one less car news

Happy Friday...

Got this info from our friends over at the Chainlink (.org) in their weekly newsletter today & thought I'd share it with our readers too, even though I REALLY hate to bite, but this is important stuff!!! And even though this was written for Chicago riders, it's still chock full of great advice. Also, almost every town has a bike registry, and it's always wise to register your bike.

Personally, back in the late 80's, my GT Pro Performer got swiped, and even though it was registered, it was never recovered (and that was also when I personally started to lose faith in the police, even though I know now that MOST bikes ARE NOT RECOVERED). There's still a hole in my heart where that bike fits.
I'd love to get another one just because... if I ever came across it & had the extra cash... hot pink with Skyway Mags... straight dope...straight DOPE! ...and straight jacked. Adios.
I found it in our paper for $200 with the mags & the spoked wheelset too... It was a dream come true.

What to do if Your Bike is Stolen

Your bike is stolen and you want it back. One place in Chicago where stolen bikes have been spotted is the Swap O Rama at 4100 S. Ashland. If you do decide to check out the swap for your stolen bike, here are some pointers:

Be safe: Watch your surroundings, go with at least 1 other person (ideally someone who has been there before), trust your instincts.

Bring documentation: Copy of your police report, or police report number, copy of your receipt (if you have it), pictures of the bike, pictures of you with the bike, a detailed description of the bike.

Don't buy back a stolen bike: If it is yours, this isn't necessary. Paying rewards theft!!!

Act casual: Everyone does this differently. Sellers with stolen property may pack up if they think they are going to be busted. More than likely, you can identify your bike from a distance.

Check booths, the aisles where some people roll around bikes and also the parking lot. Bikes can be in many locations in the swap and can move around...

If you see your bike:
- Don't talk to the seller or ask any questions.
- Have at least 1 person keep an eye on the bike.
- Have someone else call 911.
-Take the police to your stolen bike and have them check the serial number or other verifying details.
-Confronting with official assistance will minimize risk to yourself.

Know that hundreds of bikes (and parts) are stolen annually in Chicago (and everywhere else), however only a small number are recovered.
-Do what you can, but don't beat yourself up if you aren't one of the lucky ones.
-Don't forget to check Craigslist. It may be listed there as well.

If you are interested in getting involved in a concerted effort to recover stolen bikes and fight bike theft, check out Chainlink Bike Theft Task Force. More tips, tricks and the additional write-ups on the latest stolen bike recovery story can also be found at : Checklist for Bike Ownership, Balloon Biker, Active Tran's Blog and Let's Go Ride A Bike.

---Thanks Chainlink!

Going to try & get a review or two up over the weekend- been kind of a crazy week to say the least... Glad it's the weekend!!!

Cheers!

Brandon

So we're back from our tour. We had to cut it shorter than what we had originally planned, but still had a really rad adventure! We managed to pedal just under 300 miles in a few days! Pictured below are our bikes loaded up (roughly 50 lbs. each!) and resting in the fine city of Milwaukee.
Cole rode his Surly Long Haul Trucker that he's had for a few years now, and I rode the Raleigh Sojourn that they sent in for review. Both bikes performed great and luckily had no serious mechanical problems- not even a single flat!

We did have a couple problems though- the cleat on one of Cole's Shoes completely ripped out. Gone. And sorry SKS/Raleigh, but whatever model fenders came on this year's Sojourn are half crap- I say half because the rear fender is great. The front fender, however, isn't so great. It just didn't want to stay on. I'll report more in the review this week on that. We'll also report more on our tour later on this week!

Pictured below, besides what looks like a total mess in the background, looking bigger than Traitor's PBR Ringleader and sticking out in front is the world's largest bmx bike: SE's 29" Big Ripper (with retro pad set)!!! Very similar to the flagship P.K. Ripper, but with 29's!!! Big, big fun. More on that soon too!

This week is gonna be a good week over here! We've got a ton of reviews coming up, and we're gonna stay on top of things and have some up Wednesday...

Then Friday we're gonna start posting bike stories- i explained it all a post or three back- check it- but basically we're trading stickers for your stories! We've got a few so far (your stickers will be in the mail soon- promise!) and I'm excited to start those!

Cole JUST made it back to Chicago today after our trip & then he stayed to build more Bates Crates! I'm still at home in northern Michigan where our trip ended.

I'm about to go downstate for the day & can't remember if I took the sale down or not & don't have time to look. If shirts are still $15.00, get them at that price while you can, because they won't be that cheap for long!

Til then, ride fast & ride hard!

Brandon