Getting My Bike Back: A Three Year Recovery Story

In June 2010, my dream to live on the West Coast finally came true. Moving from Montreal to Vancouver meant that I could now ride all the North Shore trails that I had been watching in videos for years. Selling my cross-country bike allowed me to pick up a nearly-new 2009 Specialized SX Trail off a fellow Pinkbiker who wasn't getting any use out of his bike. The next few months were spent hunting for upgrades online until I finally had it built up just like I wanted. The SX and I rode the Whistler Bike Park, Squamish loam, North Shore roots and rocks, and SFU tech trails, just like I had always wanted.


With plans to hit up Fromme after work with a friend on a sunny September afternoon, my new ride was secured on my rack on the back of my truck. When I finally got outside to head out, I was gutted to find that my bike had been torn off my bike rack and stolen in broad daylight. The RCMP was notified immediately and a file was created, but I knew that my chances of ever seeing my bike again were slim.

A tip from Pinkbike user over a year after the theft led me to a trailer park in Surrey where someone was trying to sell my ride through a Craigslist ad. Despite my best efforts, the thieves got away and I now expected my bike to be at the bottom of a trash compactor or in parts on its way across the border.

Fast forward to December 2013. A voicemail was left on my cell phone one Saturday afternoon and the message indicated that once again, a fellow Pinkbiker had apparently seen a bike that resembled my SX Trail on Craigslist. When I called this guy back to find out more, he indicated that not only had he recognized my bike from a poster I had created back in 2010 offering a reward for a tip that led to the recovery of my bike, but he had taken it upon himself to set up a meeting with the seller already. My heart was pounding...I couldn't believe that it might still be out there in the Lower Mainland and that there was a small possibility that I could ever get it back!

After some back and forth with the seller, a meeting was set up. The Pinkbike hero who originally left me a voicemail went out of his way to drive across town to meet the seller on my behalf since I have since moved to the Okanagan. Within hours, I got a call from him telling me that the SX Trail was once again mine!

When the seller met the Pinkbike hero, he was shown the ad I had placed on Pinkbike in 2010 which had a few photos of me with my steed standing atop a Squamish peak on an epic ride. He knew the gig was up and that he had been caught selling someone else's pride and joy. No questions were asked when the bike was taken out of his hands and he was given nothing in exchange.

A few days later, I received a box at work from a courier company that contained the bike that had been stolen over 3 years ago! It was worse for wear and showed signs of neglect and abuse but it still had most of the components that I had painstakingly bought and installed in 2010.


Within a week, I got started on a restoration project that included a full disassembly, a fresh satin black powder coat, and a load of new parts. Have a look at the build-up here:


Although I am extremely happy to have my bike back, I am even more thrilled to know that there are selfless people out there who will go to great lengths to right the wrongs of others and make this world a better place.

Thank you so much for all your help Pinkbike users. You've rekindled my belief that karma does exist and works in mysterious ways, and I intend on paying forward your kindness and generosity by helping someone else who may have lost hope of recovering their stolen ride too.

Big shout out to TBS Bike Parts, Sovereign Cycle, Cycle Path Kelowna, and Falcon Powder Coating for all of their help with this restoration project.

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