Tips on recovering a stolen bike

Once you’re positive that your bicycle has been stolen [sure your mate’s aren’t playing a prank ? sure you didn’t move it while under the influence ?!], look around for any clues and get the facts sorted in your head. Depending on the situation, look for signs of a forced entry / lock remains / related crimes.

Spread the Word :

• Contact the police, call 101 unless it’s an emergency. They might well show a lack of interest and may not investigate much, but you’ll need their help if to recover the bike if found by other means, as well as the crime number for any insurance claims.
• Did your lock provider offer any after sale service ?
• Report your bike as stolen online, Immobilise, bikerevolution, stolenbikecardiff, Cardiff Gumtree as well as local / cycling forums.
• Post a flyer at the location it was stolen to try and get any witnesses to come forward.
• Post details on your social networking pages such as Twitter and Facebook.

Look for your bike : Both on the ground and online. Check local second hand bike outlets such as the following;

• Pawn Shops [e.g. Cash Generator] or search for ‘Pawnbrokers’ in Yell.com 
• Local Bike Shops that stock second hand bikes [use Yell.com]
• Markets / Car Boot Sales [e.g. Splott Market, Bessemer Road Market, Sully Market]
• Gumtree & eBay – set up a Google Alert

good luck,

dafydd.