Stolen Bike Part 2: Recovered for different reasons than I thought!

I was wrong about why my bike was recovered. My theory was “too deep,” according to the police. 🙂 The reality was simpler. I didn’t get the full story initially, and I filled in the blank with excessively elaborate assumptions (silly brain). Specifically, I thought maybe the thieves abandoned it because they realized they couldn’t take it apart, thanks to secure wheel bolts. Not so much.

What actually happened:

Officers approached two men injecting drugs in an alley off Granville Street in downtown Vancouver (about a 30m ride from where the bike was stolen). My bike was lying on the ground beside them, but they didn’t claim ownership. The officers correctly judged that it was stolen and took it away.

“It’s mostly a myth that thieves only care about parts. Almost all bike thefts in Vancouver are simple crimes of opportunity committed by junkies,” the officer explained to me when I claimed my bike at the property depot. “They sell the whole thing for $50 to someone higher up the food chain. Maybe they ride it around for a couple days first. Junkies need transportation too. [laughs] Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“We recover several stolen bikes every night. Recovery isn’t rare. It’s just rare to get them back to their owners. You’re getting yours back because you actually knew your bike’s serial number. Most people don’t.”

So I now actually have it back. And it’s in perfect condition, every component and accessory present, including a couple pricey ones. Amazing.