Let's see your bikes that were stolen...

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Not sure if there is already a thread but I thought it would be cool to place pictures or share your story. My cousin recently had his bike stolen. It wasn't an expensive bike but I seen him build it to his liking. First day of nice weather he decided to ride to work & when he came out at lunch it was gone. When he told me I was disappointed because it happened to me and I know that feeling. But the reason I want to share is because when we share our stories with our loved ones they don't see it like we do. "It's just a bike" or "get over it". Some of the things we hear. So here you can share or vent your feelings about that one cool bike you used to have but was takin by some "dark shadow"... This is my bike that was stolen. I purchased it brand new like 20yrs ago. Still shifted on a dime. It was a mongoose IBOC Zero-G



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Perhaps the ugliest bike it town (and certainly one of the worst bikes in town) but it was stolen anyhow from work about 7 years ago. It was my work-townie beater. I just added the fenders due to the amount of snow, sand, ice and wetness in town. The fenders were probably worth more than the bike. I emptied out the remains of a few spray cans on them. They had beige house paint on them. The bike was a Huffy Black Hills pseudo mountain bike with the factory black, white and grey splatter paint job that looks like an antique stove. The frame was bent from getting hit or run over before I got it. The seat post was rusted in but it was close enough for me. I installed a long bmx racing crank so I cold get up the hills in town. I changed out the pedals, tires cables, brake pads as they wore out pretty fast. Especially the brake pads on such rusty rims. I used to scare the local wanna be bike racers by taking it on the tuesday night worlds rides. One night I put the der in the rear wheel in the pack. Yeah, scare them.

I took it on Ragbrai 1 year. They had a gravel section advertised so I figured this would be a good bike for that. Well the county road department vaccummed that road which left sharp stones embedded in the compacted dust. That caused hundreds of ruined tires. I got to the next town where some friends mobile bike shop was set up. They were swamped with scores of people needing new tires & tubes so I got put to work. Been working with them on Ragbrai ever since.

The local gendarmes couldn't file a stolen property report because the bike had question marks in the serial number and their computer system wouldn't take those. Yes, it really had question marks, no doubt about that. Computer programmers know ? & * are wild card search characters. (msDOS!). It was my 4th bike stolen from campus. The 3rd was another Huffy mtb that was pristene which lasted about 2 weeks. Now I have a near-ground floor office of my own that is large enough so I keep my current beater inside which is a much better bike. Working in a college town where bike theft is a sport to some you have to expect it.

Other stolen bikes I never had pictures of:
Schwinn Skipper (my first "Stingray", a conversion)
Schwinn Varsity. (they left a collegiate in trade at home)
Schwinn Collegiate. (stolen from school so I don't think it was the same thief)
next 3 at one time:
Motobecane Nomad (good riddance and may the thief get what he deserves)
Raleigh International in Copper paint.
Schwinn Paramount tandem blue.
Grants department store 3 speed.
wifes: Fuji Royal

Odd that we remember the stolen bikes better than the ones we sold or still have even if they weren't all that good.
Huffy.Black.Hills.1
 
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Late 60s/early 70s me and my bike. I initially didn't have a lock so I wasn't allowed to ride it to the swimming pool and had to walk. While at the pool my Mother decided to ride it to check on me. She leaned it against the swimming pool fence while she went in search of me and it was stolen.

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2002 I think my wife's bike was stolen out of the back of our truck while we were in Las Vegas. I knew better than to leave it in the truck even though it was locked but was too lazy to bring the bikes in to our hotel room.
 
I am afraid posting pics or stories of any stolen or suspected stolen bicycles could adversely affect the outcome of charges that may or may not be being considered by my local grand jury. Thank you for your understanding.
 
I am afraid posting pics or stories of any stolen or suspected stolen bicycles could adversely affect the outcome of charges that may or may not be being considered by my local grand jury. Thank you for your understanding.

That's okay. This thread will still be here in 7 years when you can talk.
 
I had a Schwinn double-cantilever straight bar Ratted with 3-spd, drum brake, chrome rims and tanked that was stolen in the 90's from a garage storage box. It also had all "Schwinn Germany" bearings and races and 100% Schwinn parts.
It was the 1st Rat I ever built. Very painful experience as everyone knows.
Haven't lost one since. I will try to scan an old photo of her later. NEVER leave your nice bikes unattended. Moral of the story: There may be RAT FINK criminals lurking who would love to "have" your bike.
 
No pic. 1979 SCHWINN Blue KLUNKER 5 SPEED STOLEN an seen around the corner with a new color. Probably was a good thing the 1952 Straight Bar Bch. Rental was left alone to ride into the millennium
 
Get ready to weep..

My Blacksheep Luna Vista with Faith fork, Ti Cycles bar. Garage was targeted, locks were cut and she was gone. Because it was the garage there was a single item limit rider (that i wasnt aware of) which made it not worthwhile to make an insurance claim. Chris King everything, Thomson stem and post, I had cut and polished the M960 XTR cranks for single speed use.

Happened back in Sept 2013, It still pains me to think that after she was parted out the frame and fork probably went to a scrap yard.


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