Last Wednesday was an exciting day for us in the shop– we helped recover a stolen bike! Thanks to Bike Index tweeting photos of the bike’s distinctive features, one of our employees recognized the bike when it walked through the door, and we were able to return it to its owner. Abra came in later that day for the happy reunion.  Bike Index tweeted us this photograph afterwards. We were thrilled to return this sweet ride to its owner.

Like most big cities in the states, bike theft has become an unfortunate reality of Portland life. The National Bike Registry reports that bike theft has climbed around 10% in the US the last year. Bike theft is a notoriously difficult crime to both trace and prosecute. The best tool in the game, prevention-wise is a pair of anti-theft skewers on both wheels in combination with a sturdy U-Lock. The mini Kryptonite Evolution is our favorite for this purpose– it’s sturdy, and small enough that it’s tough to pry open with a car jack, which we’ve been seeing with increasing frequency around the city.

Should the worst happen, Bike Index is our best friend for stolen bike recovery. It’s also important to file a police report as soon as you are aware that your bike is missing. By registering your bike through bike index and reporting to PPD, you provide proof of ownership to shops like ourselves. The folks over at Bike Index are also experts at getting the word out to the community, which translates to more eyes out for your bike. We’re fortunate to live in a community that takes bike theft seriously, and when a bike is reported missing, shops all around the city keep our eyes open on your behalf. Most recoveries that we hear about on a day-to-day basis are the result of these community watch strategies. Happy endings like Abra’s are rare in circumstances without adequate documentation or verifiable information, so we’re in the practice of keeping a few photos and current info on all of our bikes just in case.

Meanwhile, we hope you can ride with confidence, knowing what you can do to prevent theft, and knowing that we’ve got your back when things go wrong!