Getting the word out about any stolen bike can be very helpful. Cyclists look at bikes... bikes being ridden around, bikes locked in racks, bikes on roofracks. Anyone on this list,and many other cyclists, couldn't overlook 65 cm Gran Crit at 300 yards.
Remember,thieves and buyers of stolen bikes are generally stupid and are ignorant about bikes. Someone will probably be riding that GC around town thinking that nobody will ever notice. Maybe someone will.
I once recovered a friend's stolen bike on the installment plan. First I saw a guy riding a Trek aluminum MTB as a single speed and I knew it was my friend's frame. I chased him and he ditched the bike and ran. I recovered the bike. Weeks later I saw a Nishiki Colorado with an impressive mix of high-end parts. It took to two seconds to recognize the parts as the rest of my friend's bike. The Madison, WI police patiently listened to our explanation of how we knew the parts were my friend's (CX-s chain on an MTB, custom short-cage rear der...) and they arrested the guy claiming to own the bike. He got into some significant trouble because he was already on probation.
Another friend of mine recovered a Land Shark with Spinnergys that had been stolen from yet another friend's car. Some little guy was riding this 62 cm bike around town with the stickers scraped off. I guess the fillet brazing and Spinergys were hard to miss. He confronted the guy and as I recall the guy just handed over the bike. The same friend spotted another guy's Litespeed locked to a rack. As I recall he went home, grabbed a Kryptonite and locked the frame to the rack. Eventually the bike made it back to the owner.
Point is there is probably only one 65 cm early GC in the US, certainly only one with Rolly-Pollys (whatever that is) and if the local riders know that one was stolen, they will take note when some 5'5" guy in jeans goes riding by on it.
Tom Dalton
> In a message dated 2/12/02 10:30:25 AM EST,
> john_squires@ew.com writes:
>
> > The only advice I can offer is to advertise your
> loss aggressively --I
> > advertised in local papers, faxed shops and
> posted road signs--and offer
> > a reward.
>
> Hi John,
> Thanks for your post.
> ....and which(or all?) of these sources provided the
> info that helped you
> recover your bikes.
>
> Jan Pinkowish
> Bristol, CT(the other Bristol)
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