Bike theft in Steamboat Springs a part of a larger crime symptom in Colorado, residents say
After two $9,000 mountain bikes were stolen from a Steamboat Springs resident's front yard in the middle of the afternoon, they're asking for help finding the bikes again after a string of reported bike thefts last week.
CBS Colorado has reported on this sort of trend before, with Vail Police confirming there is something to the theory of people traveling up to mountain towns in order to steal bikes, and then drive back to their home in other parts of Colorado.
Bike theft victim Karissa Kuhlmann said that's what she believes happened with her bike, between what she's gathered online, and what police have told her about a pickup truck matching the description of who she believes stole her bike, and the investigation so far.
"I called the police, they told me 'We got the vehicle, he ended up running from us... we don't know where he went,'" Kuhlmann explained. "They did end up recovering four bikes that same day, but not ours."
Kuhlmann said she and her husband did not realize their bikes would be stolen if they were left out front of their home for a few minutes.
"I didn't realize it was a problem... it is a very safe community, we definitely let our guard down," she said.
It's a pattern that the local bike shop "Wheels" has noticed themselves.
"It does seem like we have people who come here from out of town possibly with the intention of grabbing things that are not theirs because they know this is the place that we have very nice bikes," Grant Young, a Wheels Bike Shop Mechanic said.
CBS Colorado reached out to the Steamboat Springs Police Department to discuss the reported trend several times on Monday but never got a return call, even after visiting the police station in person. Young said the best way to keep your bike safe is simply to keep it where no one can get to it, do not trust a lock.
"You have to keep an eye on your bike, is the way I look at it," Young said. "There is not really a bike lock out there nowadays that is going to keep your bike safe if you are not looking at it. Keep it indoors."
As for Kuhlmann, she said she's still checking online second-hand markets hoping to spy their bikes being sold by the thief. She's hoping someone notices this story and recognizes their bikes... especially if they're about to buy them.
"I would love it if someone would return them, my husband wants to give a $5,000 reward if someone will bring them back, we won't ask questions, just want our bikes back," Kuhlmann said. "That would be wonderful if someone returned them."
