RCMP shut down controversial bike rescue business

Nov 28, 2009
by Tyler Maine  
Source: CTV News

Mounties have emptied a warehouse of bicycles belonging to a controversial cycle rescue program that claims to buy back stolen merchandise from thieves in New Westminster, B.C. Members of the North Vancouver RCMP's Property Crime Section removed 153 bikes - many of them high end - from the suburban facility November 14.

More details inside,ctvbc.ca

Cpl. Marlene Morton said a high number of bike thefts in North Vancouver led them to the facility. The bikes are now in a North Vancouver warehouse. The detachment is asking victims of bike theft to review its list of recovered bikes. (view list below)

If you believe your bike is on the list, send an email to nvstolenbikes@rcmp-grc.gc.ca with the make, model, colour and any unique markings.

No charges have been laid. Morton said their priority is reuniting the bikes with their rightful owners. Morton said bike theft is increasing in North Vancouver. Her own $2,000 bike was stolen from her driveway after leaving it unattended for 10 minutes. "It can happen so fast."


Helping or hurting?

CTV News previously reported the man who operates the New Westminster warehouse is Gordon Blackwell, the owner of Bike Rescue, a controversial program that reunites stolen bikes with their owners.

Blackwell, who has a criminal record for fraud in Ontario, was handed a cease and desist order by New Westminster bylaw officers in June, after the city learned he did not have a business permit to operate the business.

His program claims to have returned 256 stolen bikes, finding the stolen merchandise by scouring the internet for "too good to be true bike deals," and purchasing them back from thieves. He tries to reunite the bike with its original owner but resells the bikes when he can't find them. Several people have discovered him selling their stolen bikes from his warehouse.

A day after his warehouse was emptied by police, Blackwell wrote a blog post on bikerescue.org saying he'd turned over all of the bikes in his New Westminster facility, as well as additional lockers in Coquitlam.

"Now, the RCMP have effectively ended any chance of the program restarting as I am left with a debt load of over $20,000 and no means to recover that unless they choose to return the hundred of bikes that will clear their vetting process."

Blackwell said he shut down the Bike Rescue program September 30, although he "continued on a very limited basis to investigate a few more bikes." He thanked anyone who had been involved in the program.

"Those who have had bikes returned to them, supporters, and critics, thank you for raising the awareness level of the epidemic plague that bike theft is in our region. I hope that some one will in some way be able to pick up where I have left off and do a more effective job."

Ongoing investigation

Bike Rescue has been investigated by several Metro Vancouver law enforcement agencies, including the Vancouver and New Westminster Police forces.

Last spring, cyclist Bryan Powell told CTV News he found his stolen Rocky Mountain bike for sale at Blackwell's warehouse, where the cyclist says he tried to sell him his own bike back for $1,000. Powell called police and Blackwell gave up the bike.

In 2008, the city of Coquitlam discovered Blackwell was operating his bike business out of a storage locker. RCMP later went in and seized dozens of stolen bikes.


Bikes Currently Held by North Vancouver RCMP – Property Crime Unit:

.243 Racing 4130 Chromoly

Argon 18 Radon

Brodie Bandit
Brodie Diablo
Brodie Dynamo
Brodie Energy
Brodie Holeshot
Brodie Rocket

Cannondale Caad 9
Cannondale F5
Cannondale F8
Cannondale Gemini
Cannondale Gemini 900
Cannondale Moto
Cannondale Profit
Colnago Olympic

Cove G-Spot
Cove Handjob
Cove Hustler
Cove Stiffee

Devinci 3Flat
Devinci Cactus
Devinci District
Devinci F.2
Devinci Hucker X
Devinci Kicker
Devinci Phantom
Devinci Remix
Devinci XC

Eastern EC70

Gary Fisher Cake2
Gary Fisher Opie
Gary Fisher Wahoo


Giant Aluxx 6000
Giant NRS2
Giant OCR
Giant OCR3
Giant Truvatie
Giant VTThree
Giant XTC
Giant XTC2
Giant Yukon

Gitane Pegasus

Haro Gomez

Jamis Aragon
Jamis Dakar Sport
Jamis Durango

Kona Bear
Kona Caldera
Kona Coil Air
Kona Coiler
Kona Cowan
Kona Dew Deluxe
Kona Dew Plus
Kona Five-0
Kona Hoss
Kona Jake
Kona King Kikapu
Kona Kula
Kona Lisa HT
Kona Mary SS
Kona Pahoe-hoe
Kona Panoehoe
Kona Scrap
Kona Shred
Kona Stinky
Kona Stuff
Kona Stuff Jr

Lemond Nevada City

Marin Bobcat Trail

Norco 125
Norco 64
Norco Atomic
Norco Bigfoot
Norco CCX
Norco Havoc
Norco Ryde
Norco Sasquach
Norco Scrambler
Norco Storm
Norco V25
Norco VFR
Norco VPS
Norco Wolverine

OM-Flyer

Orange EVO4

Rocky Mountain 30 ETSX
Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Rocky Mountain ETSX
Rocky Mountain ETS-X70
Rocky Mountain Monster
Rocky Mountain RC50
Rocky Mountain Solo
Rocky Mountain Soul
Rocky Mountain Whistler 50

Santa Cruz Camillion
Santa Cruz Juliana SL

Specialized Allez
Specialized Epic
Specialized Hardrock
Specialized Hardrock Pro
Specialized Mica
Specialized RH
Specialized Rockhopper
Specialized SX
Specialized XC

Trek 6700
Trek A4300
Trek Fuel
Trek Fuel 30
Trek Fuel 65
Trek Madone 4.2
Trek Soho

photo


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153 Comments
  • 27 6
 i wish the police would let the riders beat on him!
  • 18 35
flag brandonf (Nov 28, 2009 at 16:46) (Below Threshold)
 shore21, I didnt even have to open your profile to know you are 13. Gord is a good guy and has returned tons of bikes to people. You should be banned for saying that
  • 12 15
 agreed with the above comment.
he returns stolen bikea and also spends his own money on buyint hem from thives, ide only hoep if my biek got stole sum1 would do that for me?
  • 9 7
 callums think about it... it doesnt really make sense does it? his business would be a business to lose himself money... hmm sounds too good to be true if you ask me.. i bet he's the one stealing them
  • 8 3
 freebord did you read it?

