Chicago Stolen Bike Registry

Our bikes were stolen from our garage in the early hours of Thanksgiving Day. They were locked with U-bolts to metal bars we had screwed (with un-retractable screws) to the studs in the garage. The wood was old so they just wrenched them free by breaking the wood.

Our two bikes were stolen from our garage in the early hours of Thanksgiving day. They were U-bolt locked to metal bars we had installed in the garage, metal bars into studs with un-retractable screws, but wood was old and they just wrenched the bikes off and the screws broke free with chunks of the old studs.

Bike was left inside of a locked, gated yard in front of a house. Bike was unlocked. Bike was left unattended from around 11AM and was missing when I arrived later in the day- around 5PM. The perp(s) would have had to jump the fence to get the bike.

Bicycle was locked to a street sign. The street sign has been removed from the ground.

So, my bike was stolen a few weeks ago from my locked basement storage room. Right when I noticed it was missing, I called the police and looked for the bike on craigslist. To my surprise, it was for sale less the 12 hrs after it was stolen, although using a generic photo for the craigslist posting. Realizing quickly that the detective wasn't even going to return my calls, I set up a time to go see the bike with a friend and sure enough it was mine. Shortly after viewing it, I approached the seller about it being a stolen bike. He said his friend gave it to him as a trade because he was owed some money, so I would have to pay off his debt to get it back. I negotiated down a bit and after a week and a few hundred dollars, I got my bike back. I immediately moved it up to my 3 season storage space connected directly to my apartment which, including the gate to enter the property, had three locked doors between the general public and my bike. Unfortunately, I learned shortly after the bike disappeared for a second time, that these locks are pickable. I hadn't even ridden the bike again since I got it back the first time, so this is no doubt some kind of a racket. The thief knew I got my bike back and returned to steel it again. The bike means a lot to me since it was purchased weeks after my best friend passed away in a bike accident on Western and Logan in 2008. I've accepted that I wont see it again (and if I do, it's a great bonus), but hope that sharing this story informs others to be very careful about what to do with your bike once getting it back from a theft.

Was parked outside a Walmart over on Diversey Ave. Dad went in, came out an hour later, no bike.

don't know if someone from building cause gate is locked or if someone hopped the gate.

don't know if it was a person in my building or someone hopping the gate to get to the bikes...but 4 bikes stolen in all.

Bike was locked with cable and u-lock to a push mower in my garage. Garage door was open. Thief disassembled the lawn mower to remove bicycle.

My friend saw a black man with a dark coat riding off on my bike west on 33rd street. It was stolen from Illinois Institute of Technology

I had locked the bike (including the tire) as usual. Normally I bring my bike in, but I didn't and fell asleep early. This morning it was gone. Unfortunately I don't have a picture, but the right speed will only go up to 6/7, and is very difficult to go down to lower speed. Right brake (rear) is much more loose than left.

bike was on porch with other bikes at residence, locked gate to yard on first floor. bikes on thired follr porch

I locked my bike up at 6pm on November 25th, 2013 with a U-lock attached through the frame to a street sign. The tires were locked to the bike with Pinhead locks. The street sign was cut in half in order to remove the bicycle- the lock was gone as well. I discovered the bike missing and the street sign cut when I went outside at 7:00am on November 26th. The bike was locked to a street sign on Plymouth Ct just south of Polk St, across the street from Bar Louie and right next to the 801 S Plymouth Ct condominium building.

Was parked very near the CTA entrance

Bike was in a locked condo garage as usual. No place to lock bike to. Theft occurred sometime between 11/19/13 at 7PM and 11/20/13 at 4:15PM. Doors to the garage automatically lock when closed. Garage door automatically closes after ~30 second delay, but not everyone waits to see the door close before driving off. Residents and contractors are in and out of the building regularly, but bike has been stored like this for the past 4 months without incident.

No tampering evident with lock on basement door. Presume other member of the association accidentally did not close the door.