Find my stolen bicycle

Wednesday, April 1, 2009


My bicycle was stolen from my house in Old West Durham, North Carolina. I hope that someone will see it around town, and notify the police so it can be recovered. Below are more pictures and a description of the bike. Click on the picture to the right for a larger view. Details of the robbery are at the bottom.

Thank you for your help. I'm hoping that we demonstrate the power of social media!

If you see this bicycle, please call the Durham police: (919) 560-4600 Case number 09-008188

Bicycle Description

The bike is a Trek 7500 FX, with a 17.5 frame size, purchased in 2003.

When the bike was stolen, it had these features:
  • bicycle is grayish and silver, says "7500FX" on top tube
  • wheels with paired spokes
  • every spoke on both wheels has a band of reflective tape (see picture lower right)
  • rack over the rear tire
  • two black wire folding baskets on either side of the rear wheel (one is folded out in pictures)
  • one (and only one) bottle holder
  • sticker from Ultimate Bicycle at bottom of seat pole (where it had been purchased)
  • pump adapter screwed onto valve cap
  • Duke University sticker
  • pedal cages
  • no shocks
  • tires are slightly knobby
  • brakes squealed
If you see this bicycle, please call the Durham police: (919) 560-4600 Case number 09-008188

click picture for detail

Details of robbery

On Saturday evening, March 21 2009, I arrived home about 9:30 pm to find the glass in my front door broken. A light was on inside the house - this light was not on when I left. Very little in the house was disrupted. There were some drawers that had been gone through, and a canvas bag was emptied. The only things that were missing were my bicycle (serial number WW 1747739) , my iPod (JQ548JNKTXK) and a set of binoculars.

My bicycle had been in a back room, not visible at all from outside the house. It was leaning up against a friend's bicycle. Someone had taken only my bicycle (and my bicycle helmet, which was dangling from the handlebars) from the back room. The other bicycle is still there. An iPod that was on a desk was also taken (the iPod would also not have been visible from outside the house).

It appears that someone broke the glass in the front door, and reached in and opened the door, then went into the house. Because a light inside the house had been turned on, I assume that this happened after dark. I live in Old West Durham, near Ninth Street. My neighbors were also away at the time.

If you see my bicycle, please call the Durham police: (919) 560-4600 Case number 09-008188