It was a pretty smart run business if you ask me.
He made it look like he's doing the 'right thing' by buying and returning stolen bikes to their owners, but in reality he was A) breaking the law under possession of stolen property and B) reselling the stolen property if he couldn't find the rightful owner. Which is then where his money came from to all him to make profit.

This guys 50/50 if you ask me...a very smart businessman aswell. Fair play on returning bikes etc etc...but come on, trying to take law into your own hands (to an extent) isnt the smartest.
  • 8 1
 did you read that he was previously convicted of fraud? I think he's a clever thief/con-man trying to make a quick buck.. it's not that hard to lie to look like a good person and keep yourself out of trouble/jail
  • 5 1
 absolutely agree with you freebord and Giant-rider-sam. Smart business but so illegal and unethical in my view! Then again these bikes confiscated by cops will be sold at the auction for waaaaay more than they are worth! i witnessd this myself at Ableauction.
  • 4 1
 This guy is in possesion of known stolen property, he should have probably worked a deal with the police as an informant, to get the bikes back to there rightful owners, he has fraud charges in ontario as it is said, so he probably knows loop holes to get around the issue, he's just a piece of garbage trying to profit from the misfortunes of others.
  • 1 3
 brandonf im pretty sure that you're just another 15 year old who doesn't understand this guy would buy bikes off theifs, find the owner so they could buy their bikes back, while still making a profit. so you could get your bike back from this guy but not without paying for it.
  • 3 6
 i had my bike recovered by gord, and i can personally attest that he didn't solicit me to pay for the recovery, personally i think its an example of the cops not giving a former criminal a second chance in the world. go read his website and you'll get a better understanding of what he does instead of being a 12 y/o and commenting on a story u don't know a lick of background about.
  • 3 1
 when you had your bike 'recovered' were you not at all interested in finding out from Gord who sold him your bike. i know i would be. this system dosnt work because the criminals arnt getting punished. if he was giving the bikes back and telling the owners where to find the scumbag.... that would be a different story and ppl might have a little more faith in him.
  • 3 0
 instead of buying the bikes off a theif would you not use the gathered infomation to turn the theif over to the police instead. he is just recycling his trade. buying a bike of someone he know has stolen it and leaving it at that. allowing theifs to carry on and allowing himself to carry on. how long does he give it before reselling these so called recovered bikes. totally dodgy to me. yip, he may have reunited alot of guys with their bikes, but that is probably just to give him a good PR to cover up the bigger pic. just another crim in my book.
  • 2 2
 ya its not like the cops are going to do any better at least he was try to reconnect the owners all the cops are going to do is sell them in the auctions so in a fairsense he is doing better than them
  • 3 1
 this seems to have a lot of controversy, but however you look at it he has broken the law.i personally think that what he did was wrong, because it would mean i wouldn't find out who actually stole my bike, but i respect him for returning the bikes to who he knew were the rightful owners. Also to all those people using the "you're just some f*ggot 12y/o", you wouldn't even be able to find out how old that person was,because people give out false information all the time on the internet.
  • 14 2
 HOpe he gets in big trouble.
  • 12 0
 ya sounds like one evil dude... he's probably the one going around stealing them in the first place...
  • 9 1
 My bike has been stolen!!! it's a specialized hardrock sport www.pinkbike.com/photo/2486803
  • 10 0
 He lost stock on Nov14 and he's back in business on Nov15. How did he get another STOLEN bike the next day?
Before you judge Gord, you should know his history. His criminal past in Ontario. His claims of buy stolen bikes from Vancouver's east side and driving them 2 municipals away for storage/store front. Claiming to work with the local police forces. Too bad the police are in denial of any cooperation and when they do appear it is to seize the bikes. If you been on his web site, it never appears as if has more then a few at any time. Wait he had 153 bikes siezed. All the bikes are brand named and no Canadian Tire Specials. If see he posting on your bike bikes, you need the police to recover it. (I have experiece in this)
  • 7 0
 I dunno i personally don't think hes legit. Who knowingly purchases stolen bikes in effort to return them, however if nobody comes to claim them, he sells them. Obviously turning over the stolen bikes for even more money that he had initially purchased them. He stated that he worked with the cops, but the cops denied any contact with him.

At the same time, if his services were offered in a form like, tell us what your bike is where it was stolen from, you could have anybody just saying oh yeah thats my bike bla bla bla. but i guess if there are serials + unique marks that would be the only thing from some random scammer scaming this scam artist.

Say that 15 times.
  • 17 0
 buying back bikes from thieves is like giving ransom money to kidnappers...it only encourages thieves to steal more bikes. I'm not one to point fingers, but something fishy is going on there...And why are bikes getting stolen so much up in Canada? Don't you lock up your bikes?
  • 3 0
 So true and ya lock up your bikes!!who cares if your bikes a bike from wall mart or a 5000$ dh bike just lock it up
  • 5 0
 my friend got his bike back from this guy off of bike resuce.. O_o
  • 1 9
flag eatdirtsleepridens (Nov 29, 2009 at 8:14) (Below Threshold)
 This guy is doing a service to the bike community, check him out on here and on his website. You wouldnt be saying the things your saying about him if you didnt know what he does, he returns the bikes to people and if they dont claim it then hes left with a "stolen" bike then he would sell it just to break even. There wouldnt be much money in this business especially with all the time commitment but into it, and the fact that the bikes he buys from the criminals get returned to their owners, taking money out of his pocket to do that.
  • 9 0
 put your bike in your room in a closet and sleep with a shotgun beside you Smile
  • 4 0
 I've got very mixed feelings about this. Yeah, I'd be stoked if he got my bike back. No, I wouldn't be stoked if he sold it for cash MUNEY.

