

(Photo: A beloved De Rosa was almost reunited with its owner.(Photo: Plattyjo.com

A man from San Francisco is hoping Portlanders can help him find a bike he had stolen in 2006.

It’s a crazy story; but behind it is a guy who loves his bike and just wants to get it back.

Justin LaBo had his beloved De Rosa track bike stolen from a storage unit in San Francisco back in August of 2006. Fast forward to a few days ago and, miraculously, the bike turned up in northeast Portland. Here’s what happened according to Justin:

“Then, a few days ago, a random stranger on the San Francisco Fixed Gear message board sent me a craigslist link. It was a De Rosa, blue, same color as mine. It had the same nicks on that incredible Eddy Merckx decal. It was my bike. I emailed the seller in hopes of buying it back, but received no response. The ad has since been pulled, and the bike is gone, again.”

That was last night night.

Another friend of Justin’s relayed to me that there was a flurry of activity to try and meet the person who listed the bike on Craigslist. Friends in San Francisco found out the identity and contact information of the seller and coordinated with a friend in Portland to intercept the bike. “Unfortunately, we were seconds too late,” the friend shared via email tonight. “Subsequent attempts to contact the seller have failed.”

And just like that the bike has vanished once again.

To try and find it, Justin and his friends have put out a digital all-points-bulletin, hitting Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. They have also contacted the Portland Police Bureau, “But that’s slow going,” his friend tells me.

Keep your eyes peeled for this bike. Let’s try and make a happy ending to this sad saga.











Front Page

Bike Theft