-by Peter Gerrard
This week, two friends—one a cyclist and the other not so much—texted me links to feature stories about the business around stolen bikes.
The main takeaway of both: over the past few years, as bike sales soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, what had mostly been a “one-off crime of opportunity” became a well-oiled international, and highly profitable enterprise
Wired magazine’s article reported on “…a bicycle theft pipeline of astonishing scale.” Writer Christopher Solomon teamed with Bryan Hance of Bike Index to detail the convoluted trail of bikes stolen, disappearing, and then showing up for sale on a Facebook page. Hance uncovered the business and man behind it in Jalisco, Mexico. He also tracked down one of his “suppliers” in Silicon Valley’s San Jose. Hance estimates that, in the Bay Area alone, it’s netted the bike thieves more than $2 million since 2020.
It's a story that almost seems unbelievable (unless you’ve had a bike lifted). And it’s a great read:
https://www.wired.com/story/silicon-valleys-fanciest-stolen-bikes-trafficked-mastermind-jalisco-mexico/
“Wired magazine’s article reported on “…a bicycle theft pipeline of astonishing scale.””
About a week after the Wired piece, the Bay Area’s KQED aired a podcast titled “Bikes Stolen In the Bay Area Show up on Global Black Market.” Both Solomon and Hance took part in the live broadcast. The host and other guests expanded on their reporting, adding additional community perspective. And hearing bike theft victims tell their tales personalizes what it’s like to find your bike is suddenly gone.
The podcast is archived, and you can listen to it here:
https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101906075/bikes-stolen-in-the-bay-area-show-up-on-global-blackmarket
What do riders whose bikes are stolen go through? Certainly, there’s the stages of grief (mostly, from my experiences, anger, depression, and acceptance). I’ve had three bikes filched. The first one was probably gone from my parent’s garage for at least a month before I noticed it wasn’t there. The second form my garage when I accidentally left it open all night. The third was within a few minutes after I finished a ride and went into the house, got distracted, and saw a blur as a rider went past my back window. I felt the cold chill of certainty that he was on my bike, confirmed when I ran outside to check.
Unfortunately, there’s also a general lack of concern from law enforcement. It’s detailed quite well in both pieces. Overall, let’s leave it at most police departments are overworked with property crime incidents even as violent crime is decreasing.
But, as I read the last paragraph, I realize how much emotional baggage having a bike ripped off carries, and how these feelings surface even years later. So, here’s my take.
There’s possibly a lack of understanding, and maybe empathy, about the monetary investments and emotional attachments riders have with their bikes. I had a detective dismiss my inquiry about the investigation of my stolen Colnago as being less important than the theft of a laptop from a car that was on his plate. “This computer cost almost $3000,” he dryly told me. I asked him to pull up my police report and really look at the details, especially the receipt from when I’d bought it. “Oh…” was about all I got out of him.
Incidentally, I got that one back exactly a month after it was taken. I’d reported it to a stolen bikes website, and one morning I got an email that a pawn shop had inquired about the serial number. Apparently the “loan” agreement was for 30 days.
What can you do, after this prompts you to check to see if your bike is where you think you last left it?
If you’ve registered through an app or website like Bike Index or Project 529 (badged “Garage 529” in at least parts of Orange County), consider adding it to other available ones. Why? As far as I can tell, don’t assume that information is automatically between law enforcement and public databases. In fact, Bike Index confirms that, while they share data with other organizations, most of them don’t reciprocate.
Take pics of your bike, the serial number, any parts you’ve added, and you with the bike
Check to confirm your bike is included under your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. You might have to add it as a specifically covered item.
Consider locking your bike to something in your garage that’s fixed in place. Use that lock that you don’t carry on group rides as it weighs more than the bike you bought for its light weight.
Add an Air Tag or other GPS tracking device to your bike. But if you’re alerted your bike is “not with you” or at home, think carefully about chasing after it yourself.
Last, keep in mind that pictures you post on social media often have metadata that gives GPS coordinates. Check to see if you can block this “helpful” feature. Have you noticed that Strava “hides” the start and finish points of your rides? I’m not sure if it’s totally effective, but it’s a good feature that’s automatically available.
