All recovered bikes in Fort Collins (whether dropped off to the Co-op or picked up through B.A.R.S) are logged, tagged, and cross-referenced with weekly Stolen Bike Reports from FC Police Services. If cross-referencing indicates a possible match between lists, the Co-op will contact the officer on the stolen bike case to verify the match. If no matches are found with Stolen Bike Reports all bikes are still held a minimum of 40 days. After an initial 30 day holding period, the bikes are listed on the City Website (property manifest) and held for another 10 days. If the owner is not found after this process then each bike's fate will lie in various Co-op programs.(see below)
Stolen Bikes
Less than 5% of recovered bikes are returned to their owners, largely due to the lack of filed Police Reports. While the Fort Collins Bike Co-op is not responsible for stolen bike cases we encourage you to record your bike's make, model, description, and serial number just in case it's ever stolen! Once you've reported your bike stolen to the police, your bike's description/serial number will be cross checked with our database on a weekly basis.
Stolen bikes can be reported to the Fort Collins Police by phone 970-221-6540 or online
Fate of Recovered Bikes
Starting February 1st, 2008, the Fort Collins Bike Co-op and Fort Collins Police Department created a new partnership. Prior to 2008 every bike that was deemed abandoned in Fort Collins was crammed into a shipping container and shipped off to California to be put up for auction. This usually paid the cost of storing the bikes over the course of the year and shipping them off. Now, in return for collection, management, and storage of the bikes, the Co-op is able to utilize them in our Earn-A-Bike, Ghana Bikes, or Cycling Recyclers Programs. No longer do quality bikes leave our community or are bikes fit for recycling shipped away, ALL recovered bikes are put to their best use.
How To Report Found Bikes
If you come across a bike that you believe has been lost or abandoned, we'll take care of it and get it back to its owner or back on the road. Please see our B.A.R.S. page for more details.