edit: Although, him selling it would still be better than a f*cking thief selling it.
  • 2 0
 he aquires them by buying from the theives...
  • 3 8
flag eatdirtsleepridens (Nov 29, 2009 at 14:37) (Below Threshold)
 that he does but this guy doesnt deserve to be treated like a common criminal, hes doing a favour for the biking community by getting back bikes from the people who orginally stole them. If someone claims the bike from him he gives it to them, if they dont then he sells them to gwet back some money that he bought the bike from the theif with. I dont care how many negative props i get for this but at least check this guy out on his website and on pinkbike to see how his business is run.
  • 2 0
 oakmtnman understands.
seriously though, buying back stolen bikes is stupid. it supports the whole idea of stealing a bike in the first place.

and maybe I just didn't understand the article enough, but what thieves are going to agree to sell a bike back to someone?
don't you think they would be suspicious of it being a set up or something?
maybe it's just me, but I think there is a lot more going on in this situation then what appears to be going on.
  • 1 1
 ya if he trys to sell you back your bike it is because he had to spend money to buy it off the person in the first place if he didnt try and chanrge you he would be losing tons of money.....
  • 1 0
 and that's why it's stopped. because the cops kept giving people back there bikes because it's ridiculous to charge someone for there own bike regardless of what they paid to get it back.
  • 3 0
 Gord is wrong because

#1. He buys the bikes from thieves yet does not turn the thieves into the police
#2. Look at how many bikes they found, how many thieves does he know?
#3. He might be the one stealing bikes, that way he never has to pay any money to the said 'thieves'
#4. He makes his business look legit by giving back only a few bikes that have been stolen
  • 1 0
 well there is really 2 sides positive and completely negative but he aian has no proof that they are thieves so really nobody can prove anything
  • 2 0
 On his website he claims he never buys stolen bikes(that is illegal), yet how does he return stolen bikes to owners? It doesn't make sense. He says stolen bikes often change hands rapidly within the first few days, how would he know that and why does he not turn in those people associated with the purchase. Out of over 300 bikes he has recovered, only 2 arrests have been made. There's a problem right there.... he says theft is plagueing his region yet he is doing little to stop it.

And here is a quote from a website where he claims to buy stolen bikes(that is illegal!!!)
". Another choice is to purchase the bike with the full intention of returning it to the rightful owner. When a bike is purchased, I keep little if any records of the transaction for the very reason I just gave (I am not a police officer and therefore do not enjoy the protection or training they have)."

Why would he keep little if any records of where he bought it? Because it is illegal, and so he cannot be charged for buying stolen possesions.
  • 8 0
 Hey I went to go visit Bike Rescue one day to check out a sale and he was on the phone THREE times in 30min telling the caller that "You know you're not supposed to call me during the day". And his mechanics/henchmen/crackheads were on site to explain why the wheels were rubbing the swingarms. Basically almost every bike there was a Frankenbike. A million mismatched parts on each bike to make them as unidentifiable as possible. Racket. Supply and Demand. And he's creating employment and a job to theives.
  • 7 1
 Jesus, those are not mid level bikes also. Man. Good work to Canadian LE on that one. And people say they hate cops. Wait until people start getting their expensive bikes back... then who gets thanked for it... the cops. Good work boys. Law enforcement world wide is tipping their hats to you. Cheers!
  • 5 7
 are you serious buddy, law enforcement sits on their fat asses and does jack shit about bike thieves. they love giving out tickets for riding on the sidewalk and helmet violations though. The only reason they got involved in this is because the news got a hold of it and it was too obvious to ignore. people get bikes back because other cyclists get lucky enough to see something odd, right place, right time shit and its all luck. I've found three stolen bikes of friends of mine, totally luck. and the pigs even tried to call me a bike thief because they couldn't believe i knew the guys bike well enough. It had the dudes name on it, full pro. they tried to say it was the model of the bike. stupid pigs!
  • 3 3
 dude big tard, for the last time, if you have nothing good to say shush yourself you effing troll.
  • 3 4
 you just read my post and that isn't anything good to say?
its on subject, its absolutely true, and i didn't disrespect anyone besides the cops.
do you dispute something i've said? if you do then justify yourself.
if not then shut the hell up.
you're just as stupid as the first time we talked when you wanted to revolutionize the whole bmx industry with 20mm axles.
  • 3 5
 Your not the one putting your life at risk for your job. Police deserve respect. It's just chumps who say eff the cops. Pull your head out of your arse and stop whining. That is all you do. Not one single post coming from you contributes, all you do is bash on people and things, cry, and throw these temper tantrums. Don't you get that no one on this site likes you. Stop trolling and leave the comments alone. Is it REALLY that hard?
  • 1 0
 in the uk the police have a policy of doing fuck all about bike theft. apparently its not a priority.
  • 3 7
flag bigtard (Nov 29, 2009 at 10:09) (Below Threshold)
 hey rffr
f*ck YOU
your stupid, everything you say is stupid
if you're not smart enough to see logic in the things i talk about, its not up to you to decide i shouldn't be here.
seriously you love cops or something?
i have respect for them doing their real jobs, solving real crimes, murder,drugs, rapists and such.
as far as bike thefts, don't seriously tell me the cops give a shit about it
  • 4 4
 Dude seriously, if you can't type like a normal adult and refrain from lashing out with a temper tantrum just stfu. That is what I was saying. All you do is throw these whiny little bitch tantrums. You are the definition of a troll. Get bent.
  • 3 3
 a troll is someone who hangs out under bridges.
i have to lash out at you because you keep saying dumb stuff. seriously
who goes out commending police on a job well done in regards to recovering stolen bikes?
who does that. cops do not work hard recovering stolen bikes. you'd have to be retarded to say that. the only reason the cops got involved is because the media has made such a big deal about that the cops couldn't ignore it any longer.
how about you stay on topic, and stop bitching about me debating with people. its what the internet is for. debating.
generally my level of respect is just fine, except with you, and a few others. because you keep saying dumb stuff.
  • 2 3
 Dude, you have 0 reason to lash how you do on the INTERNET. You think you are some sort of badass or something when in reality your just someone who obviously can't even handle themselves on the net. Maybe you should look at what a forum troll is. You are the definition of it. And it's funny you say you only bash on me and a few others, but yet, when browsing the site, you have endless worthless comments on pics, articles, videos. It's endless. All you do is whine, bitch, complain, put down, and use excessive pointless cussing. Grow up buddy and stop being a troll. There is a reason you have been suspended before. You might want to actually think about what your doing to get yourself in that position.
  • 2 2
 if you hadn't noticed, thats actually what you are doing now, to me
so piss off
Why shouldn't i be lashing out at the bike industry, its more bad than good. and you guys all just gobble it up.
you're a bike industry lover, but they're taking you for a ride buddy. when was the last time you bought something really expensive and it shit out on you in no time? then you had to wait for months on warranty when the product shouldn't have even been released in the first place.
oh maybe you haven't had that problem. because you rides bmx's and crappy old tomacs. if that bikes still lasting you. you may not be having the problems with bikes that the people i know do
its not about who i think i am, its about who i am.
kinda sick of bike industry crap, and you spracking off about crap that doesn't matter. or really dumb stuff you think should matter.
  • 2 2
 They are taking me for a ride? Look at my bike, when is the last time I have bought a trendy bike part or fad part? I have all stuff that has been proven for many years. Profile dj cranks, mag 30 rims, 888's, shivers, 9mm seat post rail'd seat.

