My "Frek" was stolen last night...

Steve Frey

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Dec 2, 2015, 2:20:51 PM12/2/15

to 650b

My customized and 650b converted 1982 Trek 311 was stolen out of my garage in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle last night. It's a pretty recognizable bike, so if you see it on Craigslist, eBay or riding around somewhere, please give me a shout.

Here's what it looks like:

A smart thief (thankfully there aren't many of those) would probably remove the "FREK" decals, but the bike would still be very recognizable with its 650b wheels, brazed-on Dia Compe centerpull brakes, custom front rack, and a host of other braze-ons and modifications that you won't find on your standard 1980s Trek.

This bike probably isn't worth a lot on the open market since most people wouldn't know what to make of it, but I have a ton of personal investment in it (mostly time), so I'd sure love to get it back.

Thanks,

Steve

Gartenmeister

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Dec 2, 2015, 2:49:32 PM12/2/15

to 650b

Wow, that is a really cool bike. Sorry for your loss.

Nick Favicchio

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Dec 2, 2015, 3:20:02 PM12/2/15

to 650b

Yours was an inspiration for my build :(. I looked at your pictures a bunch. So sorry. I tend to comb the Olympic Peninsula and Seattle CL for bikes quite a bit. I'll definitely be on the lookout.

Greg Walton

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Dec 2, 2015, 3:23:25 PM12/2/15

to Steve Frey, 650b

Steve, sorry to hear about the Frek. I'll keep an eye out on Capitol Hill. How did they get into the garage - was it unlocked or did they break in?

Greg

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Steve Frey

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Dec 2, 2015, 3:38:19 PM12/2/15

to 650b, steveja...@gmail.com

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 12:23:25 PM UTC-8, zybariver wrote:

Steve, sorry to hear about the Frek. I'll keep an eye out on Capitol Hill. How did they get into the garage - was it unlocked or did they break in?

Um, well... I'm a little embarrassed to say the garage door was open. My garage is back behind the house and not visible from the street, so I often leave it open and assume it's safe. Obviously naive assumption and I've learned my lesson.

Steve

Steve Chan

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Dec 2, 2015, 5:00:59 PM12/2/15

to Steve Frey, 650b

That's a really nice conversion! I hope you manage to recover it.

You might consider posting the bike as stolen on Craigslist sites up/down the coast. I think I read that there was a bike theft ring in the Bay Area that would move the bikes down to LA for resale.

On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 11:20 AM, Steve Frey <steveja...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Mark Guglielmana

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Dec 2, 2015, 5:23:45 PM12/2/15

to 650b

I remember seeing you post that before. Knowing that there are those that steal in Seattle and sell in Portland, and vice versa, I'll keep my eyes out for it.

Mark Guglielmana

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Dec 2, 2015, 5:25:43 PM12/2/15

to 650b

Man, thought I'd found it, then noticed it was you posting on our local CL...

Peter Adler

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Dec 2, 2015, 7:22:44 PM12/2/15

to 650b, steveja...@gmail.com

And vice versa. This is a long-established fencing route, with multiple players at either end. Bay Area bikes that don't get stripped down and sold for parts are trucked down for resale in the LA basin, and LA bikes are trucked to the Bay Area. A Seattle><Portland theft/resale connection makes sense. I suppose Seattle><Vancouver is less likely, assuming the customs inspectors are looking in pickup truck beds when they cross the border.

One collateral advantage of Smartphone Nation is that you can check the serial number of that used bike you're about to buy in the stolen bike databases, before you hand money over to a criminal.

Peter "let's be careful out there" Adler

Berkeley, CA/USA

Tony DeFilippo

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Dec 2, 2015, 7:53:18 PM12/2/15

to 650b

Horrible news, your FREK project is a favorite of mine for conversion projects. I hope you get it back.

Tony

Steve Chan

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Dec 8, 2015, 11:39:28 AM12/8/15

to Steve Frey, 650b

It just occurred to me that you could run a search on on Search Tempest once a day or so to see if anything shows up:

http://www.searchtempest.com/search?search_string=%28frek%7Ctrek%29+vintage&category=8&Region=na&cityselect=zip&location=98101&maxDist=500&region_us=1&srchType=&hasPic=&keytype=adv&minAsk=&maxAsk=&subcat=bia

On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 11:20 AM, Steve Frey <steveja...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Mark Guglielmana

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Dec 8, 2015, 1:05:11 PM12/8/15

to 650b

I don't know why I didn't see this before, but I think we've got a suspect

Sorry, I figured a little levity might help just now...

Steve Frey

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Dec 8, 2015, 4:14:31 PM12/8/15

to 650b

Unfortunately the squirrel has a rock solid alibi. His feet don't reach the pedals. :)

William Lindsay

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Dec 8, 2015, 4:35:32 PM12/8/15

to 650b

That alibi didn't work for this guy:

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