't know the exact stats, but I'm sure the Bay Area is right at the top of the list when it comes to property theft.

There is another aspect that is troubling, as several people have mentioned. There seems to be a very educated group of thieves (an unfortunate oxymoron) operating in the Bay Area. When my buddy got his Potts stolen from his garage, they left a mid level Cannondale.

My partner had no problem with me leaving my bike(s) in her garage which is in a very "good" neighborhood and has much more room than my apartment.

It was a very generous offer that I declined.

denapista · #45 08-29-2019, 11:35 AM

Living in SF is extremely dense. Mass population in a tiny city, so theft is crazy rampant with the amount of homeless, etc. It's also a city where a bike is almost more valuable than a car, since bike is the main mode of transportation there. My friend walked into a bank with his bike to make a deposit. His Cinelli Road bike was snatched from inside the bank when he was in line! This happened in SF.

There are good/bad things in every mass populated city. If you live in the sticks of Colorado, then you don't have to worry about these issues. Leaving valuables in a garage is simply a no no to me. People tend to always forget to close the garage door, leaving everything in plain view. When I'm on bike rides in my area which is pretty wealthy (San Marino/South Pasadena/La Canada), I see garages open all the time...

Better to be safe than sorry.