You are hereUpdate: Stolen bike lead = Stolen bike RECOVERED!
Update: Stolen bike lead = Stolen bike RECOVERED!
Update(x2): I rode by the shop last night and took down the following info from their sign:
Brazos Trading Company
6539 N. Lamar Blvd.
Owner: Charlie
Phone: 512-796-5312
I peered in the window and the shop was PACKED with bicycles. I'm going to try to swing by this weekend and see what he's selling, maybe bring a list of local stolen bikes and keep an eye out. Should be interesting.
Update: The beautiful Rivendell Romulus that was reported stolen about a week and a half back has been RECOVERED! It was located at a junk shop up on North Lamar near Quickie's Tattoos (that side of the street). I don't know the exact name of the shop but I'm going to cruise by there in just a few minutes and find out. The guy who runs the place regularly has 30+ bicycles out in front of his shop for VERY GOOD prices, and keeps several really nice looking bikes inside as well. He told my girlfriend that he'd acquired the Romulus at a flea market in San Antonio, which is consistent with the last few stolen bike recoveries I'd heard about.
If he's telling the truth then he's buying cheap stolen bikes in San Antonio and re-selling them in Austin, and if he's lying then he's a local fence for stolen property. Either way, if you've had a bike stolen recently it might behoove you to go peruse his wares, albeit casually. He's already on-to the fact that we know that he's selling stolen bikes, so you don't want to spook him. If you find your bike and you have documentation (serial number, description, specific marks) then call the cops and deal with it through them.
About an hour ago I received a VERY interesting new lead into Austin's stolen bike problem. I'll post more tomorrow (hopefully) but lets just say that a very rare, unique and recently stolen bicycle was found at a local vendor, whose story of its' origins line up with what I've heard about a lot of the bikes getting stolen in Austin recently. Very interesting indeed.
So the owner of the shop is a morning regular at Quacks. I tried to ask him this morning where he purchases the bicycles and he as vague on the subject. Just little more information about the guy.
Good job, jamie. You little detective you.
there has to be servellanice video from around the time the bikes were stolen...this is Whole Foods we are talking about. even if it's hard to pindown the exact PERSON, i bet there could be a 'look out' for suspicious persons. i am willing to bet the person/people stealing those bikes are fellow cyclists or look like us...easy to fit right in and cut a lock or two and throw them in a pickup bed right after a cyclist locks up...
wonder what kind of locks are being used here?
-Jessica
bike nerd fo' life, yo
On the subject of locks. My bike was stolen from 6th street when it was locked up with a Kryptonite chain lock. I know, I know, I've since learned that chain locks are akin to bras on prom night. I didn't know that then. I just moved from KS and commuted almost every day for three years there with that lock with no issue. I thought that my bike was secure. Turns out that I simply lived where there were few bikers, and fewer bike thieves.
I'm sure that most of you know better, but I see lots of even super thin chain locks around town, so clearly I'm not the only one who is clueless. I hear that U-locks are breakable too, but apparently harder. So, what's the best? Right now I'm rolling around with a 100 lb Kryptonite Evolution I got from a closeout sale. From what I understand, a car jack can break it. Is it just a minor deterrent? A weapon for swinging at anyone I see stealing a bike?
On a side note, it sucks that I've become this cynical, but I now am super critical of anyone I see on a bike or near bike racks and keep watching folks that linger around bike racks. It's so hard to tell if they're a biker, just hanging out by their bike, or someone waiting for the right moment to yank the next shiny thing to hock in an alley later that night. I'd love to watch out for fellow bikers, but not at the expense of being an ass to someone who's just prepping for their several mile trek in 100+ degree weather. Any suggestions on how to watch out for this sort of thing?
"I'd love to watch out for fellow bikers, but not at the expense of being an ass to someone who's just prepping for their several mile trek in 100+ degree weather. Any suggestions on how to watch out for this sort of thing?"
In my opinion, people just need to be responsible for their own shit. You can't save everybody, and even if you lock your bike up well there's always a possiblity that it could still be stolen. But for my locking needs, I use a Kryptonite NYC Fahgettaboudit U-lock because it's the best lock I've been able to find.
Pros: very heavy duty and its stubby size means the lock snugs the bike frame with little room to fit a jack/bar/bolt cutters.
Cons: at 4 lbs it's heavy and because of its stubby size sometimes it's difficult to find places to lock up. It also costs about $75.
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?cid=1001&scid...
There's also a product out there called "pit-locks". They're these specialized skewers/bolts & nuts that use proprietary tools to unlock. They can help you secure your wheels, seat, and fork. I've never actually used them so I can't comment on their quality, but if you have expensive components it might be worth looking into.
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/pitlock.asp
I've had a bike stolen in the past and I say never again! I can't help but look around and just shake my head in disappointment at the way some people lock their bikes. It makes me wonder how much organized theft their might be out there vs. how many people just have their head up their ass when it comes to securing their property. If you have a good bike you need a good lock, it really sucks to learn that lesson the hard way.
I've noticed on Craigslist recently that bikes are being stolen at the Whole Foods @ 6th & Lamar.
Does the APD or any other websites keep tabs on the locations that bikes are stolen from most often?
This kind of thievery pisses me off so much that I want to put a couple bikes out there as bait so I can stake-out & catch these bastards red-handed. Though I'm afraid of what I might do to one of these thieves if I actually caught one...
Perhaps this would be an easier and more clever way to go about it:
"The University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver are using GPS to cut down on campus bicycle theft.
Once a "bait bike" sporting a hidden GPS marker is stolen, police track its location with the hopes that it will lead them to catch thieves red-handed."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/gps.html