How to spot a stolen bike?

[EventHorizon]

So ive just phoned a gumtree advert & the guy starts yaking on about how he's actually got 3 bikes for sale, they are all similar yet he hardly rides at all.

Just a wee bit suspicious as he's from the inner city & doesn't sound like a cyclist at all. How do i check that a bike im looking at isn't stolen?

[Gingerbread Man]

When I was a wee lad. You could get bikes security marked. But I've not heard of it for years.

I'd say that there was no real way to know

[matt 74]

Sus the seller out, go to their home address and meet them in person usually does the trick in 30secs I find!

Wouldn't buy anything without seeing it and the owner.

[AyBee]

Without googling the frame number as well as dropping it to the police I'm not sure there is a way unfortunately but certainly sounds dodgy to me so I'd be wary!

[TwistingMyMelon]

TBH its more the seller than the bike you should watch out for, look for any signs they give away:
Not wanting to meet at own house
Having no knowledge of bikes or the bike
Being dodgy
Using the word "Bruv"

[anonymous-user]

Ask if they have any receipts/ manuals etc which come with all bikes (but tends not to come with those 'found' at a train station!)

[Birdthom]

Avoid dodgy-sounding sellers on Gumtree like the plague. I had one cost me a small deposit and a journey across the country last time I tried to buy on there. I wouldn't bother again.

[EventHorizon]

Thanks for the advice.

He did offer an address for a viewing but also used annoying towny expressions like "what it is". I'm never gona like the guy but the bike is the right price & at this time of year i dont really have much choice. A Trek 1200 went for £280 on ebay yesterday!.

[Engineer1]

Jimboka said:

Ask if they have any receipts/ manuals etc which come with all bikes (but tends not to come with those 'found' at a train station!)

But then not all legitimately purchased bikes have manuals, and reciepts can get lost or hidden to avoid the truth about how much that bike actually cost from coming out.

[Jimbo.]

"If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is..." primarily.

[anonymous-user]

adverts will be cut and paste from a retailers website
it may well be the wrong size
if you ask where he has ridden it, he will reply down the local woods and not name a trail centre etc
he wont know about the upgrades fitted or why
does he look like a cyclist, ie have cycling stuff lying around the house or garage
if you quiz him about parts replaced, he will say something like "dont know, havent had it long, bought it off a mate...."

you should be able to tell within 30 seconds.

[80sMatchbox]

I bought an Allez a year ago after I found it on Gumtree, and replied to the ad 7 mins after it was first posted.

It was a good price, but it sounded a bit dodgey. He said he would meet me around the corner from where he lived, which raised suspicions.

Turns out, you can't drive down his road as it was pedestrianised. He had the original documents from when he bought it 4 mnths before from Evans, and couldn't have been nicer.

So it sounded too good to be true, but turned out legit. I had only "spoken" on text, but there were no innits or bruvs in sight. :-)