I might be riding a stolen bike. Advice needed

[Sam the Eagle]

long story short: I stopped at Ev*ns on the way home to buy a tube and asked about a potential repair, and from talking to the guy who looked at my bike I have reasons to believe that the bike I'm riding at the moment might be a stolen bike
Well I am shocked though I guess I shouldn't as I found it on Gumtree and bought it in a hurry so it's not that surprising after all.
What shall I do? Report it to the cops and ask for them to check their database I guess? I'm gonna go through my phone bill tonight, with a bit of luck I'll should be able to find the guy's number and help catch the b*st*rd.
Meanwhile, any advice would be much appreciated

 

[tmcd35]

If you believe it is stolen then you MUST report it to the police. IF it is stolen then it is legally someone elses property and should be returned to it's rightful owner. Having had a number of bikes stolen, 2 this year - 1 brand new, I know what it feels like to walk to the shed to find your set of wheels missing.

Hopefully the bikes not stolen and you have nothing to worry about. But if it is then I do hope you can find the b*st*rds number so the police can sort him out good and proper!

 

[Gerry Attrick]

What is the connection between stopping at Evans and the belief you have a stolen bike?

 

[Sam the Eagle]

What is the connection between stopping at Evans and the belief you have a stolen bike?

just what the guy said to me in the shop. Looks like I made the no-so-long story too short -now rectified

 

[Gerry Attrick]

just what the guy said to me in the shop. Looks like I made the no-so-long story too short -now rectified

Ah, that clears that up then

 

[Crackle]

Yes, report your suspicions to the police, you might be wrong. I'm still no clearer as to why you think it's stolen.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I'm guessing the frame number has been ground off.

So yes, report to the police. Chances are an insurance claim has been made and, unless it's a very expensive bike, the insurance company will sell it to you for a nominal amount.

 

[Sam the Eagle]

sorry I should have explained. It has some damage on the rear stays which apparently could have been caused by someone forcing a lock, and more importantly it had a locking skewer on the front wheel (a bit daft of me, I didn't know those things existed and I thought it was just the quick release lever missing -doh!). The serial number is clear though so who knows. Haven't had a chance to go to the cops yet but will as soon as I can.
Thanks for the advice

 

[summerdays]

Why is having a locking skewer on the front wheel so important - its just a security feature that you can add to reduce the chances of your wheel being stolen. I've got them on my bike - won't stop it from being stolen but at least I don't have to worry about someone opening a quick release to get my wheels.

 

[palinurus]

I guess the implication is that most of us would sell the bike with a regular QR fitted or with the key for the locking skewer included.

 

[summerdays]

I guess the implication is that most of us would sell the bike with a regular QR fitted or with the key for the locking skewer included.

I suspect I would forget I only remember to carry it on me by putting the key in my puncture repair kit. Its kind of been a once fitted, forgotten all about!! Hopefully they would arrive by car and want to take off the wheel to get it in the car to remind me to include it!

 

[Crankarm]

How much did you pay for this bike? Surely you would have made checks of the bike like frame number, damage and the locking front skewer and sussed out the seller before you purchased? No sympathy I'm afraid. You believed only what you wanted to believe when you bought it turing a blind eye to these obvious signs. Evans have caught you out. Naughty, naughty, tut, tut . Good on the guys at Evans.

 

[summerdays]

How much did you pay for this bike? Surely you would have made checks of the bike like frame number, damage and the locking front skewer and sussed out the seller before you purchased? No sympathy I'm afraid. You believed only what you wanted to believe when you bought it turing a blind eye to these obvious signs. Evans have caught you out. Naughty, naughty, tut, tut . Good on the guys at Evans.

Crankarm - that implies a knowledge of bikes and what to look for. To be honest I don't know if I would of spotted the locking front skewer (and I've got them on my bikes so I do know what they look like) and slight damage to the frame. When someone newish returns to cycling and asks for advice they are often told to look for second hand. And yet their mechanical knowledge may be fairly low. I think I would now be fairly happy looking over a second hand bike and able to see major problems but that's a couple of years down the road. That was the reason I didn't buy second hand as I didn't know what I was looking for and didn't want the chance of buying a stolen bike.

After all the guy had gone to Evans to ask about a repair, so potentially not someone who is completely at home fettling with a bike.

So unlike some of the above posters, you do have my sympathy. Hopefully as they say speak to the police and maybe you can sort out the ownership properly.