If your sick of the bike industry either get out of biking or make your own stuff and stop complaining, not trying to go on a campaign bashing everything when you have 0 work yourself to match what these guys are doing. I don't see you trying to progress riding, I just see you bitching about stuff. If you don't like it get a machine shop and do something about it. If not buzz off.
  • 2 3
 yeah thats totally the solution isn't it you're full of all the good ideas i like to think with the right type of constructive criticism, we could change the industry for better
  • 1 0
 by the way. once again you really don't know what part i have in the industry. you can certainly speculate. but you'd probably be wrong you can't possibly think you're seeing the whole picture here on pinkbike
  • 3 0
 whoa, now that was a good little read there boys. way off the subject towards the end but i still enjoyed it.hahaha. bigretard- really if you dont like the cycle industry and what people are trying to do within it, take up skateboarding or something. rffr- good work by the law enforcement, and i have full respect for everything the law does. but it is a shame that the media had to spur them on to do something about it. most of these bikes arent cheap and it shud be more of a priority, i say. but keep up the good debating lads. good little read. lol
  • 1 0
 believe me i'd rather just ride my bike, but its become somewhat unavoidable that i'm part of this. And seriously, like i said before. i'm all over cops doing the things they do. thats all good but in b.c., they don't do jack shit about bike thefts. unless they're absolutely forced to.
  • 1 0
 well not really bigtard, you replied to rffr's comment so you engaged the debate! yeah and i agree with you that it should be abit more of a priority and its a shame that its not. but in all honesty i think its like that everywhere bro. cops dont really do fuck all in nz either unless you were mugged or something. shame really.
  • 1 0
 dudes the cops got no time to chase down stolen cars... let alone bikes... they are way to busy busting grow ops...lol
  • 1 0
 i totally agree with you bro.
  • 4 0
 I've met this guy. nice guy, looks shady though. i worked on a few of his bikes. they were all pimped out, totally mismatched, parts swapped like crazy from the tons of stolen bikes he has.

this is obviously sketchy. sure he may return a bunch of bikes. but he certainly benefits hugely himself. this is not the sort of business that an individual should be running. it should be run by a group of people like pink bike is and it should be clearly monitored by the authorities. with no one individual (or friends of this individual) benefiting.

not necessarily saying this guy should be arrested but he needs to be shut down for sure.
  • 3 0
 Have to chime in. Fraud! How in his business plan does he make money - Selling bikes, so where is the reason to find the owner. You cannot charge the true owner of the bike because it is stolen property and all they have to do is call the police, it is surprising that anyone who had his bike "recovered" by Gord did not send the Police right away. And to use that segway, why did the police not check into this before? And finally, if he has returned bikes to people, why (because it would have enhanced your good deeds), have you not kept a record of the people yyou have returned bikes to instead of asking at the end of the article for those people to speak up in your defence. Needs jailtime just like the guy in TO earlier this year. Defenders of this "businessman/good samaritian" need to stop buying stolen property because they are getting a good deal on it.
  • 1 0
 I agree Bowcycle. If someone does what Gord Blackwell does, the person has to honest and open. To the people whom purchased stolen bikes. Something to think about. If the original owner reports the bike stolen to the police and you get the same bike stolen later. If you report the thief to the police, they well ask where your receipt is because it is a stolen bike. Insurance claims all need police files. Gord only does cash deals, no receipts.
  • 4 1
 He's stealing your bikes guys!!!!!! When your bike dissappears in the lower mainland. THIS is the man who's paying people to steal them! Economics 101: Career day: You can A. go out and collect pop bottles all day for $30 or B: go steal a couple bikes and make $200/day.
This man is indirectly stealing your bikes!!!! He's a politician. Good and evil.
  • 4 1
 THis is a touchy issue. Yes Gord has a history. But that history is what puts him in contact with the criminal element of vancouver. Vancovuer and surrounding areas are rampant for bike theft. A simple lock is no means to secure a bike. You have to basically sleep with your bike in this city if you want to keep it safe. That being said, Gord was able to suss out where stolen bikes were - if he was to do the "noble thing" and turn in the guy who was in possession of a stolen bike a) his contacts would dry up faster than spilled water in Moab on a july day and b) do you really think that a cop is gonna show up fast enough when you make that call - to hold the guy and the bike and not jeopardize yourself while trying to do the good thing? I know Gord's process for clearing bikes was thorough. He cleared it through the national cop registry for stolen bikes. He cleared it with as many local enforcement agencies as possible. Is it his fault if you arent diligent enough to write down the serial number of your bike and report it stolen ASAP if its ripped off? I have a file on my PC with all my serial numbers for bikes i own/have owned. Dealers who sell bikes should also record your name and serial no. of bike sold, but they dont. He could have returned so many more bikes if this little bit of info was tracked by each owner/bike shop.
  • 4 1
 - continued - My bike was stolen - earlier this year. I reported it right away to the cops and to his website. He called me two days later and said he had it. Come pick it up. No cost to me. That doesnt sound like a fraudster if you ask me. He actually went out looking for it based on where i live (DTES) and sourced it out through his "network".

