Twin Cities Stolen Bikes
Tips and resources for preventing, reporting, and recovering stolen bikes in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN.
Buy a good lock
Good bikes aren't cheap. Prevention is the best defense. So protect your purchase and INVEST in a good lock. Cable locks are NOT good locks. Buy a U lock or something stronger. If you have questions, please visit your local bike shop. Target, Walmart, Costco, and the like are NOT bike shops.
Register your bicycle
Registering your bicycle greatly increases the chances it will be returned to you if recovered.
Consider registering your bicycle with the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Registration Database or by calling Minneapolis 311. You might also consider registering your bike with other databases and/or recovery services as well.
Minneapolis Bicycle Registration
311 Bicycle Registration Page
Bike Index
bikeindex.org
Bike Register
bikeregister.com
Bike Shepherd
bikeshepherd.org
National Bike Registry
nationalbikeregistry.com
Report stolen bikes to the police
Report the theft immediately to the Minneapolis Police Department by calling 311 or visiting your local precinct to make your report. If your bicycle was stolen as a result of a break-in within your home or garage, call 911 to report the burglary.
Minneapolis Police Department
Bicycle Theft Web Page
Report stolen bikes to social media
Social media is a fantastic way to tap the local bike community. Here are some helpful tips (from the TCBC Facebook Group):
Step 1 – Post good photos of the bike(s). This will make your bike easier to spot when people are looking through the page. Post the “STOLEN” photo album AND to the main STOLEN feed. Post to the main feed if you don’t have pictures.
Step 2 – Describe your bike in full detail. Always list brand and color. It needs to be typed in to be searchable. Links are not searchable. Many bikes are similar or mass produced and are identical. If you have updated the bike with a new saddle, pedals or anything else make note of it so people can tell if they have truly located your bike.
Step 3 – Let people know where it was stolen from. If a certain location is starting to become a hot spot for theft we will be able to tell by the posts.
Step 4 – DO NOT POST your bike’s serial number. That is for you and your bike shop to know. How to find it before your bike gets stolen: https://bikeindex.org/serials
Twin Cities Stolen Bikes (TCSB)
Facebook Group
Stolen Bike MPLS
Twitter Profile
Use the Web to search for stolen bikes
In addition to the stolen bike recovery databases (above), be sure to scour the Web for those places that bike thieves are known to unload their goods.
Craigslist
minneapolis.craigslist.org
Offer Up Now
offerupnow.com
Bike Index (Instagram)
instagram.com/bikeindex
Local Bike Trader
localbiketrader.com
Did you find a stolen bike online?
Here are some helpful tips (from the TCBC Facebook Group):
Take a screen capture of the entire posting. These posts sometimes “disappear” and are flagged for removal, which makes them really difficult to find.
Contact the original poster.
Send the info to the police.
Minneapolis Police Department
Bicycle Theft Web Page
Twin Cities Stolen Bikes (TCSB)
Facebook Group