Bike thieves in Oslo making headlines in the local press

This success story is about Morten who had his bike stolen, despite multiple locked doors and a level 15 lock on his bike, which represents the highest security level for bike locks. Continue reading how he was able to find his bike, perfectly parked in a bike rack and secured with a new lock.

This is Morten’s story:

“I have a Cannondale Neo Topstone Lefty Carbon 2, worth 56.000 NOK. Being a carbon gravel bike with suspension, it really covers all the areas I ride. It’s lightweight for the road and has enough suspension for some trail rides. It stands out from other bikes having only a one-sided fork.

Over the years, I have had multiple bikes stolen from me and I was not going to let this one go easy ;). I read a lot about different tracking possibilities before ending up with BikeFinder. The easy installation and app that follows with the tracker, made the difference.

When my bike got stolen, it was stored and locked in my basement while I was at my cabin in the mountains on a ski holiday. I woke up to multiple messages from BikeFinder saying that my bike had been moved. I called my neighbor who could quickly confirm that my bike had been stolen. The thieves entered the building with multiple locked doors before they cut my level 15 lock with an angle grinder which they left behind. Safety level 15 is the highest level of security among bicycle locks and in this case, it was not useful. After this, I reported the theft in the BikeFinder app. Once BikeFinder got the notification, they updated me on the best way forward to minimize battery consumption on my tracker and kept me updated on my bike's location.

I have some friends in the police department who went to the location indicated by the BikeFinder app to locate my bike. Unfortunately, I only had a GSM location back then, so the bike was probably in a basement at that time, shielding other signals. The area in which the bike was located had many large buildings so the search was difficult for the police. They didn’t find anything. Then, one day before I returned home from my cabin, the bike was in motion for a while before settling at a fixed GPS coordinate. When I returned home, I immediately went to the location. I entered the building by following a resident inside. Believing it might be in the basement, I searched for an access point downstairs, but then I spotted the bike parked in a bike rack at the rear of the building. I didn’t want to draw the thieves' attention in case they were watching, so I just strolled past the bike to confirm it was mine. The bike was secured with a significantly large lock; therefore, I contacted the police to request assistance in cutting it. It took some time before they arrived as this was not a prioritized assignment for them. However, I was able to prove ownership by presenting them the pictures and bike details I had entered in my BikeFinder app. Once the lock was cut, I rode it back home, happy to have my bike back ;).

These thieves had already been in the local newspapers (Avisa Oslo) twice for stealing several bikes in the neighborhood in the previous weeks. I recognized them right away on the security footage of my building, wearing the same blue jacket and grey pants as the other burglaries. It took them no longer than 15 seconds to break open a door with a special tool. This shows that a tracker is the best way to secure your bike, considering how easy it is to surpass doors, locks and other safety measures to steal a bike.

Since I also had bike insurance that I purchased with my BikeFinder tracker, I was able to claim the lock and the damages on my bike caused by the thieves.”

Unfortunately, the thieves remain at large for now, as they do not reside in the building where Morten's bike was located. However, given that they are likely from the surrounding area, it's only a matter of time before they are caught. In the meantime, their recent thefts are expected to feature in the newspapers. Find the newspaper articles here.