Yea his busines was sketch, but to the 250+ people who had their bikes returned to them (and I was one of them) he was doing way more than anyone else was in this theft driven drug riddled city we live in. He MAY have been running a bike chop shop but until someone can prove that he was in it for the $$ which i doubt they ever will, I will back this guy up. The cops havent charged him - ever - wrt BikeRescue...that in itself should say something.
  • 1 1
 amen
  • 2 0
 Charges are pending.
He is being investigated.
Did you allow him to take your picture (with your recovered bike)? Which one of the five are you?
  • 1 1
 where do you get this idea that he has only 5 pics? Yea he took my picture and I had never met him until that day.
  • 3 0
 How was he helping people get there bikes back?when he's buying stolen bikes?he's giving the thieves buisness and giving them a resin to steal more bikes he really wasn't helping anyone but the theivesFrown
  • 2 0
 Property crime and theft is so rampant here in BC its like sport. Now some 'enterprising entrepreneur' is trying to turn a buck on it. The reality is there is a much bigger picture, the massive drug culture feeds off property crime and thus we pay through the back door for the crackehead culture. One thing is for certain, the drug guys at the top are getting mega rich from all these small tragedies. I say bring in Singapore style laws to deal with drugs and we'll see the property crime rate plummet. While were at it bring in the caning for theft, then we can pick out all the thieves limping around town grabbing their sore backsides...well except for davie street area i guess.
  • 1 0
 last part made me laugh pretty hard
  • 7 1
 I have mixed feelings about this.
  • 3 2
 Yeah, like i think he might be an honest guy, as i almost bought a bike from this guy and he seemed like a decent dude. But if he is a thief I hope that he gets put away for life.
  • 1 1
 Yeah. He definitely takes better care of the bikes than a thief would, even if he is kind of a thief. I would love to be able to buy my stolen bike back, but I think it should have been easier for people to claim their bikes back for free . . . that would be hard to arrange without debt on his part.
  • 2 2
 Same here, I always thought it was legit
  • 4 1
 He is not a thief as he does not directly steal bikes. However, he does sell stolen property and perpetuates the theft of bikes as he gives the thieves some sort of compensation for the bikes they have stolen. If thieves have outlets to dispose of the items they steal, of course they are going to keep on stealing because they know that theft pays! But seriously, does this sound like an honest guy?

"Last spring, cyclist Bryan Powell told CTV News he found his stolen Rocky Mountain bike for sale at Blackwell's warehouse, where the cyclist says he tried to sell him his own bike back for $1,000. Powell called police and Blackwell gave up the bike."
  • 4 1
 For the theif, its like stealing a car and taking it to a chop shop..they get paid and turn around and head back into the streets to find another one. whether he had the intention to do right or wrong, something is def. fishy here.. I dont think it is right to turn a profit from someone else's misfortune. I would be pissed off to find out that this guy found my bike, bought it for $100 and sold it to someone else for $500 because I didn't locate it in time. I think he should be penalized, because who is to say that he actually tried to find the owner.. It is his word against the law, and in this situation the law prevails.
  • 2 1
 That's why I have mixed feelings.
  • 2 0
 I have a photo of the serial/BB number of all my bikes on my phone. My phone is with me anywhere, and if some crackhead runs off with my bike and we have to sort it out on the spot, I only have to show the police the photo of my BB taken six months earlier (photos are dated on my phone).

It only takes a minute to take a photo of your bike and a photo of your serial number or any other identifying marks.
  • 3 1
 Suppose the best thing to do is wait & find out if he's charged and found guilty. If he is than I would say, "you're a LOW LIFE SCUMBAG" preying on people who are already in distress.
  • 1 0
 My brother got his bike returned by this organization.... It took a while to get most of the information from him and he wasn't very willing to hand it over which I can understand (but we still reimbursed him) It was a little odd that any of the parts that weren't stock had been taken off and downgraded..... Definitely and sketch place, it returns bikes to thankful owners but it also provides a market for stolen bikes to be sold ( as opposed to pawn shops)

