How to Get My Stolen Bicycle Back?

It’s easy to give in to anger and despair upon discovering you bicycle has been stolen. But do not let that feeling of helplessness control you; if you act quickly and follow the below steps, there may still be a chance to recover your stolen bicycle. Your faith in humanity may take a few extra steps to repair.

1. File a police report. Whether an officer comes to you or you go into the station, give the police the make, model, and serial number of the stolen bicycle. Also provide any pictures you have of the bike and inform the officer of any video cameras in the area that may have seen the act.
2. Register the stolen bike with Bike Index, safebikes.org, or any other local recovery site. Make sure to include as many details as possible about your bike, such as the make, model, any stickers, dents, or other identifying marks.
3. Post on social media. Put a picture up of the bike with a description and a call for help. Ask your friends to repost the picture. The more people see the post, the more eyes you will have looking out for your ride.
4. Set up a Google alert for your bike. When similar bikes show up for sale online, then the google alert may notify you.
5. Check on Craigslist, pawn shops, bike shops, or other likely places to sell a bike. If you think you’ve found your bike, do not try to recover it yourself. Instead, call the police and let them get it back for you.

If you are acting preemptively, and still have your bike, go now and write down the serial number. Registering the serial number in the police report or the recovery sites will greatly increase your chances of getting the bike back.