Specialized Expedition
What happened
I first locked up my bike on June 29th – prior to this I did not have a bike in Chicago. I hung it next to two other bikes (one of which has been there without a lock for weeks) in a nook underneath back stairs at the far end of the alley, completely out of view from the alleyway. I locked up the bike with a metal chain looped through a hole in the wooden frame, and used a combination padlock through the front tire. I then used a combination U-lock that locked the bike frame to the front tire. According to the security footage, a man walked down the alley at 3:35am and seemed to know exactly where the bikes were stored. He went back to his car and grabbed a tool to cut the lock or chain, and returned at 3:38. By 3:40 you can see him removing the bike, and at 3:42 he drives away. Given that my bike was hanging there for less than 48 hours, out of view of any passersby, it appears that this was a targeted theft with the thief having prior knowledge of where to find the bikes and going after mine specifically. This is corroborated by the fact that there was another bike right next to it that was easier to steal (no lock) and several Amazon packages also right next to it that would have been equally easy to steal.
Bike details
- Type
- Cruiser / Comfort Bike
- Color
- Grey/Silver
- Condition
- Good condition with some very minor aesthetic damage to the frame. It has a circular mirror attached to the left handle that has a crack in it, a small light attached to the handlebars, and a black rear rack. It also has a kickstand.
Theft circumstances
- Date
- Jun 30, 2025
- Lock type
- Cable w/ Padlock
- Locked to
- Locked to a wooden pole, railing, or fence.
- How locked
- Other situation, please describe below.
- How defeated
- Lock is missing, along with the bike.
- Duration
- 36 hours
- Area
- Alley or side passageway.