Thats my 2 cents
  • 1 0
 CTV showed he had bins upon bins of bike parts. Wonder where they came from? He claims not to get money from returning bikes.
Pawn shops has to forward serial numbers to the police. He does not.
  • 1 0
 he could have just as easily obtained a licience from city hall to run a pawn shop which would have forced him to report all sn from the bikes he aquired,then charges would be laid on the person where he got the bike from! he meant well just went about it the wrong way.to the peeps that have got there wheels back good on you. i have had both my bikes stolen and the second one i got back.when your ride is stolen phone the police and then call all the radio stations in your immedate area and talk about your bike and give a complete run down of your bike,the more people that know its hot the harder it is to sell on the black market. with the bikes he had sitting in his warehouse i think the ones that dont turn out to be stolen belong to him fare and sqaure he paid for them.... you cant tell me that if you had your bike stolen your not going to report it.pawn shops in the okanogan valley will not take bikes unless you have the reciept from the store at which you had purchased it.
  • 1 0
 "Now, the RCMP have effectively ended any chance of the program restarting as I am left with a debt load of over $20,000 and no means to recover that unless they choose to return the hundred of bikes that will clear their vetting process" ..... now Im curious...with his wholesale price being $0-$100 on most of his product, how does one go about racking up $20,000 in debt load? I mean, his overhead cant be more than what he makes selling bikes considering hes probably getting a 1500% to 2000% return on the stuff hes selling so my bet is that debt can only be personal.... I mean, good on him for returning some bikes, but hes definatly got some skeletons in his closet....right beside the sack of cash he made off selling people stolen bikes. Personally I dont think anyone should be getting away with making money off other peoples misfortune, regardless of the few he has helped...
  • 1 0
 monthly rent of a warehouse - $1200plus, and he wasnt buyin bikes for $100. he paid way more sometimes for them. especially if he knew who the proper owner was
  • 2 1
 To Gord's Supporters/Friends answer this.
You guys/gals don't get it. If you go to his web site and read.... On Nov 14 all his bike (153) were seized. They were seized from both his lockers. The second locker not being publicly diclosed till after the bikes being seizeds. Does he have a third locker? He had 0 bikes in the evening of Nov14. How does he have a Kona Coiler for sale on Nov 15? Wait, He claims he stopped getting bike in September. Does he go to the thieves or the thieves go to him? His due process was how long? On CTV, they bins upon bins of bike parts. Where did the frames go? You know the ones with the serial numbers.
If got your bike returned to you. Would allow some take a picture of you and your bike? In how many years of business and he only has 5 pictures. Not even close to 300+ he claims.
He is a CON MAN (with a past) from Ontario starting a new business in British Columbia. Too the Ontario police has no power in British Columbia. The reason he got stopped is because he did not get a business licence. When the RCMP arrived. I believe being in possession of stolen property unlawful. He had to surrender the stolen bikes or could go to jail.
Anybody in business can tell you math is important. 153 bikes+ fees for 1 storage site+ fees for office warehouse space+ money for living does not equal $20,000. He has been doing this for a few years. How does he pay for those bike? What does he do for a living? Where does he get money from?
  • 1 0
 obviously u didnt read his website before making ur boneheaded comments. he's PAYS for the stolen bikes to recover them... hence the 20k in debt. sure there were tons of spare parts... the POLICE also said they recovered 153 bikes... u know bikes have frames... grow up. if u dont have anything constructive to ad besides knee jerk reactions go away.
  • 1 0
 $20,000/153 bikes= $130.72. What is the rent for a storage locker? WHat is the rent for office in a indutial area? Who pays for his helper? Who pays his cost of living?
Why is there only high end bikes?
I know bikes have frames. How about all BINS of compnents without frames?
  • 1 2
 you're uninformed. if you rely on CTV for your information you havent learned a single thing about gathering information. Rule No. 1 - check your sources. CTV is tabloid news. Nothing more than FOX News. Hardly unbiased reporting...it's called slick editing to make a piece attractive to viewers. You dont even know half the story behind CTV's news piece.

other points - why only high end bikes? because no one really gives a shit about Kuwaharas and it aint worth the effort to find the owners
- he does have another job - he sells wholesale jewellry (i suppose you might find that sketchy too?)
- Who pays for his helper? who do you think does you moron? - he does. whats your point?
- if youre relying on gords website to see whats available for sale (kona for sale post nov 14), well he hardly updates it. that stinky thats up for sale has been on that website for over a year. he hardly ever updates that list. He aint so good with the web interface thing. (if you actually knew anything about bike rescuce before piping up on this thread you would know that)
- and whats with the 5 pics bit?
- you say anyone in business has to know math. well put it this way. If all he was doing was buying bikes and giving them back to people that equals lotsa money out and no money in. Even for a charity group, they cant operate like that. there has to be some money coming in or it aint gonna work.
-finally - there are scammers out there who will steal bikes. IF he posted all his bikes online all you gotta do is contact him and say im missing such and such a bike (after seeing it online) and you want to claim it. not very good. BUT if you actually contacted him first, told him what your bike was, he handed it over the next day if he had it or came across it. He had to have some sorta filter in place otherwise he could never tell if a claim was legit. Yea that puts the onus on you to make contact, but if its your bike that was stolen, thats an easy phone call to make.
  • 1 0
 and your point? no hes not my friend. I had never met him before having my bike stolen. I took an interest in his bike-rescue program and found out more about it. I asked him questions. AS for his day job - i asked him about it and i later verified it when I coincidently met him selling his jewellery at an exhibition. I know the owner of the warehouse he rents his space from and estimated the cost. It's probably higher. I just do the research. Unlike you - about your continued harping on the point of 5 pics on his webite - go above and read my point about him not updating the website that much. those recovery pics that are posted are over 2 years old. Go find another bandwagon to jump on.
  • 1 0
 All I can say is;
All his bikes were seized on Nov 14 and back in business Nov 15.
Right, the higher the cost for the rent space makes his business math look worst. You giving the cost for one of the 2 locations. What is the cost for the second location?
What does he pay his helper? There are too many questions.
He last updated on Nov 15.
Most renters know the owner they are renting from.
  • 1 1
 I agree with dubproof about how ctv news and even all news for that matter is super biased. Especially with the stuff in Irag and Afghanistan but lets not get into that. My point is that the media/news will manipulate a story or emphasize some information and leave out other information to make stories interesting
  • 1 0
 Your right, it was Gord Backwell's twin brother throwing eggs at the camera crew and it was Gord sister screaming in the media truck. They were all wearing make-up to look like Gord. The media may get things wrong, however they gave Gord a chance to give his side of the story.
Brandonf can you explain how he is back in business the next day, or are you the other of Gord's helper or Gord himself trying to misdirect everyone.
What does Iraq and Afghanistan have do with stolen bikes? Or are you saying Gord is from Iraq or Afghanistan? More misdirecting. Or did you forget Gord got 153 bikes SEIZED by the police (not CTV). Gord's helper should go to Gord's web site before giving misdirecting information. Gord clearly states he stop business on Sept 30.
  • 1 0
 I dont know I havent seen those videos I'll look for them now. And I was using the Irag/ Afghanistan reference to emphasize my point about how newscan sometimes be very biased. It doesnt take a genius to realize that I was using it as an example of biased media and that it has nothing to do with Bike rescue at all.
  • 1 0
 I watched that video. i can definately see why alot of people are against him. The way I see it, he has done a much better job of reuniting bikes with their owners than the police have. The police auction off the stolen property that they end up with so I dont see how Gordon's program is any different.
  • 1 0
 I'm piss with Gord because he sold my CARBON Jamis. Yes, I confronted Gord before it was sold. It did not stop him. It bacame my word against his word. I'm still waiting for him to return my emails...... A lot of the information I posted is from his web site.
  • 1 1
 ah the truth finally comes out. you got a beef with him. he sold yer bike. up until now all your arguments made no sense (most of them still dont) but you got a legit beef - this is true. but you still can't presnet a point in a credible way. he's not in business a day after getting busted. you fail to see that. the fact that his website is still up and running doesnt mean he's still in business.

