Sports Then and Now

Has your bike been stolen? Stolen bikes are difficult to track, and the police rarely prioritize bike theft. So should you simply give up just because it is hard to find your stolen bike? Well, there is no need to stay helpless. A little determination greatly increases your chances of getting your bicycle back. This checklist on how to track a stolen bike will help you during the stressful situation.

1.     Notify the police

Perhaps you think that it is pointless to notify the police but sometimes stolen bicycles are recovered. If you do not have proper documentation, it will be difficult for the police to return the bike to you even if it is yours. Theft reports also help the police to know how and where to allocate their resources, increasing the probability of succeeding in their crackdown. Make sure you have all the required information such as its serial number, description, and photo.

2.     Set up alerts

The internet is a powerful tool you can rely on to find your stolen bike. Be sure to post a picture of your bike on Twitter and Facebook because people like sharing such messages quickly. You can still set up numerous Google alerts containing information that matches your bicycle to get alerts when your bicycle turns up for sale online. You can also get alerts from local auction sites and eBay on bikes that match yours.

3.     Spread the word on your social networks

Other than sharing your story and image about the bike theft on specialist sites, you should also share the same details on your social networks. The more you spread the word, the more you are likely to get some information. When sharing the post make sure that your privacy settings are set to public, and use hashtags particularly on Twitter and Instagram. You can include a hashtag of your city name or town so that more relevant people can see your information.

4.     Check local pawnshops, second-hand stores, and flea markets

Your beloved bike can easily end up at any place where used bicycles are sold. Consider checking out all the stores in your home city as well as in the surrounding cities. Do this frequently because bicycles sell quickly. Be sure to do the same with the online second-hand stores in your city and country. Never confront the seller directly when you find the bike since they may react violently. Instead, seek the help of the police and bring a picture of your bike as well as the police report you filed to prove you are the property owner, and then reclaim it. Even if the seller did not steal the bike, they could claim that the bike is theirs or ask for compensation.

5.     Use tracking devices

Had you installed tracking devices on your bike? They make it easy to locate as well as lock your bike. As such, ensure that you have trackers installed on your bike after you buy it –it will eliminate the hassle of looking for a stolen bike manually without a clue of where it could be.

It can be inevitable to lose your bike. When it happens, do not panic, follow the above tips and you can rest assured that you will get your bike.