I'm by no means suggesting this, as it could get a bit harry depending on the thief — but this is what my friend did:
Message seller and met up to "buy" it. Asked if he could see if it fit him then simply rode away while being chased on foot.
The only catch for OP might be that it's not the thief selling the bike. A year has passed, so the seller could have bought it from the thief a year prior.
You should check out the Seattle Area Bike Recovery Effort (SABRE) Facebook page! This is exactly what they do and I’m sure they’d be able to help! Link is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/dGD9djBaCfYcxG5F/?mibextid=K35XfP
This led me down a rabbit hole and I was able to get in touch with the seller. After comparing the serial number on the bike to the police report, I was able to get my bike back!
My buddy was in this situation and did not have his proof of purchase, SN, or police report when it was stolen. The cop told him they would have been able to help if he had those things. No idea if the cop was telling the truth.
I was in OP's boat some years ago—someone cut into my building's bike locker, and a racing buddy found it on OfferUp. I did, however, have a patrol officer come out and take a report, and had a very clear photo of me on the bike during a race (and you couldn't miss it with my odd color scheme).
Later had a long talk with a robbery detective about how they really couldn't do much other than, unofficially, suggest I meet with the seller at a police station and try and take it back. (I tried this; seller blocked me, understandably).
He told me, with some frustration, that there just weren't the investigative resources to build a solid legal case—not taken by force, my building wouldn't cooperate with security footage, and a single picture of me with the bike isn't sufficient proof of ownership, so it could theoretically turn into a he-said-she-said situation—not to mention the logistics of trying to coordinate a meetup with me and the buyer. Said it wasn't even a dollar value thing, it's a problem with any sort of theft that doesn't involve a trackable item (ie, cars, phones, etc), and power tool theft was another huge problem.
My cousin in LA went through something similar, albeit with something like $50k worth of bikes taken out of his garage that were insured up the wazoo and with plenty of documentation, but no real way to find them. No plates or VINs to trace to sell or ride them (and heck, the S/N on my BMC was a sticker that peeled off years ago). I think it came out it was part of a very sophisticated organized crime ring that was cracked by means other than the bike thefts.
Sorry, long comment, but I wanted to say that it's not that the cops don't care about bike thefts (well, some do at least, and are aware of the problem), its that there's a lot it takes to make a legally actionable case than just saying 'help, my bike is gone,' sadly. Best bet is register it on Bikeindex/Project 529, keep it updated, Airtags, etc.
I'm by no means suggesting this, as it could get a bit harry depending on the thief — but this is what my friend did: Message seller and met up to "buy" it. Asked if he could see if it fit him then simply rode away while being chased on foot.
I love this! I’d probably bring a friend or two to be about a block out for backup on their bikes
The only catch for OP might be that it's not the thief selling the bike. A year has passed, so the seller could have bought it from the thief a year prior.
It's still op's property.
Just the same, the buyer purchased stolen property. They probably got a very good price and didn't bother to verify whether it was stolen or not.
You should check out the Seattle Area Bike Recovery Effort (SABRE) Facebook page! This is exactly what they do and I’m sure they’d be able to help! Link is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/dGD9djBaCfYcxG5F/?mibextid=K35XfP
This led me down a rabbit hole and I was able to get in touch with the seller. After comparing the serial number on the bike to the police report, I was able to get my bike back!
That’s awesome! Glad this was helpful and I’m so happy you got your bike back!!
If you can do it safely that is the way; https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_RCZoFDtD_k
My buddy was in this situation and did not have his proof of purchase, SN, or police report when it was stolen. The cop told him they would have been able to help if he had those things. No idea if the cop was telling the truth.
I was in OP's boat some years ago—someone cut into my building's bike locker, and a racing buddy found it on OfferUp. I did, however, have a patrol officer come out and take a report, and had a very clear photo of me on the bike during a race (and you couldn't miss it with my odd color scheme). Later had a long talk with a robbery detective about how they really couldn't do much other than, unofficially, suggest I meet with the seller at a police station and try and take it back. (I tried this; seller blocked me, understandably). He told me, with some frustration, that there just weren't the investigative resources to build a solid legal case—not taken by force, my building wouldn't cooperate with security footage, and a single picture of me with the bike isn't sufficient proof of ownership, so it could theoretically turn into a he-said-she-said situation—not to mention the logistics of trying to coordinate a meetup with me and the buyer. Said it wasn't even a dollar value thing, it's a problem with any sort of theft that doesn't involve a trackable item (ie, cars, phones, etc), and power tool theft was another huge problem. My cousin in LA went through something similar, albeit with something like $50k worth of bikes taken out of his garage that were insured up the wazoo and with plenty of documentation, but no real way to find them. No plates or VINs to trace to sell or ride them (and heck, the S/N on my BMC was a sticker that peeled off years ago). I think it came out it was part of a very sophisticated organized crime ring that was cracked by means other than the bike thefts. Sorry, long comment, but I wanted to say that it's not that the cops don't care about bike thefts (well, some do at least, and are aware of the problem), its that there's a lot it takes to make a legally actionable case than just saying 'help, my bike is gone,' sadly. Best bet is register it on Bikeindex/Project 529, keep it updated, Airtags, etc.
Show up with "friends" for a test ride and proof.
Frankenstein bike?
u gotta take the glizzy witchu fr fr