All that aside...i feel for your loss of your bike. I dont know the whole situation behind you and your bike, how it came into his hands or how he sold it. I dont know what efforts if any he made to get it back to you ar what the conversation was between you and him - or the timing of everything. that being said...it dont look good for gord if what you say is true. Like i said, i only know what i know from my dealings with him and what i found out looking into his actions. I always stated that my opinon was open to change. Yours is one stroy that goes against him. There may be more out there. theyre all gonna come to the surface now.
  • 1 0
 dubpof or Gord, what ever your name is. The turth is the Kona Coiler was posted on Nov 15! He has updating his site with bike for sale. The truth hurts Gord. Stop misdirecting people. Stop promoting stolen bikes. What did you get from Gord, dubpof? A stolen bike? Are you the one and the same person? You know his expenses? Each time you post some misdirection I can answer it. But you can't answer my questions! The truth hurts Gord/dubpof. I'm still waiting for the return of my Jamis. You know, the claims you made of return to the owners.
To answer your question if he is still in business. He has to first get a business licence. Something he didn't have. Or is the city of New West in on this plot? Still the last update on Nov 15 with a Kona Coiler should answer your question. The truth hurts Gord/dubpof.
  • 1 0
 Hoy Rocko - get your f*ckin head out of your ass. Up unitl this point of time I have been pretty much respectful in talking about this - but by you calling me Gord you crossed the line. I AM NOT GORD. I said it sucks your bike was sold by him. If you cant take care of your own problems dont blame me. I posted all my explanations as to why I know so much about him. If you cant read them thats not my problem. I looked into his business. I researched it. I know the owner of the building his warehouse is in through my own job. I cant help it if your view is so narrow minded and obtuse that you can't see anyone else's point of view. Yea your bike was sold by him. WHat did you do about it? You call the cops? If not - why? The more you talk the more you look like a idiot - maybe you do the english thing as a second language - i dunno - but youre a lousy communicator and a narrow minded prick. I always stated the my opinion of Gord and what he does is open to change should more evidence be presented to the contrary. I consider your happenings as a definite negative. I'll leave it at that. No matter how much you wish I was, I AM NOT GORD. end of discussion. And youre still a donk.
  • 1 0
 Don't misdirect Gord. The turth hurts. Stop stealing bikes.
  • 1 0
 This stops right now. I know who dubprof is in the real world, he is a friend of mine and those I ride with, and he is NOT who you claim he is. Moreover, you are setting yourself up for a libel suit with every false accusation you type. I will remove any new posts you make on this subject. Leave online bickering to the junior high school kids and at least try to act your 31 years old or take your drama elsewhere.
  • 1 0
 I've met this dude and talked to him for a bit. He indeed is one sketchy mother f*cker. Not to mention the guy he has working for him as his "mechanic" that knows shit all about working on bikes is a total junkie. I got bad vibes from this guy and his buisness right from the start and was surprised it lasted even as long as it did.
  • 1 0
 The general idea is good but only if it was completely legit! i can only really think of one question is that when a bike was returned to its rightful owner why did they not then go back to this Gordon Blackwell and see who he got it from so they can track the thief? I got to say that bike theft is a subject i can relate to because i have had one stolen and one completely stripped in 2 years! Both locked up and both in back gardens! so i would like to see something done but like it has been said something doesnt feel right about this one!
  • 1 0
 regardless of his intention buying stolen property is an offense, his business is operating on illegal terms...this is a black and white matter there is no gray area...guilty. As for not having a business permit that is not an issue. You can run a business in Canada without a permit as long as it falls under a certain dollar figure.
  • 1 0
 True, you are right. Chubby5000 posted he counted 300 bikes (at 1 of his 2 location), average price of $500. The RCMP only seized 153 bikes. There are a lot of bikes sold. He been doing this for 4 years. How many bikes do you think he sold?For the 2 weekends in Nov. The low guess. 100 bikes @ $500 = $50,000. Just for Nov sales.
  • 1 0
 On Jan 24/08, CTV web site- "A CTV investigation revealed that Blackwell-who has fraud convictions in several provinces." If this is a false statment as dubpof claims, Gord Blackwell can sue the CTV.
In '08, bylaw officers from the city of Coquitlam ordered Blackwell to stop selling bikes(no business licence).
In Jun '09, bylaw officers from the city of New Westminister ordered Blackwell to stop sell bikes (no business licence).
The RCMP has reportly seized bikes from Gord Blackwell 2 occasions. Once in '08 and in '09.
  • 1 0
 Oh no, my name is on his website claiming that I support the program, guess I might want to clear that up, because I don't at all!!! I bought a frame from him 4 years ago (or so) when bike rescue was new and then he hired me for a day for my mechanic skills, I though why not, looks like a good thing he's doing. After a while I had a bad feeling and a moral issue with what he was doing and did not return and that's all I can say, now I see what was really going on... this was years ago but I needed to say this
  • 2 0
 it seems suspicious to me, and i find it weird how most of the bikes he has are high end, when truth is there are more supercycles and cheap bikes which get stolen because they arent looked after as well
  • 1 0
 excellent point!
  • 3 0
 Oh yeah, me and my gal counted the bikes in his warehouse and there were close to 300, at an average price of about $500 each. All cash deals. Scam.
  • 5 3
 Ironically, the bikes that aren't claimed will be sold at auction by the police department, which is what Gord was doing initially. Does it make it any better because it's the cops doing it?
  • 3 2
 Although this is a true fact, the police will check their files to see if anyone has reported a bike they recover and they will exhaust all their means and try to return the bike to the rightful owner. Therefore, the police play an integral role in returning bikes to their owners. On the other hand, with Bike Rescue, the onus was on the person who had their bike stolen to either check with the organization or to peruse his stock to see if their bike was recovered by him. I believe that the police also wait longer before selling the property they recover. As well, the police do not charge a finders fee/try to sell the bike you purchased back to them.
  • 4 2
 i bet gord has returned more high-end bikes to people in the last 4 years than all the law enfrocement agencies in the lower mainland combined.
  • 1 0
 how long will they wait to sell it
  • 3 2
 yeah exactly...its bs. the cops just want to shut someone down for doing a better job of recovering stolen property than they were now they get to profit from it as well... lame
  • 2 1
 Yes, the police would auction unclaimed bikes.
No, Gord (only gets high end bikes) does not auction unclaimed bikes. He sells them.
dubprof- would you let Gord take your picture if he returned your high end bike (for no fees)? He claims to have returned over 300. He has 5 pictures in 4 years. 5 friends in 4 years......
brett878- 1 day is the waiting peroid. All his bikes were seized on Nov14. Started selling a kona on Nov 15!!!
  • 1 0
 seraph, the police do fuck all abotu getting bikes back i agree. BUT the diff here is that the police do not pay criminals to steal them, gord does.
  • 1 0
 Gord is in jail. His 25th fraud conviction. It includes 36 counts of possession of stolen BIKES and 1 charge of BIKE thief. He stated in court he was fencing the stolen bikes.
I read the nsmb.com chat re.bike rescue. Dubprof, can you tell me who was Gord's bike mechanic? Maybe he should join Gord in jail.
  • 2 0
 gords in jail but yer still a tool.
  • 1 2
 Gord admitted to bike thief in court. Now we know how.
So who is the mechanic at bike rescue? DUBPROF????
So who is Gord's buddy? You know visting him in his APARTMENT. DUBPROF???? I like the 15 forks, 20 laptop,.... his buddy descrbes seeing in Gord's apartment.
Who pleaded guilty to a charge of bike thief???? Your buddy Gord.
I wonder what was Gord's mechanic got paid? DUBPROF????
Should I join the other chat.....your best come back is calling people a tool.
Gord's mechanic should know how many bikes was at bike rescue in November. 400, 500+??? We know there was 300+ remaining on the second weekend. So Gord's mechanic, how many did you sell on the first weekend? What were you paid?
  • 1 0
 who keeps track of the serial until its time to warranty a broken frame? I know I don't and I work in the industry, have home owner's insurance, and should know better.

