Somebody Stole My Bike

There are those cyclists who have had their bicycles stolen and those who will. Like death and taxes this is an inevitable fact of life. Over a million bicycles are stolen in the United States each year and only twenty percent are ever recovered.

Being an old hand at the cycling game I thought I had all of the bases covered. Ride and old bike when commuting not your precious Cannondale Six-Thirteen. Park your bike in a visible area with allot of pedestrian traffic. Do not use an old Kryptonite U lock with a barrel key as these locks can be picked with a Bic pin, including some older barrel lock Kryptonite New York locks. Older U locks with barrel locks should be replaced with U locks with flat keys. All cables can be cut with a bolt cutter and should be avoided.

Sounds like good advice. But keeping honest people honest will not stop a determined bicycle thief from taking your bicycle. Cyclists try to protect their bicycles from thieves so they think like a thief would think. "Unbreakable" U locks are a figment of the imagination. My cycling friends have told me a dozen of ways to break them in a matter of seconds. Of course, I have no intention of sharing this information.

Keep a good description of your bike and record the serial number in case it is stolen. If your bike is stolen file a report with the police. Your bike will be entered in a national stolen bike registry in case some one tries to pawn it or if your Local Bike Shop runs the serial number.

My stolen bike is a 1989 KHS Touring Bike.

Top Tube: Blue
Chain Stays: Blue. One chain stay has a black chain protector labelled "Sun Tour Equipped."
Seat Stays: Blue.
Front Forks: Gray. KHS painted the forks gray. Under the paint the forks are chrome.
Seat Tube: Gray.
Down Tube: Blue.
Derailleurs: Sun Tour Alpha 5000
Chain Wheel: Sugino 52-42
Free Hub: Shimano Hyperglide 13-15-17-19-21-24-28 Seven Speed
Chain: Shimano HG 110 links
Brakes: DiaComp Deluxe
Brake Hoods: Black (factory issue)
Hubs: Shimano Parallax
Wheels: Vapor (silver)
Tires: Cosmos Cycle Cross 25X700c.
Down Tube Shifters: Sun Tour Alpha 5000
Water bottle cages: Avenier (2) Silver, Blue
Handle bars: Bulls horns (factory issue)
Decals: Missing
Frame: Decal missing: probably a Tang. Cro-Moly Steel
Handle bar tape: White
Pedals: Campagnolo clones (quill)
Saddle: Viscount
Skewers: Shimano
Saddle Bag: Planet Bike (black). Contains two spare 700c tubes, two tire irons, one six inch Crescent wrench.)
Helmet: Gray Bell helmet with silver stripes. (stolen with the bike)
Cable: (stolen with the bike)
Padlock: Master Number 1 pin tumbler. (stolen with the bike)
Serial Number: M5H43403
Case Number: U of U Police Department: 09-809

Stolen from the South side bicycle rack of the University of Utah Medical School on June 13, 2009 between 1300 and 1800 hours Mountain Standard Time.

Velo Vortmax is offering a reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who stole this bike. Forward all information to velovortmax@yahoo.com or call your local police department. This bicycle is on a national stolen bicycle registry. I will add a photo of this bicycle to my blog soon.

Of course, this bike will never be recovered. My stupidity lies in the fact that I figured that nobody would be interested in a twenty year old bike that I bought for twenty dollars. Wrong. Some people will steal anything. Take nothing for granted.

Update:  I recommend to everyone to keep detailed records of your bicycle and photographs before the bicycle is stolen.  I also recommend that your records be foolproof  to prevent possible miscreants (both criminal and of the legal variety) from accusing you of stealing your own property.  I have rebuilt bicycles I have found in the city clean up piles, thrown away as junk, I have been given bicycles by people, but I have never been felt compelled to steal a bicycle, and I resent people who claim that I have.  So fuck you asshole!