Poor the gas, light the match, and watch him burn in hell!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 Bike shops keep track of the serial number. At least they're supposed to. We keep customer files for all the bikes we sell.
  • 1 0
 hey all you gordo supporter boneheads: has it ever crossed your grey matter that anyone buying suspect stolen bikes is encouraging all the crackheads who need $$$ who stole them in the first place duhuuuh. My dually was stolen and i lucked out 3 mos later when i got it back at the cnr of Columbia & Hastings [crackland...surprise!!!] this guy is so transparent i thought i had x-ray vision when i talked with him about getting my ride back...geeeez louise buy a serious lock and if it is ripped off: 'head on down to Hastings Town, where you can buy a bike a dollar down' [ just make certain you get there before Mr. G. ]
  • 1 0
 i offered a guy money to buy 2 stolen bikes was going to take them up to my apartment leave him outside and air the tires up for him but keep them and try and return them to the owners via craigs list and have owners describing the bikes then he was going to sell one to me for like 30 dollars was going to do this. but the cops pulled up on us and nabbed the guy he fit the description for a bike thief i posted a craigs list add saying contact the police and people thanked me nice to nab bike thief's
  • 1 0
 Crazy!! That's why I have my bike insured with my car insurance. Even if it's stolen from my house it is still covered. Bike stolen = Brand new bike. Despite the insurance fees it's a win win situation.
  • 1 2
 his principle of getting stolen bikes back to owners was good, but he really could of thought of a better way to go about it, instead of selling somones stolen bike back to them, if he did get bikes back to ppl then those ppl should come forward and help gord out in his time of need when after all he helpd them in theres
  • 1 0
 Awesome result for the MTB community as it drives the stolen bike market. I got a frame back from him and didn't feel good about it at all, I just had no other choice.
  • 3 1
 The cops aren't taking personal calls from theives and then buying the bikes off of them.
  • 3 3
 You know I'm glad they shut this F**k down I hope all the bikes there get returned to there owners! he still needs a beat down though!!!!!!!!
  • 2 0
 this situation is sweet and sour...................
  • 1 0
 "Blackwell, who has a criminal record for fraud in Ontario"

Speaks for itself. Dodgy..well dodgy!
  • 1 0
 www.vancouversun.com/life/Bike+rescuer+admits+fencing+gets+years/2426578/story.html - only two years.......??
  • 1 0
 Only 2 years because he pleaded guilty before it went to trial. This is his 25th fraud conviction! 36 counts of possession of stolen BIKES and 1 charge of BIKE thief. That 1 charge of bike thief. Someone must have saw that THIEVE. Now we know how he got bikes. One of Bike Rescue's main supporter on this chat was Gord's bike mechanic. He let it slip a different chat site. He describes being in Gord's apartment seeing 15 forks, 20 laptops.... Does this sound shady. Gord Backwell is a con man. In order to work a con, he must make you think he is honest. Then he well ripe you off before you know it.
  • 1 0
 so what happen if the bikes dont find there owner
  • 1 0
 See my comment above.
  • 1 0
 Polce would hold for 6 months before auctioning. Gord would wait 1 DAY before selling the bike!
  • 1 0
 were these all given back 2 people cuz i got my hardrock stolen
  • 4 3
 hope people get there bikes back
  • 1 0
 And I'll bet he's got $100,000 stuffed in his mattress at home.
  • 1 2
 this is stupid on the polices part if they funded him buying the bikes but eather way, alot of people are getting there bikes back!!
  • 1 0
 Where did you get the police funding from?
  • 1 1
 But in all due respect Gord was nice enough to me seemed like an okay guy. But the whole operation is wrong wrong wrong.
  • 1 1
 Go to the CTV web site and search for bike rescue. I seen a few clips. Judge for self.
  • 1 0
 man i wish some of those bikes where mine. stealers are morons
  • 1 0
 Damn, no siezed black market riots i guess.
  • 1 0
 i hate that guy stealing those bikes.
  • 1 1
 he is in a win-win situation either way in his business, good boy
  • 2 2
 Holy tits
  • 1 2
 thats a decent line up of bikes ! hope those riders find them !
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